Chapter 12
Sumit’s present
Now Mrs. Sonu had great affection for her husband; so when she heard about the “python affair”, as she called it, she gasped, as she thought about the great danger her husband had been. She ran to her husband and hugged him, and then she turned and hugged Sumit, who was most surprised. The others laughed as they saw his face, betraying embarrassment.
Mrs. Sonu wasn’t content with hugging; she went to the kitchen and was bustling there, all through the morning.
When dinner time came, the children gasped as they saw the dishes. There were all sorts of tasty dishes. And Mrs. Sonu kept serving more food into Sumit’s plate as soon as Sumit finished. Sumit didn’t object for one thing, he thought Mrs. Sonu would be hurt if he did, and for another, that he liked food. But, after all, he had to object at last, for he felt his tummy was on the bursting point. To his surprise, Mrs. Sonu didn’t look hurt, for Mrs. Sonu was wondering if Sumit’s tummy was elastic or something to be able to accommodate so much food.
Although dinner was over, there was some more food stuff to follow. To everyone’s delight (except Sumit, who felt that he couldn’t eat anything anymore), Mrs. Sonu brought dozens of dohklas! Sumit groaned inwardly as he saw the tasty yellow cubes. He really felt he would burst already. But not being able to resist, he managed to squeeze down a couple of dohklas.
Priya grinned as she saw poor Sumit. His stomach was bulging, and he had a tired, groaning expression on his face. Priya nudged Harshit, who nudged Katrina; and soon the three were giving Sumit a few sly glances, now and then. Sumit saw it, but that only made him grin too.
Dinner being over, the four Marvels went to play with the animals. The dogs flocked around them and barked joyously. I will tell you a little about them:
There were seven dogs in all; six of them were watch dogs, and one small dog was the special pet of Mr. Sonu. The six watch dogs were: Raj, Shakti, Sandy, Budhi, Taej, and Sundhri. Raj was the leader of all of them, and the others followed him wherever he went. Shakti was the strongest and healthiest of them, but was a little dull in hearing and smelling. Sandy was always active and alert. Budhi was the cleverest of them, and often was a strong rival of Raj for leadership (the other dogs trusted Raj more, so Raj was usually the leader.) Taej was the fleetest of the group, and was often helpful in running down a fox or something. Sundhri was the most beautiful, and was especially liked by Mrs. Sonu. And so, these were the watch dogs.
The remaining dog, the seventh one, the one that was a special pet rather than a watch dog was called Snippet. He was uncommonly small, and had white long hairs all over his small body, which made his eyes, ears and mouth disappear among them. His tail was short like a rabbit, and his short legs, (which were only three inch long) were hidden in his long shiny white hair. It was only five inch high and six and a half inch long from the tip of his nose to his tail. Because of his long white hair hiding his eyes, ears, mouth and tail he looked like a moving cushion or cotton except for his small triangular black nose. Everyone liked him. It was lovely to run your hands along his fluffy back. There was another thing in Snippet that was quite uncommon among dogs; Snippet could climb!
He could climb up a tree like a squirrel. He often climbed up Mr. Sonu’s legs, disappeared inside the shirt and then come out near Mr. Sonu’s neck and then he would sit on his shoulder like a pet cushion. It was funny to see a cushion (Snippet wasn’t exactly a cushion, but he was very like one) climb up Mr. Sonu legs, or to see it shoot from one side of the room to the other, just exactly like a cushion sliding on the floor.
If you see Snippet’s small body, apparently without any ears or eyes or mouth, you would think that Snippet must be, probably, a very silent dog indeed. But it wasn’t so. He could bark and yelp, louder than any other dog that the Four had seen. It was very queer to hear him bark, for you couldn’t see his lower jaw going up and down because of his long hairs. So you would half wonder if it was really Snippet barking or some other dog.
The children often parted Snippets long hairs, to see his small black twinkling eyes. They often rummaged around his ears to feel his flaps of fluffy ears which always disappeared into the mass of fluffy hairs, as soon as they let the flaps of ears go. Snippet grew to like the children and the children in turn liked him. Snippet would often run up their legs and sit on their shoulders, contently. But of all the children, Snippet liked Sumit best.
The days went on, and soon the week would be over. The Four would’ve liked to stay at the farm forever, but they couldn’t of course be a burden to the jolly Sonu couple.
