白いつるのマフラー

On the first floor, there was Grandfather's handmade shop.

At the shop, they were making bags and scarves from old cloth.

But the shop did not have much money.

One evening, Haru walked home along the river road.

That day the wind was strong, and the sky was dark too.

Then a loud sound came from the grass.

When Haru went to look, a white crane had its leg caught in a plastic string.

The crane spread its wings wide and looked frightened.

Haru said in a small voice, “It's okay.”

And he slowly cut the string.

There was a small red wound on its leg.

Haru gently wrapped its leg with his own handkerchief.

After a little while, the crane stood up and looked at the sky.

The crane looked at Haru once and quietly flew away.

That night, Grandfather said, “You did a good thing.”

But the shop was quiet the next day too.

Only one customer came.

When it became evening, someone knocked on the shop door.

Standing outside was a young woman in a white coat.

The woman said, “Please let me work here for a while.”

Haru and his grandfather were a little surprised.

But that person's voice was gentle, and somehow warm.

Grandfather said, “Our shop is small.”

The woman answered, “I like small shops.”

When they asked her name, she said, “I'm Tsuru.”

From the next day, Ms. Tsuru helped at the shop.

She cleaned in front of the shop and folded the cloth neatly.

And she said, “I can make even better things.”

Ms. Tsuru looked at the small room upstairs and asked, “May I use this room for just one day?”

She continued, “But please do not open the door while I am making it.”

Haru wanted to ask, “Why?”, but he did not.

From the morning, Ms. Tsuru went into the room and quietly started work.

From inside the room came a clack-clack sound.

When it became night, Ms. Tsuru came out holding a long white scarf.

That scarf was white like snow, and very beautiful.

Grandfather sold that scarf at the market in front of the station.

Then it sold right away at a high price.

More customers than before started coming to the shop.

Everyone said, “We want to see one more.”

Ms. Tsuru went into the upstairs room again.

But when she came out, her face had become a little pale.

Haru said, “You do not have to push yourself.”

Ms. Tsuru smiled and answered, “I will make just one more.”

On the third night too, the sound continued from inside the room.

While listening to that sound, Haru gradually became worried.

Under the door, one white feather had fallen.

Haru saw it, and his chest gave a start.

And at last he opened the door just a little.

Inside the room, there was a large white crane.

The crane was pulling out its own feathers one by one.

And with those feathers it was making white cloth.

Without meaning to, Haru said, “Ms. Tsuru.”

Then the crane slowly returned to the form of a woman.

Ms. Tsuru said, “I wanted to repay you for helping me at the river.”

She said, “But because you saw me, I cannot stay here anymore.”

Grandfather also came upstairs, and he could not say anything.

Ms. Tsuru handed the just-finished white scarf to Haru.

She said, “Please use this on cold days.”

Ms. Tsuru opened the door and looked at the night sky.

After that, white wings rose up into the moonlight.

The next morning, there was no one in the upstairs room.

Near the window, there was only one white feather.

At the shop, the last white scarf remained.

Haru did not sell that scarf.

When a cold morning comes, Haru wraps it around his neck.

And every time he sees a white crane flying above the river, he remembers that night.