Cover of 貝の火 (Kai no Hi)N5 · easy

Simplified retelling · JLPT N5

貝の火 Kai no Hi in easy Japanese (N5)

Retold for N5 learners after the story by Miyazawa Kenji · 986 characters

This is our own simplified retelling of Homoi and the Shell-Fire Jewel, written for N5 learners and checked word by word against the N5 vocabulary list. A few story words and grammar patterns go beyond N5; 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 N4 version or the original text.

The story in brief

Homoi, a little rabbit, saves a baby lark from a river, and the larks thank him with a beautiful red jewel called the Shell-Fire. Homoi grows proud, bosses the other animals around and does nothing when the fox bullies the mole, until the jewel clouds over and turns completely white. After the family rescues the birds the fox has trapped, the jewel flies away and Homoi loses his sight, but his father comforts him and promises his eyes will get better.

AI translation · independently checked

ホモイは小ちいさなうさぎの男おとこの子こです。Homoi is a little boy rabbit.

あるあさ、川かわの中なかで、ひばりの子こどもがないていました。One morning, a baby lark was crying in the river.

ホモイは川かわに入はいって、子こどもをたすけました。Homoi went into the river and saved the baby.

でも、とてもつかれて、びょうきになりました。But he became very tired, and he fell ill.

びょうきがよくなったよる、ひばりのお母かあさんと子こどもが来きました。On the night he got better, the mother lark and her baby came.

「子こどもをたすけてくれて、ほんとうにどうも。これはおうさまからの、かいの火ひというたまです。」それは、あかくてきれいなたまでした。"Thank you so very much for saving my child. This is a jewel from the King, called the Shell-Fire." It was a beautiful red jewel.

お父とうさんはいいました。Homoi's father said:

「これはゆうめいなたまだ。わるい子こになると、たまはくもるよ。」ホモイは毎日まいにちたまをみがきました。"This is a famous jewel. If you become a bad child, the jewel will grow cloudy." Every day, Homoi polished the jewel.

つぎのあさから、どうぶつたちはみんな、ホモイの話はなしをよく聞ききました。From the next morning on, all the animals listened carefully to what Homoi said.

ホモイは「ぼくはみんなの上うえだ」といいました。Homoi said, "I am above everyone."

きつねには「ぼくの下もとではたらけ」といいました。To the fox he said, "Work under me."

もぐらが「あかるいところでははたらけません」というと、ホモイは大おおきなこえで、いやなことばをいいました。When the mole said, "I can't work in bright places," Homoi said nasty words in a loud voice.

でも、たまは前まえよりきれいでした。But the jewel was more beautiful than before.

きつねがぬすんだパンをもって来きました。The fox brought some bread that he had stolen.

お父とうさんは「これはぬすんだパンだ」といって、食たべませんでした。Father said, "This is stolen bread," and he did not eat it.

つぎに、きつねがもぐらをいじめました。Next, the fox bullied the mole.

ホモイは見みていました。Homoi was watching.

お父とうさんがもぐらをたすけました。Father saved the mole.

それでも、たまはきれいでした。Even so, the jewel was still beautiful.

ホモイは「ぼくとたまは、いつもいっしょです」といいました。Homoi said, "The jewel and I will always be together."

またつぎのあさ、きつねはとりをたくさんとって、大おおきなはこに入いれました。The morning after that, the fox caught lots of birds and put them in a big box.

「ホモイさん、たすけてください。」でも、きつねが「食たべるぞ」と大おおきなこえでいったので、ホモイはいえへはしってかえりました。"Mr. Homoi, please help us!" But the fox said in a loud voice, "I'll eat you!" so Homoi ran back home.

たまの中なかに、小ちいさな白しろいところがありました。Inside the jewel there was a small white spot.

かぞくでみがきましたが、白しろいところはだんだん大おおきくなりました。The family polished it together, but the white spot grew bigger and bigger.

よる、たまはまっ白しろになりました。That night, the jewel turned pure white.

ホモイは大おおきなこえでなきました。Homoi cried out loud.

