The librarian at my school is super nice, and she bought me (really the school) a book of haikus with English translations. Japanese students also wrote contemporary fairy tales to go along with the haikus, and I thought one was so beautiful I had to share.
How many things
These cherry blossoms
Remind me of!
-Basho (very famous poet from a few centuries ago)
"This cherry tree still vividly reminds me of that event. I was in the 6th grade. When I passed by this cherry tree on my way home from school, I felt that there was something unusual about the cherry tree.
I stopped at the tree, and then I noticed a pretty girl gazing at me from its shadow. At that moment I could not help speaking to her.
'Hi there!'
'.....'
'My name is Ryo. What's your name?'
And then she just smiled without a word. Somehow I was embarrassed and left.
But I became interested in her and almost every day I went to the tree to meet her. Staying with her made me feel very peaceful even if we did not talk to each other.
One day I heard that the cherry tree would be cut down, and I hurried to see her. Having already known the fact, she looked so sorrowful I thought she would cry. I did not know what to do. So I tried to pat her on the shoulder to comfort her. Then she smiled somehow happily. I felt relief to see her smiling.
A few days passed and the day came when the tree was to be cut down. It started to bud a little.
When I went to see the tree for the last time, I found a lot of people in front of the tree. I made my way into the crowd and saw an unbelievable sight. Light surrounded the tree as if the light defended it. The sight was so beautiful that many people just gazed at the tree silently. They thought that they should not cut down such a beautiful cherry tree, and they decided not to cut it down.
When I went to see her under the tree the next day, the tree was in full bloom. But since that day the girl has never reappeared.
I still believe the girl may have been the spirit of the cherry tree."
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