The Restaurant of Many Orders

The Restaurant of Many Orders

Author: Kenji Miyazawa

One of the Japanese literature I included in my study 'Literature Circle for Philippine High School students'

Recommended Extension Project: Diorama

Summary:

Two young gentlemen went really very deep in the forest that the professional hunter who had come as their guide went astray and wandered off somewhere. Frustrated that there was not a beast or a bird in sight, they decided to go home. But they no longer had the faintest idea of the way back. Looking for their way, they became hungry. Then they happen to see a fine brick building with the sign:Restaurant Wildcat House. Relieved that there was a restaurant in such a remote place they hurriedly opened the door only to find another door with the sign “We hope that you appreciate that this is a restaurant of many orders.” Thinking that the restaurant offers many menus, the two went on finding five more doors with instructions written in front and back. The two gladly followed all instructions like remove your hats etc; leave your guns; spread cream all over your face; shake some perfume (which smells like vinegar) on your head. Only at the sixth door with the sign : rub salt all over your body that the two realized that “lots of order” means that someone or something was giving them orders. True enough, behind the seventh door, two blue eyeballs were ogling them through the keyhole waiting for them to get inside. Frightened, one of the gentlemen pushed at the door behind him but it refused to budge. Then, they heard voices from behind the seventh door urging them to come – that the boss is ready to eat them. The two gentlemen couldn’t do anything but wept and wept. Suddenly, two dogs like white bears came bursting into the room where the two gentlemen were. With a great “woof” the dogs threw themselves at the next door. From the pitch darkness beyond came a great miaowing and spitting and growling, then a rustling sound. The room vanished in a puff of smoke, and the two young men found themselves standing in the grass, shivering and shaking in the cold. Behind them someone called them. The professional hunter came to look for them. The two gentlemen went back to the capital but their frightened faces would never go back to normal again.