作品Free Graded Reading
ヌスビトト コヒツヂThe Thief and the Lamb
Nusubito to Kohitsuji
by 新美 南吉 · Niimi Nankichi
A thief steals a lamb but can't bring himself to kill it.
About this story
About this storyA thief steals a lamb but cannot bring himself to kill it.
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.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA thief steals a lamb but cannot kill it; he tries to trade it for bread but gives up, and eventually decides to return the lamb to its mother.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| ヌスビト | thief |
|---|---|
| コヒツジ | lamb |
| ヲ | object marker |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ている N5Expresses an ongoing action or state.アソンデ ヰマシタ。
- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret.トリカヘツコヲ ヤメテ シマヒマシタ。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Historical Kana Usage (歴史的仮名遣い)The text uses pre-war kana orthography, e.g., ヰ for い, ヱ for え, ヲ for を. This was standard before the 1946 spelling reform.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat does the thief initially want to do with the lamb?
- Kill and eat it
- Trade it for bread
- Raise it as a pet
- Return it to the field
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipTry reading the text aloud, paying attention to historical kana spellings.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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