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24 pages
First published January 1, 2000
ﻛﺎﻥ ﻛﺎﺗﺎﺟﻴﺮﻱ ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒًﺎ ﺟﺪﺍ ﻟﻠﻌﻤﻞ: ﻻ ﺯﻭﺟﺔ ﻭﻻ ﺃﻭﻻﺩ. ﻭﺃﺑﻮﺍﻩ ﺗﻮﻓﻴﺎ ﻛﻼﻫﻤﺎ. ﻭﺃﺧﺎﻩ ﻭﺃﺧﺘﻪ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﺃﻣﻦ ﺩﺭﺍﺳﺘﻬﻤﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺠﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﺗﺨﺮﺟﺎ ﻭﺗﺰﻭﺟﺎ. ﻭﻓﻲ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﻝ. ﻓﺤﺘﻰ ﻟﻮ ﻗﺘﻞ ﻓﻠﻦ ﻳﺘﻀﺮﺭ ﺃﺣﺪ ﻣﻦ ﺫﻟﻚ. ﺑﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻛﺎﺗﺎﺟﻴﺮﻱ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﻟﻦ ﻳﻜﻮﻥ ﻣﺘﻀﺮﺭًﺍ!هل هناك فاصل بين الواقع و الخيال أو بين ما هو حقيقي و ما ندركه نحن بحواسنا؟
ﻫﺬﺍ ﺃﻓﻀﻞ ﻳﺎ ﺳﻴﺪ ﻛﺎﺗﺎﺟﻴﺮﻱ. ﻣﻦ ﺍﻷﻓﻀﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻻ ﺗﺘﺬﻛﺮ ﺷﻴﺌًﺎ. ﻋﻠﻰ ﺃﻱ ﺣﺎﻝ. ﻓﻜﻞ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺮﻛﺔ ﺣﺼﻠﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺨﻴﻞ. ﻭﻫﺬﻩ ﻫﻲ ﺗﻤﺎﻣًﺎ ﺳﺎﺣﺔ ﻣﻌﺮﻛﺘﻨﺎ. ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻧﺤﻦ ﻧﻨﺘﺼﺮ ﻭﻧﻨﻬﺰﻡ. ﻭﺑﺎﻟﻄﺒﻊ ﻓﺈﻥ ﺃﻳًﺎ ﻣﻨﺎ ﻣﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﻟﻔﺘﺮﺓ ﻣﺤﺪﻭﺩﺓ ﻓﻘﻂ. ﻭﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﻬﺎﻳﺔ ﺳﻨﻘﻊ ﺑﺎﻟﻬﺰﻳﻤﺔ. ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻳﺮﻯ ﺍﺭﻧﺴﺖ ﻫﻤﻨﻐﻮﺍﻱ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﺮﺭ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﻬﺎﺋﻴﺔ ﻟﺤﻴﺎﺗﻨﺎ ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﺼﺮ ﻭﺇﻧﻤﺎ ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻬﺰﻳﻤﺔ. ﻭﺃﻧﺎ ﻭﺃﻧﺖ ﻳﺎ ﺳﻴﺪ ﻛﺎﺗﺎﺟﻴﺮﻱ ﺍﺳﺘﻄﻌﻨﺎ ﺃﻥ ﻧﻮﻗﻒ ﺗﺪﻣﻴﺮ ﻁﻮﻛﻴﻮ.
for the past two years, i’ve set december’s project aside to do my own version of a short story advent calendar. it’s not a true advent calendar since i choose all the stories myself, but what it lacks in the ‘element of surprise’ department it more than makes up for in hassle, as i try to cram even MORE reading into a life already overcrammed with impossible personal goals (live up to your potential! find meaningful work! learn to knit!) merry merry wheee!
since i am already well behind in my *regular* reviewing, when it comes to these stories, whatever i poop out as far as reflections or impressions are going to be superficial and perfunctory at best. please do not weep for the great big hole my absented, much-vaunted critical insights are gonna leave in these daily review-spaces (and your hearts); i’ll try to drop shiny insights elsewhere in other reviews, and here, i will at least drop links to where you can read the stories yourselves for free, which - let’s be honest - is gonna serve you better anyway.
HAPPY READING, BOOKNERDS!
"Now; you are a real frog, am I right?"
"Yes, of course, as you can see. A real frog is exactly what I am. A product neither of metaphor nor allusion nor deconstruction nor sampling nor any other such complex process, I am a genuine frog. Shall I croak for you?"
Frog tilted back his head and fled the muscles of his huge throat. Ribit. Ri-i-i-bit. Ribit ribit ribit. Ribit. Ribit. Ri-i-i bit. His gigantic croaks rattled the pictures hanging on the walls.
"Fine, I see, I see!" Katagiri said, worried about the thin walls of the cheap apartment house in which he lived. "That's great. You are, without question, a real frog."
"One might also say that I am the sum total of all frogs. Nonetheless, this does nothing to change the fact that I am a frog. Anyone claiming that I am not a frog would be a dirty liar. I would smash such a person to bits!"