Cover of 猿かに合戦 (Saru ka ni Kassen)

Part 2 of 3 · JLPT N2

猿かに合戦 Saru ka ni Kassen, part 2: The Monkey's Cruel Trick and the Crab's New Friends

by Kusuyama Masao · 1,312 characters · from A Persimmon Seed for a Rice Ball

In this part

The monkey throws a hard green persimmon at the crab, kills it, and runs off with all the ripe fruit. The crab's child comes home, finds its parent dead and weeps, until a chestnut, a bee, a piece of kelp and a mortar each promise to take revenge on the monkey. Together they go to the monkey's house, find it empty, and decide to hide inside and wait.

AI translation · independently checked

「これこれ、こんなしぶいのはだめだよ。もっとあまいのをおくれよ。」"Hey, hey, a bitter one like this is no good. Give me a sweeter one!"

と言いいますと、猿さるは「よし、よし。」と言いいながら、もっと青あおいのをもいで、ほうりました。When the crab said this, the monkey said, "All right, all right," picked an even greener one, and tossed it down.

かにが、The crab said,

「こんどもやっぱりしぶくってだめだ。ほんとうにあまいのをおくれよ。」"This one's bitter too, it's no good. Give me one that's really sweet!"

と言いいますと、猿さるはうるさそうに、At that the monkey looked annoyed and said,

「よし、そんならこれをやる。」"All right, then, have this!"

と言いいながら、いちばん青あおい硬かたいのをもいで、あおむいて待まっているかにの頭あたまをめがけて力ちからいっぱい投なげつけますと、かには、「あっ。」と言いったなり、ひどく甲羅こうらをうたれて、目めをまわして、死しんでしまいました。And with that he picked the very greenest, hardest one and hurled it with all his strength, aiming straight at the head of the crab, who was waiting below with its face turned up. The crab gave just one cry, "Oh!", and that was all; its shell was struck so hard that it fainted and died.

猿さるは、「ざまをみろ。」と言いいながら、こんどこそあまい柿かきを一人ひとりじめにして、おなかのやぶれるほどたくさん食たべて、その上うえ両手りょうてにかかえきれないほど持もって、あとをも見みずにどんどん逃にげて行いってしまいました。"Serves you right!" said the monkey, and this time he kept all the sweet persimmons to himself and ate so many that his belly nearly burst; then, on top of that, he took more than he could carry in both arms and ran off as fast as he could without even looking back.

猿さるが行いってしまったあとへ、そのときちょうど裏うらの小川おがわへ友ともだちと遊あそびに行いっていた子こがにが帰かえって来きました。After the monkey had gone, the little crab came home; it had just then gone off to play with its friends at the stream behind the house.

見みると柿かきの木きの下したに親おやがにが甲羅こうらをくだかれて死しんでいます。When it looked, there under the persimmon tree lay its parent, dead, with its shell smashed.

子こがにはびっくりしておいおい泣なき出だしました。The little crab was so shocked that it burst out sobbing, boo-hoo, boo-hoo.

泣なきながら、「いったいだれがこんなひどいことをしたのだろう。」と思おもってよく見みますと、さっきまであれほどみごとになっていた柿かきがきれいになくなって、青あおい青あおいしぶ柿がきばかりが残のこっていました。Still crying, it wondered, "Who on earth could have done such a terrible thing?", and when it took a good look around, it saw that the persimmons which had been growing so splendidly only a little while ago were all completely gone, and only green, green bitter persimmons were left.

「じゃあ、猿さるのやつが殺ころして、柿かきを取とっていったのだな。」"Then it was that monkey who killed my parent and took the persimmons!"

とかにはくやしがって、またおいおい泣なき出だしました。The crab was so vexed that it burst out sobbing again, boo-hoo, boo-hoo.

するとそこへ栗くりがぽんとはねて来きて、Just then a chestnut came bouncing along, boing!, and

「かにさん、かにさん、なぜ泣なくの。」"Little crab, little crab, why are you crying?"

と聞ききました。it asked.

子こがには、猿さるが親おやがにを殺ころしたから、かたきを討うちたいと言いいますと、栗くりは、The little crab said that the monkey had killed its parent, so it wanted to take revenge, and the chestnut

「にくい猿さるだ。よしよし、おじさんがかたきをとってやるから、お泣なきでない。」"What a hateful monkey! There, there, your uncle here will take revenge for you, so don't you cry."

と言いいました。said.

それでも子こがには泣ないていますと、こんどは蜂はちがぶんとうなって来きて、But the little crab kept on crying, and this time a bee came buzzing along, bzzz!, and

「かにさん、かにさん、なぜ泣なくの。」"Little crab, little crab, why are you crying?"

と聞ききました。it asked.

子こがには猿さるが親おやがにを殺ころしたから、かたきを討うちたいと言いいました。The little crab said that the monkey had killed its parent, so it wanted to take revenge.

すると蜂はちも、Then the bee also

「にくい猿さるだ。よしよし、おじさんがかたきをとってやるから、お泣なきでない。」"What a hateful monkey! There, there, your uncle here will take revenge for you, so don't you cry."

と言いいました。said.

それでも子こがにがまだ泣ないていますと、こんどは昆布こんぶがのろのろすべって来きて、But the little crab was still crying, and this time a piece of kelp came slowly sliding along, slip, slip, and

「かにさん、かにさん、なぜ泣なくの。」"Little crab, little crab, why are you crying?"

と聞ききました。it asked.

子こがには猿さるが親おやがにを殺ころしたから、かたきを討うちたいと言いいました。The little crab said that the monkey had killed its parent, so it wanted to take revenge.

