Fear the Pig Farmer

Henry Bernreuter
Intro;
Five boys three white two black. Playing in an abandoned cotton gin that sits in the back of a
field next to a oak thicket.
Little man (black boy)
Skit (black boy)
Chop Alexander (black boy)
Shaky (white boy)
Greedy (white boy)
They are playing near a creek called burning creek. It got its name in the 20, 30, during
prohibition. All the moonshiners would build there stills near the creek. The forest gave plenty of
cover and fuel and the creek gave plenty of cooling for the Ethel vapors to turn to moonshine.
Earl Davis owned the farm that they are playing on. Earl had acquired some gambling debt in
Memphis. He would have had to hand over his farm except he just disappeared. Widow Davis
sold the land and left for her Daddys farm in Biloxi. The county claimed the land after a few
years just long enough that no one cared anyway.
The boys
Little man
is biggest of the boys but also the slowest mentally very close to retardation
Skit
is Little Mans cousin average boy
Chop alexander
average boy kind of a trouble maker always wanting to know what it is like to be white.
Got two of his fingers chopped off when trimming a dear
Shaky
skinny white boy is afraid of everything especial his rough father. Got his name form
shaking so bad from fear
Greedy
the ring leader very intelligent always looking fo r adventure has no interest in adult rules

The thing to remember about the summers in 1963, in Greenwood, Mississippi is not how hot it is
but how humid it gets. At times during the day going outside is like walking through malaises.
The wet just sticks to your skin and refuses to move. After only minutes you are drenched and
twice as hot for the effort. However this would not apply to a group of ten year olds playing
inside the cotton gin on the old Davis farm. The Davis farm was divided by a creek known as
Burning Creek. It received the name because all the moonshiners would build there stills near the
creek. The forest gave plenty of cover from the Feds and the smaller pine trees made perfect fuel
with the creek giving plenty of cooling for the Ethel vapors to turn to moonshine.
Earl Davis had owned the farm until he had acquired some gambling debt in Memphis.
He would have had to hand over his farm except he disappeared. Widow Davis abandoned the
land to move to her Daddys farm in Biloxi. The county claimed the land after a few years waiting
just long enough that no one cared anyway.
Greedy you bring um picture books? said Little Man
Why are you in such a hurry, negros cant read! said Greedy
Laughter broke out among the group.
I read what them teachers says said Little Man

Yup every nigger word in every nigger book in that nigger school Skit said assured
It aint that away Skit! Little man aint quick like you ghost white honkies. Chop said with
a giggle in his voice.
I got the comics Greedy said as he dropped a knap sack full of used raggedy comic
books
All the boys began sifting through the bag to find their favorite of comic. They made their own
placed to sit be it a paint bucket or wooden box. Before long all was quite.
I goin to be a supers hero one day Skit said to the half attention audience.
Only if your superpower is the invisible man. Chop said
What would your superpower be Skit. Greedy looking up form his comic
I would be superman himself dumbass. Skit answered back
How come? Greedy paying full attention now.
yea skit what would you do? Little man said
I want to fly you retard, so I could get the hell out of Greenwood. Skit said with his man
voice.
If I could fly like him I would get us all out of Greenwood. Greedy told the group.
Where would we go? said Shaky
Someplace cooler like Colorado. Says Greedy
Dis they let negros in Col-lo-ra-do? said Little Man
Yup sure do Littleman but they dont let retards. Chop chimed in.
How come yall always make fun of him? said Greedy
Its ok greedy its good fun plus I aint going to be retard forever, I got me a plans. Said
Little Man with a big grin.
Is that right? What is this big plan you got? said Chop
I am going to find me a green ring come out of an astoroia and be this Green La-t-er-n.
Said Littleman.
Youre an dumbass that shit aint real. Skit scolded
Maybe not but I aint a negro trying to be white. Cause Green La-y-te-n is a negro too.
Little man said with a
smile.
The group broke outlaughing again at Skit and Chop no matter what they tried to say
badly to Little Man he would always laugh in their face. He was challenged in many ways but
never in his own world of happiness.
The boys heard a truck coming down the road to the cotton gin and started to panic.
Who could that be? Greedy demanded.
Beatcha that is a shiner coming to get his still and copper said Skit.
I gotta get outta here Greedy my Daddy finds out and. Shaky faded off as he turned
pale white.
Calm down Shaky he prolly pass us on by. Greedy told Shaky
The truck started to slow down and the boys were forced to contemplate their own fate.
Two white Boys playing with three black boys was a bad day for all of them. Panic began to set
in with them all. Shaky was the worst as his bladder showed his lack of control.
The truck was familiar it sped its way past the old gin with two passengers. The boys could make
out the driver to be white and the passenger to be black. The boys had a decision to make and
all but shaky needed to vote.
That truck looks familiar but I didnt get a good look at it. Ok yall who is for looking at
them two headed to burning creek and who for haulin butt home? Greedy said.
I am goin to see if that whitey is gettin liquor Little Man said.
Yup some exploerin sounds good to me. Skit threw out
Chop was already half out of the door when Greedy said that he had never had moonshine but
the idea sounded interesting. Shaky just looked out the window he was sitting by looking out. A

