Dying Pig

In the first decade of the 20th century, "dying pigs" were the must-have toy that every kid wanted. They were rubber balloons shaped like pigs. You inflated them and then, as they deflated, they made a sound like the squeal of a dying pig.

Hercule Poirot fans may recall that this lovely little item -- "A Laugh for Young & Old" -- played a role in Agatha Christie's 1938 mystery Hercule Poirot's Christmas. (AKA Murder for Christmas and A Holiday for Murder.) In her dedication to the novel, Christie mentions that it is a particularly bloody crime in response to criticism that her stories had become rather bloodless.