Page 129 - Lavender-B-4

‘I hope it was not lactating,’ I said. Nurbu nodded. We did
not want anyone to find out that the goat was missing. If it What do you Language

was a female goat, the owner might notice. If not, then we call elder sister in
Connect
would have little to worry about as the owner would most your language?

likely not notice the missing goat. I tried to milk the
goat and was relieved to find that she was not lactating.
Small mercies.

Together, Nurbu and I wanted to carry the carcass back to the village with us. But
we were both small and did not have the strength to carry an animal that weighed

between 20 and 30 kg. We contemplated hiding the carcass but noticed that the
snow leopard was observing our moves and would, therefore, discover the hiding
place. For two hours, we stood with the carcass, worrying. Suddenly, Nurbu

looked around. ‘Achey, our herd!’ he cried. In our worry about the goat, we did
2
not realize that we had been ignoring all the other animals in the herd. They were

nowhere to be seen! I felt a pit form in my stomach.

I looked at my brother and told him not to tell our parents
or the villagers what had happened. Have you ever
experienced an attack
We were both afraid that we would be punished as it was from any animal?
Let’s connect
in front of us that the snow leopard had killed one of our How did you react?
village goats. We thus decided to keep it a secret.

We placed the carcass exactly where it had been killed
and quickly climbed down the mountains to track the lactating: a mammal that
produces milk to feed her babies
rest of the herd. We found them huddled together about small mercies: an expression to

three kilometres downhill. They were not able to move say that you are thankful that
something is not as bad as it
because they were too afraid of the snow leopard. We could have been
contemplated: thought a lot
eventually coaxed them into action by hurling some about whether to do an action
or not
sand in their direction and making loud noises with carcass: the body of a dead
our sticks. animal
felt a pit form in my stomach:
On our way home, we met a few villagers who had been had a sick feeling in your
stomach, usually because you
looking for us. They had come to help with herding. are afraid
huddled: to crowd together
They asked us if we had encountered a wolf or snow coaxed: tried gently to get
leopard that day. My brother and I shook our heads and someone to do something
for you
glanced at each other. encountered: met someone
unpleasant unexpectedly
glanced: gave a quick short look
2 elder sister in Ladakhi

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