お父とうさんはいいました。Father said:

「ホモイ、ひばりをたすけたから、たまをもらったんだよ。さあ、とりをたすけに行いこう。」三さん人にんが行いくと、きつねははしって行いきました。"Homoi, you got the jewel because you saved the lark. Now, let's go and save the birds." When the three of them went, the fox ran away.

はこの中なかには、とりが百ひゃくぐらいいました。Inside the box there were about a hundred birds.

とりたちはいえに来きて、たまを見みました。The birds came to the house and looked at the jewel.

その時とき、たまは小ちいさく小ちいさくなりました。At that moment, the jewel broke into tiny, tiny pieces.

でも、また一ひとつになって、あかくきれいになって、まどから外そとへとんで行いきました。But then it became one again, turned a beautiful red, and flew out of the window.

ホモイのめは白しろくなって、もう何なにも見みられません。Homoi's eyes turned white, and he could not see anything anymore.

お母かあさんもなきました。Mother cried too.

お父とうさんはホモイのせにておいて、いいました。Father put his hand on Homoi's back and said:

「なくな。よくわかったね。めはまたよくなるよ。お父とうさんがよくするから。」"Don't cry. You understand now, don't you? Your eyes will get better. Father will make them well."

外そとは天気てんきがよくなって、はながきれいでした。Outside, the weather had cleared, and the flowers were beautiful.

Vocabulary

WordMeaningJLPT
たすけましたたすけるto save, to help, to rescuedictionary form: 助けるA key word in this story: who helps whom, and who doesn't.N3
つかれてつかれるto get tireddictionary form: 疲れるつかれています = 'I am tired' (the state after getting tired).N5
びょうきびょうきillness; sickdictionary form: 病気びょうきになる = to fall ill.N5
たまたまjewel, ball, round gemdictionary form: 玉Any round object; here a precious gem.N3
かいの火かいのひthe Shell-Fire (name of the jewel)dictionary form: 貝の火貝 (かい) = shell, 火 (ひ) = fire: a jewel that glows like fire inside.—
ゆうめいゆうめいfamousdictionary form: 有名A な-adjective: ゆうめいなたま.N5
くもるくもるto become cloudy, to dimdictionary form: 曇るUsually used for the sky; here the jewel loses its shine.N5
みがきましたみがくto polishdictionary form: 磨くAlso used for brushing teeth: はをみがく.N5
ぬすんだぬすむto stealdictionary form: 盗むぬすんだパン = bread that was stolen (past form before a noun).N4
いじめましたいじめるto bully, to pick ondictionary form: いじめるN4
はこはこboxdictionary form: 箱N5
だんだんだんだんgradually, little by littledictionary form: 段々Often used with 〜くなる / 〜になる to describe change.N1
まっ白まっしろpure white, completely whitedictionary form: 真っ白まっ〜 makes a colour stronger: まっ赤 (bright red), まっ黒 (pitch black).N2

Grammar

〜てくれる N4 someone does something for me / us

The て-form plus くれる shows that someone did an action that benefits the speaker. The mother lark is thanking Homoi for something he did for her family.

子どもをたすけてくれて、ほんとうにどうも。

Thank you so very much for saving my child.

〜と (conditional) N4 if / when (natural result)

Dictionary form + と shows that one thing always or naturally leads to another. If Homoi becomes bad, the jewel will automatically cloud over.

わるい子になると、たまはくもるよ。

If you become a bad child, the jewel will grow cloudy.

AはBより〜 N5 A is more ~ than B

より marks the thing being compared against. Here the jewel is compared with how it looked before.

でも、たまは前よりきれいでした。

But the jewel was more beautiful than before.

〜ので N4 because, so

ので gives a reason, and the result follows. Because the fox threatened him, Homoi ran home.

きつねが「食べるぞ」と大きなこえでいったので、ホモイはいえへはしってかえりました。

The fox said in a loud voice, "I'll eat you!" so Homoi ran back home.

verb stem + に行く N5 go (in order) to do

The masu-stem of a verb plus に before 行く shows the purpose of going. たすけに行こう means 'let's go to save'.

さあ、とりをたすけに行こう。

Now, let's go and save the birds.

dictionary form + な (prohibition) N4 don't ~

Adding な to the dictionary form makes a short, strong command not to do something. A parent can use it to a child, as Father does here.

なくな。

Don't cry.