Yasunari Kawabata: Talking to dogs

Text by Yasunari Kawabata

In Kamakura, there is a fun event every year, and that is the dog exhibition.

When it comes to the dog exhibition, it is basically like this: according to the shape and training, the first and second classes are decided. Just like the acceptance of the exam, the dog owner is also very serious.

However, the exhibition in Kamakura is very leisurely and interesting. For example, it is divided into "the largest dog", "the smallest dog", "the most peculiar-looking dog", and "the dog that has been standing for the longest time". "The dog that keeps an eye on food for the time being, the dog who keeps watching for the longest time", "the dog who barks the best and has the longest time", "the dog who has the best tail wagging", "the dog who can play some acrobatics"... According to this, the first and second classes are decided and rewarded, so it is a very interesting play. When the "largest dog" and "smallest dog" are selected, the judges all bring a ruler. Among the "biggest dogs", Polzo Glet Dian and Pirenay's dogs are all first-class. In the "smallest dogs", basically the Japanese Tria Pomeranian species are all first class. The "most peculiar-looking dog" is decided by the visitor. Send everyone a piece of paper and ask everyone to vote.

Being able to stand and hold on to things without eating is a very common performance project, and the criterion for judging the former item is to see which dog stands for a long time. Some dogs can stand for three or even five minutes. The method of the competition to guard things and not eat is to accompany the breeder, and a dozen or so big dogs are lined up in a row, and then sit down in a regular manner. This is the Prepare command. The owner put the large biscuit in front of the dog, then immediately untied the leash and retreated to the back of the dog to stand. The referee looked at the meter to measure the time. The dogs all squinted at the biscuit, but could only guard it and could not eat it.

After a long time, some people couldn't help it, opened their mouths to eat, and watched the hilarious laughter. The dog was immediately eliminated and brought out of the ranks. A dog ate it, and gradually there was a dog that couldn't help it. However, some dogs are well trained and have excellent patience, and after three minutes, after five minutes, someone talks in the middle of the liveliness:

"Strange poor, the saliva of the thirty-seventh number is flowing out!"

"Number Forty-Three turned his face and didn't look at it."

Because the participating dogs were all contestants, all of them had number plates hanging around their necks. The forty-third dog probably thought it didn't matter if his eyes didn't look at the bread, and turned his face indifferently. The dog got a second class. It twisted its face to look away, probably forgot the cookie, and slowly stood up. The first-class dog was the last one left, and it firmly held on to the cookie for too long, even affecting the next wave of the game.

"Okay, it's good, decide to wait!" Record-breaking! "The referee announces the result of the match.

In the competitions "Barking Dog" and "Dog with a Well-Tailed Tail", I let two Tria dogs participate. The "well-called dog" competition method is to have a person play the villain, scare the dog, and tease it. Wear the clothes that add cotton when training the wolfhound, and it doesn't matter if you bite it. Knock on something like a bamboo tube close to it. At this time it must have barked, and some dogs rolled up their tails. My Tria wasn't afraid of the bad guys, but the other dogs were so annoyed that they barked at the dogs behind him.

The "dog with a well-tailed" competition is called its owner's name, or show it something to eat and make it wag its tail. Long tails, short tails, fluffy tails, and various tails are very happy to shake. There are also many forms of shaking, some shake very interesting, some shake fast, some shake slowly, some shake the longest time, the referee has been paying attention to watch, and then give points. My Natria shouts at it no matter what:

"Carlo, Caro, Caro..." It just doesn't shake. Shake well at home. Here, there are many people visiting, and there are many dogs, probably because of this stage fright. After a few slow shakes, someone shouted:

"Shake, shake!" The referee laughed too, but it didn't shake.

The next show is the "Dog Who Can Play Any Acrobatics" competition, which can play anything. As soon as you say "give your hand", you will hand you the left and right front paws in turn, as soon as you say "sleep", immediately lie down, say "dance", immediately trot around in circles, say "back off", immediately step by step back, say "buy something", immediately grab a basket, and so on, there are many tricks. The dog, accompanied by the harmonica of the adopter, sang his song and was unanimously praised by everyone. Its head up and barking far away is long and long, and its voice is high and low, humble and undulating, very flavorful.

After the singing dog, a snow-white, finely haired German-bred sharp-billed dog appeared. A twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl carried it.

"What will it be?" The referee asked. The girl said:

"Speak!"

"Talk? ...... Talk to a dog? It's amazing. What's the point? ......”

The girl squatted in front of the dog and said:

"Ako, talk." As soon as she said this, the old dog sat down in a formal manner and looked at the girl's face.

"Ako, do you like me?" ......”

The dog nodded seriously.

"Ako, do you hate me?" ......”

Arco shook his head twice. The visitors were amazed and applauded. The girl was very happy, and her eyes were particularly sharp, and she asked:

"Arco, do you want to go for a walk?"

Ako nodded twice.

"Ako, do you Ako think it doesn't matter if you do something bad?"

Ako shook his head definitively twice. The visitors applauded again.

"-wait, wait,-wait!" Someone shouted that.

At this time, out of the crowd of visitors came an old lady named Hanako, who stood face to face in front of the dog, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Ako, do you like me?"

Arco nodded deeply.

"Yeah, yeah. No one likes me, but this Ako likes me. The old lady was very pleased to ask:

"Ako, do you hate me?"

Arco shook his head twice.

"Ah, yes. People hate me, but Doesn't Arco hate me? ”

The old lady touched the dog's head with her trembling hand and said, "Ako, am I dirty?" ”

Because the dog's head was touched by the old lady with her hand, she could not answer.

"Ako, do you think I'm going to do something bad because I'm dirty?" The old lady looked intently at the dog.

Ako shook his head definitively.

"Ako, thank you. You are really smart. The old lady bowed her white-haired head in greeting to the girl. The visitors were silent.

Ako won the first prize for "What Acrobatic Dog".