５月２４日（水曜日）２０２３
図書館で借りた本を何冊か見ていたら「まめつぶこぞうパトゥフェ」という絵本がありました。先週、小３の子供達に「一寸法師」を読んだばかりで、これはスペイン版「一寸法師」とでもいうか、カタルニア地方の小さい男の子のお話。国民性が違うとこれほど明るく愉快になるかと思うほど大らかなお話です。
元気のいい男の子がおつかいに行ったり、お父さんのお弁当を届けに行ったりしますが、豆つぶほどの体なので踏み潰されないように大きな声で歌いながら荷物を持って歩きます。途中で牛に飲み込まれてしまいますが、牛のおならで飛び出てくるというお話。小４の子供達が相手でしたが、皆面白がって聞いてくれました。終わって後ろにいた男の子から歌をもう一回とのリクエストがあり、「え〜っ？テキトーに歌っただけなのに....」と戸惑うも今更恥ずかしがってもと思って、元気よく歩いている調子で「パタン パティン パトン〜」と歌いました。（こんなこと初めて！）
スペインのバルセロナで４０年ちかく頑張って生きてる古い友人を想いながら、この愉快なお話と四年生ろ組のニコニコ顔に出会った１日でした。
I found a picture book named "Boy looks as tiny as beans" (original title:En Patufet) among several books which I borrowed from the library. I read "One Inch Boy" last week for story telling to the third graders and I thought this book was the Spanish version of One Inch Boy. It was a Japanese picture book but the original story was from Catalonia in Spain. It is a very funny and easy-going story which fits the national character of Catalonia.
Patufet is a healthy boy and he is willing to go on an errand for his mother, bringing lunch for his father. Since he is very small, he sings a song loudly so as not to be smashed under people's feet. On the way to his father, a cow swallowed little Patufet, but finally he was out by the cow's farting. Fourth grader kids listened to this story pleasantly. After reading, one boy requested me to sing a song which I did in the reading one more time. I was surprised because I just did it impromptu. I was embarrassed but I sang one more time cheerfully upon his request.
Remembering my Japanese old friend who has been living in Barcelona for forty years, I was happy to encounter such a fun story and had a chance to do this storytelling to cheerful and lovely children.
