Shorty is the runt of his litter of seven, and Shorty's mother knows right away that something is wrong with her smallest piglet. He is green all over, except for his red tail, ears, and feet. One leg is shorter than the other three, so he walks with a limp. His eyes are not centered, and his vision and hearing are poor. Shorty spends a lot of time in the veterinarian's office, and his mother, Ebbie, is worried about him because all the animals in the barnyard make fun of him. Ebbie takes extra time and care with Shorty because he does not have confidence in himself and is afraid of everything. By accident, Shorty ends up on the auction house truck with older hogs who are destined to be sold, when the truck turns over in the rain, Shorty goes on the adventure of a lifetime.