A young man decides to take a walk through the woods on a beautiful day. As he walks he sees a tall pine in the distance and in the top he sees, of all things, a pig The pig is quite distressed, having run away for fear of being turned into bacon or ham. He has climbed the tree hoping to more clearly see his destiny and is now afraid to climb down. For the young man, it is a dilemma--should he help or walk away?--will helping waste the rest of his day?--will there be anything in it for him if he does help? As he turns to walk away and not get involved, he hears a sniffle and moan and knows he cannot leave that poor pig alone. He turns back to the tree and encourages the pig to climb down, a task fraught with peril. The pig makes it safely back to the ground and is extremely grateful for the encouraging words that helped guide him down. The pig is now ready to return and face his destiny, even if it is sausage or ham. The young man, however, has another idea--he asks the pig to return home with him. They become fast friends and pass the years together for, as the young man realizes: "A kindness given is returned four-fold. More valuable than silver, diamonds or gold. And a friendship tried and true is a rare find indeed. Particularly when formed in an hour of need."