" 'Did you understand what he meant?' asked the woman looking at me with a knowing smile.

" 'Perhaps it would be better if I went down to the river by myself,' I said stepping back a little, but the old man just snickered lewdly and said, 'Well hurry up then, you two. Don't take too long.'

" 'Please wait here until we get back,' said the woman. 'We have already had two guests visit us today and who knows but what we might see another. If someone were to show up and only Jiro was here to greet him, the guest would not know what to do, so please wait here until we get back.'

" 'All right. All right.' The old man sat down beside the idiot boy and gave him a terrific whack on the back with his fist. The idiot's stomach rippled with the force of the blow, but the boy only grinned and drooled.

"I shuddered and turned away embarrassed, but the woman paid no attention to how the boy was being treated.

"The old man jokingly said, 'You be careful or I'll kidnap this husband of yours while you are gone.'

" 'You go right ahead and do that. Come, sir, let us go down to the river.'