sniffle or two was heard but none of the other boys would ever mention it. The boys never told
anyone that Shaky had a problem they just always said that he was keeping watch out.
These boys were masters at exploring Burning Creek. The creek got its name from the
prohibition era. Moonshiners needed a place that they could set a fire without being found. Three
things are needed to make moonshine fire to cook the mash, running water to cool the alcohol
and privacy. It was such a good place to make moonshine that all the shiners in the surrounding
counties came here. At night the town people thought the creeks was on fire. They even called
the Sheriff to do something about it. Which of course he never found the culprits and yet always
got re-elected.
The boys were at the tree line close to the pickup. Just close enough to overhear what was
going one. Greedy was close enough to recognize his father and the farm helper Leroy.
Leroy get that wrapped up so my truck dont stink. Mr. Shoat yelled.
Is steppin boss I steppin no needed yelling Is stepppin Leroy said.
I cant believe they put us in this spot a late delivery and half past ripe too, this will cost
extra. Mr. Shoat stated.
Yess boss extra Leroy said.
Leroy had a carpet rolled up that seemed oversized, the length was right but there must
have been something inside because it was thicker than most carpets. This was a very odd
moment as Mr. Shoat was a pig farm not a moonshiner.
Greedy knew he need to get home and the other boys need to not get caught with Greedy.
The boys rallied at the Gin and waited for Mr. Shoat to leave. Shaky thought he saw Leroy
spying the hidden bikes but he could not be sure as the truck did not stop to investigate. They
packed up and started to leave when Shaky rolled himself in the dirt to cover any stains. None of
the boys would ever have said anything about him losing his bladder control, they just had his
bike ready for him to ride. Getting off the farm was easy. Getting on the right side of the tracks
was hard. Greedy had it easiest he farm was on the west side of the train station. No one could
see him because the train depot blocked the line of sight from the square. They had to live that
far out of town because Mr. Shoat farm smelled so bad. Little Man Skit and Chop had to go
around the grocery store, the laundry and the post office without any white people seeing that
they were on the wrong side of the train depot. Black people lived on the east side of the train
depot because it was the only land the white people didnt want. The farms are all owned by the
whites and none of them live inside the city limit sign because of how loud the trains where at
night. Of course this was the only land that black people could get and most of was owned by the
whites. Shaky just had to go inside the grocery store that his Daddy owned and get whipped
again for mudding his clothes. Shaky could always take a beating before he could tell his father
that he lost control of his blader.
The following day the chores where to be done at all the boys houses before they were
allowed to go have fun. Which meant that the boys would meet at the gin the same as any other
summer day.
Today was a special day because Greedy got a new comic from his dad this morning.
Greedy was allowed to buy a new comic only when the farm had a good week. The night before
he thought the slaughter house came in the middle of the night to get some hogs. This was his
reasoning that the farm was doing better. It was only when the slaughter house came early did
he get the comic. He had quite the collection there were at least fifty so far.Mr. Shoat was the
only pig farmer in the area and everyone came to him for cheap meat. The Negros especially, it
was the only meat they could afford. A Negro family once tried to start a pig farm but Mr. Shoat
had the local veterinarian check them out. All the pigs had a fever so they were slaughtered.
After that no one tried to start another pig farm.
The first two boys to arrive at the gin were Greedy and Little Man.
I got a new comic this morning and I think you will want first grab at it. New green
Lantern just for you Little Man Greedy exclaimed.
wooooowheeeee thank ya so much Little Man said while taken the comic.

