Samui fuyu ga hoppou kara, kitsune no oyako no sunde iru mori e mo yatte kimashita.

Aru asa hora-ana kara kodomo no kitsune ga deyou to shimashita ga,

"A'" to sakende me o osae nagara kaasan gitsune no tokoro e korogete kimashita.

"Kaachan, me ni nani ka sasatta, nuite choudai hayaku hayaku" to iimashita.

Kaasan gitsune ga bikkuri shite, awate futameki nagara, me o osaete iru kodomo no te o osoru osoru torinokete mimashita ga, nani mo sasatte wa imasen deshita. Kaasan gitsune wa hora-ana no iriguchi kara soto e dete hajimete wake ga wakarimashita. Sakuya no uchi ni, masshiro na yuki ga dossari futta no desu. Sono yuki no ue kara ohisama ga KIRAKIRA to terashite ita no de, yuki wa mabushii hodo hansha shite ita no desu. Yuki o shiranakatta kodomo no kitsune wa, amari tsuyoi hansha o uketa no de, me ni nani ka sasatta to omotta no deshita.

Kodomo no kitsune wa asobi ni ikimashita. Mawata no you ni yawarakai yuki no ue o kakemawaru to, yuki no ko ga, shibuki no you ni tobichitte chiisai niji ga sutto utsuru no deshita.

Suruto totsuzen, ushiro de,

"Dotadota, zaa'" to monosugoi oto ga shite, PAN-ko no you na konayuki ga, fuwaa' to kogitsune ni okkabusatte kimashita. Kogitsune wa bikkuri shite, yuki no naka ni korogaru you ni shite 10-MEETORU mo mukou e nigemashita. Nan darou to omotte furikaette mimashita ga nani mo imasen deshita. Sore wa momi no eda kara yuki ga nadareochita no deshita. Mada eda to eda no aida kara shiroi kinuito no you ni yuki ga koborete imashita.

Mamonaku hora-ana e kaette kita kogitsune wa,

"Okaachan, otete ga tsumetai, otete ga chinchin suru" to itte, nurete botan-iro ni natta ryoute o kaasan gitsune no mae ni sashidashimashita. Kaasan gitsune wa, sono te ni, ha--' to iki o fukkakete, nukutoi kaasan no te de yanwari tsutsunde yari nagara,

"Mou sugu atatakaku naru yo, yuki o sawaru to, sugu atatakaku naru mon da yo" to iimashita ga, kaaii bouya no te ni shimoyake ga dekite wa kawaisou da kara, yoru ni nattara, machi made itte, bouya no otete ni au you na keito no tebukuro o katte yarou to omoimashita.

Kurai kurai yoru ga furoshiki no you na kage o hirogete nohara ya mori o tsutsumi ni yatte kimashita ga, yuki wa amari shiroi no de, tsutsunde mo tsutsunde mo shiroku ukabi agatte imashita.

Oyako no gingitsune wa hora-ana kara demashita. Kodomo no hou wa okaasan no onaka no shita e hairikonde, soko kara manmaru na me o pachipachi sasenagara, acchi ya kocchi o minagara aruite ikimashita.

Yagate, yukute ni pottsuri akari ga hitotsu miehajimemashita. Sore o kodomo no kitsune ga mitsukete,

"Kaachan, ohoshisama wa, anna hikui tokoro nimo ochiteru no nee" to kikimashita.

"Are wa ohoshisama ja nai no yo" to itte, sono toki kaasan gitsune no ashi wa sukunde shimaimashita.

"Are wa machi no hi nanda yo"

Sono machi no hi o mita toki, kaasan gitsune wa, aru toki machi e otomodachi to dekakete itte, tonda me ni atta koto o omoidashimashita. Oyoshi nasaitte iu no mo kikanai de, otomodachi no kitsune ga, aru ie no ahiru o nusumou to shita no de, ohyakushou ni mitsukatte, sanza oimakurarete, inochi karagara nigeta koto deshita.

"Kaachan nani shiten no, hayaku ikou yo" to kodomo no kitsune ga onaka no shita kara iu no deshita ga, kaasan gitsune wa dou shite mo ashi ga susumanai no deshita. Soko de, shikata ga nai no de, bouya dake o hitori de machi made ikaseru koto ni narimashita.

"Bouya otete o katahou odashi" to okaasan gitsune ga iimashita. Sono te o, kaasan gitsune wa shibaraku nigitte iru aida ni, kawaii ningen no kodomo no te ni shite shimaimashita. Bouya no kitsune wa sono te o hirogetari nigittari, tsunette mitari, kaide mitari shimashita.

"Nan da ka hen da na kaachan, kore naani? " to itte, yukiakari ni, mata sono, ningen no te ni kaerarete shimatta jibun no te o shigeshige to mitsumemashita.

"Sore wa ningen no te yo. Iikai bouya, machi e ittara ne, takusan ningen no ie ga aru kara ne, mazu omote ni marui SHAPPO no kanban no kakatte iru ie o sagasu n da yo. Sore ga mitsukattara ne, TONTON to to o tataite, konban wa tte iu n da yo. Sou suru to ne, naka kara ningen ga, sukoushi to o akeru kara ne, sono to no sukima kara, kocchi no te, hora kono ningen no te o sashiirete ne, kono te ni choudo ii tebukuro choudai tte iu n da yo, wakatta ne, kesshite, kocchi no otete o dashicha dame yo" to kaasan gitsune wa iikikasemashita.

"Doushite? " to bouya no kitsune wa kikikaeshimashita.

