The Pig Scrolls

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The Pig Scrolls
Author	Paul Shipton
Cover artist	Sally Taylor
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Comedy/adventure
Publisher	Puffin
Publication date	2004
Media type	Hardback & Paperback
Followed by	The Pig Who Saved the World

The Pig Scrolls (2004), by Paul Shipton, is a young adult comedy/adventure novel about a talking pig (Gryllus) and his endeavours to save the world. The novel is set in Ancient Greece with many, often commical, references to ancient Greek mythology and life. The characters include all the Ancient Greek gods, some minor deities, the young Homer and Sibyl, a prophetess in training at the temple of Apollo in Delphi.

[edit] Plot

After all the Olympian gods go missing, Sibyl has a premonition in which the sun god Apollo tells her to find "the talking pig". Sibyl then sets out looking for the talking pig, Gryllus. She finds him at Big Stavros Kebab bar where he is forced to entertain customers. Together they set off for the temple at Delphi. However they are faced with many obstacles, such as being chased by chimeras, Stymphalian birds (fearsome black birds with razor-sharp metal beaks) and encountering a Sphinx.

Additional: What the author had to say about his work:

“It all started when I decided to read The Odyssey by the poet Homer. The Odyssey is a poem about a crew going to war in a ship and that shipwrecks on various islands with Cyclops on them. I discovered I was more interested in the non-heroic people on the journey, like the ones who peeled the potatoes. Of course I had to do a lot of research before writing about Gryllus the pig, by eating a lot of pies!”

The book is called “The Pig Scrolls” and Paul Shipton wrote it. The actual story is set in Ancient Greece, and is all about a pig called Gryllus. He was once a member of captain Odesseys’ famous crew, but was transformed into a pig by a god. Gryllus, who used to enjoy the quiet life in the woods, was captured by hunters when they realized he could talk, as an offering to the gods. He was soon “rescued” by a junior prophetess in training (fortune teller) Sibyl. She tells him that she had had a dream, showing her the end of the world. Gryllus thinks that she is crazy, and ignored her, so Sibyl kidnapped him. On their journey to the temple in Delphi, they encounter monsters, gods, a strange goat herder and a man wearing trousers, which was really weird in those times, when people wore tunics. Finally Gryllus seems to realize that the entire universe is in the hands of one talking pig.

The Pig Scrolls is followed by a sequel, The Pig Who Saved the World.