Hamlet the pig knight and his rusty twisted sword

December 4, 2012 11:24 AM

I remember this illustrated children's book from the 1970's, a vaguely Arthurian fantasy with anthropomorphic pigs. I think the main character was named "Hamlet" and there were other pig themed puns. He had an Excaliber-like sword that was all rusty and bent up. Please help me find it again.

Other, vaguely remembered details:

- color illustrations, cartoonish
- there was at least one sprawling chase/battle scene (possibly I am conflating one of many such scenes from Groo the Wanderer which I read much later and maybe one of Richard Scarry's books which I read at the time.)

- I figure I must have first encountered it somewhere between 1978 and 1982 but the book was likely somewhat older.
- I was pretty young when I first encountered it and it was somewhat above my reading level or something. Someone told me it wasn't very good.
- I don't recall reading it for myself, but I've never wholly forgotten it either.

This has been nagging me for a long time and it would be a relief to find it and see it with grown-up eyes.

posted by wobh to writing & language (4 answers total)

Could it be Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon? It was first published in 1980.
posted by jabes at 11:33 AM on December 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thank you, jabes, that looks like an excellent candidate. I will get that one from the library and see.
posted by wobh at 11:59 AM on December 4, 2012

It might be Roland the Minstrel Pig.

Published in 1968 and my childhood memories of it are sketchy.
posted by Polychrome at 5:27 AM on December 5, 2012

I have now read Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon and while it is awesome, it is definitely not the book I am asking about. I haven't found a copy of Roland the Minstrel Pig but that doesn't look like it either. Thank you, anyway

Any other suggestions welcomed.

If I don't get any, I may have to write and illustrate this myself.
posted by wobh at 3:54 PM on December 7, 2012