作品Free Graded Reading
しんばいWorry
Shinbai
by 村山 籌子 · Murayama Kazuko
A child's bedtime worry about being bad.
About this story
About this storyA child worries about being good after misbehaving, but his mother comforts 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): 「日本児童文学大系 第二六巻」ほるぷ出版
1978（昭和53）年11月30日初刷発行
Typed in by 菅野朋子. Proofread by noriko saito.
Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced classical grammar with its modern form.
The furigana are Yomimaru's.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnA child tells his mother he is worried he can never be good again after being so naughty. His mother reassures him that he can become good starting tomorrow. The child then decides to start practicing being good right away by sleeping in an attentive posture.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| けふ (きょう) | today (archaic) |
|---|---|
| いたづら (いたずら) | mischief, naughtiness |
| おけいこ | practice, training (often for arts) |
| きをつけ | attention (standing at attention posture) |
| しんぱい | worry, concern |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～ので N4Indicates reason or cause; 'because'「あんまりいたづらばかりしたので」
- ～かと N4Indicates the content of worry or thought; 'that (something might happen)'「もうぼくはいいこになれなくなりやしないかと、しんぱいだ。」
- ～てから N5Indicates sequence; 'after doing'「あしたからでも、いいこにならうとおもへば、きつとなれますよ。」
- ～たまま N3Indicates a state that continues; 'while keeping the state of having done something'「きをつけをしたままねてやらう。」
- ～よう (volitional) N4Volitional form expressing intention; 'let's do / I will do'「こんばんからおけいこをしよう。」
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Child's Self-DisciplineThe child decides to sleep in a formal attentive posture (気をつけ) as a form of practice to become good. This reflects Japanese cultural values of self-discipline and repentance for past misbehavior.
- Historical Kana UsageThe text uses historical kana orthography (e.g., けふ for きょう, いたづら for いたずら, いふ for いう). This is often found in older literature and adds formality or a classic feel. Learners should be aware of such variations.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy is the child worried?
- Because he was scolded by his mother.
- Because he thinks he can never become a good child again after being so naughty.
- Because he has to practice something.
- Because his mother said he can't be good.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to historical kana spelling: words like けふ (today) and いたづら (mischief) are written differently from modern standard.
Topics & grammar
Topics & grammar
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