Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 77
One day, as he sat on an old log with his chin in his hands, thinking about his tail, who should come along but Old Mother Nature.
ある日、彼が古い丸太の上に座り、あごに手をあてて自分のしっぽのことを考えていると、そこへ大母なる自然がやってきました。
"'Good morning, Mr. Coon,' said she in her pleasantest voice.
「『おはようございます、クーンさん』と彼女は最もにこやかな声で言いました。
"Mr. Coon got up and made a very low bow. 'Good morning, Mother Nature,' he replied in his politest manner, which was very polite indeed.
「クーンさんは立ち上がり、深くおじぎをしました。『おはようございます、大母なる自然様』と彼はとても丁寧な、実に礼儀正しい態度で答えました。
"'What were you thinking about so hard?' asked Old Mother Nature.
「『そんなに一生懸命、何を考えていたのですか？』と大母なる自然は尋ねました。
"Mr. Coon looked a little bit ashamed. Then he sighed. 'I was wishing that my tail was handsomer,' said he. 'But it is a very good tail as it is,' he added hastily.
「クーンさんは少し恥ずかしそうな顔をしました。それからため息をつきました。『自分のしっぽがもっと立派だったらと思っていたんです』と彼は言いました。『でも、今のままでも十分良いしっぽです』と彼は急いで付け加えました。
"Old Mother Nature's eyes twinkled. She sat down beside Mr. Coon and asked him all about his affairs, just as if she didn't know all about them already.
「大母なる自然の目がきらりと光りました。彼女はクーンさんのそばに座り、まるでまったく知らないかのように、彼のことについていろいろと尋ねました。
She told him how pleased she was to find him so neat and clean, and Mr. Coon just tingled all over with pleasure.
彼女は彼がとても清潔できれいにしているのを見てとても嬉しいと伝え、クーンさんは喜びで全身がぞくぞくしました。
At last she got up to go, and her eyes twinkled more than ever, as she said:
ついに彼女は立ち上がって帰ろうとし、これまで以上に目をきらきらと輝かせながら言いました。
"'By the way, Mr. Coon, I am so pleased with your neatness that I am leaving you a reward. I hope you will like it.'
「『ところで、クーンさん、あなたの清潔さにとても感心しましたので、褒美を置いていきます。気に入ってくれると良いのですが。』
"Mr. Coon didn't see any reward, but he thanked her just the same, and Old Mother Nature went on her way. Mr. Coon watched her out of sight.
「クーンさんには褒美が見当たりませんでしたが、それでも彼女にお礼を言いました。そして大母なる自然は自分の道を進んでいきました。クーンさんは彼女が見えなくなるまで見送りました。
Vocabulary
- ある日
- aru hi — One day; on a certain day
- 彼
- kare — He; him; that person (male)
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle in Japanese grammar
- 古い
- furui — Old; aged; not new
- 丸太
- maruta — Log; a cut piece of timber
- の
- no — Possessive or linking particle between nouns
- 上
- ue — Above; on top of something
- に
- ni — Particle indicating location, direction, or time
- 座り
- suwari — Sitting; the act of sitting down
- あご
- ago — Chin; jaw
- 手
- te — Hand; arm
- を
- wo — Object marker particle in Japanese grammar
- あてて
- atete — Placing against; pressing something onto something
- 自分
- jibun — Oneself; one's own self
- しっぽ
- shippo — Tail of an animal
- こと
- koto — Thing; matter; fact (abstract noun)
- 考えて
- kangaete — Thinking about; pondering something
- いる
- iru — To be; to exist (animate beings)
- と
- to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or 'when'
- そこへ
- soko e — To there; toward that place
- なる
- naru — To become; to be called
- 自然
- shizen — Nature; the natural world
- やってき
- yatte ki — Came along; arrived; showed up
- まし
- mashi — Polite past auxiliary verb form
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb ending
- おはよう
- ohayou — Good morning; informal morning greeting
- ございます
- gozaimasu — Formal polite verb meaning 'to be/exist'
- さん
- san — Honorific title equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.
