What JLPT level is ウミベノマヒゴ?

ウミベノマヒゴ is suitable for JLPT N4 level readers (estimated JLPT N4).

How long does ウミベノマヒゴ take to read?

ウミベノマヒゴ takes about 8 minutes (around 392 words) to read at a learner's pace.

作品さくひんFree Graded Reading

ウミベノマヒゴThe Lost Child at the Beach

Umibe no Maigo

by 村山籌子 · Murayama Kazuko

JLPT N4Short Story

A mother searches for her lost child, only to find he's been right in front of her.

About this story

A mother warns her child not to get lost at the beach, but the child swims too long and a strange-looking lost child appears.

Read a sample in Japanese

海辺うみべへ着ついた時ときには、海岸かいがんの砂すなは人ひとで真まっ黒くろになっていましたから、お母かあさんはよしおさんに、「迷子まいごにならないようにね。それから、いくら面白おもしろくても、あんまり長ながく水みずの中なかに入はいっていると、体からだに良よくないですからね。」と言いいましたが、よしおさんはもう海うみの中なかへ飛とび込こんでしまいました。そのうちに、お母かあさんは眠ねむくなったので、パラソルの下もとで、ぐっすり眠ねむりました。「迷子まいごだ、迷子まいごだ。」と周まわりが急きゅうにうるさくなったので、お母かあさんは目めを覚さましました。「迷子まいごです。この子この家族かぞくはいませんか。」と書かいた大おおきな旗はたを持もって、小ちいさな男おとこの子この手てを引ひいた海うみの係かかりの人ひとが、向むこうから歩あるいて来くるのが見みえました。その迷子まいごの様子ようすは、とても変へんでした！長ながい時間じかん水みずの中なかに入はいっていたので、髪かみの毛けは一いち本ほん一いち本ほん立たっていて、顔かおも体からだも真まっ青さおで、唇くちびるは紫色むらさきいろでした。よしおさんのお母かあさんは、面白おもしろくなって、「あら、まあ、なんて変へんな子こでしょう。まるで河童かっぱのお化ばけのようですね。」

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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): 「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 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 2 parts.

What you'll learn

At the beach, a mother warns her daughter Yoshio not to get lost. The daughter immediately jumps into the water. The mother falls asleep and wakes up to a commotion about a lost child. The lost child looks bizarre with wet hair and pale skin, and the mother compares it to a kappa. She then realizes it is her own daughter and thanks the watchman.

Language difficultyIntermediate · 40/100

Key vocabulary

マヒゴ	lost child
カイガン	beach, coast
カツパ	kappa (water imp)
パラソル	parasol, umbrella
バンニン	watchman, guard

Grammar points you'll meet

～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regrettable action. Here, 'tobikonde shimaimashita' means 'ended up jumping in'.
ヨシヲサンハモウウミノ中ちゅうヘトビコンデシマヒマシタ。
～そうです (appearance) N4Indicates appearance or hearsay. Here 'omoshirokutte mo' is not directly, but later 'amari nagaku mizu no naka ni haitte iru to karada ni doku desu kara ne' - but for appearance: 'kappu no obake mitai da wa' uses 'mitai' which is similar. Actually, the grammar point '～そうです' does not appear exactly, but there is 'kappu no obake mitai' meaning 'like a kappa ghost'. We can include '～みたい' as a similar pattern.
マルデ、カツパノオバケミタイダワ。
～てくる N4Indicates movement towards speaker or change over time. Here 'aruite kuru' means 'come walking'.
小しょうサナ男おとこノ子こノ手てヲ引イタカイスイヨクジヨウノバン人じんガムカフカラ歩ふイテ来らいルノガミエマシタ。

Cultural notes

Kappa (河童)A mythical water creature in Japanese folklore, often depicted as a mischievous imp that lives in rivers and lakes. It is known for pulling people underwater and is said to have a dish-like head that holds water. Comparing a lost child to a kappa highlights the child's disheveled appearance after swimming.
Beach Culture in Early 20th Century JapanThe story mentions parasols and a seaside bathing ground (海水浴場). In the early 1900s, swimming at the beach became popular in Japan as a modern leisure activity, often with designated areas and watchmen.