頭ならびに腹The Head and the Belly

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What you'll learn

A special express train is forced to stop due to a track failure, causing confusion among passengers. A young monk continues singing boisterously, and a wealthy gentleman's action triggers a rush to transfer to a detour train. The monk is left behind as the train departs empty, only for the line to be restored.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～ぬ (negative classical) N1Classical negative ending, equivalent to modern ～ない. Used in literary or formal contexts.
  動かぬ列車の横腹には、野の中に名も知れぬ寒駅がぼんやりと横たはつてゐた。
• ～べからざる (must not; should not) N1Classical form meaning 'must not be done'. Used in formal/literary writing.
  勿論、其処は止るべからざる所である。
• ～ごとく (like; as if) N1Classical adverbial form meaning 'like'. Equivalent to modern ～のように.
  彼の腹は巨万の富と一世の自信とを抱蔵してゐるかのごとく素晴らしく大きく前に突き出てゐて
• ～可き (should) N1Classical form meaning 'should be done'. Equivalent to modern ～すべき.
  故障線の恢復する可き時間の予測さへ推断し得ぬと云ふ道断さは不埒である、と迫り出した。
• ～を物ともせず (not caring about) N1Idiomatic phrase meaning 'to be undaunted by' or 'to not care about'.
  彼はその眼前の椿事は物ともせず、恰も窓から覗いた空の雲の塊りに噛みつくやうに、口をぱくぱくやりながら。

Cultural notes

• Early Japanese RailwaysThe story references a 'special express train' (特別急行列車) and a line failure, reflecting the early 20th-century Japanese railway system, which was expanding but still prone to disruptions.
• OtafukuThe young monk sings about 'お多福' (Otafuku), a traditional Japanese mask of a round-faced, smiling woman, often associated with good fortune. It is also a term for a plain-looking woman.
• Headband (Hachimaki)The young monk wears a '鉢巻' (hachimaki), a headband often tied around the head as a symbol of effort or determination, commonly seen in festivals or during physical labor.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storycomedyindividualityhumorous〜ぬclassical negative (= ない)