作品Free Graded Reading
若返り薬The Rejuvenating Pill
Wakagaeri-gusuri
by 夢野 久作 · Yumeno Kyūsaku
JLPT N2Short StoryClassical / archaicQuiz ready
A boy steals magic pills and a beggar becomes young after eating them!
What you'll learn
What you'll learnTaro receives an air gun and steals three red pills from his grandfather's medicine box to use as ammunition, but after missing all sparrows, he encounters a beggar who has found the pills. The beggar explains the pills' magical properties and tells a story of his own past, ultimately transforming into a gentleman and then vanishing, leaving Taro to return the pills to his grandfather who comforts him with a lesson about truth and perspective.
Language difficultyIntermediate · 60/100
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary| 空気銃 (くうきじゅう) | air gun |
|---|---|
| 丸薬 (がんやく) | pill (medicine) |
| 若返り (わかがえり) | rejuvenation |
| 乞食 (こじき) | beggar |
| 丸薬を盗む (がんやくをぬすむ) | steal the pills |
Grammar points you'll meet
Grammar points you'll meet- ～てしまう N4Indicates completion or regret over an action.するとそのままあと形も無く消え失せて、あとには三粒の赤い丸薬が地びたの上にころがっているばかりでした。
- ～ために（目的） N3Indicates purpose: 'in order to'.麻雀の命を取るために使うなぞと、まあ何という乱暴な坊ちゃんでしょう。
- ～かもしれません N4Expresses possibility: 'might be'.もう古い古い事だから利かなくなっているのかも知れない。
- ～たりする N5Indicates listing actions or states: 'do things like...'.何卒どんな事でもしますから、その丸薬を返して下さい。
Cultural notes
Cultural notes- お年始 (New Year's Visit)The grandfather is away on an '御年始' (New Year's visit), a traditional Japanese custom where people visit relatives and close acquaintances during the New Year period. This reflects the importance of social obligations in Japanese culture.
- 床の間 (Tokonoma)The grandfather keeps a '手箱' (small box) in the '床の間', which is a recessed alcove in a traditional Japanese room used to display art or valuable items. This setting indicates the family's cultural background.
- 火鉢 (Hibachi)At the end, the grandfather is sitting at a '火鉢' (brazier), a traditional Japanese heating device used during colder months. This detail adds to the domestic atmosphere.
Try a comprehension question
Try a comprehension questionWhy does Taro steal the red pills?
- He wants to use them as ammunition for his air gun.
- He wants to give them to the beggar.
- He wants to become younger.
- He wants to sell them.
Sensei's reading tip
Sensei's reading tipPay attention to the use of honorific language (e.g., お父さま, お祖父様) to understand character relationships and social hierarchy.
Read a sample in Japanese
Read a sample in Japanese太郎さんはお父さまから銀色にピカピカ光る空気銃を一丁頂きました。大喜びで毎日毎日雀を撃って歩きましたが、一匹も当たりません。そのうちに弾丸が一発も無くなりました。お父様に弾丸を買って下さいとお願いしましたが、「まだ店がお休みだから」と言って買って下さいません。雀は表でチュンチュン鳴いて、何だか太郎さんを馬鹿にしているようです。太郎さんは弾丸のない空気銃を抱いて涙ぐみました。そのうちにふとお祖父様の手箱の中に赤い丸薬があったことを思い出しました。ちょうどお祖父様は御年始に行かれた留守でしたから、そっとお室へ行って床の間の手箱を開けて丸薬の袋を盗み出しました。その袋の中には赤い丸薬がたった三粒ありました。空気銃に入れてみると丁度良いくらいの大きさです。太郎さんは大喜びで三粒の赤い丸薬を持って表に出て、屋根の上にいる雀を狙って一発放しましたが、当たりませんでした。
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