Page 63 - English_Spark_8

The old man, being a rice farmer, went everyday with hoe or spade into the fields,

toiling hard from morning until O TentoSama (as the sun is called) had gone down
behind the hills. Every day the dog accompanied him to work, never once hurting the

white heron that followed his footsteps of the old man to pick up the worms. For the
old fellow was patient and kind to everything that possessed life, and often carried a

sod in order to give food to the birds.
One day the dog came running to him, putting his paws against his legs, as though it

was pointing with his head to some spot behind the old man. At first thought his pet
was only playing and did not pay heed to it. But the dog went on whining and running

to and fro for some minutes. Then the old man walked with the dog a few yards to a
place where the animal began scratching lively. The farmer thought it to be possibly

a buried bone or bit of fish, the old man struck his hoe in the earth, when, lo! a pile
of gold emerged gleaming before him. Thus within an hour the old couple became

wealthy. The couple bought a piece of land, made a feast for their friends, and gave
plentifully to their poor neighbours. As for the dog, they petted him till they almost

smothered him with kindness.

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