ＷＥＢ絵本『露店商人（金子文子）』第１１巻
簡易食堂で私は、時たま伊藤と一緒になった．
伊藤はやはり、夜間だけ車夫をしていたが、あがりは少なかった．それでも私の困っている時には自分の食を減らして２０銭３０銭と私に持って来てくれた．
I often saw Mr. Ito at the snack bar and shared a table with him.
He was working as a rickshaw driver only at night. His profits weren't good.
Whenever I was in need, he restricted his meals and brought me 20 cents or 30 cents.
学校からの帰りなどに偶然かち会うことがあると、よく２人で一緒に「めし屋」に這入ったりした．
が、そうした場合にも伊藤は、信仰の話しかしなかった．
When I came across him on my way home from school and so on, we often went to a cheap restaurant.
Even in such a case, he spoke only about the religious belief.
「あなたの信仰はこの頃どんな按配です」
私に逢って最初に発せられる伊藤の言葉はこれであった．伊藤は私に、日曜の朝の礼拝には必ず来なければならぬと言った．困った時や苦しい時には祈りをせよと言った．
「祈りはあなたに力を与えます」と励ました．
力を与えてくれるくらいではどうにもならぬ私には、伊藤のこの言葉は余り理解のある言葉ではなかった．
"How is your belief going these days?"
These were the first words that he said when we met.
Mr. Ito said to me that I had to attend the morning service on Sundays.
And he said that I had to pray when I was in trouble or in difficulties.
"Your prayers will give power to you", he said and encouraged me.
If power was given to me, such power wouldn't help. His words disregarded my situation.
けれど私は、いわれるままに教会にも出席し、祈りもした．
But I went to church as he persuaded me.
私は奇蹟を信じられなかった．
けれどそれに対しても伊藤や秋原は、ただ信じろ、信じさえすればわかると言った．なるほど、私にはそれらが信じられないにもかかわらず、私はただ伊藤に信頼して教会にも行けば、祈りもし、また、他人に奉仕するために朝早く起きて、黙って宿の便所の掃除までもした．
―――それも、伊藤がそうしろと言ったからで・・・
I couldn't believe miracles.
But Mr. Ito and Mrs. Akihara said to me, "Just believe! If you only believe, you will understand them."
Really, I couldn't believe them. But I had trust in Mr. Ito. I went to the church, prayed, woke up early for volunteer activities and cleaned the toilet of the rooming house in silence.
---The reason was that Mr. Ito advised me to do so....
（つづく）
Title: A Street Vendor (Kaneko Fumiko) volume 11
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author: Kaneko Fumiko
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author: Kaneko Fumiko
