![](https://ces-inter.com/santa-haiku/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/FKLLE6792.jpg)
Every year around this time, I’m curious about Karasuuri(crow squirrels). The mysterious flowers were in bloom this summer as well, so when I tried to enter the bushes where must have been fruiting, I found that the fruits bore as well as I expected. Just then, the crimson color was even more vivid due to the setting sun. The fruit of Karasuuri is an egg shape with a length of about 5 to 7 cm, and before it is colored, it has a thin vertical stripe pattern on the green and looks just like a melon. As it ripens, the striped pattern disappears, gradually turning orange, and finally turning red like a mixture of vermilion. Although it is named crow, it has nothing to do with crows’ favorite food. The fruit is so big that if it could be eaten, it would be a crow.
毎年この頃になると気になるのはカラスウリ。今年の夏もあの妖しげな花が咲いていたので、きっと実ができているに違いないと薮を分け入ってみると、期待に違わず立派な実が成っていました。折りからの夕陽を受けてくれない色がいっそう鮮やかです。カラスウリの実は長さ5~7㎝程度のたまご型で、色付く前はグリーンに薄っすらと縦に縞模様が入ってウリにそっくりです。熟すに従い縞模様は消え、段々とオレンジ色に色付いていき、最終的には朱を混ぜたような赤へと変わっていきます。カラスと名に冠しますが、カラスが好んで食べるとかと言ったような関係はありません。実が大きいので、食べるならカラスくらいだろうと想像して付けられた名でしょう。