Of course, I did spare a thought for a little boy I’d seen earlier that day. He was kneeling on the other side of the street, sobbing away to himself. On the ground in front of him, a small white dog was lying dead. But I knew he’d soon get over it. After all, it wasn’t as if dogs were forbidden. All he had to do was look for a brown one. You can even get little ones like he had. Then he’d be just like us. It feels good to know you’re on the right side of the law.

‘Know what happened!’ cried the blind man. ‘This dog ran away. I should have died in a day or two, confined to my corner, no food, not an anna to earn – imprisoned in my corner. I should have perished if it continued for another day – but this thing returned-’
‘When? When?’
‘Last night. At midnight as I slept in bed, he came and licked my face. I felt like murdering him. I gave him a blow which he will never forget again,’ said the blind man. ‘I forgave him, after all a dog! He loafed as long as he could pick up some rubbish to eat on the road, but real hunger has driven him back to me, but he will not leave me again. See! I have got this-’ and he shook the lead: it was a steel chain this time.
Once again there was the dead, despairing look in the dog’s eyes. ‘Go on, you fool,’ cried the blind man, shouting like an ox-driver. He tugged the chain, poked with the stick, and the dog moved away on slow steps. They stood listening to the tap-tap going away.
‘Death alone can help that dog,’ cried the ribbon-seller, looking after it with a sigh.

…people are different from animals because they can have pictures on the screens in their heads of things which they are not looking at. They can have pictures of someone in another room. Or they can have a picture of what is going to happen tomorrow. Or they can have pictures of themselves as an astronaut.