THE INVISIBLE PIG.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1727, 29 December 1887, Page 3

THE INVISIBLE PIG.

A peasant w'th a cart load of hay sfcrpped at thß Kemalsergate un his way to the city of Vienna, when the toll oolloctor aeked him If he had anythln? to "declare." 'Nothing whatever," replied the peasant". At that moment a Buspiclmia B'unl, resembling a grant, prooaedod from the depths of the cart. " I will teach yon to smuggle m a pig !" exclalmeJ tha official, «a he thrust a fork Into the hay. A loud squeak of pain wan the reßali. "Unload the cart 1" the oollector commanded, and the peasant obeyed In tho presence of a orowd of ■peotators, Mho could distinctly hear the grant of tho pig growlrg loader sa the oart was lessoned of ita load. The last layer of bay wbs at length removed— ■ but no pig ! Speechless consternation ; even the colleaior did not know what to make of It. At that moment a gentleman, who had been greatly amused at tho proceeding, tried to eecape unobserved ; but several of the spectators reoognlaed him and at once solved the rays' ery by exclaiming aloud ; "Ha I ha ! the ventriloquist, Dormer !" The latter bowed, feeling flattered. Unfortunately he was afterwards t»ken before his tetters and obarced with practising upon tho olty officials la consider Uion of the humorous nature of r.he case he was, however, diemissed with a caution,