Let's read the story of Kappa praying for rain! / Japanese Learning Support LLC | blog

Let's read the story of the Kappa's Rain Prayer.

This year's rainy season passed in the blink of an eye, but today I would like to share with you a story related to rain.

Do you know what a kappa is?

They are monsters that live in rivers and swamps and appear in Japanese folk tales and legends.

Kappa are often thought of as mischievous creatures, but the kappa in this story is a little different.

So let's read it!

"Kappa's Rain Prayer"

There was a big swamp near a village.

There lived a kappa who was always causing trouble for the villagers.

One day, the village monk went to the swamp where the kappa lived and asked him.

Monk: "Why are you always doing bad things?"

Kappa: "Because I look like this, no one wants to be friends with me. Humans say I'm scary, and I can't make friends with the fish and birds in the swamp either."

Monk: "Do you want to become a human?"

Kappa: "That's right. I want to become a human and make friends."

Monk: "I see. Then don't do bad things to humans, but do good things to them. If you help humans, you will surely become a human."

The monk gave the kappa some advice and then left.

That summer, there was no rain at all in the village.

The fields and rice paddies have completely dried up and the villagers have nothing to eat.

The villagers then prayed for rain for many days.

Rain prayer means praying for rain to fall.

But it didn't rain at all.

A few days later, the kappa suddenly appeared in the village.

The kappa continued praying for rain for several days without eating or drinking.

At first the villagers were surprised to see the kappa praying for rain, but they still wanted it to rain, so they continued praying with the kappa.

A few days later, rain began to fall in the village.

The thunder rumbled and the rain got stronger and stronger.

All the villagers went outside and enjoyed the rain after a long time.

However, when one of the villagers went to check on the kappa, he found it had died in the rain.

When the monk told the villagers about the kappa's desire to become a human, the villagers built a grave for the kappa in the village and continued to pass on the story.

How was it?

Today, we introduced the story of "The Kappa's Rain Prayer."

Now, let's introduce some tools that you often see on rainy days and some vocabulary to describe the level of rain.

・Umbrella

This is basic vocabulary, so I'm sure you all know it: an umbrella is what you need on a rainy day.

The transparent umbrellas sold at convenience stores and other places are called "plastic umbrellas" or "vinyl umbrellas."

Also, umbrellas that can be folded up small are called "folding umbrellas."

By the way, an umbrella used to block the sunlight on sunny days is called a "parasol." They will come in handy from now on.

Example 1) I go out with an umbrella.

Example 2) Walking with an umbrella.

・Long boots

These are shoes you wear on rainy days. They are a little long and prevent rain from getting inside the shoes.

They are made from a material that keeps water out, so your socks won't get wet when you wear them.

Example: It's raining heavily, so I'll wear rain boots.

・Raincoats and raincoats

This is a coat to wear on rainy days. It is also made of a material that keeps out the rain, so it is convenient to wear when riding a bicycle.

It is also called a raincoat or a kappa.

It's interesting that it's pronounced the same as the yokai kappa in today's story! However, it is said that the origin of the word is actually different.

Example: If you're riding a bicycle, you can't bring an umbrella. Wear a raincoat.

Next, let's express the level of rain in Japanese.

・Heavy rain

It means a lot of rain.

It can be used like this.

Example: It's raining heavily, so let's take a taxi.

Another way to say this is, "It's raining heavily."

Zaazaa is an onomatopoeia that describes the sound of heavy rain.

・Light Rain

It's just a little light rain falling.

Example: Oh, it's starting to rain a little! I wonder if the laundry is okay.

The reading of "kosame" is "kosame." Note that it is not "koame."

You can also use onomatopoeia to describe this type of rain as "It's drizzling."

★Is “heavy rain” a mistake?

Earlier, we introduced the words "heavy rain" and "light rain."

Because we use the kanji for "big" and "small," it might seem like we could also use adjectives to say, "It's raining heavily" or "The rain today is small," but in fact this is incorrect.

If you want to express this using adjectives, you would use "strong" and "weak", as in "It's raining heavily" and "The rain today is light."

How was it?

Today, we introduced the story of "The Kappa's Rain Prayer" and some tools used on rainy days as well as vocabulary to describe the intensity of rain.

This year, the rainy season passed in the blink of an eye and July has arrived.

The hot days are continuing, so please make sure to drink plenty of water and take care not to get heatstroke.

If you would like to take online Japanese lessons in the comfort of your own home, feel free to contact us at JLS!

Well, see you in the next blog!