Mridu is a young girl growing up in Madras One afternoon Tapi takes Mridu to her aunt Rukku Mann?’ house to meet her cousins Lalli, Ravi, and Meena. Ea ne hy BN 7; I si ond era eo She set therm oat neatly ear a pair of large black ones. Those were grey, actually, with dust. You could sce the clear mark of every toe on the Front part of each slipper. The marks for the two big toes were long and scrawny Mridu didn't have much time to wonder about whose slippers they were, PA because Ravi dragged her to the backyard,There, inside a torn football lined with sacking and filled with sand, lay a very small kitten, lapping up milk From a coconut half-shell It’s a secret. outside the gate Jill rArawna says Pati will leave b this morning, BA for our Paddu Mama's house if she knows we have ae People are always telling us to be kind to animals, but when we are, they scream ‘Ooh, don't bring that dirty creature E{ mewing and vrewing, poor thing Ay) De TW but the way she looked at me! Do you know how hard it is ust to get a little vnilk frova the kitchen? Paati saw me with a glass in my hand just now. I told her Pm very hungry, | want to drink it, into this coconut shell and then ran back Then she wanted the tumbler back! ‘Paati, Paati, Ill wash it myself, why should | put you to trouble, | told her. we have to think of some other way and wash the tumbler ‘and put it back before she got really suspicious.‘Actually, his full narae is Mahendravarma Pallava Poona, M.P. Poonai for short i ge te € } Anan is Mahendran? ts Tm mpresel Its @ real nan — a fine breed of cat: oe eae es ‘dys what the emblem of the ancient Paifava kings was, don't you? Well, just wait. ll show you sometione. (e's clear you don't know a thing about history. Haven't been to Mahabalipuram, Mahendran here is descended from that very same ‘ancient cat A close relative. scientifically speaking. of none other than the lion “The Pallava tion emblem of the Pallava dynasty! Ravi went on, walking around the bitter-berry bush, [im fe raving @ twig up and down, his eyes sparkling. | ne|of none other than the Mahabalipuram Rishi -Cat! ‘And if L may just remind you, they worshipped cats im ancient Egypt! does that have to do with anything? well, one of the descendants of that cat-goddess was a stowaway in one of the Pallava chips, and his deseendant was the Mahabalipurans Ri whose deseendant pest Poonai here ‘whoop EEK! Ravi shrieked, very pleased with himself Mahendran looked wp, alarmed. He had just been sharpening his claws on the edge of the coconut shell, But worse than Rav's awful whoop EEK was a ‘Kreech.! from the windaw. What a weird sound! And if Mridu was startled, MP. Poonai was frightened out of his wits. Hair standing on end, he bounced up and scurvied towards a bamboe tray of ved ehillies that had been set out to dey, Trying to hide beneath it, hhe tipped a few chillies aver hiraselt: "Mina-awl" he howled miserably, but the ‘kreeching’ went on and on. fra telling you this cat is descended. From the Egyptian cat-god wo, goddess! Bastet! Ya! That's ittThat's Latfi earning to play the violin. She'll never’ learn a thing The musicrnaster Just goes on playing ae ‘ tke & train whizsing MME via erapt up on Sitti, Yew, eM Il the time derailing! Sree eS ee Going completely off track! Lalli was sitting a little distance away, awkwardly holding her violin and bowstring. her elbaws jutting out and her eyes glazed with concentration. In Frone of her, with most of his back to the window, was the bony figure of the musie-master He had a mostly bald head with a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears and an old-fashioned tuft. A gold chain gleawed around his leathery neck, and a diamond ring glittered on his hand as it glided up and down the stem of the violin. A large foot stuck out from beneath his gold bordered veshti edge, and he was beating time on the floor with the seravmy big toe. He played a few notes. Lalli stumbled behind hima on her vialin, which looked quite helpless and unhappy in her hands. What a difference! The musie master's notes seamed to float up and settle perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody It was like the wheels of a train fitting smoothly inte the rails and whizzing along, as Ravi said. Mridu stared at that huge, beringed hand moving effortlessly up the violin’s stem, making lovely music Squawk! There was Lalli derailing again! Listene There's someone wailing From the gate!Pea, EX send that beggar away! Mridu and Meena followed Ravi out ‘The beggar was already in the garden. making hirself quite at hovae He had spread his upper clath under the neers tree, and was leaning against its trunk apparently prepared to take a little snooze while he waited for the alms to appear “The aes of this hows ewe very eal sole thave kept my body and soul together on their generosity for a whole week teannot believe that they would turn me