作品Free Graded Reading
手紙 四The Fourth Letter
Tegami Yon
by 宮沢 賢治 · Miyazawa Kenji
JLPT N3Short StoryQuiz ready
A cruel brother's guilt over his sister's death haunts him.
What you'll learn
What you'll learnThe narrator prints and distributes a letter asking for information about Pose, a little girl. The letter recounts how her brother Chunse bullied her, then she fell ill and died. After her death, Chunse regrets his actions and searches for her, but a mysterious voice tells him he must seek the true happiness of all beings through the Lotus Sutra.
Language difficultyIntermediate · 60/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| なめくじ | slug |
|---|---|
| 甲虫 (こうちゅう) | beetle |
| 雨雪 (あまゆき) | sleet (rain and snow mixed) |
| げんこ | fist (childish term) |
| ナムサダルマプフンダリカサスートラ | Sanskrit: Namu Saddharma Pundarika Sutra (Lotus Sutra invocation) |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てばかりいる N4Expresses that someone is always doing something (often negative nuance).チュンセがさっぱりごはんもたべないで毎日考えてばかりいるのです
- ～ておく N4Indicates an action is done in advance or leaves something in a state.ポーセの靴に甲虫を飼って、二月もそれをかくしておいたり
- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion of an action, often with regret or finality.学校も六年でさがってしまいました
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- Lotus Sutra (ナムサダルマプフンダリカサスートラ)This is a Buddhist mantra from the Lotus Sutra, a key Mahayana Buddhist text. It emphasizes the possibility of enlightenment for all beings. Its mention here suggests the story has a Buddhist moral about universal compassion and interconnectedness.
- Japanese Sibling DynamicsThe story depicts a classic sibling relationship with teasing and bullying (ijiiwaru). In Japanese culture, the older sibling (ani/onee-san) is expected to be protective, but here Chunse is mean to Pose. This contrast highlights his later regret and transformation.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhat did Chunse put on Pose's peach tree?
- Beetles
- Slugs
- Sleet
- Walnuts
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the use of archaic/formal language like わたくし and 云いつけられて; these set a literary tone.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japaneseわたくしはあるひとから云いつけられて、この手紙を印刷してあなたがたにおわたしします。どなたか、ポーセがほんとうにどうなったか、知っているかたはありませんか。チュンセがさっぱりごはんもたべないで毎日考えてばかりいるのです。ポーセはチュンセの小さな妹ですが、チュンセはいつもいじ悪ばかりしました。ポーセがせっかく植えて、水をかけた小さな桃の木になめくじをたけておいたり、ポーセの靴に甲虫を飼って、二月もそれをかくしておいたりしました。ある日などはチュンセがくるみの木にのぼって青い実を落していましたら、ポーセが小さな卵形のあたまをぬれたハンケチで包んで、「兄さん、くるみちょうだい。」なんて云いながら大へんよろこんで出て来ましたのに、チュンセは、「そら、とってごらん。」とまるで怒ったような声で云ってわざと頭に実を投げつけるようにして泣かせて帰しました。
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