Otter Characters or Otter Cubs

To earn an income, I must find work. First, I have to learn their language. I was guided to a classroom. Characters are lined up on the blackboard.
"'Ka' for cute"
"'Wa' for young"
"'U' for sellable"
"'So' for immediate decision"
I think I'm gradually getting used to it.
"Now everyone, let's change locations and have intensive training at the camp site."
At a waterfront facility that looks like a resort, we read the characters aloud and memorize them.
"It's about time we start the practical application."
As in the Book of Rites, will we be lining up books on the shore? Or will Dassai sake be served at an informal drinking party in the evening?
"Everyone, your Japanese proficiency has improved significantly. Now, please wash everything away and forget it all. We will cover the costs, so you are free to return home. However," the instructor pauses.
"That is only after you, the otters we fished out of the river, spit out all the children—the fish in your mouths—and line them up on the shore."

From the receding boat, the children lined up on the shore don't look somewhat like characters. Though I no longer remembered how to read them.

410 characters

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