Glue

Today I could not find the glue stick so I could stick down the envelope on a letter I wanted to post. I asked The Man where it was. He thought he knew, but he was wrong. We could not find the glue stick.

"Never mind," I said. "I'll just use tape."

"No," The Man said. "Just go downstairs, open the rice cooker, and take out some cooked rice. Then use your finger to rub it over the flap. It will stick fine. That's how it used to be done."

"Really?" I said.

"Yes," he said. "One grain of rice should be enough."

I didn't believe him. Who would eat something that also functioned as glue? I mean, really! I know you can use flour and water paste as glue, but that's not the same. We don't usually eat flour until it's cooked. After you've cooked something, you would not eat it if it had the same qualities as glue, would you?

I went downstairs to look for tape. Then I thought about Japanese rice, and decided to try The Man's method. Maybe he was right. Maybe 'glutinous' did equal 'glue.'

I took one grain of rice out of the rice cooker. I smeared it over the flap of the envelope. I stuck the flap down, and rubbed it.

The flap stuck wonderfully. How convenient!

Later, when I got to the post box, I checked the envelope again, to make sure it was still sticking. It was.

I posted the letter.

Now I know why Japanese rice always makes me constipated.