The three of them were soon on the shore of the Celestial River, kneeling down with reverence, directly in front of the cross. And as the two boys watched on, someone wearing a divine white robe, walked across the invisible water of the Celestial River from the other side; their arms outstretched. But just then the glass whistle sounded, and as the train began to move, a silvery fog drifted in from downstream, completely cutting off their view. All that could be seen were the brilliantly shining leaves from a dense row of walnut trees standing in the fog; a gorgeous golden-haloed electric squirrel stealing glances at them through its branches.
The fog began to lift, and they saw a path running alongside a row of small electric lights. It appeared to be a highway to somewhere, continuing alongside the railway line for some distance. Each of the purplish lights turned off as the boys passed in front; turning back on immediately after they had passed, like some form of greeting.
The cross was now so small it looked as if it could be hung from a necklace, and it was too hard to see whether the girl and her companions were still kneeling down on the white sand in front of the cross, or whether they had gone on to heaven, wherever that was.
Giovanni heaved a deep sigh.
"Campanella, it's just us two again. Let's keep traveling together, forever and ever. I want to be like that scorpion. If I could bring true happiness to everybody, I wouldn't even care if I was burnt up a hundred times over."
"Yeah, me too." Crystal clear tears welled in Campanella's eyes.
"But what really is true happiness?" wondered Giovanni.
"I don't know," replied Campanella absent-mindedly.
"Together we can do this," said Giovanni, breathing excitedly as if he were bursting with a new found energy.
"Look over there, it's the Coalsack. There's a hole in the sky," said Campanella, shrinking backwards as he pointed to a dark area in the Celestial River. Giovanni gave a start when he saw where Campanella was pointing. There was a gaping dark hole in the Celestial River. Giovanni tried to see how deep it was, or what was inside, but rubbing and straining his eyes only made them sore, and he wasn't able to see anything.
"Even if I was in the middle of that huge black space, I wouldn't be scared," said Giovanni. "I'm going to find out how to bring true happiness to the world. We'll go on together, forever and ever."
"Yeah, we will, for sure. Ah, look how beautiful that field is over there. There are lots of people too. That place is truly Heaven. I can see Mother over there!" cried Campanella, suddenly pointing out the window toward the beautiful field far off in the distance.
Giovanni looked to where Campanella was pointing, but all he could see was a smoky white haze; nothing like what Campanella was describing. Giovanni was overcome by a terrible loneliness as he sat staring vacantly out the window. Just then two telegraph poles linked with a red cross-arm, giving them the impression that each had an arm around the other, passed by on the opposite shore.
"Campanella, we'll travel on together, won't we?" asked Giovanni, but when he turned around to where Campanella had been sitting, there was nothing but a shiny velvet seat, and no sign of Campanella. Giovanni jumped up like a bullet fired from a gun. He thrust his head and shoulders out the window so nobody could hear him and screamed and beat his fists against his breast before sobs surged up from his throat and he burst out crying. Then everything went black.
Giovanni opened his eyes. He'd fallen asleep exhausted in the grass on the hill. His chest felt all hot and strange, and cold tears were trickling down his cheeks.
Giovanni sprung to his feet. The lights were still on in the village down below, but for some reason they seemed warmer. The Milky Way that he had just been traveling along only moments before in his dream, had the same cloudy white appearance as before; the area just above the pitch-black southern horizon was particularly hazy, the beautiful red star of Scorpius just to the right of it. In fact, the position of the stars hadn't seemed to have changed much at all.
Giovanni raced down the hill as fast as he could run. A lump rose in his throat as he thought of his mother still waiting for her milk. He raced through the black pine forest, following the pale white fence around and back to the poorly lit entrance of the dairy where he'd been earlier. It appeared as though someone had just come back; two barrels were stacked on top of a cart that wasn't previously there.
"Excuse me," yelled Giovanni.
"Yes?" said a man wearing a large white apron, appearing at the door. "What can I do for you?"
"We didn't get any milk today."
"Oh, sorry about that."
The man went inside and came back out with a bottle of milk which he handed to Giovanni.
"Really sorry about that," he repeated. "After lunch I accidentally left the gate to the calves open, and they got in with the cows and drank half the day's milk," said the man with a laugh.
"I see. Well, thank you."
"Yes, sorry for the trouble."
"Not at all," said Giovanni, wrapping his fingers around the still-warm bottle of milk and heading back out the farm gate.
He went down a road lined with trees and came out onto the main road. After continuing down this for some distance, he came to an intersection. On the right, by the edge of the road, was the large footbridge over the river, where Campanella and the others had gone to release their lanterns, the shadowy outline of its tall wooden frame visible against the night sky.
But standing in the vicinity of the intersection and in front of the shops were several groups of seven or eight women, speaking in hushed voices, their attention turned toward the bridge. Giovanni then saw that gathered on top of the bridge were a large number of people holding all kinds of lanterns.
Giovanni's heart froze. He turned to a group of people standing nearby.
"Did something happen?" he asked in a loud voice.
"A child fell in the water," replied one of them, after which the rest of the group also turned to look at him.
