Chapter 3 - The Escape
Wilbur - There's never anything to do around here
(Walks slowly to food trough, sniffs. Finds a small strip of potato skin and eats it.
Rubs his back against the fence boards. Walks indoors, climbs to the top of the manure pile, and sits down. Gets back up and then down)
Wilbur - I'm less than two months old and I'm tired of living
(walks out to the yard again)
Wilbur - When I'm out here. There's no place to go but in. When I'm
indoors, there's no place to go but out in the yard
Goose - That's where you're wrong, my friend, my friend
(Wilbur looks through the fence and sees the goose)
Goose - You don't have to stay in that dirty-little dirty-little dirty-little Yard
One of the boards is loose. Push on it, push-push-push on it, and come on out
Wilbur – What? Say it slower
Goose - at-at-at at the risk of repeating myself. I suggest that you come on out. It's wonderful out here.
Wilbur - Did you say a board was loose?
Goose - That I did, that I did
(Wilbur walks up to the fence sees one of the boards board is loose. Put head down, shuts his eyes, and pushes. The board gave way and Wilbur gets out)
Goose chuckles
Goose - How does it feel to be free?
Wilbur - I like it. That is, I guess I like it. Where do you think I'd better go?"
Goose - Anywhere you like, anywhere you like. Go down through the orchard, root up the sod! Go down through the garden, dig up the radishes! Root up everything! Eat grass! Look for corn! Look for oats! Run all over! Skip and dance, jump and prance! Go down through the orchard and stroll in the woods! The world is a wonderful place when you're young
Wilbur - I can see that
(looks all around, sniffs and then set off walking down Wilbur jumps in the air, twirls, and runs a few steps, stops through the orchard. Pauses under apple tree. Puts snout into the ground and begins pushing, digging, and rooting. He is very happy)
(Mrs Zuckerman notices him from the kitchen window)
Mrs. Z - Ho-mer! Pig's out! Lurvy! Pig's out! Homer! Lurvy! Pig's out. He's down there under that apple tree
Wilbur - Now the trouble starts. Now I'll catch it
Goose - Run-run-run downhill, make for the woods, the woods! They'll never-never-never catch you in the woods
(Cocker spaniel runs out from the barn and joins the chase. Mr. Zuckerman comes out of the shed. Lurvy comes up from the field carrying weeds.
They all walk toward Wilbur. Wilbur is confused and doesn’t know what to do)
Mr. Z. - Lurvey, get around behind him and drive him toward the barn! And take it easy - don't rush him! I'll go and get a bucket of slops
Goose – (shouting to cow) Wilbur is free
Cows (yells to sheep) Wilbur is free
The lambs to their babies - Wilbur is free
Horses – (prick up their ears) - Wilbur's out
(In confusion Wilbur doesn’t know what to do or which way to run)
Wilbur - If this is what it's like to be free. I believe I'd rather be penned up in my own yard
(heading for garden, and now Mr. Zuckerman comes toward him carrying a pail. Cocker spaniel was sneaks up on him from one side, Lurvy on the other. Mrs. Zuckerman stands ready to head him off)
Wilbur - This is really awful. Why doesn't Fern come?
(Wilbur begins to cry)
Goose - Don't just stand there, Wilbur! Dodge about, dodge about. Skip around, run toward me, slip in and out, in and out, in and out. Make for the woods. Twist and turn.
(cocker spaniel springs for Wilbur's hind leg. Wilbur jumps and runs. Lurvy reaches out. Mrs. Zuckerman screams at Lurvy. Wilbur dodges between Lurvy's legs. Lurvy misses Wilbur and grabs the spaniel instead)
Goose - Nicely done, nicely done. Try it again, try it again
Cows - Run downhill
Gander - Run toward me
Sheep - Run uphill
Goose - Turn and twist
Rooster - Jump and dance
Cows - Look out for Lurvy
Gander - Look out for Zuckerman
Sheep - Watch out for the dog
Goose - Listen to me, listen to me
(Wilbur is frightened and tries to follow all of the instructions. Begins crying very hard)
(Mr. Z comes toward him holding a pail of warm slops. Relieved, Wilbur lifts his nose and sniffs).
Mr. Z - Come, pig (taps the pail). Come pig
(Wilbur takes a step toward the pail)
Goose - No-no-no. t's the old pail trick, Wilbur. Don't fall for it, don't fall for it. He's trying to lure you back into captivity-ivity. He's appealing to your stomach
Mr. Z - Pig, pig. (In a kind voice, begins to walk slowly toward the barnyard, looking all about him innocently, as he didn't know that a little white pig was following along behind him)
Goose - You'll be sorry-sorry-sorry. You'll miss your freedom
Wilbur - an hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops
(Mr. Zuckerman reaches pigpen, climbs over fence and pours slops into the trough. Then pulls loose board away from fence, so that there was a wide hole for Wilbur to walk through)
Goose - Reconsider, reconsider
(Wilbur paying no attention steps through the fence into his yard. Begins to take a long drink of slops, sucking in the milk hungrily chewing and popover)
(Wilbur eats. Lurvy hammers the board in place. Lurvy and Mr. Zuckerman lean on the fence)
Lurvy - He's quite a pig
Mr. Z - Yes, he'll make a good pig
Wilbur (content and happy lies down) - I'm really too young to go out into the world alone
Wilbur - There's never anything to do around here
(Walks slowly to food trough, sniffs. Finds a small strip of potato skin and eats it.
