Crow Boy by Taro Yashima (Full)
Crow Boy by Taro Yashima (1955)
On the first day of our village school in Japan, there was a boy missing. He was found hidden away in the dark space underneath the schoolhouse floor. None of us knew him. He was nicknamed Chibi because he was very small. Chibi means “tiny boy.”
This strange boy was afraid of our teacher and could not learn a thing. He was afraid of the children and could not make friends with them.
He was left alone in the study time.
He was left alone I the play time.
He was always at the end of the line, always at the foot of the class, a forlorn little tagalong.
Soon Chibi began to make his eyes cross-eyed, so that was able not to see what he did not want to see.
And Chibi found many ways, one after another, to kill time and amuse himself.
Just the ceiling was interesting enough for him to watch for hours,
The wooden top of his desk was another thing interesting to watch.
A patch of cloth on a boy’s shoulder was something to study.
Of course the window showed him many things all year round.
Even when it was raining the window had surprising things to show him.
On the playground, if he closed his eyes and listened, Chibi could hear many sounds, far and near.
And Chibi could hold and watch insects and grubs that most of us wouldn’t touch or even look at—
So that not only the children in our class but the older ones and even the younger ones called him stupid and slow.
But, slowpoke or not, day after day Chibi came trudging to school. He always carried the same lunch, a rice ball wrapped in a radish leaf.
Even when it rained or stormed he still came trudging along, wrapped in a raincoat made from dried zebra grass.
And so, day by day, five years went by, and we were in the sixth grade, the last class in school.
Our new teacher was Mr. Isobe. He was a friendly man with a kind smile.
Mr. Isobe often took his class to the hilltop behind the school.
He was pleased to learn that Chibi knew
On the first day of our village school in Japan, there was a boy missing. He was found hidden away in the dark space underneath the schoolhouse floor. None of us knew him. He was nicknamed Chibi because he was very small. Chibi means “tiny boy.”
This strange boy was afraid of our teacher and could not learn a thing. He was afraid of the children and could not make friends with them.
He was left alone in the study time.
He was left alone I the play time.
He was always at the end of the line, always at the foot of the class, a forlorn little tagalong.
Soon Chibi began to make his eyes cross-eyed, so that was able not to see what he did not want to see.
And Chibi found many ways, one after another, to kill time and amuse himself.
Just the ceiling was interesting enough for him to watch for hours,
The wooden top of his desk was another thing interesting to watch.
A patch of cloth on a boy’s shoulder was something to study.
Of course the window showed him many things all year round.
Even when it was raining the window had surprising things to show him.
On the playground, if he closed his eyes and listened, Chibi could hear many sounds, far and near.
And Chibi could hold and watch insects and grubs that most of us wouldn’t touch or even look at—
So that not only the children in our class but the older ones and even the younger ones called him stupid and slow.
But, slowpoke or not, day after day Chibi came trudging to school. He always carried the same lunch, a rice ball wrapped in a radish leaf.
Even when it rained or stormed he still came trudging along, wrapped in a raincoat made from dried zebra grass.
And so, day by day, five years went by, and we were in the sixth grade, the last class in school.
Our new teacher was Mr. Isobe. He was a friendly man with a kind smile.
Mr. Isobe often took his class to the hilltop behind the school.
He was pleased to learn that Chibi knew