long , long ago there lived an old man and his wife who supported themselves by cultivating a small plot of land . their life had been a very happy and peaceful one save for one great sorrow . this was they had no child . their only pet was a dog named shiro . on him they lavished all the affection of their old age . indeed , they loved him so much that whenever they had anything nice to eat they denied themselves to give it to shiro . now shiro means " white , " and he was so called because of his color . he was a real japanese dog , and very like a small wolf in appearance .
cultivating a small plot of land .
how did the old man and wife support themselves ?
how did the old man and wife support themselves ?