Gary made up stories for his children. A relative heard him telling the stories and said they should be written down to share with everyone. These two stories touched on lessons young children usually learn at home: being careful, especially with electricity; worry and patience; respect for parents; being thankful for our food; not over eating.

Grandpa Gary W. Fick is a retired professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. He grew up on a cattle ranch in Nebraska, and his family always had a pig or two to eat table scraps and a little corn that was available. These tales were first imagined in response to requests from one of his sons to tell them a story. He and his wife Mae Ellen have three sons and seven grandchildren, and they all love stories.