作品Free Graded Reading
人のいない飛行機The Plane Without People
Hito no Inai Hikouki
by 田中 貢太郎 · Tanaka Kōtarō
A military plane lands perfectly with no one aboard. Where is the pilot?
About this story
About this storyA military plane lands without a pilot, baffling onlookers until the officer arrives by parachute.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in JapaneseSource
SourceThis text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko
Base edition (底本): 「日本怪談大全 第二巻 幽霊の館」国書刊行会
1995（平成7）年8月2日初版第1刷発行
Typed in by 川山隆. Proofread by 門田裕志.
Yomimaru has not changed the spelling or the wording.
The furigana are Yomimaru's.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA military plane lands unexpectedly in a field with no pilot, baffling farmers and authorities. The pilot and his sergeant later arrive by parachute, realizing they bailed out unnecessarily.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 某 (ぼう) | a certain (person); anonymous |
|---|---|
| 少佐 (しょうさ) | major (military rank) |
| パラシュート | parachute |
| 気の早い (きのはやい) | impatient; hasty |
| 狐にでもつままれた (きつねにでもつままれた) | completely bewildered (lit. as if taken by a fox) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～かもしれない N4Expresses possibility: 'might be' or 'maybe'. Attached to the plain form of verbs, い-adjectives, or noun+だ.「無電装置かも知れねえや」
- ～かのように N3Means 'as if'. Used to describe something that is not actually the case but appears so. Attaches to plain form of verbs and adjectives (often past tense た).操縦者でもあって操縦しているかのように悠悠と着陸した
- ～てみる N4Means 'to try doing something'. Attaches to the て-form of verbs.気の早い連中が機体によじ登って操縦席から機関室を探してみたがやはりいない。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 貉に惑わされる・狐に摘まれるThese are Japanese idioms meaning to be bewildered or confused, often used when something inexplicable happens. 'Fox' and 'raccoon dog' (tanuki) are traditional tricksters in Japanese folklore, known for shape-shifting and playing tricks on humans.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the major and sergeant parachute from the plane?
- The plane had engine trouble.
- They saw a fox on the ground.
- They wanted to test the parachutes.
- They were practicing emergency landings.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to dialectal speech in the farmers' dialogue (e.g., 'いねえ' for 'いない', 'じゃねえ' for 'じゃない'), which is more colloquial and rural.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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