Two travellers wander down a street in Japan. They are searching for an ‘anago’ (salt-water eel) restaurant.
Jestragon: (despairingly): You’re sure it was here?
Roydimir: What?
Jestragon: That we were to wait.
Roydimir: The book said it was down this street. (pause) What are you insinuating? That we’ve come to the wrong place?
Jestragon: It should be here.
Roydimir: It didn’t even say for sure that we could get in.
Jestragon: And if we can’t get in?
Roydimir: We’ll come back tomorrow.
Jestragon: And then the day after tomorrow.
Roydimir: Possibly.
Jestragon: And so on.
Roydimir: The point is –
Jestragon: Until we can get in.
Roydimir and Jestragon eventually find the anago restaurant with a small gathering of strangers sitting outside. No one speaks. They are all waiting to get in. There is a glass case that displays anago model dishes, but no actual food. There is tea, but no one touches the tea. There is a list where everyone writes down their names. Soon the hostess comes out of the restaurant and checks the list, takes orders from the door, and then disappears again inside the restaurant. When one stranger attempts to enter the restaurant, he is pushed out and told to continue waiting. Everyone continues waiting for over an hour (i.e. one act).
Jestragon: Let’s go.
Roydimir: We can’t.
Jestragon: Why not?
Roydimir: We’re waiting for Anago.
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