Rubs his back against the fence boards. Walks indoors, climbs to the top of the manure pile, and sits down. Gets back up and then down)
Wilbur - I'm less than two months old and I'm tired of living
(walks out to the yard again)
Wilbur - When I'm out here. There's no place to go but in. When I'm
indoors, there's no place to go but out in the yard
Goose - That's where you're wrong, my friend, my friend
(Wilbur looks through the fence and sees the goose)
Goose - You don't have to stay in that dirty-little dirty-little dirty-little Yard
One of the boards is loose. Push on it, push-push-push on it, and come on out
Wilbur – What? Say it slower
Goose - at-at-at at the risk of repeating myself. I suggest that you come on out. It's wonderful out here.
Wilbur - Did you say a board was loose?
Goose - That I did, that I did
(Wilbur walks up to the fence sees one of the boards board is loose. Put head down, shuts his eyes, and pushes. The board gave way and Wilbur gets out)
Goose chuckles
Goose - How does it feel to be free?
Wilbur - I like it. That is, I guess I like it. Where do you think I'd better go?"
Goose - Anywhere you like, anywhere you like. Go down through the orchard, root up the sod! Go down through the garden, dig up the radishes! Root up everything! Eat grass! Look for corn! Look for oats! Run all over! Skip and dance, jump and prance! Go down through the orchard and stroll in the woods! The world is a wonderful place when you're young
Wilbur - I can see that
(looks all around, sniffs and then set off walking down Wilbur jumps in the air, twirls, and runs a few steps, stops through the orchard. Pauses under apple tree. Puts snout into the ground and begins pushing, digging, and rooting. He is very happy)
(Mrs Zuckerman notices him from the kitchen window)
Mrs. Z - Ho-mer! Pig's out! Lurvy! Pig's out! Homer! Lurvy! Pig's out. He's down there under that apple tree
Wilbur - Now the trouble starts. Now I'll catch it
Goose - Run-run-run downhill, make for the woods, the woods! They'll never-never-never catch you in the woods
(Cocker spaniel runs out from the barn and joins the chase. Mr. Zuckerman comes out of the shed. Lurvy comes up from the field carrying weeds.
They all walk toward Wilbur. Wilbur is confused and doesn’t know what to do)
Mr. Z. - Lurvey, get around behind him and drive him toward the barn! And take it easy - don't rush him! I'll go and get a bucket of slops
Goose – (shouting to cow) Wilbur is free
Cows (yells to sheep) Wilbur is free
The lambs to their babies - Wilbur is free
Horses – (prick up their ears) - Wilbur's out
(In confusion Wilbur doesn’t know what to do or which way to run)
Wilbur - If this is what it's like to be free. I believe I'd rather be penned up in my own yard
(heading for garden, and now Mr. Zuckerman comes toward him carrying a pail. Cocker spaniel was sneaks up on him from one side, Lurvy on the other. Mrs. Zuckerman stands ready to head him off)
Wilbur - This is really awful. Why doesn't Fern come?
(Wilbur begins to cry)
Goose - Don't just stand there, Wilbur! Dodge about, dodge about. Skip around, run toward me, slip in and out, in and out, in and out. Make for the woods. Twist and turn.
(cocker spaniel springs for Wilbur's hind leg. Wilbur jumps and runs. Lurvy reaches out. Mrs. Zuckerman screams at Lurvy. Wilbur dodges between Lurvy's legs. Lurvy misses Wilbur and grabs the spaniel instead)
Goose - Nicely done, nicely done. Try it again, try it again
Cows - Run downhill
Gander - Run toward me
Sheep - Run uphill
Goose - Turn and twist
Rooster - Jump and dance
Cows - Look out for Lurvy
Gander - Look out for Zuckerman
Sheep - Watch out for the dog
Goose - Listen to me, listen to me
(Wilbur is frightened and tries to follow all of the instructions. Begins crying very hard)
(Mr. Z comes toward him holding a pail of warm slops. Relieved, Wilbur lifts his nose and sniffs).
Mr. Z - Come, pig (taps the pail). Come pig
(Wilbur takes a step toward the pail)
Goose - No-no-no. t's the old pail trick, Wilbur. Don't fall for it, don't fall for it. He's trying to lure you back into captivity-ivity. He's appealing to your stomach
Mr. Z - Pig, pig. (In a kind voice, begins to walk slowly toward the barnyard, looking all about him innocently, as he didn't know that a little white pig was following along behind him)
Goose - You'll be sorry-sorry-sorry. You'll miss your freedom
Wilbur - an hour of freedom is worth a barrel of slops
(Mr. Zuckerman reaches pigpen, climbs over fence and pours slops into the trough. Then pulls loose board away from fence, so that there was a wide hole for Wilbur to walk through)
Goose - Reconsider, reconsider
(Wilbur paying no attention steps through the fence into his yard. Begins to take a long drink of slops, sucking in the milk hungrily chewing and popover)
(Wilbur eats. Lurvy hammers the board in place. Lurvy and Mr. Zuckerman lean on the fence)
Lurvy - He's quite a pig
Mr. Z - Yes, he'll make a good pig
Wilbur (content and happy lies down) - I'm really too young to go out into the world alone