Simplified retelling · JLPT N4

双子の星 Futago no Hoshi in easy Japanese (N4)

Retold for N4 learners after the story by Miyazawa Kenji · 1,358 characters

This is our own simplified retelling of The Star Twins by the Silver River, written for N4 learners and checked word by word against the N4 vocabulary list. A few story words and grammar patterns go beyond N4; the notes below give each one's level. It keeps the characters, events and ending of the original. When it feels easy, move on to the N3 version or the original text.

The story in brief

The twin stars Chunse and Pōse stop a fight between the Great Crow and the Scorpion, nurse them both, and nearly fail at their nightly flute-playing to help the Scorpion home until the King sends help. Later a lying comet drops them into the sea, where a whale threatens them, but the sea-serpent king recognises their good deeds and sends them back to the sky. The comet falls into the sea and becomes sea cucumbers, and the twins return in time to play their flutes at dawn.

AI translation · independently checked

空そらの西にしのほうに、小ちいさな青あおいほしが二ふたつ見みえます。Toward the west of the sky, two small blue stars can be seen.

ふたごのほしの、チュンセとポウセです。They are the twin stars, Chunse and Pōse.

二人ふたりは毎まいばん、空そらのほしの歌うたといっしょに、ふえをふきます。Every night the two of them play their flutes along with the song of the stars in the sky.

それが二人ふたりの大切たいせつな仕事しごとでした。That was the two boys' important work.

ある朝あさ、二人ふたりは空そらのいけへ遊あそびに行いきました。One morning, the two of them went to play at the pond in the sky.

そこへ大おおガラスが来きて、水みずをたくさん飲のみました。Just then the Great Crow came along and drank a great deal of water.

すると、さそりが歌うたいながら来きました。Then the Scorpion came along, singing.

それは大おおガラスをわらう歌うたでした。It was a song that mocked the Great Crow.

大おおガラスはとてもおこりました。The Great Crow grew very angry.

二人ふたりは止とめましたが、大おおガラスとさそりはけんかを始はじめました。The two boys tried to stop them, but the Great Crow and the Scorpion began to fight.

さそりは頭あたまに、大おおガラスは体からだに、ひどいけがをしました。The Scorpion was badly hurt on the head, and the Great Crow on the body.

そして、二人ふたりともたおれました。And then both of them fell to the ground.

チュンセは大おおガラスのけがから、悪わるいちをすって出だしました。Chunse sucked the bad blood out of the Great Crow's wound.

大おおガラスは目めを開あけて、何度なんどもお礼れいをいいました。The Great Crow opened his eyes and thanked him again and again.

「もうけんかはしません。」そして、家いえへ帰かえりました。"I won't fight any more." And then he went home.

二人ふたりは水みずで、さそりの頭あたまをあらいました。The two boys washed the Scorpion's head with water.

昼ひるに、さそりは目めを開あけました。At noon, the Scorpion opened its eyes.

「家いえまで送おくってください。」"Please take me home."

さそりは二人ふたりの十じゅうばいも大おおきくて、とても重おもいです。The Scorpion was ten times as big as the two of them, and very heavy.

二人ふたりは顔かおを赤あかくして、少すこしずつ歩あるきました。Their faces turning red, the two boys walked on little by little.

何時間なんじかんも歩あるいて、体からだがとてもいたくなりました。They walked for hours and hours, and their bodies ached terribly.

日ひが西にしの山やまに入はいりました。The Sun sank behind the western mountains.

もう夜よるの仕事しごとにおくれます。Soon they would be late for their night's work.

ポウセはとうとうたおれました。At last Pōse collapsed.

さそりはなきました。The Scorpion wept.

「わたしが悪わるかったです。これからはよいさそりになります。やくそくします。」"It was my fault. From now on I will be a good scorpion. I promise."

その時とき、おうさまが、ひかる人ひとを送おくりました。At that moment the King sent a shining messenger.

さそりはおうさまのくすりをもらいました。The Scorpion received the King's medicine.

二人ふたりは新あたらしい服ふくをもらって、仕事しごとに間まに合あいました。The two boys were given new clothes and were in time for their work.

そして、ふえをふきました。And so they played their flutes.

あるばん、雨あめがふって、空そらは黒くろいくもでいっぱいでした。One night rain was falling, and the sky was full of black clouds.

そこへ、大おおきなほうきぼしが来きました。Just then a great comet came along.

「少すこし旅行りょこうに行いこう。おうさまもいいといったよ。」"Let's go on a little trip. The King said it's all right, you know."

チュンセは「ほんとうですか」と聞ききました。"Is that really true?" asked Chunse.

ほうきぼしは「うそなら、わたしの体からだが三みっつにわかれて、海うみにおちてもいい」といいました。"If it's a lie, then let my body split into three and fall into the sea," said the comet.

二人ふたりはほうきぼしの後うしろを、手てで強つよく持もちました。The two boys held tight to the comet's tail with their hands.

遠とおくまで来きた時とき、ほうきぼしはわらいました。When they had come a long way, the comet laughed.

「ははは、今いまのは全部ぜんぶうそだ。」そして、二人ふたりをおとしました。"Ha, ha, ha! All of that was a lie!" And he dropped the two of them.

二人ふたりはいっしょに、黒くろい海うみの中なかにおちました。Together, the two boys fell down into the black sea.

でも、水みずの中なかでも、二人ふたりは大丈夫だいじょうぶでした。But even in the water, the two of them were all right.

海うみの下したには、赤あかいひとでがたくさんいました。At the bottom of the sea there were many red starfish.

「おまえたちも、悪わるいことをしておちて来きたんだな。」二人ふたりはかなしくなって、空そらのおうさまに、おわかれのあいさつをしました。"So you've fallen down here for doing something bad too, eh?" The two boys grew sad and said their farewells to the King of the sky.