away. Ravi. tell him there's nothing left in the kitchen! And he's not to come again— tell hie He ‘has been coming here every day for the past week, and it's time hhe found another house to beg from! Go away! My Pati cays it’s time you found another house to beg from! Sad his wail might be, but it certainly wasn't Feeble. Ut Began in a deep, strong rumble Somewhere in his withered telly, and camé booming out of his mouth, swith its Few remaining teeth Stained brown with betel-chewing. Ravi didn't have to repeat it all to the beggar. What his mother said had been easy for thera all to hear, theré under the neem tree, The beggar sat up and sighed. Pil go, I'l got But fm weary. so only let me have a rest here under this tree. the tar has melted on the road. My feet are already PaHe stretched owt his feet ff [PRB cuppose Sova to show large he doesn't have the money Have you got pink, peeling blisters to buy chappals, ag AM old pair somewhere on the Sales of his bare feet. A es i tne house? ‘The beggar was shaking out his upper cloth and tightening hit dhoti He raised his eyes and looked fearfully at the road, gleaming in the ‘afternoon heat. don’t know, Fours are too small to fit his Feet or we'd have given then to him samething on his feet! [t's not fair! E iD Pte ffm thinking about itt Biubbering, “it’s not Fair, it's mot fair’ isn’t going to help. im two minutes he'll be frying his Feet on that road. i E What he needs i a pair of chappals So where do we get them? Come, let's search the houseJust as she stepped inta the verandah, Mridu’s eyes fell on the edd -looking chappals she had noticed when she arrived, Ravit ‘Whose are those”™ These are just the right 7 turned and glanced | 4 at the shabby-lookis but: sturdy old slipper % He beamed and nod Wear these i and don't come ) | 1S sladee \, \ Md Mrida and Meena folomed hime nervously back into the garden. pushed his Feet into them and teft, SR erase) ina minute he had vanished | around the comer of the street. SeasThe music-master came out of the house and took an wnappreciative look at the three of them [am sitting quietly under the tree, playing marbles. |: 7 s Have you seen 5 Cy — = | roy chappals, mg dear? \ Then he searched for Wis chappals Ml | remember having kept them PON ssc sert acest Rene BA cetces eter en it of the verandah. He scurried around, looking over the railing ry and crouching near the Mower pots to look between them. Brand new, they were! | went all the way to Mount Road to buy then! They cost a whole month's ees, do you know? é A A) Rukku Manni appeared, looking harassed, | . So many vendors with Paati following her. 5 i come to the door! could they be? tes really quite upsetting Vf might have stolen them ak sontne ER 7 | Os Have gou children Ze Seen anyone lurking around the Rukku Manni caught sight of Ravi, Mrid, and Meena “ sitting under the tree, A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows and saw that they were A ff Another straight, tighter one appeared in place of her usually soft, curiously quiet. pleasant mouth. Rukku Manni was angry! thought Mridu with a shiver, Vea \.she Rukkee Manni Wouldn't be so upset there was a beggar here. if she knew Poor thing, he had such boils about the poor beggar on his Feet! with sores on his Feet, ) You gave the wusic-master's chappals te that old beagar } who turns up here? children - L eal these days! Rukku Manni had turned to Ravi and spoke grimly Rukku Manni snapped. Arama, didn't you tell me ‘about Karna who gave away everything he had, even his gold earrings, Karna didn't give away Lie a 1s he was. so kind other people's things, Bip ond generous? he only gave away . i i" his oum. Pow dare you speak to me like that! = Go inside this minute But Right now! ay chaypals wouldn't have fitted the beggar’s Feet. And Amma, if they did Fit would you really not have minded?i q Well should fit you, | - # suppose Sir. Please 4 : put these on. i aun 50 sorry. My son has been very naughty. She hurried indoors BB) The musicmaster’s eyes lit up. and brought out Gopu Mama’s AWARE He put the new chappals on, new chappals trying not to look too happy children think af such things? These days ‘childven have no respect for elders, what to do? A Hanusnan incarnate only Rama can save such a naughty eu Mann's eyes flashed 3 She didn't seem to like Ravi being called i . But he's always a monkey, even a holy monkey, - in such a hurry She stood stiff and straight by the front door. to throw off Te was clear she wanted hime to leave quickly. [iE his shoes and socks when he had clattered off in his new chappals, I and get into his chappale she spoke to the ehildven 15 Soon as he ‘comes hore eso Thank God Be vow dope Hama Sak, docsn't wear his chappals What's your Mama AS she walked towards the kitehen : going to say this evening with Mridu and Meena, when (tell hint | gave his chappals she suddenly began to lau j to the music-master? Aaa 2