The Story of a Goat by Perumal Murugan

Author:Perumal Murugan [Murugan, Perumal]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780802147523
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Published: 2019-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

14

SOMETHING HAPPENED THE next day that caused Poonachi’s grief to melt away. On the third day after they set out from Poovan’s house, they had halted in an open field on the outskirts of a village. The day was hot. The goats slumped to the ground, tired from grazing and exhausted from the trek. After washing their hands in a channel adjoining the field, the couple opened their bundle of food. Poonachi lay with a scowl on her face and her head stuck between her legs. Her thoughts wandered to what Poovan might be doing at that hour. She wondered if he thought of her at all, or had forgotten her. The old couple were laughing about something. They must be mocking me and laughing at me, thought Poonachi. She gave them an irritated look.

Just then, Oothan and Uzhumban, who were lying behind the couple, got up slowly. They were greatly attracted by the greenery of the fields in the surrounding area. From the time they got here, they had been nibbling at something or the other. Earlier, the old man and his wife had shouted at them and kept them under control. Now it seemed as if they had made a plan to sneak away. It was quite simple, really. A short distance away, groundnut fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Any goat would have been tempted.

There had been groundnut plants in Poovan’s village too. The villagers would dry groundnut stalks in a pile and, on the days when they couldn’t take the goats out for grazing, they let them feed on these. The leaves and stems of groundnut plants were delicious. Since the goats had never had access to such food in their own village, they had devoured it eagerly. But even in Poovan’s village, they’d never had the chance to feed on green stalks.

Poonachi lay there, watching them. If they made the slightest sound, the old man and his wife would spot them. She wondered what she could do to divert their attention. Just then, Oothan and Uzhumban put their mouths to a creeper and began to chew hurriedly. Poonachi watched the spectacle of those dark green tendrils climbing into their mouths, spilling out from the corners and disappearing. Then she saw a man come running towards them from a distance. ‘Dhooyi, dhooyi,’ he shouted as he swung his arm and threw a stone at them.

The old man and his wife heard the noise and looked back. The stone flew through the air and struck Uzhumban – who had raised his head at the interruption – on the temple. There was a loud scream. Uzhumban’s body rose in the air, spun around and dropped inside the field. ‘Aiyo!’ the old woman shouted as she rushed to Uzhumban and lifted him. Poonachi stood up in fear and cried out. The whole herd was on its feet by now. But none of them could do anything. Uzhumban’s life was gone in one stroke. The old woman beat herself on the chest and wailed.

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