The Christmas Pig: A Fable

by Kinky Friedman

It's a Christmas tale only a man called Kinky could tell.

King Jonjo Mayo the First is in a bind. Every Christmas, he commissions an artist to paint a traditional nativity scene to be dramatically revealed after midnight mass. This year, though, the date is mere weeks away, and he still has not yet found his painter. The king decides to take a chance on a peculiar, mute boy whose artistic genius and clairvoyance are rumored throughout the kingdom. He sends three valiant, if begrudging, knights to seek out the boy in the remote countryside. Finally, they find Benjamin -- and he is, indeed, peculiar. Nobody knows if the child is up to the task, but the king's Christmas tradition -- and Benjamin himself -- might just be saved by a Christmas miracle that comes in the form of a very special pig -- who is rather peculiar herself.

Genres: Humor, Christmas, Fiction, Book Club

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2006

About the author

Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas. Receiving 12.6% of the vote, Friedman placed fourth in the six-person race.

Friedman was born in Chicago to Jewish parents, Dr. S. Thomas Friedman and his wife Minnie (Samet) Friedman. The family moved to a ranch in central Texas a few years later. Friedman had an early interest in both music and chess, and was chosen at age 7 as one of 50 local players to challenge U.S. grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky to simultaneous matches in Houston. Reshevsky won all 50 matches, but Friedman was by far the youngest competitor.

Friedman graduated from Austin High School in Austin, Texas in 1962 and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1966, majoring in Psychology. He took part in the Plan II Honors program and was a member of the Tau Delta Phi fraternity. During his freshman year, Chinga Chavin gave Friedman the nickname "Kinky" because of his curly hair.

Friedman served two years in the United States Peace Corps, teaching on Borneo in Malaysia with John Gross. During his service in the Peace Corps, he met future Texas Jewboy road manager Dylan Ferrero, with whom he still works today. Friedman lives at Echo Hill Ranch, his family's summer camp near Kerrville, Texas. He founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, also located near Kerrville, whose mission is to care for stray, abused and aging animals; more than 1,000 dogs have been saved from animal euthanasia.

Series:
* Kinky Friedman Mystery

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really outrageous thing in it, and I didn’t like one part, but the message is true, and very powerful. God made every person, no matter how “different” they may seem to everyone else.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet little tale suitable for children of all ages - one to 99, as they say. I'd like to read it aloud to my grandchildren. OK, there is some suffering, but it's hopeful in the end and sends a good message not only to the townspeople in the story, but to the reader as well.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a charming story. I think I'll read it every Christmas from here on. If you love animals and the true meaning of Christmas this is for you.

[Candy Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of the book was hilarious, but the fable part was a little sad.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not something one would expect from Kinky at all. Very little of Kinky's usual witticisms. A very fast read.

[Michelle C Lidtke · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF for me bc after chapter 6. I just couldn't get into it.

[Rebecca Cairo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing prepared me for this plot at all but I’m kinda obsessed with it.

[Spiros · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very peculiar production, in which the Kinkster tries to make nice; Kinky as a fablist is kinda like a pig wearing lipstick. There are, to be sure, occasional flashes of Kinky's caustic wit, and even a couple of all too brief nods to the Greenwich Village Irregulars (Myers of Keswick, and, even more briefly, the late Tom Baker and Kacey Cohen, "the girl in the peach colored dress"). The eponymous pig displays a distressing tendancy to talk like Oscar Wilde. If I came across a epigramatic pig, I would have only one thing to say to it: "Bacon".

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious about this when I walked by it in the bookstore. I've read Kinky Friedman's Austin book, and I wasn't sure how a guy so rough-around-the-edges could come up with a heartwarming fairy tale about an autistic young artist and a pig. It's a very easy read with well-developed characters and a wonderful message. Grab some Kleenex, make some cocoa, and read it the week before Christmas. A wonderful story you could probably adapt and read to your kids each night.

[Juanita Baltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this author is a known entity to you. Well if not you need to know he bills himself as the Texas Jew Boy. He writes local colorstyle and is very in the flow of politics and is gauranteed to entertain. This book is about a nativity picture that needs painted. You guess the date. I think pre 1100AD. A very special needs child paints it and includes a pig. This book is very special to me you will never see a nativity the same way again. MERRY CHRISTMAS?

[Michael]

An OK children's book from Kinky Friedman. I mention it only because I've read a bunch of his books over the years, but have not listed him here. He's a funny man. He's built kind of a multi-venue comedy/entertaining career based on being a Jew raised in Texas. He was a country singer for a while, lived in New York, ran for Governor of Texas.

[Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book ever, knocking "Letters From the Earth" by Mark Twain out of first place. This book has 23 chapters. It's my ritual that every December I read one chapter per night leading up to Christmas Eve. It's a beautiful fable of a true friendship between a boy and a pig. Funny, deep and poignant. I highly recommend.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the grinning man with the stogie mislead you, this is actually a sweet fairy tale about love, art, and friendship. And doesn't really have anything to do with its infamous author, whose own life story is crazier than many a novel.

[Frederick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is funny. It just IS.
The cover makes me laugh.
I'm giving a slew of Kinky Friedman books five stars because of the titles.
THE CHRISTMAS PIG is a funny title. But THE CHRISTMAS PIG: A FABLE is funnier.

[John Uzzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a surprise. I have been a long time fan of Kinky Friedman's quirky mysteries but the only similarity between those and this book is it's length. This fable is a touching, enlightening story.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really kind of "out there." But I found myself getting pulled into the story and really enjoying it. There were some unexpected events and some heartwarming moments, but this is not your typical Christmas story.

[Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the hundreds of books I've read, few have made me put them down to cry,then pick it back up. This little book was amazing.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. a quick easy read but a touching Christmas story.

[Genie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! A tale of the importance of love, friendship and loyalty. Not since "Babe" has a little pig been such a major player in any work of fiction.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, quickly read little story. Cute.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an interesting book. Didn't just love it, but found it entertaining.

[Jerry Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the strangest little books about the true meaning of Christmas. A captivating tale of a little boy, a talking pig, a painting and a kingdom that I couldn't put down until the end.

[Michael Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Gives you a child view of the world. One of my favorite Kinky books.

[Sarah Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful Christmas story. quick too. read it next year during the season.

[Denise Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good Christmas Fable as told by a Jewish novelist. It was sweet and mesmerizing.

[Judie Hatton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read around the holidays. Sweet story.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

As expected!