すると昆布こんぶも、Then the kelp also

「にくい猿さるだ。よしよし、おじさんがかたきをとってやるから、お泣なきでない。」"What a hateful monkey! There, there, your uncle here will take revenge for you, so don't you cry."

と言いいました。said.

それでも子こがにがまだ泣ないていますと、こんどは臼うすがころころころがって来きて、But the little crab was still crying, and this time a mortar came rolling along, roll, roll, roll, and

「かにさん、かにさん、なぜ泣なくの。」"Little crab, little crab, why are you crying?"

と聞ききました。it asked.

子こがには猿さるが親おやがにを殺ころしたから、かたきを討うちたいと言いいました。The little crab said that the monkey had killed its parent, so it wanted to take revenge.

すると臼うすも、Then the mortar also

「にくい猿さるだ。よしよし、おじさんがかたきをとってやるから、お泣なきでない。」"What a hateful monkey! There, there, your uncle here will take revenge for you, so don't you cry."

と言いいました。said.

子こがにはこれですっかり泣なきやみました。At this the little crab stopped crying altogether.

栗くりと蜂はちと昆布こんぶと臼うすとは、みんなよって、かたき討うちの相談そうだんをはじめました。The chestnut, the bee, the kelp and the mortar all gathered together and began to talk over how to take their revenge.

三さんIII

相談そうだんがやっとまとまると、臼うすと昆布こんぶと蜂はちと栗くりは、子こがにを連つれて猿さるのうちへ出でかけて行いきました。When at last they had agreed on a plan, the mortar, the kelp, the bee and the chestnut set off for the monkey's house, taking the little crab with them.

猿さるはたんと柿かきを食たべて、おなかがくちくなって、おなかこなしに山やまへでも遊あそびに行いったとみえて、うちにはいませんでした。The monkey had eaten so many persimmons that his belly was stuffed full, and it seemed he had gone off to the mountain or somewhere to play and walk off his meal, for he was not at home.

「ちょうどいい。この間あいだにみんなでうちの中なかにかくれて待まっていよう。」"Just right. Meanwhile, let's all hide inside the house and wait."

Vocabulary

WordMeaningJLPT
もいでもぐto pick (fruit), to pluck offdictionary form: もぐUsed for twisting fruit off a branch; often written 捥ぐ.—
ほうりましたほうるto toss, to throwdictionary form: 放るA casual, careless kind of throw.N2
めがけてめがけるto aim atdictionary form: 目掛けるUsually as 〜をめがけて, "aiming at ~".—
甲羅こうらshell (of a crab or turtle)—
目をまわしてめをまわすto faint, to be knocked senselessdictionary form: 目を回すLiterally "to make one's eyes spin"; can also mean to be very busy or flustered.—
一人じめひとりじめkeeping everything for oneself, hoggingdictionary form: 独り占めUsed with にする: 一人じめにする.—
かたきかたきenemy (esp. one who killed one's kin); the target of revengedictionary form: 敵かたきを討つ / かたきをとる = to avenge someone; かたき討ち = revenge.N1
にくいにくいhateful, detestabledictionary form: 憎いNot the suffix 〜にくい ("hard to ~").N2
うなってうなるto buzz, to hum, to growldictionary form: 唸るAny low, droning sound: insects, dogs, engines.N3
昆布こんぶkelp (an edible seaweed)Also read こぶ. In the story it is slippery, which matters later.—
臼うすmortar (a large wooden or stone vessel for pounding rice)The heavy tub used with a mallet to make mochi.—
泣きやみましたなきやむto stop cryingdictionary form: 泣き止む〜やむ after a verb stem = to stop doing (e.g. 降りやむ).—
たんとたんとa lot, plentyOld-fashioned or dialectal; today たくさん.—
くちくくちいfull (after eating)dictionary form: くちいOld-fashioned word; today おなかがいっぱい.—

Grammar

〜たなり N1 and then nothing more; and that was all

The past form of a verb plus なり shows that one action happened and nothing followed it. Here the crab gives a single cry and never says another word.

かには、「あっ。」と言ったなり、ひどく甲羅をうたれて

the crab gave just one cry, "Oh!", and that was all; its shell was struck hard

〜ほど N3 so much that ~; to the extent that ~

ほど after a clause describes the degree of something. The monkey eats to the point where his belly might burst, and takes more than his arms can hold.

おなかのやぶれるほどたくさん食べて

ate so many that his belly nearly burst

〜きれない N3 cannot completely ~; too much to ~

The verb stem plus きれない means an action cannot be done fully. かかえきれない means "too many to hold in one's arms".

両手にかかえきれないほど持って

took more than he could carry in both arms

〜てやる N4 to do something for someone (from above)

〜てやる means doing something for someone, said by a speaker of equal or higher standing to someone lower (such as a child), or toward animals. It is plainer and less polite than 〜てあげる and can also express determination. The 'uncle' is promising to take revenge on the little crab's behalf.

おじさんがかたきをとってやるから、お泣きでない。

your uncle here will take revenge for you, so don't you cry.

お〜でない N1 don't ~ (gentle, old-fashioned command)

お plus a verb stem plus でない is an older, soft way for an adult to tell a child not to do something. Today people would say 泣かないで.

お泣きでない。

don't you cry.

〜とみえて N2 it seems that ~, and so ...

とみえる means "it appears that ~", a guess based on what can be seen. The narrator guesses the monkey went out because he is not at home.

山へでも遊びに行ったとみえて、うちにはいませんでした。

it seemed he had gone off to the mountain or somewhere to play, for he was not at home.