| “ | My fellow gentlespecies, I say to you the great bard's admonition to "take arms against a sea of troubles" is more than just a deft turn of phrase--a tasty tidbit of artful speech from a master wordsmith. It shouldn't be treated lightly, as hollow metaphor, but as a literal advice! | „ |
| ~ Dun Pig to his fellow animal Fables, Fables #6 — "Road Trip: Part One of Animal Farm" |
Dun Pig is an animal Fable who lives on the Farm and is one of the Three Little Pigs. He debuts in Fables #6 — "Road Trip: Part One of Animal Farm." Dun is a ringleader of the revolution on the Farm: after the uprising failed, Dun and his cousin Posey are both executed for their part in it and committed to the Witching Well. His ghost later accompanies Flycatcher to his new kingdom in Haven, where Dun is given new flesh and blood. He now lives there with his cousin.
History[]
Background[]
In the Homelands, the Big Bad Wolf passed by the area where the Three Little Pigs lived. Thinking that the three pigs would make a fine meal, he huffed and puffed, successfully destroying the houses of Colin and another pig,[4] made of straw[5] and sticks respectively. This left the three pigs with no choice but to seek shelter in the remaining brother's sturdy brick house.[4] After learning from their mistake, the brick house became their permanent residence.[6]
After escaping the Homelands, the three pigs were sent to live at the Farm along with the other Fables who could not pass as humans.[3]
Goldilocks' revolution[]
An uninvited guest[]
Colin, Dun and Posey grow discontent with being remanded to the Farm,[3] so they conspire to stage a revolt[1] and start a campaign among the Farm-folks to retake the Homelands. Colin's cousins send him on a mission to Fabletown, to seek out others sympathetic to the animals' cause and recruit them.[3]
Colin, Dun and Posey appear in the barn, present at a gathering of Fable creatures discussing whether they should take up arms against the Adversary. Coincidentally, Snow White arrives at the Farm just as she does twice a year to check on the Fable community there, and walks in on them. Dun stands in front of the group, reciting a famous line from Hamlet: "take arms against a sea of troubles." He emphasizes that this should be seen as practical advice rather than just a meaningless metaphor. Dun and the rest of the group are shocked when they notice Snow's sudden presence in the room. Dun grows frustrated as Chicken Little has a panic attack, muttering that someone needs to strangle it, before catching himself and correcting his statement to say that someone needs to calm the chicken down. He assures Snow that the town meeting is completely innocent and suggests postponing the rest of it to give her a proper welcome. Despite the objections of the Three Blind Mice, Dun officially concludes the meeting.[3]
Dun and Posey conversing with Snow White and Rose Red
Afterward, Snow White and her sister Rose Red sit down for tea with Dun and Posey in their cozy brick house. The two cousins openly confess to being return activists, determined to take up arms against the Adversary and reclaim their Homelands. They see the Farm as a prison, a place where they are forbidden from leaving. However, they acknowledge that devising a plan goes against Fable laws and regulations, so they have not yet made any specific arrangements. Dun is now acting as the community's leader, and tells Snow and Rose that the Farm's leader Weyland Smith resigned and left. Dun says that the non-human Fables resent their confinement on the Farm and want to lead a return to the Homelands where they can live openly. After Snow and Rose leave, Dun states that Snow is suspicious, but feels his claims that he has done nothing more than talking will delay her response. He proceeds to question Colin, who has returned to the Farm with Rose and Snow. Colin was supposed to get the key to the Woodland Business Office and make contact with people who would help the uprising, but Colin admits that he failed in his mission.[3]
Colin's murder[]
That evening, Colin is beheaded by Goldilocks' revolutionary forces for failing in his mission to recruit Fables in the city to their cause.[3]
