There was nothing to do but to finish the bread herself. When that was done, she wondered if she should follow after Little Pig and his wife and all the villagers. The sun was mounting and it was growing hot. If she were going to follow them, she had better go now.
But first, she would climb the dike and see what the direction was. They had gone straight west, and as far as the eye could see westward was a great plain.
So she climbed the dike slowly, getting very hot. There was a slight breeze on top of the dike, and it felt good. She was shocked to see the river very near the top of the dike. Why, it had risen in the last hour!
“You old demon!” she said severely. Let the river god hear if if he liked. He was evil, that he was, to threaten a flood when there had been all this other trouble.
Just as she was about to climb down, she saw something on the eastern horizon. It looked at first like an immense cloud of dust. But, as she stared at it, it very quickly became a lot of black dots and shining spots. Then she saw what it was. It was a lot of men—an army! Instantly, she knew what army.
“That’s the Japanese!” she thought. Yes, above them were the buzzing silver planes. They circled about, seeming to search for someone.
“I don’t know who you’re looking for,” she muttered, “unless it’s me and Little Pig and his wife. We’re the only ones left. You’ve already killed my brother Pao.”