We learn song 'bout star and cradle and 'gain he speak his thought.
He say: "What is cradle, Sensei? I know 'bout star. Every night at my
honorable home I open shoji to see old priest strike bell and make him
sing. Then I see big star hang out light over topmost of mountain." One
more time he say, like thinking to himself: "Cradle. Maybe him shrine
for new God of foreign country."

I know English for long time, but Japanese childs never know cradle.
It have not come to this land.

Christmas-story was telled many times, for children like to hear about
it. When I say this time, on that day we get pine-tree and dress him
up with many gifts, Tãke Chan clap his hands and say: "Banzai! We make
offering of tree to new God."

Sometimes many troubles press my mind how I make childs know much
difference of real God, which he never see, and those wooden-stones we
see all time with burning of lights before them and leaves of bamboo
and pine.

We work very hard all days before morning of Christmas-tree, but not one
child in whole class could make things such fast as Tãke Chan. His hands
so small they look 'most like bird-foots hopping round quick in flower
garden when he construct ornaments of bright color. Sometimes he have
look of tired in his face, and bad coughs take his throat. For which,
if I did not know 'bout Christmas-story and all other many things like
that, I would have a thought that fox spirit was industrious to enter
his body.