7 The Restaurant of Many Orders

（1） Two young gentlemen were deep in the mountains, walking among the dry leaves. They were dressed just like British soldiers and carried shiny rifles. They had two white dogs with them which looked like polar bears. Their conversation went like this:
‘What’s wrong with these mountains? We’ve not seen a single bird or animal. 　I don’t care what, I just want to shoot something. Give it a good bang, bang!’
‘How good it would feel to stick a couple of bullets into the yellow belly of a deer　right now. Watch it spin around a bit before falling down.’They were really rather deep in the mountains. So deep that their hunter guide had lost his way and wandered off somewhere.

（2） The mountains were so frightful that the two polar bear-like dogs both became dizzy, whined, and eventually dropped dead, foaming at the mouth.
‘Well, that’s 2,400 yen wasted,’ said one of the gentlemen, peeling back his dog’s eyelids a little.
‘2,800 yen for me,’ complained his companion, tilting his head with regret.
The first gentleman became somewhat pale and watched the other’s face carefully as he said,
‘I think I want to head back.’
‘Well then, I think I shall join you. It has started to get cold and I’m hungry.’
‘Let’s call it quits here, then. On the way back, we can call at the inn where we 　stayed from yesterday and buy ten yen worth of pheasants to take home.’
‘I remember they had hares, too. We can buy both and it will be as if we had caught them ourselves. Right, let’s head back.’

（3） The problem was, however, that the pair had completely lost track of what direction home was.
The wind blew, making the grass murmur, the leaves rustle and the trees moan.
‘I’m terribly hungry. I’ve had a pain in my side for some time.’
‘Me too. I don’t want to walk much further.’
‘Me neither.’
‘What a situation! I really want something to eat.’
‘Me too. I just want something to eat.’
This was how the conversation went as the two gentlemen walked through the rustling zebra grass.

（4） It was at that moment that the two men happened to glance behind them and noticed a single, grand, Western-style building. The sign at the entrance read as follows:

RESTAURANT
WILDCAT
Western Cuisine

‘Perfect! This is just what we were looking for. Let’s go in.’
‘Wait a second. Isn’t it a little strange to find a restaurant here? Still, I guess they 　will have something for us to eat.’
‘Of course! That’s what it says on the sign, isn’t it?’
‘Let’s go in, then. I’m going to collapse if I don’t eat something soon.’

The two stood in the entranceway. It was made of white bricks from Seto and was really rather impressive.
There was a message written in golden letters on the glass door which said:

<< Please do come in. We are most happy to serve all guests. >>

The two companions were overjoyed.
‘Wow! What a wonderful world we live in! We had some trouble earlier today, 　but look at how lucky we are now. It looks like this restaurant is going to give　us a free meal.’
‘You’re right. That must be what this message means.’
They pushed the door open and went inside. The door led on to a long corridor. On the other side of the door was another golden message:

<< We particularly welcome plump and young guests.　 >>

（5） The pair were over the moon as they were to be particularly welcomed.
‘Looks like it's a special welcome for us!’
‘Indeed! We fit both conditions!’
Moving quickly down the corridor, the two next came to a door painted blue.
‘What a strange building. I wonder why there are so many doors.’
‘This is Russian style architecture. You find lots of building like this in cold　places and in the mountains.’
They went to open the door and noticed another golden message above it:

<< This is a restaurant with many orders. We thank you for your understanding. >>

‘I didn’t think that this place would be so popular, being so deep in the mountains.’
‘Don’t be silly. All the best restaurants in Tokyo are found off the main roads, right?’
The pair opened the door as they spoke and found another message on the other side:

<<We really do have many orders. Please be patient with each one.>>

One of the gentlemen grimaced. ‘What do you think this means?’
‘They must be telling us to be patient because they get a lot of orders and they　spend a lot of time preparing each one.’
‘You must be right. I hope we get to one of the rooms soon.’
‘Indeed. I want to sit down at a table.’

