Segment 3

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"Now what are you two porkballs doing in my field?"

Rosie and Roscoe froze, recognizing the slow, deep voice of Mr. Trots. They'd been in such a rush to get to the pasture fence, they hadn't noticed the thud of his hooves approaching from behind. Now the two of them turned awkwardly to face the big old horse, who gazed at them knowingly through his gigantic brown eyeballs.

"Your ma know you're here?"

"She didn't tell us not to come into the pasture today," Rosie said quickly.

"Hmmm." Mr. Trots shook his shaggy mane and twitched his withers, trying to keep off the buzzing swarm of flies. He looked immensely unimpressed with Rosie's answer. "Don't often see squealies small as you trampling my grass."

"Squealies!"

"Got enough company with all your cousins and nephews out here stompin' and chompin' on everything in sight. Where you think you're going?"

"We're exploring," Roscoe said. "We just wanted to take a peek outside the pasture fence."

"Ah," Mr. Trots said.

"You've been outside before, haven't you?" Rosie asked.

"Done my share of trail riding. Seen a few things on the outside. Never gone anywhere a human didn't want me to go, though. Never been a wild horse, if that's what you mean."

"What's it like?"

"Not gonna tell you," Mr. Trots answered stubbornly.

"Why not!"

"Because if I tell you the little bit I know, you'll want to find out more. Then you might get all fired up with crazy notions. You might even find the hole in the pasture fence, and be fool enough to push those plump bodies of yours through it. I'd strongly advise against it. Plenty of humans out there, who wouldn't see nothin' but sausages on legs if they set eyes on you two."

"Is there such a thing as a wild pig?" Rosie wondered.

"Think I'm lookin' at a couple of 'em," Mr. Trots joked.

"Remember my advice now," he cautioned, sauntering away. "Don't even go near that hole in the pasture fence - the one just behind my barn. No squealer's ever gone through it, and any squealer that did would never be coming back. I'm pretty sure of that."

Rosie and Roscoe watched Mr. Trots move off toward the compound. "Do you think he's going to tell on us?" Roscoe wondered.

"No," Rosie said. "I don't think he's going to say a word."

Next - Segment 4