From: Kieran Mullen <kieran@brigit.nhn.ou.edu>
Subject: (urth) Re:  Digest urth.v022.n040
Date: Wed, 10 Feb 1999 00:41:25 

>   For a long time more no cars stopped. Little Tib thought about a cattle
>truck stopping and told God he would ride with the cattle. He thought about
>a garbage truck stopping, and told God he would ride on top of the garbage.
>Then he heard something old coming down the road. It rattled, and the
>engine made a strange, high-pitched noise an engine should not make. "Looks
>like a old school bus," Nitty said. "But look at those pictures on the
>side."
>   "It's stopping," Mr. Parker said, and then Little Tib could hear the
>sound the doors made opening.
>-----------------

>This is what I want help with: I am sure that Little Tib thinking about
>riding on a cattle truck and then a garbage truck and then having a vehicle
>stop for him is a reference to something that I should know, but I can't
>bring anything definite to mind.

>If anyone can enlighten me here, I would be grateful.

>William Ansley

   Well, it's got the standard storytelling structure-of-three.  The first
thing it made me think of was the Prodigal Son, who was willing to eat the
garbage, the food of the ... oops.  Not cattle, but pigs.  It doesn't fit
the Good Samaritan story either (three people passing by).  

            Kieran Mullen


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