Sunday, August 28, 2016

The Offering for A Good Year of Great Harvest




  The sun rose, and the king stood by the altar. He wore fine clothing and a golden crown. He really did look like the king of all the Incas. The king gave the offering for a good year of great harvest. "Inca forever!" he said. His voice was loud, like a real king's.

  Once the offering was burnt and the smoke rose towards the sun, the sacrifice was finished. The king blessed all the people there.

  In the Festival of Sun, the person playing the king offers the heart of llama, which is an animal like an alpaca but larger.

Land of the Sun
Written by Jong-soon Jo
Illustrated by Sinae Jo
Edited by Joy Cowley
ISBN 978-1-921790-62-1




Mum's Awana




  Mum was siting at her awana. Next to it were dyed alpaca threads. Soon the threads would be changed into cloth for warm clothing.

  Yana asked. "Mum, can I help? I want to learn how to weave."

  "You'll learn when you are older," said Mum. "Now, go and play."

  Yana felt very grumpy. She stamped out of the house.

  An awana is a wooden loom used for making cloth. Long threads are tied to a wooden frame. This is the wrap. Then threads are woven through them sideways. This is the weft. The cloth is woven to the size of the garment needed.

Land of the Sun
Written by Jong-soon Jo
Illustrated by Sinae Jo
Edited by Joy Cowley
ISBN 978-1-921790-62-1




She Felt Grumpy and Grumbled to Herself




  With his poncho thrown on the floor, Yana's brother Usco was shearing a young alpaca.

  "Usco, I have some corn for you. Is there anything I can do to help?"

  "You can help by staying still," said Usco to his sister.

  Yana felt grumpy. She grumbled to herself and ate some of the corn.

Land of the Sun
Written by Jong-soon Jo
Illustrated by Sinae Jo
Edited by Joy Cowley
ISBN 978-1-921790-62-1




Festival of the Sun




  High up in the Andes Mountains, Yana lived in a small village near Cuzco.

  Soon, Cuzco was told to hold the Festival of the Sun.

  The People in the village were curious.

  Who would be the king of festival?

Land of the Sun
Written by Jong-soon Jo
Illustrated by Sinae Jo
Edited by Joy Cowley
ISBN 978-1-921790-62-1




Saturday, August 20, 2016

Plastic Drum




  Rukundo was very angry that the contaminated water had made his family sick.

  He did not not what to do.

  He started to beat the empty yellow container.

  Boom-boom! Boom-boom!

  Tears fell on the plastic drum.

The Drummer Boy
Written by Soo-hyeon Min
Retold by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Peggy Nille
ISBN 978-1-921790-52-2




What A Fool I Am




  Rukundo had not been to school for days.

  If he hurried, he could make the last class.

  He ran with the full water containers but he tripped over a stone.

  Water poured out into the dirt.

  His knee was skinned and bleeding.

  "What a fool I am," he said.

The Drummer Boy
Written by Soo-hyeon Min
Retold by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Peggy Nille
ISBN 978-1-921790-52-2




Sunday, August 14, 2016

Never Alone




  "My dear, did you come all this way on your own?" asked Grandma, stepping inside.

  Kikko looked around, but the animals were no where to be seen.

  "You're never alone in the woods," Kikko answered, smiling.

  She was sure her new friends were listening.

The Tea Party in the Woods
Akiko Miyakoshi
ISBN 978-1-77138-107-9








A New Pie




  "If it's pie you need, we have plenty to share!"

  Slice by slice they assembled a new pie on a pretty plate. Each piece had a different filling of seeds and nuts and fruit and other delicious things gathered from the woods.

The Tea Party in the Woods
Akiko Miyakoshi
ISBN 978-1-77138-107-9






Saturday, August 13, 2016

Sail into Clear Skies




  I wonder how fast the wind blows.

  I wish I had a ship with big propellers that would spin stronger winds to drive the storm away.


  The ship sails into the black clouds.

  I keep watch.


  I climb up to the crow's nest, jest before the ship is swallowed by the darkness.


  I can't see a thing.

  The propellers keep turning.


  At last, the storm passes, and I sail into clear skies.

The Storm
Akiko Miyakoshi
ISBN 978-1-77138-559-6








The Storm!




  I hear rain pattering on the roof and peek outside.

  The Storm!

  All through dinner, the rain beats hard against the shutters.