そこへ、大おおきなくじらが来きました。Just then a huge whale came along.

「空そらから来きた紙かみを出だせ。ないなら、食たべるぞ。」くじらは口くちを大おおきく開あけました。"Hand over the paper you brought from the sky! If you haven't got one, I'll eat you!" The whale opened its mouth wide.

その時とき、小ちいさなうみへびが来きました。At that moment a small sea serpent came.

くじらはびっくりして、口くちを閉しめました。The whale was startled and shut its mouth.

うみへびはいいました。The sea serpent said:

「この方かたたちの頭あたまの上うえには、よいひかりがあります。悪わるい人ひとではありません。」"Above these gentlemen's heads there is a good light. They are not bad people."

うみへびのおうさまは、二人ふたりを知しっていました。The king of the sea serpents knew the two boys.

「あなたたちがさそりの心こころをなおした話はなしは、ここでも有名ゆうめいです。」おうさまは強つよい風かぜで、二人ふたりを空そらへ送おくりました。"The story of how you mended the Scorpion's heart is well known even here." The king sent the two of them back to the sky on a strong wind.

ひとでたちは「わたしたちも、いつか空そらへ帰かえれるように、おうさまにたのんでください」といいました。The starfish said, "Please ask the King for us too, so that someday we may go back to the sky."

空そらへ行いく時とき、ほうきぼしが三みっつにわかれて、海うみにおちて行いくのが見みえました。As they rose toward the sky, they saw the comet split into three and fall down into the sea.

「あれは、なまこになります。」と風かぜがいいました。"Those will become sea cucumbers," said the wind.

二人ふたりはうちに帰かえって、見みえないおうさまに話はなしました。The two boys went back home and spoke to the unseen King.

「海うみのおうさまが、あいさつをつたえてほしいといっていました。ひとでとなまこも、いつか空そらに帰かえれるようにしてください。」"The King of the sea asked us to pass on his greetings. And please let the starfish and the sea cucumbers go back to the sky someday, too."

そして、二人ふたりはふえを取とりました。And then the two of them took up their flutes.

東ひがしの空そらは、もう黄色きいろくなっていました。The eastern sky had already turned yellow.

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	JLPT
ふたごふたご	twinsdictionary form: 双子双 means 'pair'; the title 双子の星 is 'The Twin Stars'.	N3
ふえふえ	flute, pipedictionary form: 笛A flute is 'blown': ふえをふく (笛を吹く).	N3
けんかけんか	fight, quarreldictionary form: 喧嘩けんかをする / けんかを始める. Used for both arguments and physical fights.	N4
けがけが	injury, wounddictionary form: 怪我けがをする = to get hurt.	N4
たおれましたたおれる	to fall down, collapsedictionary form: 倒れるUsed for people fainting or collapsing from exhaustion or injury.	N4
おくれますおくれる	to be late (for)dictionary form: 遅れるThe thing you are late for takes に: 仕事におくれる.	N4
やくそくやくそく	promisedictionary form: 約束やくそくする = to promise.	N4
間に合いましたまにあう	to be in time (for)dictionary form: 間に合うThe opposite of おくれる; also takes に.	N4
ほうきぼしほうきぼし	cometdictionary form: 箒星Literally 'broom star', from the shape of its tail. The standard word is 彗星 (すいせい).	—
うそうそ	liedictionary form: 嘘うそをつく = to tell a lie.	N4
ひとでひとで	starfishdictionary form: 海星Usually written in kana; in the story they are fallen stars.	—
くじらくじら	whaledictionary form: 鯨	—
うみへびうみへび	sea serpent, sea snakedictionary form: 海蛇海 + へび (snake); へ becomes voiced as べ in some words, but not here.	—
つたえてつたえる	to pass on (a message), conveydictionary form: 伝えるあいさつをつたえる = to pass on someone's greetings.	N4

Grammar

〜ながら N4 while doing ~

Attached to the verb stem (歌い), it shows that one action happens at the same time as the main action. The main action here is 来ました.

さそりが歌いながら来ました。
The Scorpion came along, singing.

い-adjective 〜く + する N4 to make something ~

Changing an い-adjective to its く form and adding する means 'to make it that way'. 顔を赤くして means their faces became red from the effort.

二人は顔を赤くして、少しずつ歩きました。
Their faces turning red, the two boys walked on little by little.

〜なら / 〜てもいい N4 if ~ / it's all right if ~

なら sets up a condition ('if it is a lie'). 〜てもいい here expresses that the speaker is willing to accept the outcome ('I wouldn't mind if ~'), rather than giving permission. Together they form an oath: the comet swears he will accept punishment if he is lying.

うそなら、わたしの体が三つにわかれて、海におちてもいい
If it's a lie, then let my body split into three and fall into the sea.

〜んだな N4 so it's that ~, eh (explanatory)

んだ (のだ) gives an explanation or draws a conclusion from what the speaker sees, and な adds a rough, self-assured tone. The starfish assume the twins fell for doing something wrong.

おまえたちも、悪いことをしておちて来たんだな。
So you've fallen down here for doing something bad too, eh?

〜ように N4 so that ~

After a potential or plain verb, ように expresses a goal or hoped-for result. The starfish want the twins to ask the King so that they will be able to return to the sky.

わたしたちも、いつか空へ帰れるように、おうさまにたのんでください
Please ask the King for us too, so that someday we may go back to the sky.

〜てほしい N4 to want someone to do ~

The て-form plus ほしい expresses wanting another person to do something. Here the sea king wanted the twins to pass on his greetings, reported with といっていました.

海のおうさまが、あいさつをつたえてほしいといっていました。
The King of the sea asked us to pass on his greetings.