Not Clean?

The child did not understand. It was not his first time visiting his grandmother, nor was today his first day staying at her house.

His grandmother had never stopped him from going out to play before.

She had not even stopped him from going into the woods last night.

She had only told him to be careful.

Why was he not allowed to go today?

"You want to go into the woods behind the house?"

The old woman looked at her grandson. Though phrased as a question, there was little doubt in her words.

"Mm."

The child nodded obediently.

"Don't go into those woods anymore."

There was an unmistakably firm note in the old woman's voice.

"Why—"

Before the child could finish, the old woman continued, "Those woods aren't clean."

"Don't go."

"Not clean?"

The child's mouth fell open.

He did not really understand what his grandmother meant.

"How aren't the woods clean?"

"The woods are out in the wild. Of course they're not as clean as the house..."

"Grandma, you're so strange."

"Yesterday, when I went into the woods, you clearly didn't say that."

The child was confused and a little aggrieved.

He was eager to go see the tiger.

He did not even know whether the tiger would come out to meet him as promised.

"Yeah, old woman, what's wrong with you?"

The old man was just as puzzled by the old woman's words. "Everything was fine. Why are you suddenly saying those woods aren't clean?"

"We've lived here our whole lives, and we've never heard anyone say that."

"Did you hear something from someone?"

"How come I don't know about this rumor going around lately?"

"Grandma, I'm leaving."

The child did not actually want to know the old woman's answer. He only wanted to