作品Free Graded Reading
和尚さんと小僧The Priest and the Apprentice
Oshōsan to Kozō
by 楠山 正雄 · Kusuyama Masao
A stingy priest hides candy but the clever apprentice tricks him!
About this story
About this storyA stingy priest lies to his apprentice about candy being poison, but the apprentice outsmarts him.
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): 「日本の諸国物語」講談社学術文庫、講談社
1983（昭和58）年4月10日第1刷発行
Typed in by 鈴木厚司. Proofread by 大久保ゆう.
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. In the app it is split into 4 parts.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe stingy priest hides candy, lying that it's poison. The apprentice eats it, breaks a cup, and pretends to die from the 'poison'.
A neighbor brings rice cakes for the priest. The apprentice eats them, smears bean paste on the Buddha statue's mouth, and blames the statue when the priest returns.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| けちんぼ | stingy person, miser |
|---|---|
| 小僧 (こぞう) | apprentice, young servant (in a temple) |
| 毒薬 (どくやく) | poison |
| おひがん | Higan (Buddhist equinox week) |
| 御本尊 (ごほんぞん) | principal image of worship (in a temple) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with a sense of regret or finality.残らずあめをなめてしまいました。
- ～てはいけない N5Must not; expresses prohibition.けっしてなめてはならないぞ。
- ～そう（様態） N4Appears to be; seems like. Attached to verb or adjective stem.中から温かそうな湯気が立って、ぷんとおいしそうな匂いがしました。
- ～から（理由） N5Because; since. Indicates reason.どうせけちんぼで欲ばりの和尚さんのことだから、みんな自分で食べてしまって、一つもくれないにきまっている。
- ～にきまっている N3Must be; it is certain that.一つもくれないにきまっている。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- 和尚 (Priest)Buddhist temple priests in Japan are often called 和尚さん. They live in temples and may have apprentices (小僧).
- お彼岸 (Higan)A Buddhist week during equinoxes when families visit graves and offer food to ancestors. Making and sharing お団子 (rice cakes) is common.
- 御本尊と金仏 (Principal Image and Golden Buddha)The principal image (御本尊) in a Buddhist temple is often a statue of Buddha or a bodhisattva. '金仏' refers to a golden Buddha statue, often hollow.
- 払子 (Hossu)A ceremonial whisk used by Buddhist priests, often made of hair or fibers. In the story, the priest uses it to hit the statue.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did the priest claim was in the pot under the altar?
- Delicious candy
- Poison
- Medicine
- Rice cakes
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipRead the dialogue aloud to get a feel for the character's tone and expressions.
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.
