Bardic Tales

Colossal Boar

Chaotic sounds blew through the trees that dark and windy day

The coursing cry of belling dogs, their prowess to display

The ranging pack had caught the scent, then raised the hew and cry

They followed on the leading nose not knowing they would die

The monster boar they’d cornered, was screaming out his hate

Left and right he lay about, the hounds caught on too late

His bristled skin was proof against their teeth, their fight, their pride

His sabered jaw was dagger sharp, quite messily they died 

His porcine blood rage pumping high, he sought for more to fight

Hearing armor scrape nearby cleared red haze from his sight

The hulking mass of vengeful pork clacked his teeth in warning

It seemed that only one of two would live to see full morning

An armored knight backed planted spear, just waiting for the charge

He’d hunted boar but in this life he’d not seen one so large

Intelligence shined brightly from huge but piggy eyes

He saw the knight in mail and plate and knew himself the prize

The boar just stood, he did not squeal, then strangely he sat down

Sir Knight, surprised, he saw a sight that caused his face to frown.

‘Sir Boar” he cried, “you knightly foe, shall we dance this dance”

“Alas Sir Knight, I will not fight, I’ve lost the heart to prance”

“Am I quite mad Sir Pig,” he asked, “Did I just hear you speak

Did the healthy fear I have make my mind go weak”

The fleshy mountain rumbled forth, “your ears did not deceive

I did not wish to kill your dogs, I hope you can believe

What you see and hear right now is not an apparition

I’ve a tale I need to tell so with your kind permission

Please sit Sir Knight; my tale is long and twisted as my own”

He told of sins and crimes of power, his seat had been a throne

Those he’d hurt and stepped upon, raised a mighty wail

They sent a sage to retribute; quite sure the prince would quail

In pride of post; he walked unbent, ‘twas true he had no shame

The wizard saw a chance to use the prince’s vaunted fame

His selfish style of “all for me” made hoggish image flow

His shoulders hunched, his beard ran wild, his face began to grow

A rending of his fancy clothes made room for his great bulk

His arms and legs all shortened up, sharp hooves support the hulk

He saw himself reflected in polished shields bright

He raised a roaring squeal, for what he saw caused fright

A big black boar was looking back, no princely mien had he

The magic took his strongest trait, made large for all to see

He ranged the wooded land around, was chased and hunted hard

He was the seed of legend, a story for the bard

For many years he fought and hid but could not close his mind

To all the power and pomp he’d lost, to all he’d left behind

It finally broke his tolerance; he had to speak his pain

And thus the knight was mesmerized with all he had to drain

From the first coherent thought in the princeling’s head

Through all the slights and wrongs he’d done and those that wished him dead

The hairy pig was droning on, the knight fell sound asleep

He woke at night with wooly eyes, and not from counting sheep

The spate ran full from piggy lips, politeness made him stay

As long as talk continued on, he could not get away

The boar wheezed on, then fell asleep, the knight could not refrain

He used the spear still in the ground and ended their shared pain

This story has a moral, as they so often do

If you hunt beware your prey has not been hunting you

If you hunt pig and get the chance to do the final chore

Please use your spear and save yourself from a colossal bore.

Richard Higley© Nov 2011