Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 21, 2024

Goat should have learned to be cautious after meeting Rat.

To quote from a master, “a stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet…” Dan aka…

There’s another Rat in the neighborhood? It’s an infestation—somebody call the Pied Piper!

Preach, Rat! I was immediately reminded of the inconsiderate woman next door with the three incessantly barking mutts.

Is their good side their backside as they walk away?

… everyone who met the new neighbor mention watch out for that Rat in the neighborhood, he is a real jerk.

Let me guess. The neighbor’s name is Bob.

The neighbor will soon feel that same way about Rat.

Most of the time, people will be civil to you if you are civil to them!

Rat used to just be snarky. Now he’s a concentrated ball of depression.

As Spike Milligan said, I often take an instant dislike to people. It saves time. (Or was it Groucho Marx?)

Well Rat gots good point ya knows.

“If you never have any expectations, you’ll never be disappointed.”

What a neighborhood THAT fella moved in to!

Ow! That hurt Goat’s ears and mine! Put the megaphone away, Rat!

But Goat, Rat is not people and neither are you.

While Goat has a good heart, I have to side with Rat this time. Unfortunately there are many people today who are ash-holes and proud of it, and sooner or later, there will be some of them living in your neighborhood. When good people die and their property is sold, it’s a crap shoot as to what the new residents will be like. Even more so if some corporation bought the property to turn it into a rental.

Sometimes being a real jerk is a good thing. If you’re trying to find an anchor for your tug of war team, for example.

Goes both ways Rat!

Get that megaphone out of my ear!

When you assume that everyone is a jerk, and start off treating them as a jerk, then congratulations, your predication will be fulfilled. The problem is who is the real jerk?

“People are people, so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully”

It’s because they’re people

I can relate Rat. I have given people plenty of chances and they seem to disappear or turn into monsters. You wonder where are “all the nice people”?

Everybody is a butthead once a day. We just have learn how to time share the moment.

I found, time and time again, that the people who were reserved and maybe even seemed unfriendly at first became great friends; on the other hand, the ones that seemed friendly at first often turned out to be the type you couldn’t trust and wanted to avoid.

Or, hear me out, he could be a great guy. You never know.

Jimmy said, “Rat, you’re not just a rat, you’re a dirty-rat.”

Crazy that some people still read this comic. Most of us are probably over 30. Almost nobody reads the funnies anymore or newspapers for that matter. We are a dying breed.

All my neighbors are great. It’s one of the reasons I stay where I am, although for other reasons I would rather move.

I knew someone who was a real jerk. He worked in an ice cream shop serving sodas! d;o)

Rat is the monster from Stephan’s id.

I’m looking to buy a house soon. I need to print this out and laminate it then stick it to the door for all the needy neighbors to see.

We need more of Goat nowadays.

I usually follow Goat’s strategy. To be sincere, I’m often disappointed.

There’s a guy in BALDO who needs to meet Rat and his bat

I’d prefer that too, how can I get people to only show their good side

Be cautious. If your neighbor ends up being a silver-tongued serial killer, best not to go up to them and say, “I still think you’re a swell guy, dude.”