(The chapter image is of Yotsuba riding an elephant calf.)
Yotsuba, clad in pajamas, points out something, and asks about it. Koiwai explains it by pretending to bite her head. She understands from this that the thing is scary. Koiwai intensifies the modifier, and says it'll eat her right up. She's impressed by this. (She also has toothmarks in her forehead, which I never noticed until writing this entry.)
The book she's looking at is an animal encyclopedia. It appears to be written in English. Yotsuba points out another one, a leopard. Koiwai explains that one the same way. She gets onto her belly and looks the book over some more, preparing to ask about another animal, when Koiwai has a thought. He has an important announcement! Yotsuba goes from her belly to an attentive kneeling position. Koiwai announces that they're going to the zoo tomorrow, a little not far from them. Koiwai recalls that she probably hasn't been to the zoo, and asks if she knows what they are. She knows the principle, which he finds amazing. She asks if they have lions and polar bears; he doesn't think they have anything that big, and wonders if she likes polar bears. He does think they have an elephant. (I thought those were bigger than lions and polar bears, unless they're elephant calves...)
Koiwai sets the plan: they'll pack a picnic lunch... (PICNIC LUNCH!) ...ride the bus... (BUS!) ...and go see the elephant! (BRROOOWR!) So, given that they're going to do that, they need to get to sleep. Yeah, right. Yotsuba spends time awake, getting more and more excited. She wants to go now, but Koiwai tells her to go to bed. She does, but "The zoo." runs through her head.
The next day, they're off the bus. (Ridden with an adult she knows, this time!) Yotsuba it wearing her hat, and her "Kodomo Usagi" (Rabbit Child?) shirt, as well as her other, more average clothing. She's bearing a backpack. The zoo they're visiting is Ajisai Animal Park. She runs up to the admissions counter and tells her father to "pay this lady!" Beyond, she shouts that it's a zoo. Koiwai admits that he wasn't looking forward to going, but that he's getting excited.
Yotsuba points out some animals, and they race to the pen... of goats, as Koiwai says. He's eaten them before, which Yotsuba questions. Koiwai spots food for the goats. You pay 100 yen, and get a cup of carrots. Koiwai does the former while Yotsuba does the latter. She approaches the pen... only to find a wall of goats looking hungrily at the treats. Koiwai "translates" for them. Yotsuba spots a baby, and decides to try to feed it... only an older goat snatches the carrot. She punches it for that.
Moving on from the greedy goats, Koiwai points out a guinea pig petting area. They go there. Koiwai asks if it's okay to touch them; Yotsuba already is. Good thing it's okay; they can even hold them, so they do. Yotsuba asks the keeper their names, so he names them Moruko, Morumi, Morue, and Moruyo. Koiwai can tell he made them up. Yotsuba asks about "the black one", but it's poop. Koiwai asks if it's a female, and if it's easy to tell. They're all female, it turns out (I'd assume at least "Moruko" was); if they put males and females together, they'd start breeding. The males, they give most away to schools of primary education... and hospitals. After all, they are guinea pigs!
Next, the owl. The similarity between Yotsuba's eyes in the center panel of this page and the owl's eyes is uncanny. Koiwai claims that it's staring at her because she's popular. She circles the owl... only to find that it can turn its head! She raises her arms and one leg with a "HYA!", but the owl can do that, too. Yotsuba clings to daddy.
Now they see a raccoon, a ... chipmunk? and some deer.
They're almost to the elephant now. Koiwai says he'll be big. Yotsuba asks if he'll be as big as a cow. Koiwai points it out. You can already tell it's big off in the distance. She goes up to the pen.
"IT'S
HUGE!"
Yotsuba exclaims about it's size, saying that even the term "Jumbo" is inadequate to express it. She identifies its trunk as its nose. (A nearby patron appears to be taking a picture of her.) It raises its trunk a bit, causing Yotsuba to wonder what's going on.
"Hello there... Yotsuba."
Yotsuba asks her dad what he's saying. He claims the elephant is saying it, and he's translating.
"I am... an elephant from Africa."
Yotsuba notices a nearby sign.
"I-N-D-I-A."
Koiwai does the wise thing and owns up to having made that up. (The phrase or the whole "I can translate elephant" thing? It's unclear.) He asks her if she can tell what it's saying. She claims it's hungry and wants to eat its picnic lunch; Koiwai thinks she's projecting. They go under a tree to eat while they watch the elephant. While they eat, Yotsuba sees it poop. "It's huge!" Koiwai says she doesn't have to say that.
The last page has the elephant remarking about the heat, and Yotsuba agreeing.
Next time: Chapter 20!
