作品Free Graded Reading
先生の眼玉にInto the Teacher's Eyes
Sensei no Medama ni
by 夢野 久作 · Yumeno Kyūsaku
When snow turns to sugar and salt, a naughty boy learns a painful lesson.
About this story
A group of children encounter a mysterious old man in the snow, leading to a chilling consequence.
Read a sample in Japanese
Source
This 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): 「夢野久作全集1」ちくま文庫、筑摩書房
1992(平成4)年5月22日第1刷発行
Typed in by 柴田卓治. Proofread by もりみつじゅんじ.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced some archaic words with modern ones.
The furigana are Yomimaru's. In the app it is split into 2 parts.
What you'll learn
Children are playing in the snow when a white-clad old man appears. He asks what they would do if the snow became sugar, and later salt. The first three children give kind answers, but Bad Boy (Akutaro) gives a mean answer. The old man disappears, and snow falls: sugar for the kind children, salt for Bad Boy, which stings his eyes and sends him home crying.
Key vocabulary
| 大ぜい (おおぜい) | many, a large number |
|---|---|
| 鬚 (ひげ) | beard |
Grammar points you'll meet
- ~ところに N3Just when; at the time when子供が大ぜい遊んでいるところに雪がふって来ました。
- ~てしまう N4To do something completely or regrettably悪太郎は泣きながらおうちへ帰ってしまいました。
Cultural notes
- Folklore style: Testing children's goodnessThe story resembles a moral folktale where a supernatural figure (often an old man or woman) tests children, rewarding kindness and punishing selfishness. This is common in Japanese folk stories and anime.
Try a comprehension question
What did the old man ask the children?
- What they would do if the snow became sugar.
- Where their parents were.
- Why they were playing in the snow.
- If they liked the snow.
Sensei's reading tip
Read aloud to get a feel for the rhythm and dialogue.
Topics & grammar
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