A tiny village lay among the mountains of a country from which for four years the men had gone forth (left) to fight. First the best men had gone, then the older men, then the youths (young men), and lastly the school boys. It will be seen that no men could have been left in the village except the very aged (old), and the bodily incapacitated (physically disabled), who soon died, owing to the war policy (official plan) of the government which was to let the useless perish (die) that there might be more food for the useful.

Now it chanced (happened by luck) that while all the men went away, save (except) those left to die of slow starvation (extreme hunger), only a few returned, and these few were crippled (disabled) and disfigured (having a damaged appearance) in various ways. One young man had only part of a face, and had to wear a painted tin mask, like a holiday-maker (someone enjoying a holiday). Another had two legs but no arms, and another two arms but no legs. One man could scarcely (barely) be looked at by his own mother, having had his eyes burned out of his head until he stared like Death. One had neither arms nor legs, and was mad (mentally unstable) of his misery (suffering) besides, and lay all day in a cradle (small bed for babies) like a baby. And there was a quite old man who strangled (choked) night and day from having sucked in poison-gas; and another, a mere (only) boy, who shook, like a leaf in a high wind, from shell-shock (mental trauma caused by war), and screamed at a sound. And he too had lost a hand, and part of his face, though not enough to warrant (justify) the expense of a mask for him.

To go through that village after the war was something like going through a life-sized toy-village with all the mechanical (machine-like) figures wound up (made to move) and clicking. Only instead of the figures being new, and gay (cheerful), and pretty, they were battered (damaged) and grotesque (ugly in a shocking way) and inhuman (not appearing human).

He had two arms, two legs, a whole face with eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and ears, complete. He could see, for he had glanced (looked) about him as he dressed. He could speak, for he sang loudly. He could hear, for he had turned quickly at the whir (buzzing sound) of pigeon-wings behind him. His skin was smooth all over, and nowhere on it were the dark scarlet map (red patches) which the child found so interesting on the arms, face, and breast of the burned man. It was truly inexplicable (unexplainable), and therefore terrifying (scary).

‘Hullo!’ he cried eagerly (with excitement), ‘if it isn’t a child!’

He came forward across the footbridge (small bridge for walking) with a most ingratiating (charming and friendly) smile, for this was the first time that day he had seen a child, and he had been thinking it remarkable (unusual) that there should be so few children in a valley where, when he had travelled that way five years before, there had been so many he had scarcely (barely) been able to find pennies for them. So, he cried ‘Hullo’ quite joyously (happily), and searched in his pockets.

‘I assure (promise) you, Madam,’ said he, ‘that I only meant to give your little boy these pennies.’ He examined (looked at) himself with an air of wonder (confusion). ‘What on earth is there about me to frighten a child?’ he queried (asked) plaintively (in a sad way).

‘It is because he finds the Herr (Mr.) Traveller so strange-looking,’ she said, curtsying (bowing slightly). ‘He is quite small,’ she showed his smallness with a gesture (hand movement), ‘and it is the first time he has even seen a whole man.’

When the war ends, very few of them return back but with different disabilities. None of them seem wholly fit. There is a three years old boy, son of the man who has lost his arms and legs in the war. He often plays with the soldiers' artificial limbs and is loved by the villagers. One day when the boy walks along a riverbank and starts playing there, he gets surprised looking at a young man who is fully fit;a complete structure of healthy body. He hasn't seen such man in his village so he cries and runs toward his village . The young man knowing this follows him. At last, he comes to know about the reason from the little boy's mother.

The beautiful village was converted into a mechanical figure . So youngest women didn't want to give birth baby.