One Ball of Green Yarn

The town library had a basket by the window. In it sat a big ball of green yarn. A card said, "Please knit a little. Please pass it on."

Perpustakaan kota punya sebuah keranjang di dekat jendela. Di dalamnya ada segulung besar benang hijau. Sebuah kartu berbunyi, "Silakan merajut sedikit. Silakan teruskan kepada orang lain."

Olive saw the basket on a Tuesday. She loved to knit. She sat down in the soft chair. She took out her needles and began a long scarf.

Olive melihat keranjang itu pada hari Selasa. Dia suka merajut. Dia duduk di kursi yang empuk. Dia mengeluarkan jarum rajutnya dan mulai membuat syal panjang.

She knitted for one hour. Then she put the yarn back. On a small paper, she wrote, "Hello, whoever you are. I knit on Tuesdays. Please be kind to my scarf." She put the paper in the basket. Then she went home.

Dia merajut selama satu jam. Lalu dia mengembalikan benangnya. Di secarik kertas kecil, dia menulis, "Halo, siapa pun Anda. Saya merajut setiap hari Selasa. Tolong perlakukan syal saya dengan baik." Dia menaruh kertas itu di keranjang. Lalu dia pulang.

On Thursday, Saul came to the library. He was new in town. He wanted books about fish. He saw the basket, and he saw the scarf. It was good, but the stitches were very tight.

Pada hari Kamis, Saul datang ke perpustakaan. Dia baru di kota itu. Dia mencari buku tentang ikan. Dia melihat keranjang itu, dan dia melihat syalnya. Syal itu bagus, tapi rajutannya sangat rapat.

Saul knew how to knit. His aunt taught him as a boy. He sat down and knitted for an hour. Then he took a pencil. He wrote on the paper, "Hello. I knit on Thursdays. Your stitches are very tight. Do you ever relax?"

Saul bisa merajut. Bibinya mengajarinya waktu dia masih kecil. Dia duduk dan merajut selama satu jam. Lalu dia mengambil pensil. Di atas kertas itu dia menulis, "Halo. Saya merajut setiap hari Kamis. Rajutan Anda sangat rapat. Apakah Anda pernah santai?"

He smiled and left the basket on the table.

Dia tersenyum dan meninggalkan keranjang itu di atas meja.

Next Tuesday, Olive came back. She read the note and laughed out loud. The librarian looked up from her desk. Olive covered her mouth.

Selasa berikutnya, Olive kembali. Dia membaca catatan itu dan tertawa keras. Pustakawan mengangkat kepala dari mejanya. Olive menutup mulutnya.

She wrote, "My stitches are not tight. Yours are loose! Your side looks like a net." Then she knitted a new row, very tight.

Dia menulis, "Rajutan saya tidak rapat. Rajutan Anda yang longgar! Bagian Anda seperti jaring." Lalu dia merajut satu baris baru, sangat rapat.

On Thursday, Saul read it and laughed too. He wrote, "My loose side is warm and soft. Yours is a board." He knitted a row, very loose.

Pada hari Kamis, Saul membacanya dan ikut tertawa. Dia menulis, "Bagian saya yang longgar itu hangat dan lembut. Bagian Anda seperti papan." Dia merajut satu baris, sangat longgar.

The librarian saw the basket every day. She said nothing. Each week, she moved it closer to the sunny window.

Pustakawan melihat keranjang itu setiap hari. Dia tidak berkata apa-apa. Setiap minggu, dia memindahkannya lebih dekat ke jendela yang cerah.

So the weeks went by. The scarf grew longer. It was tight, then loose, then tight, then loose. It looked funny, like green waves. The notes grew longer too. Olive wrote about her day. Saul wrote about the fish book. She asked about his town. He asked about her cat.

Begitulah minggu demi minggu berlalu. Syal itu makin panjang. Rajutannya rapat, lalu longgar, lalu rapat, lalu longgar. Syal itu tampak lucu, seperti ombak hijau. Catatan-catatan mereka juga makin panjang. Olive menulis tentang harinya. Saul menulis tentang buku ikan itu. Olive bertanya tentang kotanya. Saul bertanya tentang kucingnya.

One day, Olive wrote a new line. "I like your notes more than your knitting." Saul read it and his face went hot. He wrote, "I like yours too. Maybe we can say hello in person."

Suatu hari, Olive menulis satu baris baru. "Saya lebih suka catatan Anda daripada rajutan Anda." Saul membacanya dan wajahnya terasa panas. Dia menulis, "Saya juga suka catatan Anda. Mungkin kita bisa saling menyapa langsung."

He did not know what to do next. He stood at the basket for a long time. Then he wrote, "Come on Wednesday. I will bring tea."

Dia tidak tahu harus berbuat apa selanjutnya. Dia berdiri di depan keranjang itu lama sekali. Lalu dia menulis, "Datanglah hari Rabu. Saya akan membawa teh."

On Wednesday, Saul sat in the soft chair. He had two cups of tea. His hands were cold. Every time the door opened, he looked up.

Pada hari Rabu, Saul duduk di kursi yang empuk. Dia membawa dua cangkir teh. Tangannya dingin. Setiap kali pintu terbuka, dia menoleh.

At three o'clock, Olive came in. She stopped. She looked at the scarf in his hands. Then she looked at his face.

Pukul tiga, Olive masuk. Dia berhenti. Dia melihat syal di tangan Saul. Lalu dia melihat wajahnya.

"You are the loose one," she said.

"Anda yang rajutannya longgar," katanya.

"And you are the tight one," said Saul.

"Dan Anda yang rajutannya rapat," kata Saul.

They laughed. The librarian said, "Shh!" But she smiled too.

Mereka tertawa. Pustakawan berkata, "Sst!" Tapi dia juga tersenyum.

Olive sat down next to him. She took a cup of tea. The scarf lay between them. It was long and green. The tight and loose stitches lay side by side.

Olive duduk di sebelahnya. Dia mengambil secangkir teh. Syal itu terbentang di antara mereka. Panjang dan hijau. Rajutan yang rapat dan yang longgar berdampingan.

Saul found the end of the scarf. He gave it to her.

Saul menemukan ujung syal itu. Dia memberikannya kepada Olive.

"Your turn," he said.

"Giliran Anda," katanya.