Birth of the Calf 17 



cooking- the evening- meal ; from the outside 

 was visible nothino- but a wall of interlaced 

 bamboos whose sharpened ends would make 

 an attempt at escalade extremely unpleasant. 

 The man turned and followed the fence till he 

 reached a gateway, flanked on either side by 

 a small watch tower, while between these a 

 massive door, now open, hung on primitive 

 hinges. He entered, and before him stretched 

 the main street of the village, muddy and 

 uncared for ; on each side were small huts 

 raised on piles some five feet from the ground, 

 with wide verandahs and walls and roofs of 

 bamboo matting. Beneath 



these huts lay heaps of refuse ,^ >/. A^^^ (n- , , 

 amongst which dogs and xv/ . . .x/"".' - '^^r' 

 fowls hunted for appetising 

 morsels. Above, the women V^ 



sat at small hand-looms or otherwise employed 

 in domestic labour, while children, stark naked, 

 rolled or gambolled on the slippery floors. 



In these days of civilization, when man has 

 become dependent for his comfort, even for 

 his existence, upon the exertions of others, it 



