There was an old Mokusei in the garden. She decided to make of their shade her resting place; stretching out her four legs on the ground, which was warmed by the sunshine through the leaves, she sighed or scratched the itchy spots. When it was evening she entered her underground retreat and lay down on the charcoal bags which were under the floor above. A large wash-tub she also tried. Sometimes she crept as far as the passage under the kitchen floor, and slept on the charcoals in the warm charcoal box. Thus she began her life.
Kin san`s family, at this time, kept a piebald dog of brown and white, whose name was Pochi.This lively Pochi was the only being who welcomed her. Pochi seemed to have a sociable nature; he approached her politely scratching the ground. She made her return greeting by shaking her dirty tail.
But Kin san and the others who lived on his estate did not receive her as Pochi did. “Isn`t it a great loss to be ugly, even among the animals,” remarked one. “I might keep her, if she were a bit better,” said another. All this was meaningless to her, and she was called Pup by these people who did not know.
Burst out railingly
Each of the four houses had an “aunt,” which was the name given to the hostess of the family. Not only these uunts, but also their children, laughed at and hated her and burst out railingly, calling her “Pup, pup.” As for the “uncles,” they were more dreadful. The least relaxing of her vigilance caused them to chase her. Many things were thrown at her—stones, clumps of clay, the iron fire- Htick. Once a big club of the door guard was flung after her, and made a wound on her hind leg.
Gradually, she understood the human mind. The significant twist of the mouth, a gesture as if to pick up something, the shrugging of shoulders and the bitten lips—all sentiments expressed against her—showed to her the deep enmity of the hunter. One day she was almost driven to bay in Kin san`s kitchen. Nobody knows how she was able to find the means of escape! People were crying: “Bring the rope—the rope, the rope!” She was desperate, and, running through the garden, where were the dwarf trees, she went toward the hot-house; turning around t he barn, she escaped to the fields, where were the flowers to be sold on Atc days.
“Gone, at last!” said one of the uncles. “Isn`t she a troublesome thing?” replied Kin san, who laughed like a good-natured man.
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