  The wind howls and blows.

  I try not to be scared.

The Storm
Akiko Miyakoshi
ISBN 978-1-77138-559-6






Sunday, August 7, 2016

本来就是消遣



  两个人经过外院。

  “你怎么和这个教授关系这么好?”她终于按耐不住好奇,问他。

  “他人不错。”

  “……”

  “怎么?”

  “他在我们院的绰号是老魔王,挂人最多……”

  Gun“哦?”了一声:“他人挺有意思,一直教英语教到四十几岁,忽然决定给自己放个大假,就出去读了个工业设计的硕士。”

  “然后继续回来教英语?读到硕士……”干什么用呢?

  “本来就是消遣,” Gun看到图书馆,“有人消遣是旅游,有人是读书,我就是玩游戏。什么都求个目的,就太无聊了。”

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 251页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0





莫名就有种相依为命的感觉



  他随手打开德州扑克,开局:“你20号生日?”

  她不解他的意图,看他。

  “豆腐没吃够?老看我干什么?”他懒懒地问。

  明明都是你在吃——

  她小小声地嘟囔:“那天不是分手吗……就没心情,也没过。”

  “哦,分手,”系统发牌,他看了看自己手里的,还不错,估计要赢,“有什么愿望?”

  “嗯?”她惊讶,“过了也能要吗?”

  “可以,随便要什么,”他在黑暗中,有些坏地笑了声,“人也行。”

  怎么总是色色的……

  她红着脸,默默想了很久,手脚并用地爬到他腿上,趴在他耳边轻声问:“想要……永不分手,可以吗?”只是他来广州的短短时间,她就能想他想到心脏疼,想到‘分手’两个字就觉得,心一窝一窝地坠着,这么想着就疼。

  Gun原本以为她会让自己休假陪她,完全没料到是这样的一个回答。

  阳台门敞开着,为了散去房间里的各种烟味、饭菜味和各种味道,他察觉手冷,随手扯过自己仍在床头柜上的运动服,遮住她散开的睡衣,什么也没回答。

  这种不想离开的情绪,他也曾有过体会,好像要把所有的时间都冻结住,停在这一秒,没有过去,不见未来,在感情最稳固的现在,在彼此都最依赖、最健康的时间里长久地停留。

  这样的深夜,只有两个人在有风的房间里。

  莫名就有种相依为命的感觉。

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 189-190页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0





清楚一点就够了



  如果一个男人连自己想要什么都不知道,那纯粹是在敷衍,从第一次和她接吻,他就很清楚,再清楚不过,想要她。生活圈子不同没关系,共同语言也不需要,我做什么,你不用费力去懂,你做什么,也不需要得到我的同意。

  清楚一点就够了。

  你有多想得到我,我就有多想要你。

  除了你,谁都不行。

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 185页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0





Saturday, August 6, 2016

真的不用分手了吗?



  Gun继续吃着糖,没再接着说话。

  整个空间再次陷入了一种诡异的安静里。

  她像是在等待最后的答案,两只手紧紧在背后扭着,扭得生疼。直到,鼻梁上忽然一瞬温热,他竟然伸手,刮了下她的鼻子:“那就不分。”


  那就是……

  真的不用分手了吗?

  她有些不太确定地,抬头,想要看清他的眼睛。

  可惜后者已经将转椅转过去,正面对着电脑,一边打开邮箱调出邮件,一边看着屏幕上的电话号码,拨通了会议电话。

  随着一系列招呼声后,他扔下一句话:“你们继续,我听着。”

  众人扔过来几句“OK”,开始用英文,说着全球四大服务器的预算赛报名情况:“美国以《星际2》为主要项目的电竞联盟俱乐部宣布转型《密室风暴》“……”


  他转回来,继续看她,像是要继续刚才的话题。

  可是却什么都没说。

  佟年被他看得脸红红,轻声喃喃了句:“那……你开会,我下去了……”

  他伸手,将她拉向自己,在她手足无措时,把她按到了自己的右腿上,坐下。

  在手覆上她脑后时,甚至能感觉,她的身体有些发抖。

  “要不要……给你喝点儿酒?”他的声音,如鬼魅般地贴近她。

  小孩没动,整个人背脊都僵直了。

  仍旧是水果糖的味道,在她的身上,应该是一种香水,甜得腻人。那晚的记忆从身体深处慢慢被唤醒,那些……

  急躁的,渴望的……

  没试过的,想要的……

  房间昏暗。

  电话里的背景音很亢奋,在说着即将到来的全球预选赛。

  而他则闭上眼睛,鼻尖从她的额头滑下去,闷闷地,无声地,滑过她的鼻梁,一路向下,直到找到了那个地方……

  “佟年。”他声音哑哑的。

  她小小地嗯了声。

  “想……接吻吗?”


