T?? sm?ll ???’s li?? w?s ? ?l??k ?xist?nc?, ???in?? ?? t?? ?n????ivin? l?n?t? ?? ? c??in t??t ???n? it t? ? li?? ?? s?????in?. D?? in ?n? ??? ??t, it ?n????? t?? ???sic?l ?n? ?m?ti?n?l t??m?nt ?? c?n?in?m?nt, its w??l? ????c?? t? ? sm?ll ci?cl? ?? ??s??i?. T?? li??t in its ???s ??? ?imm??, ??t t?? s?i?it ?? ???? still ?lick???? wit?in.

On? ???, ? c?m??ssi?n?t? s??l c?m? ?c??ss t?? ????t-w??nc?in? si??t ?? t?? sm?ll ???, w??s? ???s s??m?? t? ??l? ? ?l?? ??? s?lv?ti?n. In t?? sil?nt l?n????? ?? t??s? ?x???ssiv? ???s, it ???c??? ??t, ?s i? t? s??, “Pl??s?, s?v? m?.” It w?s ? m?m?nt t??t m?v?? t?? ????t ?n? sti???? t?? c?nsci?nc?.

T?? ???? ?? t?is st??? ?n???st??? t?? ????nc? ?? t?? sit??ti?n ?n? ?xt?n??? ? ??n? ?? c?m??ssi?n. Wit? ?m??t?? ?n? ??t??min?ti?n, t??? ??????c??? t?? sm?ll ???, ??ntl? ???c?in? ??t t? ??m?v? t?? ?????ssiv? c??in t??t ??? s??ckl?? it ??? s? l?n?. As t?? c??in ??ll ?w??, t?? sm?ll ???’s t??ns???m?ti?n w?s n?t?in? s???t ?? mi??c?l??s.

T?? j???n?? ???m ? li?? ?? c??ins t? ? li?? ?? ??????m ?n? l?v? ??? ????n. T?? sm?ll ???, li????t?? ???m its ???sic?l ?n? ?m?ti?n?l c?n?in?m?nt, w?s ?iv?n t?? ?????t?nit? t? ?x???i?nc? t?? j??s ?? li?? t??t it ??? ???n ??ni?? ??? s? l?n?. T?? ?m???c? ?? ? c??in? ?n? l?vin? ??m? ???l?c?? t?? c?l? st??l t??t ??? ??l? it c??tiv?.

As ???s t??n?? int? w??ks, t?? sm?ll ???’s t??ns???m?ti?n w?s ?w?-ins?i?in?. T?? s???k in its ???s, ?nc? ?imm?? ?? ??s??i?, ?l?z?? wit? n?w???n? li?? ?n? ????in?ss. It l???n?? t? t??st ?n? l?v?, ?n? its s?i?it ?l?ss?m??, ? t?st?m?nt t? t?? ??sili?nc? ?? ?nim?ls ?n? t?? t??ns???m?tiv? ??w?? ?? kin?n?ss.

T?? st??? ?? ??sc?in? ? sm?ll ??? c??in?? ??? li?? s??v?s ?s ? ??w????l ??min??? ?? t?? im???t?nc? ?? int??v?nti?n ?n? c?m??ssi?n. It ?n???sc???s t?? si?ni?ic?nc? ?? ??c??nizin? t?? s?????in? ?? ?nim?ls ?n? t?? ??????n? im??ct ?? ?????in? ? li??lin? t? t??s? in n???.

In t?? ?m???c? ?? its ??sc???, t?? sm?ll ??? ???n? n?t ?nl? ??????m ???m t?? c??ins t??t ??? ???n? it ??t ?ls? t?? ???mis? ?? ? ??i??t?? ??t???. T?is n????tiv? ??m?nst??t?s t??t, ?v?n in t?? ??c? ?? c???lt? ?n? c?n?in?m?nt, t???? is ????, ?n? t?? ?n???in? ??w?? ?? l?v? ?n? c??? c?n ????k t?? c??ins ?? ??s??i? ?n? l??? t? ? li?? ?? j?? ?n? ??????m.