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I rubbed my eyes. At lunchtime near the office where I worked, I usually had lunch at this one particular restaurant but it was closed. Disappointed, I wandered about. Then I came across another restaurant. It had a quiet atmosphere, a bit out of place on a street lined with large buildings. "Mysterious Fish Served / RESTAURANT KITTY" Seeing this, I licked my lips. I love fish. Restaurant Kitty sure sounded just like a place where I could eat a delicious fish lunch. I pushed the door open and felt a cool breeze brush past my face. I looked and there was a grassland spread before my eyes. Surprised, I rubbed my eyes. A tree was standing in the middle of the field and, nearby, a white table and chairs were sitting. I understood. This must be a new style of decoration. I sat down on a chair and pulled a string hanging from a branch to ring a bell. I felt like I was in the highlands in Switzerland. "May I help you, sir?" At the voice, I jumped up from the chair, startled. Before I knew it, a girl was standing in front of me, ready to take my order. "What would you like to have?" said the girl, with her unbound hair blowing in the wind of the highland. She had pointed ears coming out of her hair. "Do you have a menu?" I asked. "Yes, here," the girl gave me a board that she carried under her arm. "Chef's Recommendation: Honeyed Salmon Born at Full Moon" That was the only choice written on the board. "Don't you have anything else?" "No, sir." Hearing her answer, I ordered Honeyed Salmon Born at Full Moon. As I watched, the girl gradually faded until she disappeared in the grassland behind her. I scrutinized the scenery but couldn't seem to be able to find a curtain or trick anywhere. The highland looked so real that I couldn't believe that I was actually in the central area of Tokyo. Up above, cumulus clouds were slowly drifting in the sky like a flock of sheep. Beyond the grassland stood a faint blue mountain, capped with white snow. The scenery closely resembled the highlands in Nagano prefecture. I could really relax in such a place. While I was thinking absentmindedly, I began to hear a rallying cry. It came from the grassland. I strained my eyes and saw someone coming closer with something on his shoulder. Eventually I realized that it was not a man but, of all things, a big bear. The bear sometimes adjusted the load on his shoulder and came closer, whistling cheerfully. For a moment, I wondered where I should run. But on this large grassland, I would be found wherever I went. There was no place to hide. The bear was very close to me. "Hello," greeted the bear, "Nice day today." I almost let out a scream but managed to keep it in the back of my throat. "Hello," I blurted out in reply. "Oh, I'd rather relax in the sun on such a day." The bear sat down next to me, put down the load from his shoulder, and put what looked like a mail bag on the table. I heard bees buzzing in the bag. "Oh, this?" the bear said, noticing my glance and patting on the bag, "As you probably surmised, it contains bees and their honeycombs." In the bag, angry bees beat their wings more fiercely and buzzed more menacingly. "What are you going to do with the bees?" I asked, forgetting about my fear. "What am I going to do?" the bear blinked his narrow eyes, " I'm going to eat honey, of course." "Oh, I see." Oddly enough, I was impressed. I was surprised that the bear talked exactly like a man but was also relieved that he acted pretty much like a bear, proving that he was a bear after all. |
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