Let's read the story called Sour Grapes! /Japanese Learning Support LLC
Do you know the story of sour grapes?
This is a famous Aesop's fable.
Some of you may have read it when you were a child.
Today, let's read this story together in Japanese.
It's a short story, so I think you can read it quickly.
So let's get started!
"Sour grapes"
There was a hungry fox in a forest.
The autumn wind is cool, but today the sun is shining brightly.
Fox: "Ah, I'm hungry. Is there any food somewhere?"
The fox hasn't eaten for days.
Fox: "I want to eat meat for the first time in a while... But I can't be too extravagant. I want to eat anything! And I'm getting thirsty..."
As I was walking while saying this, I found a small river.
Fox: "Phew, I can finally drink water!"
The fox ran towards the river.
Then, a nice smell came from somewhere.
Fox: "Yeah? What's that smell?"
When I went to the direction where I could smell the smell, I found that there were many grapes growing there. (*“Grape growing ” = “Grape” tree is bearing fruit )
Fox: "Wow!! This is the first time I've tasted grapes that look so delicious!"
The fox went under the vines, his eyes sparkling.
The vines are on tall trees.
The fox reached out his hand to take the grapes, but he couldn't reach them.
Fox: "Hmm! Good! Good!"
No matter how many times I try, it doesn't work.
Fox: "Ah, I wish I could climb trees like a monkey..."
This time I tried to jump as hard as I could, but I still couldn't reach it.
Pyon! Pyon! Pyon!
Fox: "I guess it's no good... Ah, I wish I could fly in the sky like a bird..."
Unable to give up, the fox grabbed a nearby large stone and jumped from it as hard as he could.
Dossin! !
The fox fell on his butt and was injured.
Fox: “Ah itatatatatata!”
The fox rubbed his butt and stood up.
Fox: "Hmph! Those grapes must be sour and tasteless!"
After saying that, I started walking through the forest again in search of food.
Now, were these grapes really sour...?
How was it.
The hungry fox looked pitiful because he couldn't eat grapes.
This story uses onomatopoeias such as ``Pyon!'' and ``Doshin!'', so I hope you can imagine what kind of situations and sounds these onomatopoeias represent as you read.
Now, I'm going to ask you a question about this story, so if it matches the content of the text, answer 〇, and if it doesn't, answer ×.
The answers are at the bottom of the blog, so once you've solved them all, scroll to the bottom and check them out!
There are 5 questions in total.
reading comprehension questions
1. The fox is hungry but doesn't want to eat fruit or fish.
2. The fox had long known where the river was, so he went to the river to drink water.
3. The fox had never seen grapes that looked so delicious.
4. Foxes, monkeys, and birds think it's good to be able to eat what's on the trees.
5. The fox found out that the grapes were not tasty, so he went home without taking them.
Now, let's start learning Japanese words that express ``taste'' such as ``sour'' that appeared in the story.
How many words for "taste" do you know?
① Sweet
It tastes like cake or chocolate. It's a flavor that kids like.
Do you like sweets?
Sample1 When you're tired, it's better to eat something sweet like chocolate.
Sample2 Hmm, aren't these donuts a little too sweet? You're adding too much sugar.
Sample3 I don't like sweet things, but this juice is not too sweet and is just right.
② Spicy
It tastes like chili pepper and wasabi. It's tangy on the tongue.
Many Korean, Chinese, and Indian dishes are spicy.
Sample1 This mapo tofu looks spicy. Can I choose the spiciness?
Sample2 Curry with lots of spices is too spicy for children.
Sample3 The ramen at that restaurant looks red and spicy, but it's actually very delicious.
③ Salty
It's the taste you get when you add too much soy sauce or salt.
It is also said to have a strong flavor. The opposite is "bland".
Which flavor do you like?
Sample1 I put too much soy sauce on the sashimi and it became salty.
Sample2 Kyoto cuisine is surprisingly salty!
Sample3 I made dinner today without looking at the recipe, but isn't it salty?
④Sour
It tastes like lemon and vinegar. It makes your cheeks look cute.
It's a flavor often found in pickles.
Sample1 Which do you prefer, sweet umeboshi or sour umeboshi?
Sample2 This grapefruit is sour. Shall we eat it with sugar?
Sample3 I made lemon water. It's a little sour and perfect for the hot summer.
How was it.
Today, we introduced the story of ``sour grapes'' and the words that express ``taste.''
Were there any new words or expressions you learned?
Reading books is recommended for learning Japanese.
We have many other Japanese reading materials posted on the JLS Blog, so please be sure to check them out as well.
That's it for today!
See you again in the next blog.
answer to question
1, × 2, × 3, 〇 4, 〇 5, ×