Giovanni ran frantically toward the bridge, but there were so many people on it, he couldn't see the water. There was a policeman standing there in white uniform.
Giovanni clambered down the foot of the bridge to the wide riverbank below.
Along the riverbank there were dozens of lanterns scurrying back and forth, and up and down the water's edge. A half-dozen lights could be seen moving up and down the bank on the other side as well. The grayish river, the raven gourd lanterns now gone, flowed quietly by, barely raising a murmur.
At the far end of the river bank, Giovanni could see the shadow of a large group of people gathered on a sandbank jutting into the river. As Giovanni ran down towards them, he suddenly came upon Marceau, who had been with Campanella earlier in the evening. Marceau raced up to Giovanni.
"Giovanni, Campanella went into the river."
"What happened? How long ago?"
"Zanelli was on the boat and he went to put the raven gourd lantern into the current, but when he bent down, the boat moved, and he fell into the water. Campanella dived straight in after him and pushed him back to the boat. Kato then pulled Zanelli out, but they lost sight of Campanella."
"But they are searching for him, right?"
"Yeah, people came right away; Campanella's dad too. But they can't find him. They took Zanelli home already."
Giovanni continued on to where the others were standing. Dressed in black, Campanella's dad stood tall, surrounded by students and other towns people, his pointy chin a pale-blue, his gaze fixed on the pocket watch he held in his right hand.
Everyone else had their eyes on the river. Not a word was spoken. Giovanni's legs were trembling with a nervous excitement. Dozens of acetylene lamps that were normally used for fishing at night, were busily moving backwards and forwards, their lights reflecting off the ripples spreading gently across the black river.
Further downstream the entire breadth of the river was filled with the reflection of the Milky Way, and it looked as if there was no
water at all, only sky.
It was impossible for Giovanni to imagine that Campanella could be anywhere else but the far edge of that Milky Way.
But everyone else seemed to be waiting for Campanella to come up from between the waves and say something like, Boy, that was a long swim. Or perhaps they were hoping that he'd come up unseen on a sandbank somewhere and was standing around waiting for someone to come pick him up.
And then, with an air of finality, Campanella's dad said:
"It's no use. Forty five minutes have passed since he went in."
Giovanni rushed up to Campanella's dad without thinking. He wanted to say - I know where Campanella is. I was just with him - but the words got stuck in his throat, and nothing came out at all. For several moments the professor stared at Giovanni, thinking perhaps that he had come to pay his respects.
Then, speaking politely, he said,
"You are Giovanni, aren't you? It's very good of you to help."
Unable to find any words, Giovanni could only nod his head silently.
"Has your father returned yet?" asked the professor, still gripping his watch tightly.
"No," said Giovanni shaking his head slightly.
"I wonder what happened then. I got a letter from him only the day before yesterday. He sounded in very good spirits. He was due back around today. His boat must have been delayed. Giovanni, after class tomorrow, please come around to our house with the others."
Even before he'd finished speaking, the professor had turned his gaze downstream where the water's surface was covered in the reflection of the Milky Way.
With so many things racing through his mind, Giovanni walked silently away, and thinking that he had to hurry the milk to his mother and tell her the news about his dad coming home, he raced off along the river bank back towards town, as fast as his legs could carry him.
THE END
Glossary
(unless otherwise stated, explanations of constellations and plants courtesy of Wikipedia)
Chapter 2
1. Raven gourd – (karasu-uri or kikarasu-uri) (Return to story)
Karasu-uri is the common name in Japanese for Trichosanthes cucumeroides, a vine-like perennial plant that is a member of the gourd family, along with pumpkin, zucchini and cucumber. There is no English common name for this plant so the translator has chosen a suitable one (karasu = raven, crow; uri = gourd).
In parts of Iwate Prefecture, where Kenji lived, karasu-uri is also the name for Trichosanthes kirilowii (otherwise known as kikarasu-uri (literal translation = yellow raven gourd), which has a yellow fruit and is about 10cm in diameter.
The flowers of both plants are a whitish pale-blue, their petals only opening up after the sun goes down.
(Return to story)
Chapter 4
1. Centaur Festival (constellation of Centaurus)- (kentauru-sai) (Return to story)
Centaurus is a bright constellation in the southern sky. The name is derived from the mythical beast Centaur, which in Greek Mythology was a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse.
(Return to story)
2. Planisphere – (seiza-hayami) (Return to story)
A planisphere is an analog star chart in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date and is used to practice identifying the different stars and constellations.
(Return to story)
3. Star Safari Song - (hoshi-meguri no uta) (Return to story)
This song was written and composed by Kenji Miyazawa. It is also mentioned in the short story Twin Stars. The following is a tentative translation.
The eyes of the scorpion are red
The wings of the eagle are spread,
The eyes of the puppy are blue
The snake of light is coiled up tight
Orion is singing up high
Sending down dew and frost,
The clouds of Andromeda
Are in the shape of a fish's mouth
When the big bear extends its leg
For the fifth time to the north
Just above the forehead of the little bear
Is where our star safari heads
(Return to story)
Chapter 5
1. Great Bear of the north (constellation of Ursa Major) – (Oguma-za) (Return to story)
Ursa Major is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere and includes the widely recognized Big Dipper (or Plough). In Greek mythology, Zeus lusts after a young woman named Callisto, so Hera, Zeus' jealous wife, transforms her into a bear.