（6） To their dismay, the two men came across yet another door. Next to it was a mirror, and below that a brush with a long handle.
On the door was written in red letters:

<<Dear guests. Please fix your hair and remove any mud from your shoes.>>

‘Well, I can’t argue with that. I didn’t think this would be such a fancy place, what　with it being so deep in the mountains.’
‘They really care about manners here. They must get a lot of very important 　customers.’
The two made their hair neat and brushed the mud from their boots.

And what should happen next! When they returned the brush to its shelf it faded away into nothingness and a gust of wind blew into the room.
The pair huddled together in surprise. They opened the door and moved quickly through. The two felt that they could not go on much longer without a warm meal to raise their spirits.

（7） They found another odd message on the other side of the door:

<<　Please leave your rifles and bullets here.　>>

They noticed a black table next to the door.
‘Of course. It’s bad manners to eat while carrying a gun.’
‘Wow. They really must get a lot of important customers.’
The two men placed their rifles and belts on the table.

（8） There was another door, this time black.

<<We ask that you please remove your hats, coats and boots.　>>

‘What do we do?’
‘I guess we have to. There must be some very important guests inside.’
The two hung their hats and overcoats on the hooks, took off their boots, and pattered through the door.

（9） This one had a message on the back, too:

<<Please remove any tie pins, cuff links, glasses, wallets and other metal items.
Please make sure to remove any pointy ｉｔｅｍｓ in particular.　>>

Next to the door was a spectacular safe, painted black, with its door already open. There was even a key for it.
‘A-ha! They must use electricity to cook things here. That’s why they say metal 　objects, particularly pointy ones, are dangerous.’
‘That must be it. I guess the bill is paid here on the way out.’
‘It looks like it.’
‘It must be.’
The two took off their glasses and cuff links, placed any metal items in the safe, and locked the safe door with a click.

（10） They walked a little further and came across another door. In front of the door was a single glass pot. The message on the door read:

<<Please use this cream thoroughly on your face, hands and feet.　>>

Looking inside the jar, they discovered that it was a milk cream.
‘Why do they need us to use this cream?’
‘It must be because it’s so cold outside. Going from that to a warm room could　give you cracked skin. This cream is to stop that. There must be truly important customers here. Who would have thought we could meet the aristocracy up here　in the mountains!’

The two put the cream on their faces and hands, then took off their socks and put the cream on their feet. There was still some cream left after that, so they each pretended to put it on their faces while eating it instead.

（11） They quickly opened the door, only to see another small pot of cream and a message on the back of the door reading:

<< Did you make sure to get the cream everywhere? Even on your ears? >>

‘They’re right, you know. I did forget to put it on my ears. I would have gotten　cracked skin on my ears if they didn’t remind us. The owner here really thinks of　everything!’

‘They really do pay great attention to detail. I just want to hurry up and eat, though. This corridor seems to go on forever.’
In front of them they saw yet another door.

<<The meal is nearly ready.
It will not take more than 15 minutes now.
It will not be long until it is time to eat.
Please quickly splash the cologne from this bottle on your heads.　 >>

There was a shiny, golden bottle of cologne in front of the door.
The two men splashed it on their heads. Curiously, it smelled a lot like vinegar.
‘This cologne smells strangely like vinegar. Isn’t that odd?’
‘They must have made a mistake. Perhaps the kitchen maid has a cold and isn’t thinking straight.’
　They opened the door and stepped through.　　　　

（12） On the other side of the door, in big letters, was written:

<<We are sorry there were so many orders. We do feel sorry for you.
This is the last one. Please rub the salt from this pot thoroughly into yourbodies. >>

There was a magnificent blue Seto salt pot made of fine china. This time the two were startled and turned their cream-covered faces to look at each other.

‘There’s something strange going on here.’
‘I agree.’
‘When they said this restaurant has many orders, I think they meant orders for us!’
‘I reckon the “Western cuisine” isn’t what they serve to the people who come here. It’s what they turn them into! S-so that means w-w-we...’ He started shaking and his teeth started chattering and he could say no more.
‘Y-you... you mean that w-w-we...’ His companion started shaking and could speak 　no more either.
‘R-r-r... run!’ one of the gentlemen managed to say, and tried to open the door behind them. But it did not budge an inch.

