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I waited as the policeman got up. He brushed himself down.

‘Someone should do something about the ladder,’ he muttered. Then, he stared at me.

‘Something should be done about that dog too!’ he added.
The policemen told me that they were getting a doctor for grandpa. I told them that
grandpa was not ill. But they insisted. They said it was their duty.

As the police jeep drove off, grandpa pelted it with twigs.

I was feeling hungry. While all the people were tucking into their lunch, grandpa and I
ate apples and biscuits. Grandpa was missing proper meals. He began to read the book. I
was glad when he finally dozed off to sleep.

Just after an hour, a blue car came. It stopped near the tree. Four people got out. They
were all carrying drawing boards and folding chairs. I saw them unfolding their chairs

and putting up the boards. It was just like an open-air art class.
Amritha, the lady in charge beamed. ‘We are here to draw this beautiful tree,’ she cried.
‘It is such a wonderful tree. We would like to draw it before it is cut down.’

I did not know what to say. So, I said

nothing. None of them had noticed
grandpa sitting on the tree. I had a
feeling that something was going to
happen. And it did!

Grandpa waited until the class was ready
to draw. Then he let an empty tin fall
through the branches. It fell down in the
middle. They looked up in surprise.

The lady in charge ran to me. ‘Is that an
old man up in the tree?’ she said. ‘Yes,’ I
said.

Grandpa told them about his fight with

the Council. He said it was his duty
to preserve the trees. He loved them
so much. If they were cut, the beauty of the place would be ruined. There would be no
peace. The Council was permitting the destruction of nature in order to make money. He
was going to stop them. Even if it led to his death.

The people nodded. They seemed interested. But whether they were really supporting
him, I did not know. When he stopped speaking Amritha stood up and said, ‘You are a
very brave person.’ pelted: threw something

‘Very brave! Very brave indeed,’ said every one of them. quickly at someone

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