Little Man retreated to a table further in the back of the gin to read his new found treasure. About
an hour later the other boys came riding on their bicycles at break neck speed. The boys found
the opening in the back of the gin and pushed and shoved until they could make it through the
gap of two wood panels.
Greedy met them first and told them about the new comic available and that Little Man
was already reading. He told them to give Little Man time to read it before they tried to take it
from him.
Give him a minute fellas yall know he is slow at the reading. Greedy said
Slow? That nigga cant read! Skit said.
All the boys broke out into laughter except for Greedy. Greedy never thought it was a good
idea to make fun of anyone. He always went out of his way not to provoke someone by pointing
out their weakness. Besides he was the son of a pig farmer it wasnt much lower than that. Pig
farms do not make much money. They smell bad and can cause the manifestation of many
dieses. Dieses that can and many times do affect people. On top of all that pig waste causes a
strong enough odor to perfectly ruin clothing. To sum up Greedys life, he was always going to be
poor and smell like pig shit the rest of his life. He did get special treats like comic books he
thought it was a good trade to be the poorest kid in town that smelled really bad but in his world
he was king. He held all the gold.
The boys could wait no longer they struck out to find that comic and take it by force if
nessacry. Of course they all new that to force Little Man to do something was really just teasing
him until he relented. He was the size of a small man. He got his nickname form people around
town treating him like he was a grown man. Unitl they realized that he was still a child in his
mind. It was obvious that he was a couple of years older than the other boy, but they didnt mind
he was in the same grade as the other black boys.
Greedy Get outta the way we going to get that comic! Skit said excitedly
All the boys barrel down the hall that leads to the desk that Little Man usually sits. As they
approached the desk Little Man was nowhere to be found. Curiously they continued down the hall
to the open space that some form of machinery used to be located. In the corner they heard a
sniffle. One after another the boys hit their brakes. They looked on with great confsion as they
saw something they could not understand. Thee was Little man the sitting on an old wooden box
facing the corner. He would sob every few seconds.
Hey Little Man you ok? Skit said
Somebody hurt your feelings? Chop said
Why are you upset? Shaky said curiously
The boys began to approach him delicately. Just as they close enough ot see his face, Little
Man jumped up as if someone had kicked the box out from under him. He started running
towards the front of the gin. They other boys ran after him. The boys could hear the full crying
coming from him now. Chop rememebered to grab the comic as he made haste to follow his
upset friend.
I am going to kill you, you flour white honky devil. Little Man screamed at Greedy.
This took Greedy by complete surprise. He could not understand what he was seeing. He thought
Little Man must be joking but at the last second when Little Man moved into a full run and tackle
position Greedy knew he was in trouble. Little Man outweighed Greedy by a solid 80 pounds.
When the velocity of the tackle connected it took Greedys breath away. The boys hit the ground
with a low sounding thud. Little Man stradled Greedy. Greedy could do nothing to help himself
out of hold he was in. Little man pulled his fist back behind his shoulder. The next thing Greedy
saw was a bright light as his eye responded to impact of Little Mans fist. Greedy was struck a
couple of more times before the other boys were able to intervene. Little Man was pulled off of
Greedy he ran to the back opening of the gin still crying. Little Man got on his bike and left.
What did you say to him? Skit asked.
I didnt say shit to him I got him a new comic book just for him it has the black green
lantern even. Greedy said as Chop offered him a hand getting up.

Damn man you have got one hell of a shiner. Shaky said
Oh shit Greedy said as he touch his cheek.
The swelling had started almost immidately. Greedy could feel the tendernedd of his eyelid. He
thought to himself that this was going to be noticeable to his father.
What the hell is wrong with your retarded cousin!! Does he always go bat shit crazy to his
friends or am I just special.? Greedy said loudly.
Man you need to watch what you say about my cousin ya already had your ass toten for
one day. Skit told him
Whoa you two. Aint nobody goin to get no mo dust kicking until we figure Little Man.
With that Chop took control of the group.
All I know is we got here I gave him the comic he was happy and headed to the desk.
Then yall showed up and all hell broke lose. Now I gotta go lie to my momma and daddy about
how I got this shiner. Cause ifI tell them Little Man Reece did this we all get in to hot water.
Greedy said.
All eyesturned to Skit.
Why yall looking at me? Do I lok loke I can tell the past ? Cause you know I cant tell the
future. Skit told