hen I was a small boy I went to school in the south island of Japan. The
schoolhouse stood halfway up a tall green mountain. It was made of wood
and the wood was gray with age. When a strong wind blew, the trees made
the sound of waves and the building creaked like an old sailing ship. From
the playground we could see the town, the ships in the harbor, the shining
sea.
One fine springday we had our sportsday. All the children and teachers were out in the playground long before the first bell rang.
