Let's read "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain"! Part 1 / Japanese Learning Support LLC
Let's read a story in Japanese.
Reading is the best way to learn Japanese!
Please try reading it aloud.
Today, I'd like to share a story called "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain."
Do you all know what a "Yamanba" is?
Yamanba is a type of yokai (supernatural creature) that is an old woman who lives deep in the mountains.
It's a Japanese monster, isn't it?
Today's menu
1. "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain" Part 1
"The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain" Part 1
Once upon a time, near a certain village, there was a mountain called Chofuku Mountain.
It was said that a terrifying mountain witch lived on that mountain.
The villagers were very afraid of that mountain witch.
One night, as the villagers were watching the full moon, they heard a loud voice from the mountaintop shouting, "Whoa!"
Then the sky suddenly darkened, and thunder began to rumble.
"Oh! The mountain witch of Chofuku Mountain has given birth to a baby!"
The villagers said that and hurried back to their homes.
"The mountain witch is in a bad mood because she just gave birth to a baby. I wonder how we can cheer her up."
The villagers thought.
"We need to take some mochi to the mountain witch. Otherwise, she'll get even angrier and eat the villagers and horses too."
The thunderstorm was still going on.
The villagers all contributed rice and made mochi (rice cakes).
However, even though they finally managed to make the mochi, they couldn't find anyone to take it up the mountain with them.
Everyone was afraid of the mountain witch, so no one wanted to go to the mountains.
As we were discussing what to do, one of the villagers said:
"If no one wants to take it, that's a problem. I know. I'll ask those two young men from the village who are always boasting about their strength."
So, I called over two men known as the strongest in the village and asked them to take the mochi (rice cakes) with me.
The men,
"But hey! We don't know the mountain paths. How do we get there?"
He said.
Then, the oldest woman in the village stepped forward.
"I know where it is. I'll show you the way."
Given the circumstances, the two men couldn't really refuse.
The two men followed behind the old woman, carrying the rice cakes.
The mountain witch's house was far away, and as I walked, it gradually became darker.
"Hey, are you okay?"
The three of them encouraged each other as they climbed.
Then, suddenly
"Where's the mochi?!"
I heard the eerie voice of a mountain witch.
"Aa!"
The two men were terrified, so they left the rice cakes and ran away.
"Now... what should I do..."
The old woman looked at the rice cakes the two had left behind and said:
"I can't carry this much mochi."
But there's nothing we can do about it.
The old woman took only a small amount of rice cakes and continued climbing the mountain.
to be continued…
How was it?
This time, we introduced "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain," part 1.
The two men have run away, but will the old woman be able to reach the mountain witch safely on her own?
Please look forward to Part 2!
How to use "~n desu"
Now, let's learn a little about the grammar and contexts that appeared in the text.
When the two men were lost on the mountain path, they said something like this:
"We don't know the mountain paths."
This time, let's review the grammar point "-n desu" used here.
The word "ndesu" was used in the phrase "I don't understand."
"Wakaranai" means "I don't understand."
"I don't know the mountain trails." What does this mean?
"Ndesu" is used when explaining circumstances.
The speaker is saying, "I don't know the mountain path," which means they have a request or question like, "Could you tell me how to get there?"
The reason why people ask "I need help/how do I get there?" is because they "don't know the mountain trails."
Thus, "ndezu" is a grammatical structure used to explain the speaker's circumstances or situation.
Let's look at some other example sentences using "ndesu".
I'd like to withdraw some money.
I'd like to withdraw some money. (Where's the ATM...?)
I have a test tomorrow.
I have a test tomorrow. (So I can't hang out today. I'm going home early.)
In sentences that do not use "ndesu," you are simply stating a fact, but by using "ndesu," you can add a nuance such as "for that reason/because of those circumstances..."
When you want to ask someone a question or make a request, you can also say it this way.
I want to go to a convenience store, but how do I get there ?
I wrote a report in Japanese, but are these kanji characters correct ?
I'm looking for a cheap apartment; could you recommend some areas?
I'm moving next week; could you help me out a little?
The phrase "But, (question/request)" is very convenient.
I encourage you all to try using "~nde" and "~nde ga~" when asking questions or making requests.
summary
Today, we talked about "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain" Part 1 and the grammatical structure "ndezu".
"Ndesu" is used when explaining a situation, and it can be placed before requests or questions, right?
I encourage you all to look for sentences that use "ndesu" while reading stories and try using them yourselves.
The continuation of "The Mountain Witch of Chofuku Mountain" will be posted on the JLS blog, so please look forward to part 2!
That's all for today!
Let's not let the May blues get the better of us, and let's have a great month!
