Looking at the background of this illustration, we can see
that Cepeda has supplied additional insight into the old man's
personality through the various animals depicted. First, we have
the puerca (pig).
The pig is peeking out from behind a tire, smiling up at the old man with what would appear to be pleasant anticipation. He is obviously unconcerned about being the entree at this barbecue. Rather, one gets the feeling that he has seen the old man in action before and is gleefully awaiting his next exploit. However, he is behind the old man, observing things from a safe distance. (No sense tempting fate.) The final illustration of the book shows the pig gazing at the reader from behind the door, as if he is sharing a joke with us. From the beginning, we know that the old man does not constitute any sort of genuine threat to the pig-- the dog, however, is another story.
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