○んぎつね ♥ ○ngitsune ♥ ○n-Fox

おやまのそばには

O-yama no soba ni wa

Near the mountain

ちいさなきつねが

chiisana kitsune ga

lived

すんでいました

sunde imashita

a small fox.

天気のよい日には

Tenki no yoi hi ni wa

One day when the weather was good

村へおりてきて

mura e orite kite

he came down to the village

思いつくかぎりの

omoitsuku kagiri no

and played whatever pranks

いたずらをする

itazura o suru

he could think of,

こまりものの

komarimono no

this trouble-maker

こぎつねです

kogitsune desu

fox cub.

その日も　村人の魚を

Sono hi mo murabito no sakana o

On that day, he also ended up

にがしてしまいました

nigashite shimaimashita

letting a villager's fish get away.

うなぎがまきついて

Unagi ga makitsuite

The eel wrapped itself around him

はなれてくれません

hanarete kuremasen

and wouldn't let go.

大きな声でしかられた

Ōkina koe de shikarareta

Scolded with a loud voice,

こぎつねはおとろいて

kogitsune wa odoroite

the little fox was startled

にげだしました

nigedashimashita

and took off.

それから何日かすぎた

Sore kara nannichika sugita

This story is about what happened

ある日のことです

aru hi no koto desu

a few days later.

村人がゆうげの

Murabito ga yūge no

Around the time when the villagers

したくをするころ

shitaku o suru koro

get dinner ready

ひとつだけけむりの

hitotsu dake kemuri no

there was

出ていない言えが

dete inai ie ga

a single house

ありました

arimashita

without any smoke.

ふしぎに思ってのぞくと

Fushigi ni omotte nozoku to

Thinking it strange, he had a look only to find

あのときの村人の家でした

ano toki no murabito no ie deshita

it was the house of the villager from before.

がっくりとうなだれて

Gakkuri to unadarete

Crestfallen, his head down,

とてもかなしそうな

totemo kanashisō na

he looked like

ようすに見えました

yōsu ni miemashita

he was very sad.

こぎつねは考えました

Kogitsune wa kangaemashita

The little fox thought,

びょうきのヨメが

Byōki no yome ga

His ill wife

うなぎを食べたいと

unagi o tabetai to

for sure had said

言ったにちがいない

itta ni chigainai

she wanted to have some eel.

あのときはヨメのために

Ano toki wa yome no tame ni

That time it was for his wife

うなぎをとっていたのだ

unagi o totte ita no da

he had caught the eel.

ヨメはうなぎを食べれず

Yome wa unagi o taberezu

I bet his wife died

死んでしまったのだろう

shinde shimatta no darō

without getting to eat some eel.

ヨメは　うなぎを食べたい

Yome wa unagi o tabetai

I bet his wife died thinking,

うなぎを食べたいと

unagi o tabetai to

"I'd like some eel,

思いながら死んだのだろう

omoinagara shinda no darō

I'd like some eel."

あのときあんないたずらを

Ano toki anna itazura o

I wish I hadn't played

しなければよかった

shinakereba yokatta

such a prank back then.

こぎつねは森へもどり

Kogitsune wa mori e modori

The little fox returned to the forest

ひとり泣きました

hitori nakimashita

and wept alone.

こぎつねは

Kogitsune wa

The little fox

いわし売りの

iwashi-uri no

grabbed

にぐるまから

niguruma kara

some shiny sardines

ぴかぴかのいわしを

pikapika no iwashi o

from a sardine-seller's

つかみとり

tsukamitori

cart

あの村人の家へ

ano murabito no ie e

and tossed them

ほうりこみました

hōrikomimashita

into that villager's house.

うなぎのつぐないに

Unagi no tsugunai ni

He thought he did

ひとついいことを

hitotsu ii koto o

a good deed

したと思いました

shita to omoimashita

to make up for the eel.

山では　くりや

Yama de wa kuri ya

At the mountain,

まつたけなどを

matsutake nado o

he gathered chestnuts,

あつめました

atsumemashita

mushrooms and other things.

そしてうらぐちから

Soshite uraguchi kara

Then, when peering in

のぞいてみると

nozoite miru to

from the back door,

今日もまたうなだれて

kyō mo mata unadarete

the man again had his head bowed

なにごとかを

nanigoto ka o

and was muttering

つぶやいています

tsubuyaite imasu

something or other.

