作品Free Graded Reading
ガチヨウノ タンジヨウビGoose's Birthday
Gachō no Tanjōbi
by 新美 南吉 · Niimi Nankichi
A weasel tries not to fart at a birthday party and faints.
About this story
About this storyAnimals celebrate Goose's birthday but must decide whether to invite the weasel, who has a loud embarrassing habit.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseWhat you'll learn
What you'll learnAnimals living behind a medicine shop are invited to a birthday party for a butterfly. They worry about inviting the weasel due to his habit of loud farting, but they invite him anyway after asking him to refrain. The weasel holds in his farts so much that he passes out, and the doctor says he needs to fart to recover. The others regret inviting him.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| イタチ (いたち) | weasel |
|---|---|
| オナラ (おなら) | fart |
| ガマン (がまん) | endurance; patience |
| ポンポコ (ぽんぽこ) | onomatopoeia for a swollen belly |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regrettable action (ended up doing something).イタチガ トツゼン ヒツクリカヘツテ、キゼツシテ シマツタノデス。
- ～よりしかたがない N3There is no choice but to...コレヲ ナホスニハ、イタチサンニ オモヒキリ オナラヲ サセルヨリ シカタハ アリマセン。
- ～てください N5Please do (polite request).ケフダケハ オナラヲ シナイデ クダサイ。
- ～んです N4Explanatory sentence ending (it is that...).コレハ、イタチサンガ、オナラヲ シタイノヲ アマリ ガマンシテ ヰタノデ コンナ コトニ ナツタノデス。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Farting in Japanese CultureIn Japan, farting (おなら) in public is considered very rude and embarrassing. This story humorously deals with the social pressure to suppress such bodily functions.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy were the animals hesitant to invite the weasel to the birthday party?
- Because the weasel is mean
- Because the weasel farts loudly
- Because the weasel is always late
- Because the weasel doesn't like parties
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipThe text is written entirely in katakana, which is unusual for normal Japanese. This might be a children's story or a stylized text. Sound out the katakana words by converting them to hiragana to recognize familiar vocabulary.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N4
- Real Japanese news written for N4Yominews · free, furigana on every kanji
- Short Japanese stories at N4Yomibunko · graded texts, free
- N4 grammar with example sentences57 points · free study cards
- The JLPT N4 kanji and vocabulary listStudy guide · what to know
- How to read a JLPT passage under timeStudy guide · reading strategy
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