- 彼女
- kanojo — She; her; girlfriend
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle in Japanese grammar
- 最も
- mottomo — Most; extremely; the highest degree
- にこやか
- nikoyaka — Smiling; cheerful; pleasant in manner
- な
- na — Adjective-linking particle for na-adjectives
- 声
- koe — Voice; sound produced by speaking
- で
- de — Particle indicating means, location of action
- 言い
- ii — Saying; speaking; to say (stem form)
- 立ち上がり
- tachiagari — Rising up; standing up from a position
- 深く
- fukaku — Deeply; profoundly; to a great degree
- おじぎ
- ojigi — A bow; bowing as a greeting or sign of respect
- し
- shi — And; doing (conjunctive verb form connector)
- 様
- sama — Honorific suffix indicating high respect
- とても
- totemo — Very; extremely; quite
- 丁寧
- teinei — Polite; courteous; careful and respectful
- 実に
- jitsu ni — Truly; indeed; really; genuinely
- 礼儀
- reigi — Manners; etiquette; propriety in behavior
- 正しい
- tadashii — Correct; proper; right; appropriate
- 態度
- taido — Attitude; manner; behavior toward others
- 答え
- kotae — Answer; response; reply to a question
- そんな
- sonna — Such; that kind of; like that
- 一生懸命
- isshoukenmei — With all one's might; very hard; earnestly
- 何
- nani — What; which thing
- い
- i — Verb ending or adjective suffix in Japanese
- です
- desu — Polite copula meaning 'is', 'am', 'are'
- か
- ka — Question marker particle at end of sentence
- 尋ね
- tazune — Asking; inquiring; to question someone
- 少し
- sukoshi — A little; a small amount; slightly
- 恥ずかし
- hazukashi — Embarrassed; ashamed; shy feeling
- そうな
- sou na — Seeming like; appearing to be that way
- 顔
- kao — Face; facial expression
- それ
- sore — That; that thing (near listener)
- から
- kara — From; because; after (particle or conjunction)
- ため息
- tameiki — A sigh; exhaling breath expressing emotion
- つき
- tsuki — Attached to; accompanied by; letting out
- もっと
- motto — More; even more; to a greater degree
- 立派
- rippa — Splendid; magnificent; fine; admirable
- だっ
- da(t) — Past tense copula stem form
- たら
- tara — If; when; conditional conjunction
- 思っ
- omot(te) — Thinking; feeling; wishing (stem form)
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases
- ん
- n — Informal explanatory particle; contraction of の
- でも
- demo — But; however; even so
- 今
- ima — Now; the present moment or time
- まま
- mama — As is; remaining in the same state
- 十分
- juubun — Enough; sufficient; adequate amount
- 良い
- yoi — Good; fine; acceptable
- 急いで
- isoide — Hurriedly; in a rush; quickly
- 付け加え
- tsukekuwae — Adding; appending extra information or words
- 目
- me — Eye; eyes
- きらり
- kirari — Sparkling; gleaming briefly and brightly
- 光り
- hikari — Light; shine; gleam
- そば
- soba — Nearby; beside; close to something
- まるで
- marude — Just like; as if; completely resembling
- まったく
- mattaku — Completely; utterly; entirely; not at all
- 知ら
- shira — Knowing; to know (negative stem form)
- ない
- nai — Negative ending; not existing; does not
- よう
- you — Seeming; appearing; like; as though
- について
- ni tsuite — About; concerning; regarding a topic
- いろいろ
- iroiro — Various; all kinds of; many different things
- 清潔
- seiketsu — Clean; hygienic; sanitary; tidy
- きれい
- kirei — Pretty; beautiful; clean; neat
- して
- shite — Doing; conjunctive form of する (to do)
- 見て
- mite — Looking; seeing; observing something
- 嬉しい
- ureshii — Happy; glad; pleased; joyful
- 伝え
- tsutae — Conveying; telling; communicating a message
- 喜び
- yorokobi — Joy; delight; happiness; pleasure
- 全身
- zenshin — Whole body; entire body from head to toe
- ぞくぞく
- zokuzoku — Thrilling; shivering with excitement or chill
- ついに
- tsui ni — Finally; at last; in the end
- 立ち上がっ
- tachiagat(te) — Stood up; rose to one's feet
- 帰ろう
- kaerou — Let's go back; shall return home
- これ
- kore — This; this thing (close to speaker)
- まで
- made — Until; up to; as far as
- 以上
- ijou — More than; above; that is all
- きらきら
- kirakira — Sparkling; glittering; twinkling brightly
- 輝かせ
- kagayakase — Making shine; causing something to sparkle
- ながら
- nagara — While doing; simultaneously performing two actions
- ところで
- tokoro de — By the way; incidentally; changing topic
- あなた
- anata — You; second person singular pronoun
- さ
- sa — Casual sentence-ending particle adding emphasis
- 感心
- kanshin — Admiration; being impressed by someone
- 褒美
- houbi — Reward; prize given for good performance
- 置いて
- oite — Placing; leaving something behind somewhere
- いき
- iki — Going; proceeding (conjunctive form of いく)
- ます
- masu — Polite verb ending for present/future tense
- 気に入っ
- ki ni it(te) — Liking; being pleased with something
- くれる
- kureru — To give (to me); to do a favor
- 見当たり
- mitsukaari — Finding; being found; locating something
- ませ
- mase — Polite imperative ending; formal request form
- でし
- deshi — Polite copula past stem (でした abbreviated)
- お礼
- orei — Thanks; expression of gratitude; appreciation
- そして
- soshite — And then; and; furthermore; after that
- 道
- michi — Road; path; way; street
- 進んで
- susunde — Proceeding; advancing; moving forward willingly
- 見え
- mie — Being visible; appearing; coming into sight
- なく
- naku — Without; not having; negating (conjunctive)
- 見送り
- miokuri — Seeing off; farewell; watching someone leave
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →