作品Free Graded Reading
カタツムリノ ウタThe Snail's Song
Katatsumuri no Uta
by 新美 南吉 · Niimi Nankichi
JLPT N5Short Story
A king tries to remember a child's song about a snail.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA king finds a snail on a stone wall and tries to recall a children's song about snails. He asks his attendants but they don't know. He walks around the garden humming, and just as he is about to crush the snail in frustration, he remembers the song and also his gentle mother who sang it. He gently places the snail on a green leaf instead.
Language difficultyBeginner · 20/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| カタツムリ (かたつむり) | snail |
|---|---|
| デンデンムシ (でんでんむし) | snail (children's song term) |
| オモヒダシマシタ (おもいだしました) | remembered |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～て ヰル (いる) N5Indicates ongoing action or state.カタツムリガ ツノヲ フツテルノヲ ミテ ヰルト
- ～ながら N4While doing an action.王サマハ、 口ノ 中デ イヒナガラ、 ニハヲ グルリト マハツテ キマシタ。
- ～てしまう N4To do something completely or regrettably.カタツムリヲ ツブシテ シマハウト シタ トキ
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Dendenmushi SongA traditional Japanese children's song about snails. The song goes: 'Denden mushi mushi, tsuno dase ya, yoake ni nusuto ga yatte kuru.' (Snail, snail, stick out your horns, at dawn a thief will come.) It is often sung by children.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhere did the king find the snail?
- In the garden
- On a stone wall
- On a leaf
- In his room
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipThe text uses katakana for many words, which is unusual in modern Japanese. Pay attention to the context and try to read them as if they were hiragana.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japaneseある朝、王様は、石の壁に一匹のかたつむりを見つけました。かたつむりが角を振ってるのを見ていると、王様は、子供の自分、何だか、かたつむりの歌をよく歌ったことを思い出しました。「でんでん虫々、角出せや、だったかなあ」と、いろいろ考えたが、ちっともその歌は思い出せませんでした。「お前たち、でんでん虫の歌、知らないか」と、お側の者に聞いても、「知りません」と言って首を傾げています。王様は、「でんでん むしむし」と口の中で言いながら、庭をぐるりと回って来ました。それでも、思い出せないので、とうとう怒って、かたつむりを潰してしまおうとした時、ふっと王様の心に、「でんでん むしむし 角、触れよ、夜明けに、盗人がやって来る」と言う歌が、浮かびました。それと一緒に、その歌を、よく歌って下さった、優しいお母さんの事も思い出しました。そこで王様は、かたつむりを潰さないで、青い葉の上にそっと載せてやりました。
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Topics
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