作品Free Graded Reading
風邪をひいたお猫さんThe Cat Who Caught a Cold
Kaze o Hiita O Neko-san
by 村山 籌子 · Murayama Kazuko
A vain cat and his wife shave their fur to show off whiskers, then catch a cold!
About this story
About this storyA cat and his wife are proud of his magnificent whiskers, but when friends stop complimenting, they try a misguided plan to regain attention.
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): 「日本児童文学大系 第二六巻」ほるぷ出版
1978（昭和53）年11月30日初刷発行
Typed in by 菅野朋子. Proofread by noriko saito.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA cat and his wife take immense pride in the cat's magnificent whiskers, but their constant boasting annoys their friends. After trying to regain attention by dirtying the whiskers and then shaving off all their fur, they catch a cold and end up in the hospital.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| お猫さん (おねこさん) | cat (honorific) |
|---|---|
| ヒゲ (ひげ) | whiskers |
| 自慢 (じまん) | pride, boast |
| かみそり | razor |
| 風邪 (かぜ) | cold (illness) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たあげく（に） N2After doing something (often with a negative outcome), indicating the result after a long process.五時間も考へたあげ句、お猫さんはかう言ひました。
- ～たびに N3Every time; whenever.「まあ、御立派なおヒゲでございますこと。」と会ふたびに言つてゐたお友達も、このごろでは、腹を立てて、何とも云つてくれません。
- ～てしまう N4To do something completely or accidentally, often with regret.僕はすつかり恥をかいてしまつたよ。
- ～てくれる N4Someone does something for me/us (grateful tone).「まあ、御立派なおヒゲでございますこと。」と会ふたびに言つてゐたお友達も、このごろでは、腹を立てて、何とも云つてくれません。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Japanese Fables and VanityThis story resembles traditional Japanese folktales that often feature animals with human traits to teach moral lessons. The theme of excessive pride leading to downfall is common in such tales, reminiscent of stories like 'The Monkey and the Carp' or 'The Proud Frog.'
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat were the cat and his wife most proud of?
- Their beautiful home
- The cat's whiskers
- Their friends' compliments
- The cat's fur
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to historical kana usage: ゐ is read as い (e.g., もつてゐた = もっていた).
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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