Bitta toqchadag‘i cheti uchkan, qoni qochqan uch to‘rtta piyola va bir qora qumg‘onni, ikkinchi toqchadag‘i umrida yuvinib ko‘rmagan qora mis barkashni, bo‘sh qoziqlar ko‘ngli uchun osilg‘an bittagina kir dasturxonni tilga olish bilan bu havlining butun jihoz-amloki ro‘zg‘orini yozib chiqilg‘an bo‘linur, burchakdagi toqchada qattig‘ non mujib o‘lturg‘uchi sichqonni ko‘rsatib o‘tilmasa, bu uyda boshqa jonliq zot ham ko‘rinmas edi.

Bular qiyqiriq solishib, tobiga kelgan choydishdek sharaqlashib... kapir bilan o‘ynasharkan, u charchab entikkanidan zo‘rg‘a-zo‘rg‘a nafas olib:
— Bas, qizi qurg‘urlar... bas, deyman, bo‘ldi endi... Yo‘lingdan qolasan!.. — deya so‘zlanardi.

O‘rnidan turib, bet-ko‘zini yuvdi, o‘choqqa o‘t yoqib, choydishni qo‘ydi, so‘ngra tashqari eshikni yopib qo‘yib, sekingina uy tomonga bordi.

The other discernable household goods consisted of three or four chipped teacups whose patterns had faded, a dented black teapot on one shelf, and a corroded green copper tray, most likely never cleaned in its lifetime, stacked on top of one another, and a rancid tablecloth hanging on the wall peg. All items accounted for, we have completed the inventory of the home. If we do not include the mouse sitting in the corner lazily gnawing on a piece of stone-hard stale bread, no other living creature remained in the room.

They screamed with the force of a whistling tea kettle. They so played with the old woman that she gasped for air from exhaustion and could barely breathe. “Enough, you damn girls. Enough, I said, enough. You’ll be late!” she said.

She got up, washed her face and hands, lit the fire in the hearth, and put the pot on. Then
she closed the outside door and went inside.