作品Free Graded Reading
歯と眼の悪いおぢいさんThe Old Man with Bad Teeth and Eyes
Ha to me no warui ojiisan
by 村山 籌子 · Murayama Kazuko
JLPT N3Short StoryClassical / archaicQuiz ready
An old man with bad eyes mistakes eggs for coins and comically chases his fortune.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnAn old man with a toothache searches for money, finds eggs that he mistakes for coins, but they hatch into chicks. He sells the chicks to a young lady, then visits a dentist who implies he needs an eye doctor.
Language difficultyIntermediate · 35/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| おぢいさん (おじいさん) | old man; grandfather |
|---|---|
| ひよつ子 (ひよこ) | chick; baby chicken |
| 十銭銀貨 (じっせんぎんか) | ten-sen silver coin |
| おぢやうさん (おじょうさん) | young lady; daughter |
| 貧乏 (びんぼう) | poverty; poor |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～て仕方がない N3Cannot help but do; extremely; very much (expressing strong emotion or state)歯が痛くて仕方がない
- ～かも知れない N4Might; maybe; perhaps一銭位おちてゐるかも知れない
- ～てみる N4Try doing somethingほじくつて見ました
- ～とする（～うとする） N4Try to; attempt toお医者に行かうとしました
- ～てしまう N4Complete something; do something regrettable持つて行つてしまひました
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Historic Currency: SenSen (銭) was a unit of currency in Japan before the yen was decimalized. 100 sen = 1 yen. Ten-sen silver coins were in circulation during the Meiji period. This story highlights the old man's poverty, as he cannot even find a single sen.
- Folk Tale Motif: Mistaken IdentityThe story uses a common folk tale motif where the protagonist misperceives something (eggs as coins) leading to a humorous situation. The twist at the end (dentist suggesting an eye doctor) adds a moral about perception.
- Traditional Medical PracticesThe old man uses a bandage (繃帯) on his cheek for a toothache and visits a dentist. The story reflects a time when healthcare was not easily accessible for the poor, and folk remedies were common.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the old man think the eggs were coins?
- He was near-sighted and wanted money badly.
- He was old and confused.
- The eggs were shiny like coins.
- He had never seen coins before.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the historical spelling (e.g., ゐる instead of いる, 言ひました instead of 言いました). These are older orthography but pronounced the same.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japaneseあるところに一人のおじいさんがいました。おじいさんはきのうの晩から歯が痛くて仕方がないので、ほっぺたを包帯してお医者に行こうとしましたが、おじいさんは貧乏なものですから、一銭もお金がないのでした。しかしどっかに、一銭位おちているかも知れないと思って、家中の敷物をめくって、板のすきまをほじくって見ましたが、一銭もみつかりません。こんどは、家のまわりに積んであるわら束をひっくり返して見ました。すると、にわとりの卵が二つみつかりました。おじいさんは、近眼の上に、あまりお金がほしかったものですからその卵が十銭銀貨二枚に見えました。おじいさんは大喜びで、それをポケットに入れて出掛けました。途中で、おじいさんは、ピイピイ鳴くひよっ子の声を聞きました。びっくりして見ると、ポケットの中から黄色い小さいひよっ子が首を出していました。
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