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Then the covetous old fellow, with a spade, and the old crone, with a hoe, began to dig; but there was nothing but a dead kitten, the smell of which made them drop their tools and shut their noses. Furious at the dog, the old man kicked and beat him to death, and the old woman finished the work by nearly chopping off his head with the sharp hoe. They then flung him into the hole and heaped the earth over his carcass.
The owner of the dog heard of the death of his pet and, mourning for him as if he had been his own child, went at night under the pine tree. He set up some bamboo tubes in the ground, such as are used before tombs, in which he put fresh flowers. Then he laid a cup of water and a tray of food on the grave and burned several costly sticks of incense. He mourned a great while over his pet, calling him many dear names, as if he were alive.
The wicked old man began to dig the earth with his spade, and his greedy wife began to dig the spot with her hoe to find treasure. They couldn't find the treasure there. Instead, they found a dead cat with a horrible odour, so they put down the spade and hoe, and covered their noses with their hands.
The bad couple became furious towards the dog. As a result, the old man beat Muko to death. His wife, on the other hand, nearly chopped away the dog's head. Later, they buried the body of Muko under the pine tree.
When the kind-hearted old man came to know about the incident, he mourned for his lovable pet dog. Also, he went under the pine tree where Muko was buried and wept for the loss of his child-like pet dog.
Pine trees
He had set up some bamboo tubes in the ground and put flowers on the grave. He felt sad about having lost Muko. He also kept water and food in the place where Muko was buried. He then burnt some costly incense sticks on the dog's grave, praying for its soul to rest in peace. The old man's heart couldn't accept the fact that his pet was dead. He wept and mourned at the dog's grave for a long time and kept calling it by dear names as if it was alive.
Good old man's mourn for his dog
Meaning of difficult words:
S.No | Words | Meaning |
1. | Crone | Refers to an ugly woman |
2. | Flung | To throw something carelessly with great force |
3. | Carcass | The dead body of an animal |
4. | Heap | To put a large amount of something |
5. | Mourn | To feel sad or express sorrow for someone's death |
6. | Incense | A substance that produces a pleasant smell |
7. | Grave | A place where a dead body is buried |
8. | Covetous | Wanted to have something that other people has |
Reference:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (2007). Honeycomb. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom (pp. 55-63). Published at the Publication Division by the Secretary, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi.
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