Uzunoshuge o shitte imasu ka.

Uzunoshuge wa, shokubutsugaku dewa okinagusa to yobaremasu ga, okinagusa to iu na wa nan da ka ano yasashii wakai hana o arawasanai you ni omoimasu.

Sonnara uzunoshuge to wa nan no koto ka to iwarete mo watashi niwa wakatta you na mata wakaranai you na ki ga shimasu.

Sore wa tatoeba watashi domo no hou de, nekoyanagi no hana-me o benbero to iimasu ga, sono benbero ga nan no koto ka wakatta you na wakaranai you na ki ga suru no to mattaku onaji desu. Tonikaku benbero to iu kotoba no hibiki no naka ni, ano yanagi no hana-me no ginbiroodo no kokoromochi, nameraka na haru no hajime no hikari no guai ga jitsu ni hakkiri dete iru you ni, uzunoshuge to iu toki wa, ano moukonka no okinagusa no kurojusu no hanabira, aojiroi yahari ginbiroodo no kizami no aru ha, sore kara rokugatsu no tsuyatsuya hikaru kanmou ga mina hakkiri to me ni ukabimasu.

Makka na anemone no hana no itoko, kimikagesou ya katakuri no hana no tomodachi, kono uzunoshuge no hana o kirai na mono wa arimasen.

Gorannasai. Kono hana wa kurojusu de demo koshiraeta kawari gata no koppu no you ni miemasu ga, sono kuroi no wa, tatoeba budoushu ga kuroku mieru to onaji desu. Kono hana no shita o shijuu ittari kitari suru ari ni watashi wa tazunemasu.

"Omae wa uzunoshuge wa suki kai, kirai kai"

Ari wa kappatsu ni kotaemasu.

"Daisuki desu. Dare datte ano hito o kirai na mono wa arimasen"

"Keredo mo ano hana wa makkuro da yo"

"Iie, kuroku mieru toki mo sore wa arimasu. Keredo mo marude moeagatte makka na toki mo arimasu"

"Hatena, omaetachi no me niwa sonna guai ni mieru no kai"

"Iie, ohisama no hikari no furu toki nara dare ni datte makka ni mieru darou to omoimasu"

"Sousou. Mou wakatta yo. Omaetachi wa itsu de mo hana o sukashite miru no dakara"

"Soshite ano ha ya kuki datte rippa deshou. Yawaraka na gin no ito ga uete aru you deshou. Watashitachi no nakama dewa dare ka ga byouki ni kakatta toki wa ano ito o hon no sukoushi moratte kite shizuka ni karada o sasutte yarimasu"

"Sou kai. Sore de, kekkyoku, omaetachi wa uzunoshuge wa daisuki nan darou"

"Sou desu"

"Yoroshii. Sayonara. Ki o tsukete oide"

Kono toori desu.

Mata mukou no, kuroi hinoki no mori no naka no akichi ni yamaotoko ga imasu. Yamaotoko wa ohisama ni muite taoreta ki ni koshikakete nani ka tori o hikisaite tabeyou to shite iru rashii no desu ga, naze ano kurozunda kin no medama o jimen ni jitto mukete iru no deshou. Tori o taberu koto sae wasureta you desu.

Are wa akichi no karekusa no naka ni ippon no uzunoshuge ga hana o tsuke kaze ni kasuka ni yurete iru no o mite iru kara desu.

Watashi wa kyonen no choudo ima goro no kaze no sukitootta aru hi no hiruma o omoi dashimasu.

Sore wa koiwainoujou no minami, ano yuruyaka na nanatsutsu mori no ichiban nishi no hazure no nishigawa deshita. Karekusa no naka ni nihon no uzunoshuge ga, mou sono kuroi yawaraka na hana o tsukete imashita.

Mabayui shiroi kumo ga chiisana chiisana kire ni natte kudakete midarete, sora o ippai higashi no hou e dondon dondon tobimashita.

Ohisama wa nanben mo kumo ni kakusarete gin no kagami no you ni shiroku hikattari, mata kagayaite ookina houseki no you ni aozora no fuchi ni kakattari shimashita.

Sanmyaku no yuki wa masshiro ni moe, me no mae no nohara wa kiiro ya cha no shima ni natte achikochi hori okosareta hatake wa tobi-iro no shikaku na kire o ateta you ni mietari shimashita.

Okinagusa wa sono hengen no hikari no torikku no naka de yume yori mo shizuka ni hanashimashita.

"Nee, kumo ga mata ohisan ni kakaru yo. Sora mukou no hatake ga mou kage ni natta"

"Hashitte kuru, hayai nee, mou karamatsu mo kuraku natta. Mou koeta"

"Kita, kita. Oo kurai. Kyuu ni atari ga aoku shin to natta"

"Un, dake do mou kumo ga hanbun ohisan no shita o kugutte shimatta yo. Sugu akaruku naru n da yo"

"Mou deru. Sora, aa akaruku natta"

"Dame dai. Mata kuru yo, sora, ne, mou mukou no popura no ki ga kuroku nattarou"

"Un. Marude mawaridourou no you da nee"

"Oi, goran. Yama no yuki no ue de mo kumo no kage ga subetteru yo. Asuko. Sora. Koko yori mo ugoki you ga osoi nee"

