ジェミイの冐険Jemmy's Adventure

About this story

A hardworking young man named Jemmy lives with his mother near a ruined castle inhabited by fairies.

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Source

This 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): 「世界の子供」世界文学社
1949（昭和24）年8月号

Typed in by 匿名. Proofread by 館野浩美.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji.

The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 4 parts.

What you'll learn

Jemmy Freel, a dutiful son, lives with his mother. On Halloween, he decides to visit a nearby fairy castle. He joins the fairies on a magical ride to Dublin where they kidnap a sleeping princess. Jemmy cleverly steals the princess and brings her home, but a fairy curses her to be deaf and mute. Despite this, Jemmy's mother cares for her, and over a year she adapts to their life. The next Halloween, Jemmy returns to the castle, overhears the fairies discussing a cure, and boldly takes a cup with healing water. He gives the princess three drops, restoring her speech and hearing. She writes to her parents in Dublin, but they don't believe her. Jemmy and the princess walk to Dublin, and after convincing her parents, they marry and live happily.

Key vocabulary

妖精ようせい	fairy
萬聖節ばんしょうせつ	Halloween
つんぼ	deaf-mute (historical term)
こすい	sly, cunning
ぼう	stick, rod

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a nuance of regret or finality.

  妖精ようせいたちは失望しつぼうしてさってしまうと、ジェミイは家いえのかけ金きんをはずしてはいった。

• ～ている N5Indicates ongoing action or state.

  ジェミイは遠とおくから小ちいさい人ひとたちのすがたをながめ、美うつくしい音おと樂をきいてしろの内部ないぶはどんなようすだろうと考かんがえてみたりしたが、ある萬よろず聖きよし節ぶしの前夜ぜんや、かれはぼうしを手てにして母ははにいった。

• ～てあげる N4To do something for someone (giving benefit).

  みんなが代かわりばんこにおじょうさんを乗のせているね、ぼくも、ちょっとでも乗のせてあげたい。

Cultural notes

• 萬聖節 (Halloween)In Irish folklore, Halloween (Samhain) is a time when the boundary between the human world and the fairy realm is thin. Fairies are said to be active on this night. In the story, Jemmy visits the fairy castle on Halloween, and the fairies ride out to steal a human bride.
• 妖精たちの馬の旅The fairies ride magical horses through the air, flying over Ireland from town to town. This reflects the Irish folk belief that fairies travel in ghostly processions on Halloween night.

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