The Amazing Pig: An Old Hungarian Tale

by Paul Galdone (Retold, Illustrator)

The king believes almost all of the tales a farm boy tells about his wonderful pig.

the original Hungarian title of this retold tale is "Az Nem Igaz!" In English: "That is not True!"

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published February 1, 1981

About the author

Paul Galdone (1907 - November 7, 1986) was a children's literature author and illustrator. He was born in Budapest and he emigrated to the United States in 1921. He studied art at the Art Student's League and New York School for Industrial Design. He served for the US Army during world War II.

He illustrated nearly all of Eve Titus' books including the Basil of Baker Street series which was translated to the screen in the animated Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective.

Galdone and Titus were nominated for Caldecott Medals for Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958). The titles were later named Caldecott Honor books in 1971.

He died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. He was posthumously awarded the 1996 Kerlan Award for his contribution to children's literature. His retellings of classic tales like "The Little Red Hen" or "Three Billy Goats Gruff" have become staples.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this old Hungarian tale, a king proclaims that he will offer his daughter’s hand in marriage to any man who can recount something that is disbelieved. Many try their hands at spinning large tales to the king, but it is a poor peasant’s son that has a tale to top them all. The peasant speaks of an amazing pig that lives with them. The pig helps out around the farm, is a daily source of bacon, and is able to enter into financial exchanges. All these feats are met with ‘I believe you’ by the king, but the young man has another plan up his sleeve to turn the tables in his favour. Neo enjoyed this piece, though is unsure how a live pig could give bacon. He has liked these fairy tales over the last while and I am eager to find more than we can enjoy together.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very funny book. The king will give his daughter to anyone who can tell him something he doesn't believe. A young man tells about his family's pig, which gives milk, lays eggs, can catch mice and other wonderful things. The king believes it all, until he hears something totally unbelievable (I won't give it away). The illustrations are great also.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of a clever boy who wins the girl with the spinning of a tall tale about an unbelievable pig. 🐷

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss 2 and I like to explore different books at the library and try to get different ones out every week or so. This one was amusing although Miss 2 didn't really get the idea that everything was getting made up to try and trick the king. Slicing bacon off the living pig was a bit odd but it was fun to read a folk tale I haven't heard before.

[Philip Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amazing Pig is a cleverly written tale about a young peasant who visits the King with the hopes of marrying his daughter. The King lets it be known to everyone in the Kingdom that his daughter is available for marriage, and he will give her away to the first person who tells him something he cannot believe. After a long journey, and upon his arrival at the Kingdom, the peasant goes before the King and tells him about their family pig, a most amazing pig, capable of providing "as much milk every morning as any cow", laying "the most delicious eggs for breakfast", and shopping for the family's clothes while running errands in town. To these comments, the King sarcastically responds, "I believe you", although these things are certainly not possible. The King goes on to explain that, lately, the pig has become restless and stubborn about completing his tasks. Again, the King believes the young peasant. He explains the pig is beginning to go blind, requiring the need of a caretaker, and again, the King believes him. However, when the peasant explains to the King that the person responsible for caring for the pig is the King's own Grandfather, the King upsettingly yells, "I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU!" Although he has been cleverly tricked into this response, he keeps his promise and gives the Princess to the young peasant for marriage. The two of them inherit the Kingdom and live happily ever after.
This is a cleverly written picture book full of colorful depictions of different renaissance styles of clothing. The drawings of the characters give the reader a clear description of the different social classes that existed between the peasant's family and those housed within the Kingdom. The illustrations of the pig accomplishing tasks that a pig is certainly not capable of bring an element of humor to the story, and allows the reader to see how the pig was most amazing indeed. The illustrations also follow the progression of the story closely, giving the reader excellent visual representations as the text is presented.
The moral associated with this story is that, although the King, the most highly respected person in all the land, thought he could outsmart the lowly peasant by simply agreeing with him, he himself was outsmarted in the end. This story would serve as a valuable introduction to the concept of morals in an elementary age setting, and could be used with a wide age range of learners. It could also prove to be a sound resource when teaching the literary concept of "tales" to students. Do stories and tales consist of the same literary elements? Where did tales originate? Why were they told?
The story could also be used to discuss the element of personification, as the tale of the pig completing "humanlike" tasks accounts for a large portion of the story. Students could use this example as an opportunity to write their own version of a tale involving an animal or non-living object completing similar tasks. It could also be used in a Social Studies setting to teach about the different social classes, and how social classes are not an accurate depiction of knowledge or intelligence.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Amazing Pig: An Old Hungarian Tale by Paul Galdone is a retelling of how a poor son of a peasant tells a story that a king just cannot believe, winning the hand of his daughter, the princess.
The peasant's son keeps listing amazing feats performed by the pig until he adds a detail to the tall tale tbat the King just can't believe.

Galdone's colorful illustrations extend the story with colorful details of old Hungary. My favorite images include the cover, the peasant's family, Princes & Noblemen, milk from the pig, bacon sliced off the pig, King smiling, pig fishing, pig catching mice, pig wearing clothes, and the final four images.

This folktale is improved by the illustrations. I woud rate it a 3.5.
For ages 5 and up, pigs, folktale, king, trickster, tall tale, and fans of Paul Galdone.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic premise of the young man having to make up a story that the king can't believe, in order to marry the princess, is a very traditional Hungarian folk tale. This book uses a long, involved description of a magnificent pig with the best qualities of almost every animal, to create the tall tale that wins the princess's hand.

The story is told fairly well, but I've read better in other folk-tale compilations. The illustrations were ok, but not fantastic.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat lengthy folktale from Hungary about a king marrying off his daughter to a man who tells him something he cannot believe. Of course the successful person who does this is the, peasant farmer’s son.

These illustrations have a more folk art look than some of Galdone’s normally do, which probably comes from the fact that this is a Hungarian folktale and Galdone himself emigrated from Hungary to the US as a teenager.

[Saffron Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rating is for the edition adapted and illustrated by Paul Galdone.