One fine day, when Baxter was waiting for his bus, an old man sat down beside him and said, "Oh, I wish it were sundown right now." "Why's that?" asked Baxter. He was a curious sort of pig. "Because at sundown," said the old man, "the candles gleam and glow and dance while our sweetest voices lift in song!" "They do?" asked Baxter. He had never seen a candle dance. "Certainly," said the old man. Tonight is the beginning of Shabbat, the day of rest, and so we make a special dinner. We light the candles, sing our thanks, and raise a glass, surrounded by those we love best." "Wow!" said Baxter. "That does sound like fun. That sounds terrific!" "It is terrific," said the old man, as his bus pulled up. Then he was gone. All week long Baxter thought about the old man's words. "The candles gleam and glow and dance while our sweetest voices lift in song!" So the following Friday, Baxter hurried back to the bus stop. But the old man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Baxter found a younger man wearing a long white apron. After a while, Baxter cleared his throat. "Ahem! I wonder, sir, do you know anything about Shabbat dinner?" "I should hope so," replied the man in the apron. "Oh, good," said Baxter. "Will you tell me how I can be a part of it?" The man in the apron stared. "YOU? A pig? Part of Shabbat dinner? That's impossible!" "Why?" asked Baxter. "You're not kosher!" said the man in the apron. "Kosher?" asked Baxter. "What's kosher?" But just then the bus arrived. Excerpted from Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher by Laurel Snyder All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
