作品Free Graded Reading
木曽の怪物The Monster of Kiso
Kiso no Kaibutsu
by 岡本 綺堂 · Okamoto Kidō
A hunter in the Kiso mountains encounters a mysterious duck that leads him to an illusionary pool.
About this story
About this storyA hunter in the mountains of Kiso tells a mysterious story about a monster he encountered.
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): 「伝奇ノ匣2 岡本綺堂妖術伝奇集」学研Ｍ文庫、学習研究社
2002（平成14）年3月29日初版発行
Typed in by 川山隆. Proofread by 門田裕志.
Yomimaru has edited this text for modern readers. Its Aozora Bunko card has the text as the volunteers entered it.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 4 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA hunter recounts three eerie incidents in the mountains of Nagano: a phantom duck leading to a cliff, a face appearing in a cooking pot, and a vision of a monk carrying giant tweezers. The hunter and his companions narrowly avoid disaster.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 怪物 (かいぶつ) | monster |
|---|---|
| 木霊 (こだま) | echo; tree spirit |
| 鉄砲 (てっぽう) | gun |
| 毛抜き (けぬき) | tweezers |
| 慄然 (りつぜん) | shuddering |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～たことがある N5Indicates past experience: 'have done something'.木曽の山奥へ鳥撃ちに出かけたことがございます。
- ～てくる N4Expresses movement toward the speaker: 'come and do' or 'begin to'.一頭、鮮血のしたたる鹿を担いでやって来て、
- ～そうだ (hearsay) N4Indicates hearsay: 'I hear that...'.ある日の夕暮れ、山の猟師が一頭、鮮血のしたたる鹿を担いでやって来て、どうか買ってくれと言う。
- ～ても N4Even if; regardless of.鴨は人を見ても飛び立ちもせず、驚きもせず、
- ～ず N3Negative form: 'without doing'.飛び立ちもせず、驚きもせず
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Meiji Era and SuperstitionThe story is set in Meiji 23 (1890), a time of rapid modernization but also persistent folk beliefs. The hunter's tales reflect traditional Japanese yokai (supernatural creatures) and the coexistence of rational and superstitious worldviews.
- Yokai and Mountain LoreJapanese mountains are often associated with mysterious beings like tengu, kappa, and other yokai. The 'monster' described in the story resembles a kitsune (fox spirit) or a tsukumogami (tool spirit), illustrating a deep cultural link between nature and the supernatural.
- Hunter Culture in NaganoNagano (Shinano) has a long history of hunting, especially in the Kiso region. Hunters often carried guns (teppo) and lived in close-knit groups, as depicted in the story. Their knowledge of the mountains and their dangers is a key cultural element.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did the hunter and his companions see while cooking dinner?
- A giant duck
- A pale human face in the steam
- A monk with a large tweezers
- A deer full of blood
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the framing narrative: the story begins with 'This is a story of my late father' and then shifts to the hunter's tale. Understanding the narrator structure helps follow the events.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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