The Hog Judging

Prompt: Write a story about a carnival or fair

The little girl, easily the smallest creature in the arena, made a good show of guiding the hog, tapping his shoulder with a long stick to steer him left or right. The ring was crowded with dozens of swine and their handlers and I lost sight of the girl a few times in the swarming mass of green 4-H jackets and rooting cob rollers. Then she would reappear, her jacket hanging past her knobby knees, her tiny face a mask of concentration.

My coffee mug, sending skinny wisps of steam into the chilly morning air, was gripped tightly as I watched the judge make his final choices in the Youth Fair hog class. Pointing to one hog, then another, he narrowed the class down to five finalists, the little girl and her hog among them.

“Isn’t that little tadpole the cutest thing,” the lady to my left said.

I nodded, too distracted to attempt conversation. A buxom woman in wobbly heels entered the ring, bearing a large blue ribbon in one hand and a smaller red ribbon in the other. She spoke briefly with the judge then turned and approached the five youngsters. I gripped my mug even tighter, absently tapping my foot as she handed the red ribbon to a freckled boy of about twelve. He grinned up into the stands, obviously happy with his second place ribbon.

The ribbon lady turned, and bending down low, spoke to the little girl. Realizing I had been holding my breath, I groaned softly. I couldn’t take it any longer. Standing up, I squeezed past the lady on my left and out into the aisle. Halfway down the stairs, I stopped when the crowd sent up a loud cheer. Looking up, relief swept over me. I had spotted the ladies room.

Word count: 300