Let's read the story of the mouse's gratitude! / Japanese Learning Support LLC | blog

Let's read the story "The Mouse's Gratitude" in Japanese!

This is an Aesop's fable.

What does "ongaeshi" mean?

Returning a favor means showing gratitude through action after someone has been kind to you.

How did the mouse repay the favor?

Let's read it right away!

"The Mouse's Return"

One fine day, the lion was lying down in the field taking a nap.

It's a pleasant day with warm sunshine.

Then a mouse happened to pass by.

The mouse was running so fast that it bumped into the lion's head.

The lion suddenly woke up and went and caught the mouse.

Lion: "What are you looking at while you're running? I was just having a nice nap."

Mouse: "Oh! Sorry!"

Lion: "Okay, I'll eat you."

The angry lion opened his mouth wide.

said the Mouse, trembling.

Mouse: "I'm sorry! I was in a hurry and bumped into you! Please don't eat me! If you help me, I'll repay you someday!"

Then the Lion laughed loudly.

Lion: "Hahaha! A little mouse like you can't repay me for my kindness? Of course not. But I'll forgive you just this once. The next time I see you, I'll definitely eat you!"

So the lion said, and let the mouse go.

Then, one day after a few days had passed, the mouse heard the sound of a lion in the forest.

The lion had warned the mouse that the next time they met he would eat him, so the mouse was startled when he heard the lion's voice.

However, there was something strange about the lion's voice.

Woohoo! Woohoo!

The mouse went towards the sound of the lion's voice.

Mouse: "What happened to Lion?"

There they found a lion tied to a large tree with a rope.

Mouse: "Lion, what happened?"

The Lion said in a sad voice.

Lion: "I've been captured by a human hunter. If I stay here I'll be killed. Oh no, what should I do..."

Mouse: "I'll help you!!"

The mouse quickly jumped onto the lion's body and with his sharp teeth bit into the rope that was binding the lion.

Then, the thick rope also snapped into pieces.

And the lion was free.

Lion: "Phew, that saved me. Thank you, Mouse."

Mouse: "No, no. I was just thanking you for helping me the other day. The Lion laughed at me then, but no matter how small something may be, it can help someone else."

And with that the mouse ran off into the depths of the forest.

The end.

How was it?

From here, let's summarize some of the onomatopoeia and expressions that appear in the text of "The Mouse's Gratitude"!

・Wake up instantly

"Pah" means that something has happened with force. It is often used with words like "spread" or "opened."

It can also be used when you understand something immediately.

Sample 1 The fireworks flashed and spread across the sky.

Sample 2 My friend quickly opened the window.

Sample3 Just hearing the story, that scene immediately came to mind.

Sample 4 The campfire burst into flames.

It is used with the image of (something small, closed) becoming (bigger, open).

The key point is "vigorously," so it's not used when something is done slowly.

- Trembling

"Buruburu" is an onomatopoeia that expresses the trembling of something.

Sample 1 I was shivering with cold on the snowy mountain.

Sample 2 I was so scared in the haunted house that my legs were shaking.

Sample 3 After taking a bath, a dog shakes its body to wash off the water.

Sample4 My cell phone is vibrating. Is someone calling?

In this way, just saying "buruburu + shitaru" can express the feeling of something shaking or vibrating.

It's so cute when animals shiver.

・Shocking

Gyokkoru suru is an expression that you use when you are surprised by something that happens suddenly.

It is not used for pleasant surprises, but for scary surprises.

Sample 1 I was driving when a cat suddenly jumped out from the side of the road, startling me.

Sample 2 When I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I was startled to see two red lights in the darkness.

Sample 3: I was walking alone down a dark street at night when I was startled when someone suddenly called out to me from behind.

Sample 4 I was shocked when my cell phone rang during class.

In this way, you can use it when something happens suddenly and you are surprised or scared.

This is one expression, so don't think of it as two separate expressions "gyotto" and "shita," but remember it as one whole!

Today, we introduced "The Mouse's Gratitude" and the onomatopoeias and expressions that appear in it.

I hope you enjoyed it.

That's all for today!

See you in the next blog.