Against the Current

THE servants called me "Uri." When they petted me or wanted some favour, they called me "Urinku," and when they were angry, which was not seldom, they cried, "Uri!" giving the i a short, sharp sound. This made me very angry, for at best I did not like the name, which wasn't my name anyway. When I asked my nurse why she insisted upon using it, she said, "Because it means awake, and you have kept us awake ever since you were born." Then I hated the name still more.