I lay on my straw, but I could not sleep. I thought about everything from that day. These people had very kind manners. I wanted to join them, but I was afraid. I remembered the people in the village. They were very mean to me the night before.
I decided to stay in my hovel (a small, simple shelter). I stayed there quietly. I watched the family through a small hole. I wanted to understand why they did things.
The family woke up before the sun. Agatha (the young woman) cleaned the house. She prepared the food. Felix (the young man) went away after breakfast.
Every day was the same. Felix worked outside all day. Agatha worked inside the house. I saw that the old man was blind. He could not see anything.
The old man played a musical instrument. He also sat and thought for a long time. Felix and Agatha loved the old man very much. They were very kind to him. The old man smiled at them because he was happy.
But the family was not always happy. Felix and Agatha often went away to cry. I did not know why they were sad. I felt very sad because they were unhappy.
They had a house and a fire. They had clothes and they had each other. Why did they cry? I did not understand. Later, I learned the reason.
The family was very poor. They did not have much food. They only had vegetables and milk from one cow. In the winter, the cow did not give much milk. Then, the family was very hungry.
Felix and Agatha were very kind. Many times, they gave their food to the old man. They did not eat anything themselves. This kindness made me feel a lot of emotion.
Before, I stole some of their food at night. I stopped doing this when I saw their hunger. I went to the woods instead. I ate berries, nuts, and roots.
I also wanted to help them with their work. Felix spent a long time collecting wood for the fire. At night, I took his tools. I learned how to use them quickly. I brought a lot of wood to the house.
One morning, Agatha opened the door. She saw a big pile of wood. She was very surprised. Felix was also surprised. Felix did not go to the forest that day. He worked in the garden instead.
I also made a big discovery. These people talked to each other with sounds. Their words made people happy or sad. This was a wonderful science. I wanted to learn it.
At first, it was very difficult. They spoke very fast. The words did not look like objects. But I watched them for many months. Finally, I learned some names.
I learned the words for fire, milk, bread, and wood. I also learned the names of the people. The old man was "Father." The girl was "Agatha" or "Sister." The young man was "Felix" or "Brother."
I was very happy when I understood these words. I also heard words like good and unhappy. I spent the whole winter this way. I loved the family.
When Agatha and Felix were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy, I felt happy too. I saw very few other people. The other people were not kind like my friends.
The old man tried to make his children happy. He spoke with a cheerful voice. Agatha listened to her father. She felt better after he spoke. But Felix was always the saddest person.
Felix was very kind to Agatha. He gave her the first flower of spring. He cleared the snow from her path. He got water from the well (a deep hole in the ground for water).
Felix was always surprised to find the wood I brought. During the day, Felix worked for a farmer. Sometimes he worked in the garden. In the winter, he read books to the old man and Agatha.
I was very confused by the reading. Then, I saw that the marks on the paper were like sounds. I wanted to understand the paper too. But I did not know enough words.
I wanted to show myself to the family. But I needed to learn their language first. If I spoke well, they might love me. Then they might not care about my body.
The people in the house were very beautiful. One day, I looked at myself in a pool of water. I was terrified. I did not believe it was me.
I saw that I was a monster (a scary and ugly creature). I felt very sad and ashamed. I did not know how bad I looked. This discovery made me very unhappy.
The sun became warmer and the snow went away. The trees were bare and the earth was black. Felix worked more now. The family had more food.
The family was more comfortable. The old man walked outside with Felix every day at noon. Sometimes it rained. Then the wind dried the ground. The weather was very pleasant.
My life was always the same. In the morning, I watched the family. When they worked, I slept. At night, I went to the woods for my food.
I also brought wood for the cottage. I cleared the snow from their path. The family was very surprised. They said the words "good spirit." I did not understand those words then.
I thought about the family all the time. I wanted to know why Felix and Agatha were sad. I wanted to make them happy. I thought they were superior beings.
I imagined meeting the family. I thought they might be scared at first. But I hoped they would love me. I hoped they would see my kindness.
These thoughts made me feel good. I tried very hard to learn the language. My voice was very loud and rough. It was not soft like their voices. But I could say the words.
Spring changed the earth. Men came out to work in the fields. The birds sang and the leaves grew. The earth was a happy place.
I felt very good because nature was beautiful. I forgot about my past. I felt calm and I had a lot of hope for the future.