The story of Prikoke

Below lies a translation of Prikoke, an animated fable from Planeta Moldova. The original is still available somewhere on the youtubes, grab it while you still can.

Narrator-raven [standing on the roof of a pigsty, in a wintery setting]: This is the sty of Prikoke, the happy piglet. The two-legged beasts tend him and feed him with steaming swill a few times a day, and Prikoke is extremely pleased with his life -- caw-caw! Lately, the two-legged beasts have visited him more often than usual, talking somethings about hundreds of kilograms, about lard, puddings and sausages. This got Prikoke thinking.

Inside the pigsty, Prikoke.

Prikoke: I wonder what these beasts have in store for me? Maybe they want to swill me more. Hm... But I can't eat more. Or maybe they want to set me free, I believe -- why else would they feed me so much? They want me to be strong so I can romp about carefree and happy. These two-legged beasts have such a big heart, bless them.

Narrator-raven: Caw-caw! This is Mefi¹, the cat from the two-legged beasts' household.

Mefi: Meow! Bless the two-legged beasts, you say? Meow... You believe they have a big heart? You silly Prikoke!

Prikoke: What do you mean, silly, Mefi? I'm the happiest pig alive. I have everything I need.
Mefi: Meow! Everything you need? Heheh... Look at you, Prikoke, you're as naive as you're fat. Listen to me, Prikoke. I don't mean you any harm. I don't want to see you end up like those other ones.

Prikoke: What other ones?
Mefi: Prikoke, you have no idea how many like you have lived here in this rotten shack. Pinkers, Jointy, Curly, Snouter -- oh! how many like you wound up in jellies and soups, in sausages, pasties, scrapples and steaks -- all of them ended up in the two-legged beasts' bellies.

Prikoke: Huh, what do you mean? That the beasts are evil? You think they want to eat me? [Upset.] Get outta here with your lies. The beasts are my friends: they scratch me behind my ears, they talk to me, they laugh, give me smiles and swill me; their children pet me and indulge me with their sweet words. But you, you sly beast, you come here to stir me up against them?

Mefi: Meow! Prikoke! Listen carefully! Look around you! Don't you see you're living in filth up your neck? What do you think? that the refuse they give you they tear out from their liver²? They give you only scraps; if you only saw what they eat! But I don't want to spin it out; we're out of time, tomorrow's a big feast and I came here to help. Meow!

Prikoke: Oink-oink! Help me? Help me with what?
Mefi: Meow! Listen to me carefully, Prikoke. Make an effort and get up; go to that wall at the end of the shack and rush towards it with all you have. This shack is rotten by now, Prikoke. And you, with your weight, will break through the wall like butter. And don't fear, you need to be brave! That's the only way you can escape. But then you'll run into the woods, to freedom. There you'll become friends with the wild swine. They'll show you what to eat, how to live, and you'll live happily ever after. Listen well to what I'm saying, Prikoke.

Prikoke: Huh, freedom, you say? But what, I don't have freedom? I have everything I need here! Food, a home, a bed...
Mefi: All you want my ass! You know nothing of this world, Prikoke. You never had anything, so you think you have everything.
Prikoke: But more than this I don't even need! I'm satisfied with what I have!

Mefi: Meow! Satisfied? Tomorrow you'll be satisfied! with the skewer in your heart!
Prikoke: With what in my heart?

Mefi: Oh, I'll shut up... or I'll scare you. Better do as I said, Prikoke! Come, fast! Budge that huge ass of yours and rush towards freedom! Go, Prikoke, I know you can. Hurry and break this filthy shack! Run to your freedom!

While the cat tries to convince him, Prikoke gets up slowly. Meanwhile, the pig notices the swill trough and heads that way.

Mefi: [Perplexed.] Meow!

Prikoke: Oink-oink! [Eating.] Mefi... So, come to me tomorrow and we'll talk, yes? 'Cause I have some beet with bread to finish up. Want some?
Mefi: [Sighs.] Prikoke... Well, then. Go, then. Whatever, goodbye. By now, who knows if we'll ever see each other. In other words, farewell, Prikoke, and merry Christmas!

The cat goes away. We're back on the roof of the pigsty, with the narrator-raven speaking.

Narrator-raven: Caw-caw! Well, this is the story of Prikoke. Now I'll leave you to draw the conclusion yourself -- I'll go search for an earthworm 'cause I'm hungry.

Narrator-raven flies. The view goes down towards the shack, the shadow of a two-legged beast looming over its door. While the door opens and the view moves at the border of the yard, sounds of sharpening knives can be heard in the background.

That's all.