多摩川の土手を走っているときに雨が降り出す。濡れるのは気持ちがよかった。7.5キロのスロー・ジョグ。
図書館に寄る。すでに日は暮れていて、児童書のエリアはほとんど貸し切り状態だった。ビアトリクス・ポターのピーターラビットのシリーズを、第1巻から第3巻まで読み、洋書の棚にあった英語版も少し読んだ。とてもよい。
そのあとで、絵本・小説・辞典など、児童書の棚を一通り調べた。名作揃いで目移りする。興奮を味わった。叫びたいくらいだった。昼間だと単身でうろつくのは少々気後れするが、夜なら遠慮はいらなかった。小さい椅子に座って楽しい時間を過ごした。
Pears are growing.
While I was jogging along the banks of the Tama River, it began to rain. Getting wet felt good.
It was a slow 7.5 km jog.
Afterwards, I stopped by the library. The sun had already set, and the children’s section was almost entirely empty—practically reserved just for me. I read Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit series, from the first volume through the third. I also browsed a bit of the English editions from the foreign books shelf. They were delightful.
Then I took my time browsing the children’s shelves—picture books, novels, dictionaries. A lineup of classics. I couldn’t decide what to look at next. It was thrilling. I nearly let out a shout. During the day, I might feel a little self-conscious wandering around that section alone, but at night, there was no need to hold back. I sat on one of the little chairs and had a truly enjoyable time.
Konome-ame 