"Mou orite kuru. Aa kondo wa hayai hayai, marude ochite kuru you da. Mou fumoto made kichatta. Oya, doko e itta n darou, mienaku natte shimatta"

"Fushigi da nee, kumo nante doko kara dete kuru n darou. Nee, nishi no sora wa aojirokute hikatte yoku hareteru darou. Soshite kaze ga dondon sora o fuiteru darou. Sore da no ni itsumade tatte mo kumo ga nakunaranai ja nai ka"

"Iiya, asuko kara kumo ga waite kuru n da yo. Sora, asuko ni chiisana chiisana kumo kire ga detarou. Kitto ookiku naru yo"

"Aa, hontou ni sou da ne, ookiku natta nee. Mou usagi gurai aru"

"Dondon kakete deru. Hayai hayai, ookiku natta, shirokuma no you da"

"Mata ohisan e kakaru. Kuraku naru ze, kirei da nee. Aa kirei. Kumo no heri ga marude niji de kazatta you da"

Nishi no hou no tooku no sora de sakki made isshou kenmei naite ita hibari ga kono toki kaze ni nagasarete hane o hen ni kashige nagara futari no soba ni orite kita no deshita.

"Kyou wa, kaze ga atte ikemasen ne"

"Oya, hibari san, irasshai. Kyou nanka takai toko wa kaze ga tsuyoi deshou ne"

"Ee, hidoi kaze desu yo. Ookiku kuchi o aku to kaze ga boku no karada o maru de biiru-bin no you ni bou to narashite iku kurai desu kara ne. Wameku mo utau mo youi no koccha arimasen yo"

"Sou deshou ne. Dakedo koko kara mite iru to hontou ni kaze wa omoshirosou desu yo. Bokutachi mo ippen tonde mitai na a"

"Toberu doko ja nai. Mou nikagetsu omachinasai. Iya de mo tobanakucha narimasen"

Sore kara nikagetsu me deshita. Watashi wa gomyoujin e iku tochuu mou ippen soko e yotta no deshita.

Oka wa sukkari midori de hotarukazura no hana ga kodomo no aoi hitomi no you, koiwai no nohara niwa bokusou ya ooto ga kinkin hikatte orimashita. Kaze wa mou minami kara fuite imashita.

Haru no futatsu no uzunoshuge no hana wa sukkari fusafusa shita ginmou no fusa ni kawatte imashita. Nohara no popura no suzuiro no ha o chirachira hirugaeshi, fumoto no kusa ga aoi kin no kagayaki o agemasu to, sono futatsu no uzunoshuge no ginmou no fusa wa purupuru furuete ima ni mo tobitachi sou deshita.

Soshite hibari ga hikuku oka no ue o tonde yatte kita no deshita.

"Kyou wa. Ii otenki desu. Dou desu. Mou tobu bakari deshou"

"Ee, mou bokutachi tooi toko e ikimasu yo. Dono kaze ga bokutachi o tsurete iku ka sakki kara mite iru n desu"

"Dou desu. Tonde iku no wa iya desu ka"

"Nan to mo arimasen. Bokutachi no shigoto wa mou sunda n desu"

"Kowaka arimasen ka"

"Iie, tondatte doko e ittatte nohara wa ohisan no hikari de ippai desu yo. Bokutachi barabara ni narou tatte, dokoka no tamari mizu no ue ni ochiyou tatte, ohisan chanto mite irassharu n desu yo"

"Sou desu, sou desu. Nan nimo kowai koto wa arimasen. Boku datte mou itsumade kono nohara ni iru ka wakarimasen. Moshi rainen mo iru you datta ra rainen wa boku wa koko e su o tsukurimasu yo"

"Ee, arigatou. Aa, boku marude iki ga seisei suru. Kitto kondo no kaze da. Hibari san, sayonara"

"Boku mo, hibari san, sayonara"

"Ja, sayonara, odaiji ni oide nasai"

Kirei na sukitootta kaze ga yatte mairimashita. Mazu mukou no popura o hirugaeshi, ao no ooto ni nami o tate sore kara oka ni nobotte kimashita.

Uzunoshuge wa hikatte marude odoru you ni furafura shite sakebimashita.

"Sayonara, hibarisan, sayonara, minasan. Ohisan, arigatou gozaimashita"

Soshite choudo hoshi ga kudakete chiru toki no you ni, karada ga barabara ni natte ippon zutsu no ginmou wa masshiro ni hikari, hanemushi no you ni kita no hou e tonde ikimashita. Soshite hibari wa teppoudama no you ni sora e tobiagatte surudoi mijikai uta o hon no chotto utatta no deshita.

Watashi wa kangaemasu. Naze hibari wa uzunoshuge no ginmou no tonde itta kita no hou e tobanakatta ka, massugu ni sora no hou e tonda ka.

Sore wa tashika ni, futatsu no uzunoshuge no tamashii ga ten no hou e itta kara desu. Soshite mou oitsukenaku natta toki hibari wa ano mijikai wakare no uta o okutta no darou to omoimasu. Sonnara tenjou e itta futatsu no chiisana tamashii wa dou natta ka, watashi wa sore wa futatsu no chiisana henkousei ni natta to omoimasu. Naze nara henkousei wa aru toki wa kurokute tenmondai kara mo miezu, aru toki wa ari ga itta you ni akaku hikatte mieru kara desu.

(RzBK 2005.12.24)