（13） Further into the room was another door with two large keyholes and a silver knife and fork carved into it. The message written on it said:

<<Well, we do thank you for your cooperation.
The food is looking ready to eat.
Come on now, do come in.　 >>

To top it all off, two big, blue eyes were peeping through the keyholes at them. 　
‘Waaah!’ screamed one man, trembling.
‘Nooo!’ His companion trembled just as hard, and the two of them broke down in tears.

（14） From the other side of the door a whispered conversation could be heard.
‘This isn’t good. They’ve figured it out. They’re not rubbing the salt onthemselves.’
‘Of course they’re not. Look what the boss wrote. “We are sorry there were so　many orders. We do feel sorry for you.” That just gives the game away.’
‘Who cares. It’s not as if the boss would give us even the scraps, anyway.’
‘No, but if we can’t get them to come in here then we’re the ones who will be　blamed.’
‘Let’s try calling them. Dear customers! Quickly now! Come in, come in! The plates are washed and the salad is salted and ready. All that’s left is to arrange you and the salad nicely on the lovely white plates! Do hurry up and come in!’

‘Come on! Come in! Or perhaps you don’t like salads? In that case, shall we get a　fire going and make something fried? Quickly now! Do come in!’
The two men were in such distress that their faces crumpled like paper and all they could do was stare at each other, shaking and crying wordlessly.
Voices from the other side of the door laughed and continued shouting to them.
‘Come in, come in! If you keep crying like that, the cream will run off! Yes, sir. We　will bring them through right away, sir. Come on, dear customers! Quickly now!’
‘Please come in quick! The boss has his napkin around his neck, his knife and fork in hand, and is licking his lips waiting for you!’
The two men cried and cried and cried some more.

（15） At that moment, the two polar bear-like dogs suddenly burst through the door behind them into the room with a ‘Woof, woof, grrrr!’ The eyes at the keyhole quickly disappeared as the dogs walked around the room for some time, snarling.
Then, the two dogs gave a high-pitched ‘Woof!’ as they suddenly jumped together at the next door. It opened with a thud and the two dogs went jumping into the room as if sucked in.
From the darkness beyond the door the sounds of a scuffle could be heard along with meows, woofs and grrrs.

（16） The room disappeared like smoke and the two men were left standing in the grass, shivering with the cold.
They looked around and noticed their overcoats, boots, wallets, tie pins and other possessions hung on the tree branches and scattered among the tree roots. The wind blew, making the grass murmur, the leaves rustle and the trees moan.
The growling dogs came back to them.
And then, from behind them, came the shout of a familiar voice.
‘Gentlemen! Gentlemen!’
The two men, suddenly feeling much better, shouted back.
‘Hey! Over here! Come quickly!’
The hunter in his straw hat came wading through the grass towards them.
That was when they finally felt that they were safe.
They ate the sweet rice cakes which the hunter had brought them and headed back to Tokyo, stopping on the way only to buy ten yen worth of pheasants.

（17） However, even after returning to Tokyo and taking a hot bath,　their crumpled paper faces would not go back to how they had been.

7 The Restaurant of Many Orders

Anthology of 7 Japanese Children's Stories
(Japanese English Bilingual Picture Book)

『日本（にほん）の童話（どうわ）』 全（ぜん）7話（わ） 第（だい）7話（わ） 注文（ちゅうもん）の多（おお）い料理（りょうり）店（てん） (英語（えいご）) 準拠（じゅんきょ）

作（さく）　宮沢（みやざわ）　賢治（けんじ）
絵（え）　佐々木（ささき） ひろこ
翻訳（ほんやく） Ash SPREADBURY
朗読（ろうどく） Eda STERNER KANEKO

NPO法人（ほうじん） 地球（ちきゅう）ことば村（むら）・世界（せかい）言語（げんご）博物（はくぶつ）館（かん）

2021.2.4