作品Free Graded Reading
ナガレボシThe Shooting Star
Nagareboshi
by 新美 南吉 · Niimi Nankichi
A bullied child star falls from the sky and becomes a shooting star, a poignant fantasy.
About this story
About this storyThree stars argue; one is bullied and falls from the sky, becoming a shooting star.
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): 「校定 新美南吉全集第四巻」大日本図書
1980（昭和55）年9月30日初版第1刷発行
1987年（昭和62）年2月15日第3刷発行
Typed in by 高松理恵美. Proofread by 川向直樹.
Yomimaru rewrote this all-katakana text in the hiragana and kanji a modern edition would use. It also replaced classical grammar with its modern form.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThree stars in the winter sky argue. One star slides down to the ground and disappears. The remaining two stars search for it but only find a piece of glass. The night heron cries in the fields.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| ホシ (ほし) | star |
|---|---|
| コガラシ (こがらし) | winter wind |
| ゴイサギ (ごいさぎ) | night heron |
| ガラスビン (がらすびん) | glass bottle |
| ナガレボシ (ながれぼし) | shooting star |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ました N5Polite past form of verbs.三ツ ナランダ コドモノ ホシガ、ケンクワヲ シマシタ。
- ～のです N4Explanatory phrase, 'it is that...'イツモハ ナカヨシダツタノデスケレド、
- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret.スベツテ イツテ シマヒマシタ。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Night Heron (ゴイサギ) in Japanese CultureThe night heron (ゴイサギ) is a bird often associated with night and solitude in Japanese literature. Its call 'キヨオ' is a poetic sound effect (giongo) that adds atmosphere to the story.
- Shooting Stars in Japanese FolkloreIn Japanese folklore, shooting stars (流れ星) are often seen as souls or omens. Here, the missing star turns out to be a shooting star, symbolizing disappearance and mystery.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy did the three stars argue?
- The middle star was too cold.
- They were hungry.
- The night heron bothered them.
- They were playing a game.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipRead the text aloud to practice hiragana pronunciation.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
同級More at N3
Fresh reads in your inbox
A short monthly note when we add new graded stories. No spam.
