ウミベノマヒゴThe Lost Child at the Beach

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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.

Key vocabulary

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'.
  小サナ男ノ子ノ手ヲ引イタカイスイヨクジヨウノバン人ガムカフカラ歩イテ来ルノガミエマシタ。

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.

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Topics & grammar

Short Storyfolklorecuriositymisadventurehumorouseerieaozora bunko〜そうだsou da〜てくるte kuru〜てしまうte shimau