The next day, Snow questions Dun about Colin's murder and wants to call the Big Bad Wolf, now known as Bigby Wolf, to the Farm to investigate it. Dun refuses, saying that Bigby is barred from the Farm, and that as the leader of the community, he'll conduct the investigation himself. Dun dismisses Snow's objection that he's involved in the case and her ongoing suspicions about Weyland Smith's absence. Meanwhile, Goldilocks, the leader of the uprising's forces, use her position as a reason to push aside Dun. Goldilocks sees the attempt to return to the Homelands as secondary to her desire to take control of the Fable community on Earth.[1]
Imprisoning Snow White[]
Rose Red arms herself, ready to work with Dun and the revolutionists. When Snow White, running from the revolutionaries' troops, enters a cave, Rose, Dun, Goldilocks and Posey are waiting to arrest her.[7] Rose says her sister should live long enough at least for a trial. Goldilocks says there is no time for a trial and Snow can't be allowed to be free. Finally, Dun and Posey say that they agree there is no time but that they did make a deal with Rose. Snow will be chained and forced to work with Weyland in converting the weapons for the non-human Fables to use.[8]
Dun conducts a meeting in the Farm square. He speaks to the animal Fables, announcing that as soon as they can get transportation set up, they will move into the city and take control of Fabletown. Then they will begin getting ready to re-claim the Homelands. Unexpectedly, Snow White emerges, declaring that their self-proclaimed revolution has come to an end and commands all individuals to relinquish their firearms and disperse. She compels the surrender of the group through the intimidation of the three giant brothers, and the dragon Clara. Posey and Dun are both forced to surrender.[8]
Execution[]
Following the unsuccessful revolution, Fabletown conducts war trials. Dun is observed waiting in line to have his case assessed. Dun and Posey are ultimately convicted of treason and condemned to death. In a public execution at the Farm, they both meet their end by beheading at the hands of Jack Ketch. As his final statement, Dun demands that the executioner perform a better job than he did with his cousin Posey, and insults Ketch as an inept butcher. He even challenges the executioner to complete the task in no more than ten chops.[9]
Resurrection[]
It appears that Dun and Posey's bodies were surrendered to the debths of the Witching Well[10] in the wake of their execution,[9] as their ghosts are confined in the netherworld below the well, alongside the spirits of the rest of the individuals who were laid to rest there.[10] They two accompany Flycatcher to the Kingdom of Haven, where they are given new flesh and blood,[2] so long as they remain within Haven[11] or close to Fly.[12]
When the Adversary's forces launch an attack on Haven, Flycatcher temporarily releases Dun, Posey and the other ghosts from the constraints of the flesh, allowing them to sow fear and terror among the enemy's ranks in their ghostly form.[13]
After the enemy is defeated, Flycatcher calls Dun, Posey and the rest of the ghost army to assemble: He states to his loyal subjects that they can choose to remain here in a semblance of life, or finally pass on to whatever fates await them. However, if they choose to stay, they will have to remain within the boundaries of Haven, as they cannot leave the kingdom without becoming a ghost once more, and automatically pass on to whatever comes next.[11]
After a baseball match in Haven, Dun and Posey joins in on the victory celebration. One of them can be observed savoring a tankard of ale, while the other has seemingly succumbed to inebriation and is slumbering against the massive leg of a giant.[14]
Appearances[]
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Original source[]
"The Three Little Pigs"[]
Dun Pig is based on one of the titular characters of the fairy tale of "The Three Little Pigs." Since Colin was the pig who constructed a house of straw,[5] Dun must be one of the other two pigs who built houses out of sticks and bricks.
Animal Farm[]
Dun and Posey are also based on Snowball and Napoleon from George Orwell's novel Animal Farm. In the novel, the animals come together to stage a revolution on the farm, ultimately driving away the human owner. Under the leadership of the two pigs, a communist system is introduced, leading to the farm becoming a dictatorship.
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ As shown in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall — "The Runt," the original Three Little Pigs were attacked by the Big Bad Wolf, who is confirmed to be from the Hesse, in Fables #151 — "The Black Forest Chapter One: Greenjack." This suggests that the three pigs are also from the Hesse.