作品Free Graded Reading
迷子ノジヤガイモThe Lost Potato
Maigo no Jagaimo
by 村山 籌子 · Murayama Kazuko
An onion painter gets lost, and a potato comes to the rescue - a whimsical adventure.
About this story
About this storyA painter onion gets lost and is helped by a potato friend and police in this charming story.
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 has edited this text for modern readers. Its Aozora Bunko card has the text as the volunteers entered it.
The furigana are Yomimaru's.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnOnion the painter gets lost in the city and goes to a police box. A girl policeman can't find his village. His friend Potato provides proof, but she doesn't believe them. A duck policeman from Onion's village arrives and confirms Onion's identity, earning praise from the girl policeman.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 玉ネギ | onion |
|---|---|
| ヱカキ | painter |
| ジヤガイモ | potato |
| 交番 | police box |
| 迷子 | lost child |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てしまう N4Expresses completion or regret; here 'got lost completely'
玉ネギサンハ道ニマヨツテシマヒマシタ。
- ～てくれる N4Someone does something for the speaker; 'checked for me'
帳面ヲシラベテクレマシタガ、
- ～かもしれない N4Expresses possibility; 'might become lost'
玉ネギサンガ迷子ニナルカモシレナイトオモツテ、
- ～という N3Indicates the name or content; 'called Onion village'
玉ネギサンノスンデヰル村トイフノガ分リマセンデシタ。
- ～てくる N4Action of coming and doing; 'ran over (came running)'
アヒルノオマワリサンガハシツテキマシタ。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 交番 (Kouban)Police boxes are small police stations found throughout Japan, serving as community safety hubs. The girl policeman (女の子のおまわりさん) reflects the friendly, approachable image of local police.
- おまわりさん (Omawarisan)A polite and affectionate term for a police officer, often used by children. The duck policeman (アヒルのおまわりさん) adds a whimsical touch common in children's stories.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did Onion come to the city?
- He wanted to paint city scenes.
- He was looking for a friend.
- He got lost on purpose.
- He wanted to meet the policeman.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipSince the text is written entirely in katakana, try sounding it out and recognizing common words like '玉ネギ' (onion) and '交番' (police box).
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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