校長からの手紙 A Letter from a School Principal

 校長からの手紙

わたしの母校・興文小学校の校長から手紙が来た。

母校の校門の傍に、樹齢１００年以上もある楠が生えている。私は先日、短編小説『楠を抱く少年』を書き、「島崎藤村記念文芸祭」小説部門で一席を受賞した。興文小学校の校長に受賞の経緯を報告し、『島崎藤村記念文芸祭作品集』を寄贈した。その御礼の手紙である。

手紙には、お礼の文と、興文小の教育目標「伝統の誇りを持つ、強く正しい興文の子」が書かれ、最後に楠の写真を手紙に載せて頂いた。楠の愛称　は「興文の木」だそうだ。

A Letter from a School Principal

I received a letter from the principal of Kobun Elementary School, which I graduated from nearly 70 years ago.

Just by the side of the school gate, there stands an old camphor tree, which is more than 100 years old. I won the first prize in Shimazaki Toson Memorial Short Story Writing Contest. The title of the story is “A Boy Who Hugs the Camphor Tree.” I informed her of my winning the prize and donated a copy of the collection of the contest winners. She wrote a thank-you letter to me with the recent pictures of the tree.

 According to her, the educational aim of Kobun Elementary School is “To be a child who has a strong will and a right judgement supported by the traditional Kobun pride.” She says the nickname of the tree is “Tree of Kobun” (rising culture).