"Ningen wa ne, aite ga kitsune da to wakaru to, tebukuro o utte kurenai n da yo, sore dokoro ka, tsukamaete ori no naka e irechau n da yo, ningen tte honto ni kowai mono nanda yo"

"Fuun"

"Keshite, kocchi no te o dashicha ikenai yo, kocchi no hou, hora ningen no te no hou o sashidasu n da yo" to itte, kaasan no kitsune wa, motte kita futatsu no hakudouka o, ningen no te no hou e nigirasete yarimashita.

Kodomo no kitsune wa, machi no hi o meate ni, yukiakari no nohara o yochiyochi yatte ikimashita. Hajime no uchi wa hitotsu kiri datta hi ga futatsu ni nari mittsu ni nari, hate wa juu nimo fuemashita. Kitsune no kodomo wa sore o mite, hi ni wa, hoshi to onaji you ni, akai no ya kinai no ya aoi no ga aru n da na to omoimashita. Yagate machi ni hairimashita ga toori no ieie wa mou minna to o shimete shimatte, takai mado kara atatakasou na hikari ga, michi no yuki no ue ni ochite iru bakari deshita.

Keredo omote no kanban no ue niwa taitei chiisana dentou ga tomotte imashita no de, kitsune no ko wa, sore o minagara, boushiya o sagashite ikimashita. Jitensha no kanban ya, megane no kanban ya sono hoka ironna kanban ga, aru mono wa, atarashii PENKI de kakare, aru mono wa, furui kabe no you ni hagete imashita ga, machi ni hajimete dete kita kogitsune niwa sorera no mono ga ittai nan de aru ka wakaranai no deshita.

Toutou boushiya ga mitsukarimashita. Okaasan ga michimichi yoku oshietekureta, kuroi ookina SHIRUKUHATTO no boushi no kanban ga, aoi dentou ni terasarete kakatte imashita.

Kogitsune wa oshierareta toori, TON TON to to o tatakimashita.

"Konban wa"

Suru to, naka de wa nani ka koto koto oto ga shite imashita ga yagate, to ga issun hodo GORORI to aite, hikari no obi ga michi no shiroi yuki no ue ni nagaku nobimashita.

Kogitsune wa sono hikari ga mabayukatta no de, menkuratte, machigatta hou no te o, -- okaasama ga dashicha ikenai to itte yoku kikaseta hou no te o sukima kara sashikonde shimaimashita.

"Kono otete ni choudo ii tebukuro kudasai"

Suruto boushiya san wa, oyaoya to omoimashita. Kitsune no te desu. Kitsune no te ga tebukuro o kure to iu no desu. Kore wa kitto konoha de kai ni kita n da na to omoimashita. Sokode,

"Saki ni okane o kudasai" to iimashita. Kogitsune wa sunao ni, nigitte kita hakudouka o futatsu boushiya san ni watashimashita. Boushiya san wa sore o hitosashiyubi no saki ni nokkete, KACHI awasete miru to, CHINCHIN to yoi oto ga shimashita no de, kore wa konoha ja nai, honto no okane da to omoimashita no de, tana kara kodomoyou no keito no tebukuro o toridashite kite kogitsune no te ni motasete yarimashita. Kogitsune wa, orei o itte mata, moto kita michi o kaeri hajimemashita.

"Okaasan wa, ningen wa osoroshii mono datte osshatta ga chittomo osoroshiku nai ya. Datte boku no te o mite mo dou mo shinakatta mono" to omoimashita. Keredo kogitsune wa ittai ningen nante donna mono ka mitai to omoimashita.

Aru mado no shita o toori kakaru to, ningen no koe ga shite imashita. Nan to iu yasashii, nan to iu utsukushii, nan to iu ottori shita koe nan de shou.

"Nemure Nemure

haha no mune ni,

nemure Nemure

haha no te ni--"

Kogitsune wa sono utagoe wa, kitto ningen no okaasan no koe ni chigainai to omoimashita. Datte, kogitsune ga nemuru toki ni mo, yappari kaasan gitsune wa, anna yasashii koe de yusubutte kureru kara desu.

Suru to kondo wa, kodomo no koe ga shimashita.

"Kaachan, konna samui yoru wa, mori no kogitsune wa samui samui tte naiteru deshou ne"

Suru to kaasan no koe ga,

"Mori no kogitsune mo okaasan gitsune no outa o kiite, hora-ana no naka de nemurou to shite iru deshou ne. Saa bouya mo hayaku nenne shinasai. Mori no kogitsune to bouya to docchi ga hayaku nenne suru ka, kitto bouya no hou ga hayaku nenne shimasu yo"

Sore o kiku to kogitsune wa kyuuni okaasan ga koishiku natte, okaasan gitsune no matte iru hou e tonde ikimashita.

Okaasan gitsune wa, shinpai shinagara, bouya no kitsune no kaette kuru no o, ima ka ima ka to furue nagara matte imashita no de, bouya ga kuru to, atatakai mune ni dakishimete nakitai hodo yorokobimashita.

Nihiki no kitsune wa mori no hou e kaette ikimashita. Tsuki ga deta no de, kitsune no kenami ga gin-iro ni hikari, sono ashiato ni wa, KOBARUTO no kage ga tamarimashita.

"Kaachan, ningen tte chittomo kowaka nai ya"

"Dou shite? "

"Bou, machigaete hontou no otete dashichatta no. Demo boushiya san, tsukamae ya shinakatta mono. Chanto konna ii atatakai tebukuro kureta mono"

to itte tebukuro no hamatta ryoute o PANPAN yatte misemashita. Okaasan gitsune wa,

"Maa! " to akiremashita ga, "Hontou ni ningen wa ii mono kashira. Hontou ni ningen wa ii mono kashira" to tsubuyakimashita.

(Rz.B.K. 2006-10-28)