Kino no Tabi:Volume10 Frontispiece1
“Land of Pets” —apPETite—[edit]
One autumn day, Kino and Hermes arrived at a certain country.
The country’s walls surrounded a not too wide, level terrain lined up with many multi-storied houses crowded together. A lot of people lived in it. As soon as Kino entered the country, she noticed that all of the citizens have some sort of animal with them, without exception.
A person walking with a leashed dog. A person holding a cat in his arms. A person carrying a birdcage with a parrot inside. A person with a weasel on top of his head. A person strutting by the road on a horse.
“They look like…pets,” Hermes said.
“Yeah…,” Kino replied with a look of surprise.
Kino leisurely rode Hermes downtown. Lined up in the country’s main street were all sorts of shops selling items related to pets—veterinary clinics, parlors, and the like. They were everywhere.
Even the interior of the hotel referred to them by the gate sentry was full of animals. There were more restrooms for different type of animals than that for humans.
“That’s right. In our country, the citizens have an obligation to keep pets,” the hotel boy said.
“Obligation?”
“Yes. All healthy citizens over ten years of age shall learn how to raise pets at home and at school. Any animal will do as long as it is registered as an acceptable pet by our Pet Regulations Committee.”
“Why?” Hermes asked.
“Well, to say in a word, ‘heart’. We have a duty to take care of a life. Because of this, we can cultivate a sense of responsibility or a feeling of duty, as well as generosity and kindness in everyone.”
“You mean—”
“‘Cultivation of aesthetic sensibility’?” Hermes said.
“That’s correct! You sure are very knowledgeable, mister motorrad,” the boy said in delight. Kino shot Hermes a mystified glance. Then the boy added,
“That is why every single person in our country is a vegetarian. You see, we can’t just eat an animal that is considered a pet by someone.”
The next day, Kino and Hermes rode all around the country for sightseeing.
Breeding houses for each and every kind of pet. Pet shows. Classes on pet-keeping. Therapeutic sessions for people who were depressed after losing their pets, and so on.
“What are your thoughts?” Hermes asked.
“It was completely different from the rumors…,” Kino answered.
“Isn’t it? Were you tricked again Kino?”
“What do you mean by ‘again’?”
In the evening, several men were waiting for Kino and Hermes to return. They introduced themselves as officials of the Pet Regulations Committee, and asked for Kino’s impressions about the country.
“Our country has a gift for you, Miss Kino.”
“What is it?”
“As a remembrance for entering our country, we will present you with one animal of your choice. Of course, we won’t force you if you don’t want to, but how about it? Won’t you take a lovable pet to remember our country by, and also to serve as your personal stabilizer? It will be prepared by tomorrow.”
The next day, the noon of the third day since they entered the country.
Kino finished the necessary arrangements and arrived at the gates for departure.
At the gates, the animal Kino requested the previous evening was inside a cage. It was a chicken.
“Thank you very much. I was taught how to raise it yesterday,” Kino expressed her thanks as she received it.
“Please cherish it,” the guard and the government official said in chorus.
Upon departure, while running leisurely through the forest road,
“It’s just as the rumors say…,” Kino said.
“I see now. So there really is something like it,” Hermes said. On top of the bag on his carrier, there was the sleeping bag and the birdcage.
That evening.
Kino camped inside the forest. Her dinner was juicy chicken barbecue, its belly stuffed with spices prepared in the country.
“There truly is one. A country that gives travelers food for free.”
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