So when the week was up, they went around sadly, saying good bye to the animals and especially to Snippet. Whenever they said good bye to Snippet, Mr. Sonu would grin, and if Mrs. Sonu was near, she would grin also. Harshit saw these grins and concluded that the Sonu couple had a pleasant surprise to give them, when they would leave the Sonu farm. Maybe, they would give Snippet as a gift.
Mrs. Sonu had urged them to stay for dinner before they went. The morning passed by, a little too soon for the Four; but when they saw the dinner they changed their minds and thought how slow the morning had been. It was an unusually mouthwatering meal, and the Four did full justice to it.
After dinner, Mrs. Sonu served some ice-cream. The ice creams disappeared like anything and now, it was time to leave!
The Four said goodbye to the Sonu couple and Harshit tried to see if they had any surprise for them, but if the farmer and his wife had something up their sleeve, they betrayed nothing. The couple led them to the gate and said good bye again.
And just when the Four were going to turn around and leave the farm behind, the farmer stopped them and said he had forgotten to give them something. He went back into the farm building and brought back a big white sack. Harshit was disappointed; he thought it would be Snippet. Mr. Sonu gave the sack to the two boys.
“They are some food supplies,” he said, “the fruit of her work,” nodding towards Mrs. Sonu. The Four said thank-yous and goodbyes once again and turned to trek through the mountains again.
Sumit had taken hold of one end of the sack and Harshit had taken hold of the other.
They decided that they would go and see the secret entrance and camp there. They talked along as they walked.
“It was lovely at the farm,” said Katrina, avoiding a “stumbling stone” which would’ve laid her flat on her back; a very good position to study the sky.
“Yes,” responded Priya, “I wish we could stay there forever!”
“I wouldn’t mind it either,” informed Harshit, nearly falling down a hole.
“Goodness!” said Harshit, as he again narrowly escaped falling down another hole, “This place is drilled with holes. Be careful, Sumit!”
But it was too late; Sumit had fallen down an unusually big hole. The others crowded around the hole, and Katrina nearly fell into it herself as peered into it, but was saved as the other two got hold of her legs.
“Gracious!” said Harshit, reprovingly, “Everyone intent on falling down a hole. I wish I knew what was so interesting in falling down one.”
There came a muffled laugh from the hole, evidently Sumit had given himself to a fit of “explosions”.
Harshit got a rope and threw it down. Sumit was soon rescued.
“How did you like it in there, old boy?” asked Priya, jokingly.
“Very much,” was the unexpected reply, “there’s a secret house in there!” Sumit almost whispered.
“A secret house in a hole?” said Harshit puzzled, “How can that be?”
“It can be all right,” replied Sumit, quietly, “jump in and see.” Sumit jumped in himself, to show Harshit, that he needn’t be afraid. Harshit jumped in too, and the girls followed. No one thought about how they were to go out if there was no one to haul them out again.
As the girls jumped in together, they accidently dislodged the sack, which had been put on the ground; and the whole sack and its contents fell into the hole. To
the astonishment of the four, there came yelping and barking from the sack.
“By Jove,” exclaimed Harshit turning around “is there a dog in the sack?”
They hurriedly pulled the strings with which the mouth of the sack was tied. The strings came open, and the four pulled the mouth of the sack to make it open wide.
And lo and behold! Snippet, Mr. Sonu’s special dog, was on the very top eating some biscuits out of a packet which he had evidently tore open.
Snippet jumped out at once and barked joyfully. He licked them all till they were dripping. The Four eyed the “piece of white cushion”, as Snippet tore around the floor of the hole as if he was mad!
Snippet came to Sumit like a hurricane! He had suddenly remembered his favourite! He ran up his legs, and sat on Sumit’s shoulder contently. The others looked on wistfully. They wished Snippet would love them like that.
Sumit stroked the “little piece of white cushion”, and suddenly gave an exclamation.
“There’s a note tied on to Snippet’s neck!” he said. He untied the string that held the note and opened the folded note. The others crowded around to see it. This was what was written on the note:
Dear four,
Snippet didn’t get into the sack accidently as you may probably suppose. I put him in. He is a present to Sumit for saving my life in the python affair. Look after Snippet well. Keep him healthy always. May he be a source of amusement on many a rainy day. May God grant that you live to a hundred years! Mrs. Sonu joins in this wish.
Your friend to the grave,
Rohit Sonu
The Marvelous Four read this note, and gave a series of exclamations:
“Good old Mr. Sonu!”
“Did you see that? Friend to the grave!”
“Hurrah for the Sonu couple!”
“We shall never have friends like them!”