(Return to story)
2. Weather wheel (monument) – (tenkirin (no hashira)) (Return to story)
A word coined by Kenji. One theory about the origins of the word proposes that it is derived from a stone pillar that stands at the Seiyou-in Temple in Morioka, Iwate, where Kenji stayed while attending Junior High School. The stone pillar is 1.8m in height with a steel wheel of diameter 30cm inserted toward the base and the characters Namu Amida Butsu inscribed (see photo). This was referred to by people at the temple as a weather monument. In north-eastern Japan, weather monuments were often placed in temples, cemeteries and town boundaries and used to pray for good weather for crops and the salvation of departed souls.
(Return to story)
3. Blue stars of Lyra (constellation of Lyra) - (Koto-za) (Return to story)
The principal star of Lyra is Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Lyra is visible from the northern hemisphere from spring through autumn. From the southern hemisphere, it is visible low in the northern sky during the winter months. In Greek mythology, Lyra was associated with the myth of Orpheus. After Orpheus' death, Zeus sent an eagle to retrieve his lyre, and ordered both of them to be placed in the sky.
(Return to story)
Chapter 6
1. Signal tower – (sankaku-hyo) (Return to story)
Signals were used in surveying and illuminated by electric lights using cell batteries. Surveying is the science of accurately determining terrestrial points and distances and angles between them in the creation of maps etc. Triangulation surveys were often conducted at night using signal lights for greater accuracy.
(Return to story)
2. Swan Station (constellation of Cygnus) – (hakucho-za) (Return to story)
This constellation lies on the plane of the Milky Way. Cygnus is one of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, with a main feature being the Northern Cross. In Greek mythology, Cygnus has been identified with several different legendary swans. In one story Orpheus was transformed into a swan after his death and placed in the sky next to his lyre (Lyra).
(Return to story)
3. (Chinese) Silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) – (susuki) (Return to story)
Miscanthus sinensis is a species of flowering plant native to eastern Asia, found throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. It is a perennial grass, growing to 0.8–2 m (3–7 ft) tall, and forming dense clumps.
(Return to story)
Chapter 7
1. Northern Cross - (kita-juji) (Return to story)
An asterism contained in the constellation Cygnus
(Return to story)
2. Tertiary Period (Return to story)
The Tertiary Period refers to a period from 65 million to 1.806 million years ago, but is a term that is no longer in use today.
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Chapter 9
1. Albireo Observatory (Albireo (Beta Cygni)) – (hakucho β sei) (Return to story)
Albireo is located at the very bottom of the Northern Cross. When viewed with the naked eye, it appears to be a single star, but is in fact a double star, consisting of Albireo A (amber), and Albireo B (blue-green). The two components provide one of the best contrasting double stars in the sky due to their different colors. It is not known whether the two components a
re orbiting around each other, but if they are, their orbital period would be at least 100,000 years.
(Return to story)
2. Eagle Station (constellation of Aquila) – (washi-za) (Return to story)
Aquila is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'eagle' and in Greek Mythology it represents the bird that carried Zeus' thunderbolts. Aquila lies just a few degrees north of the celestial equator.
(Return to story)
3. Magpies/ bell lyre/ xylophone (Return to story)
Reference to Vega, the principle star of Lyra (represented by a lyre).
In Japan, Vega is represented by Tanabata, a celestial princess. She falls in love with a mortal, Kengyu, represented by the star Altair (the brightest star in the constellation Aquila). When Tanabata’s father finds out, he is enraged and forbids them to meet and the two lovers are placed in the sky, where they are separated by the Celestial River. Each year, on the 7th night of the 7th moon, a bridge of magpies forms across the Celestial River, and the two lovers are reunited. Sometimes Kengyu’s annual trip across the Celestial River is treacherous, though, and he doesn’t make it. If it rains, the raindrops are thought to be Tanabata’s tears because Kengyu could not meet her. Sometimes the meteors of the Perseid shower are said to be Tanabata’s tears.
(Return to story)
4. Peacocks (constellation of Pavo) - (kujaku-za) (Return to story)
Pavo is a constellation in the southern sky with the Latin name for peacock
In Greek mythology, the peacock was the sacred bird of Hera, who drove through the air in a chariot drawn by peacocks. One day, Zeus turned Io into a white cow to disguise her from his wife, Hera, who nearly caught them together. Hera was suspicious and put the heifer under the guardianship of Argus, who tethered the animal to an olive tree. Argus was ideally suited to the task of watchman, since he had 100 eyes, of which only two were resting at a time while the others kept a look out. Wherever Argus stood, he could always keep several of his eyes on Io. Zeus sent his son Hermes to release Io from her captivity. Hermes spent the day with Argus, telling him stories and playing his reed pipes until, one by one, the eyes of Argus became sleepy and began to close. When Argus was finally asleep, Hermes lopped off his head and released the heifer. Hera then placed the eyes of Argus on the tail of the peacock.