The story begins as eight-year-old Fern Arable, spotting her father carrying an axe, inquires of her mother where he is going with it. She is told that a litter of piglets was born during the night, and that Mr. Arable is on his way to "do away with" the runt of the litter. Fern, horrified at the thought, runs out to try and stop her father.
Clinging to the axe, Fern pleads with her father to spare the life of the little pig. Though he argues that he knows more about raising pigs than she does, Fern counters by asking if he would have killed her if she had been born small. Finally, he relents, agreeing to spare the runt if Fern agrees to raise it herself; he feels this will.....
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