The Pig Brother, and Other Fables and Stories A Supplementary Reader for the Fourth School Year

"The Pig Brother, and Other Fables and Stories" by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards is a compilation of charming stories for children. It includes fables and tales designed to teach young readers about morals and how to be a good person. One of the stories tells of a young person who lacks neatness, which brings the attention of the Tidy Angel. The Angel hopes to teach the messy child a lesson by introducing him to his "brother," and on the journey, various garden animals deny any relation to the boy because of how unkempt he is, driving home the lesson of taking responsibility for one's actions and how we present ourselves to the world. In the end, the child longs to return to the Angel, demonstrating the importance of choosing the path of improvement over continuing bad habits.