Human Nature and Compassion

What is the tone of the passage at the beginning?

How does the entity react to Nicko's warning?

What is Nicko trying to do in the story?

What is Nicko's reaction when the Hunter aims his rifle?

What does the Hunter do when Nicko lies to him?

What happens to the entity in the end?

What is the entity's physical description?

What is the Hunter's name?

What did Nicko mean to do when he grabbed the barrel of the Hunter's gun?

What was the little girl's physical appearance?

What did the Hunter threaten to do to Nicko?

What did the Hunter use to hit Nicko?

What happened to the Hunter's gun when Nicko grabbed his foot?

What did Nicko say to the little girl as he carried her?

What did the Hunter accuse Nicko of doing?

Why did the Hunter stop chasing Nicko and the little girl?

Humans' initial reactions to new things are to take control or destroy them, revealing a flawed nature.
Compassion and love are believed to be the solution to problems.

Nicko tries to help a barefoot man with one giant eye, warning him to leave to avoid being caught by Hunters.
The man refuses, thinking Nicko will report him to the Hunters, leading to his own death.
Nicko tries to calm the man down, but the man's loud voice attracts a Hunter.

A Hunter, Misso Utaraka, approaches Nicko and the man, questioning their interaction.
Nicko lies about the man being his drunk uncle, but the Hunter doesn't believe him.
The Hunter aims his rifle at Nicko and kills the man, angering Nicko.

A six-year-old girl with four eyes appears, distracting the Hunter and Nicko.
The Hunter targets the girl, but Nicko intervenes, grabbing the rifle and causing the Hunter to miss.
Nicko tells the girl to run, and she escapes down the alley.

The Hunter attacks Nicko, punching him in the jaw and striking him with the rifle.
Nicko grabs the Hunter's foot, tripping him, and then runs after the girl.
Nicko catches up to the girl, picks her up, and continues to evade the Hunter.

Nicko vows to protect the girl, who thanks him for his help.
The Hunter catches up, still determined to eliminate Nicko and the girl.
The confrontation ends with the Hunter facing Nicko, determined to punish him for protecting a "monster".