2. Letterpress workshop
When Giovanni left the school gate, seven or eight members of his class didn't return home, but instead gathered around a cherry tree in the corner of the schoolyard with Campanella in their midst.
They seemed to be talking about taking Japanese snake gourds to make blue lights and float in the river for tonight's star festival.
But Giovanni came out of the school gate with a big wave of his hands.
The houses in the town were preparing for tonight's galactic festival by hanging balls of yew leaves and lighting the branches of cypress trees.
Instead of going home, turning three times around town, Giovanni entered the letterpress workshop.
Bowing to a man in a baggy white shirt who was standing at the counting table at the entrance, Giovanni took off his shoes, climbed up and opened the large door at the end of the hall.
Inside, even though it was still noon, electric lights were on, and many rotary press wheels were going round and round.
Many people tying their heads with cloth or putting on lampshades were working, reading and counting as if they were singing something.
Giovanni immediately went to a man sitting at the third highest table from the entrance and bowed to him.
The man searched the shelves for a while and then said.
"Can you pick these up?"
And he handed Giovanni a piece of paper.
Giovanni took a small flat box at the feet of his desk, crouched down in a corner of the leaned wall with many electric lights.
Then Giovanni began to pick up letter, one after the other, with small tweezers.
A man in a blue breastplate walked behind Giovanni and said.
"Hey, Mr. Magnifying-glass, good morning."
Four or five people near him laughed coldly, not making a sound, not even turning around.
Giovanni wiped his eyes many times and gradually picked up the letters.
After six o'clock, the flat box of Giovanni was full of the letters.
Giovanni checked them with the piece of paper in his hand and brought it to the man of the table.
The man took it quietly and nodded faintly.
Giovanni bowed and opened the door and came to the counting table.
Then the man in white, also silent, handed Giovanni a small silver coin.
Giovanni suddenly made his complexion better, bowed vigorously, and got out taking his bag under the table.
Then he stopped at the bakery, whistling cheerfully, bought a lump of bread and a bag of sugar cubes and ran off at once.
- To return to table of contents of Night on the Galactic Railroad
They seemed to be talking about taking Japanese snake gourds to make blue lights and float in the river for tonight's star festival.
But Giovanni came out of the school gate with a big wave of his hands.
The houses in the town were preparing for tonight's galactic festival by hanging balls of yew leaves and lighting the branches of cypress trees.
Instead of going home, turning three times around town, Giovanni entered the letterpress workshop.
Bowing to a man in a baggy white shirt who was standing at the counting table at the entrance, Giovanni took off his shoes, climbed up and opened the large door at the end of the hall.
Inside, even though it was still noon, electric lights were on, and many rotary press wheels were going round and round.
Many people tying their heads with cloth or putting on lampshades were working, reading and counting as if they were singing something.
Giovanni immediately went to a man sitting at the third highest table from the entrance and bowed to him.
The man searched the shelves for a while and then said.
"Can you pick these up?"
And he handed Giovanni a piece of paper.
Giovanni took a small flat box at the feet of his desk, crouched down in a corner of the leaned wall with many electric lights.
Then Giovanni began to pick up letter, one after the other, with small tweezers.
A man in a blue breastplate walked behind Giovanni and said.
"Hey, Mr. Magnifying-glass, good morning."
Four or five people near him laughed coldly, not making a sound, not even turning around.
Giovanni wiped his eyes many times and gradually picked up the letters.
After six o'clock, the flat box of Giovanni was full of the letters.
Giovanni checked them with the piece of paper in his hand and brought it to the man of the table.
The man took it quietly and nodded faintly.
Giovanni bowed and opened the door and came to the counting table.
Then the man in white, also silent, handed Giovanni a small silver coin.
Giovanni suddenly made his complexion better, bowed vigorously, and got out taking his bag under the table.
Then he stopped at the bakery, whistling cheerfully, bought a lump of bread and a bag of sugar cubes and ran off at once.
- To return to table of contents of Night on the Galactic Railroad