作品Free Graded Reading
二人の男と荷車曳きTwo Men and a Cart Puller
Futari no Otoko to Niguruma Hiki
by 夢野 久作 · Yumeno Kyūsaku
Two strong men duel to a draw and end up pushing a cart for a trickster.
About this story
About this storyTwo boastful men get into a ridiculous duel and are saved by a cart puller.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseWhat you'll learn
What you'll learnTwo equally strong men argue about who is better and decide to duel. Their weapons fail and they end up grappling until a cart driver offers them a solution: push his cart to determine the loser first to fatigue. Exhausted, they finish but the driver says it's a draw. He reveals he used their wasted strength for profit, and they run away ashamed.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 閉口 (へいこう) | being stumped; being at a loss |
|---|---|
| 口惜しい (くやしい) | regrettable; vexing |
| 取り組み合い (とりくみあい) | grappling; wrestling match |
| 弾丸 (だんがん) | bullet |
| 審判官 (しんばんかん) | referee; judge |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たんびに N1Every time ~ (emphatic)打ち合うたんびに剣が折れて斬り合うことが出来ません。
- ～てしまう N4Finish doing something or express regretそのうちに日は暮れるしおなかはすくし、二人とも疲れてイヤになって来ましたが、負けるのが口惜しいからやめる訳にゆきません。
- ～たり …～たりする N5Do things such as ~二人は往来で出会うとお互いに自慢をはじめましたが、ただ口で言っただけではわからないので、とうとう決闘をする事になりました。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Japanese Folktale (民話)This story has the structure of a traditional Japanese folktale (民話), often featuring clever characters who outwit braggarts. The moral about using strength wisely is common in such tales.
- Market (市場)The cart driver takes the men to a market (市場), a traditional place of commerce in Japan. Markets were central to community life and often featured in folktales as places where trade and clever dealings occurred.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the two men start a duel?
- They wanted to prove who was stronger
- They were enemies
- They lost a bet
- They disagreed over a woman
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the use of ～たんびに, which is a more literary expression meaning 'every time'. Compare it to ～たびに.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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