作品Free Graded Reading
虹猫の話The Story of the Rainbow Cat
Nijineko no Hanashi
by 宮原 晃一郎 · Miyahara Kōichirō
A seven-colored magical cat goes on adventures in fairyland.
About this story
About this storyA magical seven-colored cat from fairyland embarks on whimsical adventures.
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 第一一巻 楠山正雄 沖野岩三郎 宮原晃一郎集」ほるぷ出版
1978（昭和53）年11月30日初刷発行
Typed in by 鈴木厚司. Proofread by noriko saito.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones, and rephrased some sentences, keeping their meaning.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe bored seven-colored rainbow cat travels to the Cloud Country, where it attends a wedding of the north wind and a princess. When the thunder god threatens, the cat tricks him with a fake magic test, receives lightning, and returns home.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 虹猫 (にじねこ) | rainbow cat |
|---|---|
| 雷様 (かみなりさま) | Mr. Thunder (god of thunder) |
| お伽の国 (おとぎのくに) | fairy tale land |
| いなづま | lightning |
| 煙突 (えんとつ) | chimney |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てゐる N4Progressive/state of being (archaic spelling of ～ている)七色の虹猫は日向ぼつこをしてゐました。
- ～てしまう N4Complete an action with regret or finalityお祝ひもめちやめちやに荒らされつちまふだらう。
- ～かもしれない N4Might; maybe冒険でもやらうか知ら。
- ～そうです (hearsay) N4I hear that; it is said thatじつは、風の神さんのおうちで、大きなお祝ひがあるのですよ。
- ～てみる N4Try doing somethingどれ一つ、雲の人たちのところに、顔出ししてみようかな。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 雷様 (Raijin)Raijin is the Japanese god of thunder, lightning, and storms, often depicted as a mischievous or fearsome deity. In this story, the thunder god is portrayed as a large, easily angered but gullible figure, reflecting traditional folkloric elements.
- お伽の国 (Otogi no Kuni) - Fairy Tale LandThis refers to a magical land inspired by Japanese fairy tales (otogi banashi). The concept of a colorful cat from such a land adds a whimsical, folkloric touch, similar to stories from the early 20th century Japanese children's literature.
- 七色 (Nanairo) - Seven ColorsThe seven colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) are associated with rainbows and are considered auspicious in Japanese culture. The cat's rainbow-colored body symbolizes good fortune and wonder.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did the rainbow cat do before leaving home?
- It put up a sign for the postman.
- It packed a bag and left a note.
- It wrote a letter to the thunder god.
- It said goodbye to all its friends.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipNote that the text uses historical kana orthography (e.g., ゐ, を, づ, ぢ). Familiarize yourself with these older spellings as they may appear in other classical or early 20th-century texts.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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