the horrid old man's grasp.

The old man was very pleased when he saw the dog begin to scratch and
dig, for he at once supposed that some gold coins lay buried under his
tree as well as under his neighbor's, and that the dog had scented them
as before; so pushing Shiro away he began to dig himself, but there was
nothing to be found. As he went on digging a foul smell was noticeable,
and he at last came upon a refuse heap.

The old man's disgust can be imagined. This soon gave way to anger. He
had seen his neighbor's good fortune, and hoping for the same luck
himself, he had borrowed the dog Shiro; and now, just as he seemed on
the point of finding what he sought, only a horrid smelling refuse heap
had rewarded him for a morning's digging. Instead of blaming his own
greed for his disappointment, he blamed the poor dog. He seized his
spade, and with all his strength struck Shiro and killed him on the
spot. He then threw the dog's body into the hole which he had dug in
the hope of finding a treasure of gold coins, and covered it over with
the earth. Then he returned to the house, telling no one, not even his
wife, what he had done.

After waiting several days, as the dog Shiro did not return, his master
began to grow anxious. Day after day went by and the good old man
waited in vain. Then he went to his neighbor and asked him to give him
back his dog. Without any shame or hesitation, the wicked neighbor
answered that he had killed Shiro because of his bad behavior. At this
dreadful news Shiro's master wept many sad and bitter tears. Great
indeed, was his woful surprise, but he was too good and gentle to
reproach his bad neighbor. Learning that Shiro was buried under the
yenoki tree in the field, he asked the old man to give him the tree, in
remembrance of his poor dog Shiro.

Even the cross old neighbor could not refuse such a simple request, so
he consented to give the old man the tree under which Shiro lay buried.
Shiro's master then cut the tree down and carried it home. Out of the
trunk he made a mortar. In this his wife put some rice, and he began to
pound it with the intention of making a festival to the memory of his
dog Shiro.

A strange thing happened! His wife put the rice into the mortar, and no
sooner had he begun to pound it to make the cakes, than it began to
increase in quantity gradually till it was about five times the
original amount, and the cakes were turned out of the mortar as if an
invisible h