Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for March 12, 2024

Rat’s version of the good neighbor policy.

Is this the modern version of “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”?

There are some passive-aggressive aliens in Brewster Rockit. We should put them together with Rat in a locked room.

see how that works for you Rat…

You’ll never get a letter like that, you Rat.

And neighbor Bob will place some cheese on his doorstep on a rat trap.

He’s definitely not a nice guy, but then again he’s a rat.

That’ll go over like a lead balloon, Rat!

At least he didn’t start out: “Dear Jerk,”

“Neighbour Bob” is probably looking to sell his house – quick and cheap!

If rat is forgiving HIM, then it’s neighbor Bob who owes RAT the apology.

Forgive them before they know what they do!

Prepare to have that note shoved somewhere unfortunate, Rat.

Rat can’t figure out why Neighbor Bob despises him.

Nothing like a backhanded apology. Am I right?

I like this I need to try it myself.

After I had some yard work done my neighbor (we never got along) called accusing me or my workers of taking some of his tools and he called the police. Turns out his son had moved them. Never got an apology.

When Rat is able to see a little bit of what he seems to see in Bob in himself, maybe he’ll be able to actually apologize.

Like I said, Rat has no morals, no principles, no conscience, so we can’t expect him to be remorseful or apologetic for anything. He’ll just be awful, no matter what.

That’s more than a ‘little’ zing.

I think it’s hard to apologize without trying to work in some excuse or justification. Something we all need to work on, I suppose.

Reminds me of the time Eddie Haskell told Mrs. Cleaver “ I try to make allowances for people being the way they are.”

Knowing how to say the wrong thing at the right time, is so important.

Is Stephan Orthodox, like his name suggests? This coming Sunday is “Forgiveness Sunday” in the Orthodox Church, where they do exactly that: ask forgiveness and offer it. It’s how they start Lent.

I’m beginning to think cartoon scripting can be therapeutic for some creators. :D

No, No they don’t.

True forgiveness is hard, but worth it. The hard part is learning your true heart.

P.S. While I forgive and payback is a witch and I just noticed that you have four flat tires. Told to me by a friend named The Count.

We all like to think everyone else is the problem, but don’t often stop to think that WE may be the problem as perceived by others.

Kinda like the “everyone ELSE is a terrible driver” mindset.

Rat is being Rat; can’t change.

Don’t wanna sound TOO sorry huh?

Shouldn’t that be „the best forgiveness has a little zing" in the last panel? Or was that a freudian slip?

He really is a rat…

well,IS Neighbor Bob a jerk??

Rat at his civil best.

And a lot of truth.

At first, I thought that my mother must have been the neighbor but her name wasn’t Bob.

This is some distance away from The Beatitudes.

“I really admire your courage in being fine with going out in public wearing just anything”.

Stupid is as stupid does. I wish he’d turn his moron moroff.

It’s a start……

In spite of what he says in the last panel, Rat isn’t apologizing. He’s forgiving Neighbor Bob. That can easily backfire if Neighbor Bob thinks that Rat should be asking his forgiveness. Sometimes it can be better to forgive someone without saying anything.

Sounds like Bob should run for office. Then he could move to a nicer neighborhood.

We are told to forgive all men. For Rat, this is a start.