魔法の笛The Magic Flute

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What you'll learn

The town of Hamelin is overrun with rats. A mysterious piper arrives and offers to rid the town of rats for a fee of 1000 yen. The mayor and council agree. The piper plays his flute, leading all the rats into the river where they drown.

When the mayor refuses to pay the agreed 1000 yen, the piper plays a different tune that lures all the children away. They follow him into a mountain that opens and closes, trapping them inside. Only one lame child is left behind, who describes the beautiful paradise inside.

Key vocabulary

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret; here '死んでしまった' implies 'drowned (regrettably)'.
  ぶくぶくぶくぶく　おぼれて死んだ。
• ～そうだ（様態） N4Appears as 'ようす' indicating appearance; 'ようすの男' means 'a man with an appearance'.
  入って来たのは　こりゃまあなんと、世にもふしぎな　ようすの男。
• ～ではあるまいし N1A classical expression meaning 'It is not as if...'.
  でんでんででむしではあるまいし、智慧だせだせと　せめつけられても、無い智慧出されぬ。
• ～てあげる N4Expresses doing something for someone; here '退治てあげる' means 'I will exterminate for you'.
  どうだね皆さん　お困りもののねずみはわしが　退治てあげる。
• ～から N5Indicates reason; 'から' appears in several places, e.g., '元気ないから' (though not in text directly).
  笛吹男の　やくそくの国へ行かれず　残された。それがかなしい　なさけない、だってこの世で　見られない、たのしい、たのしい　国だもの。

Cultural notes

• The Pied Piper of HamelinThis poem is a Japanese adaptation of the classic German legend about a piper who lures rats away from the town and, when unpaid, takes the children. The story teaches the importance of keeping promises.
• Japanese Folklore StyleThe text uses a traditional Japanese poetic form with a 7-5 syllable rhythm (typical of Japanese poetry) and classical vocabulary, giving it a folkloric feel.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyfolklorepoetrypromisesretributionhumorousphilosophicalaozora bunko〜からkara〜そうだsou da〜てあげるte ageru〜てしまうte shimau