[Gpdd] [MISCELLANEOUS] Funny True Story

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

Every year around this time in France, volunteer firemen come round selling  
calendars to raise money for their service. My partner went out to the chap 
that  came yesterday (we live in the middle of nowhere, so they come in cars), 
and  when he came in, I looked across our big living room at the calendar in 
his hand  and said, "From here that picture on the back looks just like a guinea 
pig". Of  course, I knew it couldn't be a guinea pig, because they are always 
pictures of  firemen putting out fires, or cutting people from cars, or 
pumping out floods  and so on. But you know how it is - when one has piggies on the 
brain like us,  we see piggies everywhere, don't we?!
 
So Pete said to me, "Well yes, actually, it is a guinea pig!". Naturally I  
thought he was teasing, but I took the bait and rushed across to look. Sure  
enough, it was very unmistakably a guinea pig, sheltering under a very smart,  
shiny fireman's helmet. Now I got very excited. Wow, a guinea pig on the  
firemen's calendar! Status for piggies in France at last! I asked if Pete had  told 
the fireman that we had 18 piggies (he hadn't) and wished I had gone out  and 
seen the fireman myself and told him about our 18 piggies, maybe even  
brought him in to see them. You know how it is - any excuse to show off  ones 
piggies!
 
But then my heart sank. Because I started reading the poem that accompanied  
the photo. And would you believe it - the poem was all about a HAMSTER!!!! I  
couldn't believe it - how could anyone mistake a guinea pig for a  hamster!!
 
I wouldn't mind, but one of our vet's assistants is one of the volunteer  
firemen - you'd have thought she would have put them right. It just goes to  
prove what I have always said on here - the French are very ignorant about  guinea 
pigs!!
 
On a brighter note, though - I have just managed to sell 2 "Beware of the  
Guinea Pig" little laminated signs on Ebay ("Attention au cochon d'Inde""),  
featuring, of course, photos of Dolly Mixtures - one of my sassy favourite,  
Soulage, who now considers herself to be a glamour model, and the other of  
Pirouette and her friend, dear departed Scruff. So there are some piggie slaves  
even here!!
 
Hope this little tale made you chuckle, anyway!
 
Debbie and her Dolly Mixtures