The diamond-bright dawn woke men and crows and bullocks together.  Kim sat up and yawned, shook himself, and thrilled with delight.  This was seeing the world in real truth; this was life as he would have it — bustling and shouting, the buckling of belts, and beating of bullocks and creaking of wheels, lighting of fires and cooking of food, and new sights at every turn of the approving eye.  The morning mist swept off in a whorl of silver, the parrots shot away to some distant river in shrieking green hosts:  all the well-wheels within ear-shot went to work.  India was awake, and Kim was in the middle of it, more awake and more excited than anyone, chewing on a twig that he would presently use as a toothbrush; for he borrowed right- and left-handedly from all the customs of the country he knew and loved.  There was no need to worry about food — no need to spend a cowrie at the crowded stalls.  He was the disciple of a holy man annexed by a strong-willed old lady.  All things would be prepared for them, and when they were respectfully invited so to do they would sit and eat.  For the rest — Kim giggled here as he cleaned his teeth — his hostess would rather heighten the enjoyment of the road.  He inspected her bullocks critically, as they came up grunting and blowing under the yokes.  If they went too fast -it was not likely — there would be a pleasant seat for himself along the pole; the lama would sit beside the driver.  The escort, of course, would walk.  The old lady, equally of course, would talk a great deal, and by what he had heard that conversation would not lack salt.  She was already ordering, haranguing, rebuking, and, it must be said, cursing her servants for delays.

’Get her her pipe.  In the name of the Gods, get her her pipe and stop her ill-omened mouth,’ cried an Oorya, tying up his shapeless bundles of bedding.  ’She and the parrots are alike.  They screech in the dawn.’

‘The lead-bullocks!  Hai!  Look to the lead-bullocks!’ They were backing and wheeling as a grain-cart’s axle caught them by the horns.  “Son of an owl, where dost thou go?’ This to the grinning carter.

’Ai!  Yai!  Yai!  That within there is the Queen of Delhi going to pray for a son,’ the man called back over his high load.  ’Room for the Queen of Delhi and her Prime Minister the grey monkey climbing up his own sword!’ Another cart loaded with bark for a down-country tannery followed close behind, and its driver added a few compliments as the ruth-bullocks backed and backed again.

From behind the shaking curtains came one volley of invective.  It did not last long, but in kind and quality, in blistering, biting appropriateness, it was beyond anything that even Kim had heard.  He could see the carter’s bare chest collapse with amazement, as the man salaamed reverently to the voice, leaped from the pole, and helped the escort haul their volcano on to the main road.  Here the voice told him truthfully what sort of wife he had wedded, and what she was doing in his absence.