作品Free Graded Reading
怪しき旅僧The Suspicious Traveling Monk
Ayashiki Tabi Sō
by 田中 貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō
A traveling monk's hand catches fire, and he pulls a tiny figure from his nose—a bizarre ghost story ensues.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA traveling monk seeks shelter at a farmer's house. The farmer rudely refuses but eventually lets him in. That night, the monk performs eerie magical feats: lighting his fingers on fire, producing tiny dolls that cultivate rice, cooking and eating it, and transforming his legs into firewood. The farmer, terrified, fetches neighbors who try to capture the monk, but he escapes into a sake bottle and vanishes after it breaks.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 旅僧 (りょそう) | traveling monk |
|---|---|
| 主翁 (しゅおう) | master of the house |
| 徳利 (とっくり) | sake bottle |
| 人形 (にんぎょう) | doll; puppet |
| 籾 (もみ) | unhusked rice |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ておる N2Polite/ humble form of ～ている, often used in formal speech.寝ておるからほかへ往けと云うに、強情な人じゃ。
- ～たふりをする N3To pretend to have done something.初めは寝たふりをして返事をしなかった。
- ～かと思うと N2Indicates that something happens suddenly just after something else; 'no sooner... than...'.かと思うと、押えつけた人びとの手の下からふっと抜けた。
- ～がする N4Expresses that one senses (sound, smell, feeling) something.徳利の中から黒い煙が出るとともに雷のような音がして徳利は二つに破れた。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 宿の拒否と旅僧In Edo-period Japan, it was customary to offer lodging to traveling monks, but this story reflects the tension between duty and selfishness. The farmer's refusal is considered unkind, and the monk's supernatural vengeance aligns with folklore where neglected travelers bring misfortune.
- 妖怪と怪談This story is a classic kaidan (ghost story), a popular genre in Japanese literature. The supernatural events—magical rice cultivation, self-mutilation, and escape into a bottle—are typical of yokai tales, where mysterious beings test or punish human cruelty.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the farmer initially refuse to let the monk in?
- He was afraid of monks.
- He was already asleep and didn't want to be disturbed.
- He was a cruel man and pretended to be asleep.
- The monk was rude.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipFocus on the dialogue and action verbs to follow the plot, as descriptive passages use complex literary forms like ～うた (classical past).
Read a sample in Japanese
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