Prize Pig While working on a sermon the pastor heard a knock at his office door. "Come
in," he invited. A contrite-looking man in threadbare clothes came in, pulling
a large pig on a rope. . "Can I talk to you for a minute?" asked the man with his hat in his hand.
Wordlessly, the pastor indicated the chair and the man sat down in it gingerly.
The pig proceeded to sniff around the office. With one eye on the animal and
one on the man, the pastor folded his hands on his desk and leaned forward,
curious to hear the fellow's story. "What can I do for you?" "My family is hungry," started the man. "So I stole
this pig. But I feel that I have sinned. Would you please take it?" "Certainly
not," said the minister. "Then what should I do with it?" asked the man. "Give
it back to the man you stole it from, of course!" the pastor explained. "I
offered it to him, but he refused to take it. Now what should I do?" "In that
case," the minister said, "It would be all right for you to keep it and feed
your family." That seemed to settle things as far as the man was concerned.
"Thank you for your help, sir." With a lighter step, he walked out of the office, leading the pig on the
rope behind him. It was only later that afternoon when the minister returned
home, that he discovered that somebody had stolen his prize pig!