  悄无声息。

  他又用鼻尖摩擦了下她的唇:“不想?”

  她抓着自己的裙子,紧闭眼,紧张得都不敢呼吸。

  他笑,沉静地将鼻尖继续滑下去,顺着那股甜腻的味道,擦过她的小下巴,然后是脖颈。

  再滑下去,是脖颈,然后……

  是细小的,弧度美好的,锁骨。

  终于在这里,他将嘴唇贴上去,滚烫的,是她的皮肤,很软,慢慢摩攃着……慢慢挪上去,到她的长发下,耳根后:“嗯……”他轻声耳语,“这里最香……”

  怀里的小女孩身体软软的,被他像个娃娃一样搂在怀里。

  一个动作都不敢动,一声都不敢出……

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 155-157页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0





还想分手吗?



  这是他第一次有耐心,和一个异性说这么多话。

  但显然,他已经开始有些没耐心了。

  尤其说到这里,小孩还是不懂他的意思,虽然她……真的在认真听……

  “我也不是什么君子,脾气很差,绅士风度完全没有,不喜欢浪漫,连约会的时间也没有。我的整个生活就是K&K,就是我的所有队员,很单调,没消遣,没旅游,没度假,更讨厌应酬,甚至连休息日、节日、年假都没有。”

  好可怜……她想。

  忽然,四周安静下来。

  好像,他把想说的都已经说完了。

  她仍旧懵懵的。

  “所以,再给你一次机会,还想分手吗?”

  嗯?!

  她睁大眼睛。

  彻底不知道怎么说话了。

  砰砰砰……

  砰砰砰……

  心跳得越来越快,她整个人都在这巨大的惊喜里,呆住了。

  “想?还是不想?”他再次开口。

  “……”

  “没想好怎么回答?”

  “……”

  “还需要再考虑?”

  她紧紧搅着手指,在背后,拧得自己生疼。

  “不想……”怕他没听到,她又小声重复了句,“不想。”

  这是她从小到大,第一次花那么多时间和力气,想要了解一个人,想要追上他的脚步,哪怕,换他回头看一眼。

  她不想分手……

  也不想今天过去后,就再也见不到他。

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 154-155页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0





欢迎来到我的世界



  面前的小女孩,磨磨蹭蹭走过来,那些小心思、小犹豫,还有不确定和难以掩饰的开心,都落在他眼里,她停下来,在他一步之遥的地方。

  他的眼睛,第一次像对待一个同龄人似地,认真地看她:“除了知道我叫韩商言,还知道什么?”

  她愣了,还知道什么吗?

  其实都很零碎。

  他的资料实在太少了……

  其实知道他的真实名字和国籍,总有办法知道更多东西,但她也一直没敢这么做。好像上次在网吧偷看他身份证,已经让他很不爽了,所以她很知分寸地,只在网上搜寻关于Gun的信息。“没有了……”她老实交待,“就只看过你的公开采访和比赛视频。”

  他沉默了三秒。

  然后,再次开了口:

  “韩商言,1986年2月14日生于挪威,2004年改为中国国籍,曾做过电竞职业选手,拿过的名次和成绩网上都有,2005年退役。读了几年大学,专业工业设计,毕业后在美国创办K&K俱乐部,我是第一投资人,也是这个俱乐部的老板之一。2013年,K&K China成立后,常住中国。”

  如此详细的介绍,就连百度百科都不可能有的资料,就这么从他口里,一句句地说出来,告诉她。

  好像在说:欢迎来到我的世界,佟年。


  他说完,慢悠悠地剥开一颗糖,吃进嘴里,口齿不清地作了总结:“这算是,正式自我介绍了,别把我当成网上写的什么英雄,我不是,明白吗?”

  “嗯。”她点点头。

  你比网上写的好上一百倍。她想。

≪蜜汁炖鱿鱼≫ 153-154页
墨宝非宝 著
ISBN 978-7-5500-1563-0