「一体だれがおれのうちへ

"Ittai dare ga ore no uchi e

"Who on earth threw sardines

いわしをなげこんだのだろう

iwashi o nagekonda no darō

into my house?

おかげでどろぼうと思われて

okage de dorobō to omowarete

As a result, they think me a thief

えらいめにあわされた」

erai me ni awasareta"

and gave me a hard time."

またぼくのせいで

Mata boku no sei de

Again it's my fault …

こぎつねはかなしく

Kogitsune wa kanashiku

The little fox

なりましたが

narimashita ga

felt sad,

これからは森で

kore kara wa mori de

and decided that from then on

とれたものだけを

toreta mono dake o

he'd only deliver

毎日とどけようと

mainichi todokeyō to

what he could get each day

決めたのでした

kimeta no deshita

from the forest.

月のいい夜のことでした

Tsuki no ii yoru no koto deshita

It happened on a moonlit night.

こぎつねはぶらぶらと

Kogitsune wa burabura to

The little fox went out

さんぽにでかけました

sanpo ni dekakemashita

for a roam.

すると人が話しながら

Suruto hito ga hanashinagara

Thereupon, some people talking

歩いてきました

aruite kimashita

walked past.

「このごろうちにはとても

"Konogoro uchi ni wa totemo

"These days there's been

ふしぎなことがあるんだ」

fushigi na koto ga aru n da"

some strange happenings at home."

「ふうん　どうした」

"Fūn dōshita"

"Ooh, what's up?"

「誰かが毎日こっそり

"Dareka ga mainichi kossori

"Someone's been secretly

くりやまつたけ

kuri ya matsutake

giving me stuff each day

なんかをくれるんだよ」

nanka o kureru n da yo"

like chestnuts and mushrooms!"

こぎつねはかげぼうしを

Kogitsune wa kagebōshi o

Step by step, the little fox

ふみふみついてゆきました

fumifumi tsuite yukimashita

followed the dark silhouettes.

「それはきっと

"Sore wa kitto

"That was surely

神さまにちがいない

kamisama ni chigainai

none other than God.

ヨメににげられた

Yome ni nigerareta

God took pity on you

おまえをあわれんで

omae o awarende

because your wife left you

ものをめぐんで

mono o megunde

and blessed you

くださるんだろう」

kudasaru n darō"

with some things."

よかった

Yokatta

Phew!

びょうきで死んだ

Byōki de shinda

There was no wife

ヨメはいなかったんだ

yome wa inakatta n da

that died from sickness.

こぎつねは安心しました

Kogitsune wa anshin shimashita

The little fox felt relieved.

あくる日もこぎつねは

Akuru hi mo kogitsune wa

Again the next day, the little fox

くりをもって出かけました

kuri o motte dekakemashita

took some chestnuts and set off.

いつものようにうらから

Itsumo no yō ni ura kara

Like usual, he snuck in

そっとしのびこんで

sotto shinobikonde

through the back

くりをおきました

kuri o okimashita

and placed the chestnuts.

「やや、いつかの

"Ya ya, itsuka no

"Aha, the rascal fox

いたずらぎつねが

itazuragitsune ga

from before

また何かわるさを

mata nanika warusa o

has come again

しにきたのだな

shi ni kita no da na

to make trouble.

つかまえて

Tsukamaete

I'll catch him

こらしめてやろう」

korashimete yarō"

and teach him a lesson."

しのびあしで後ろをとおったことに

Shinobiashi de ushiro o tōtta koto ni

The little fox didn't notice

こぎつねは気づきませんでした

kogitsune wa kizukimasen deshita

that he sneaked up on him from behind.

もみじをきれいに

Momiji o kirei ni

After neatly arranging

かざりつけて

kazaritsukete

some autumn leaves,

さて帰ろうと

sate kaerō to

when he was about

したときには

shita toki ni wa

to go back home,

閉じこめられて

tojikomerarete

he ended up

しまっていました

shimatte imashita

getting locked up.

こぎつねは

Kogitsune wa

The little fox

もうどこにも

mō doko ni mo

had nowhere

にげられません

nigeraremasen

to escape.

「レン、おまえだったのか

"Ren, omae datta no ka

"Len, is it you

いつも　くりをくれたのは」

itsumo kuri o kureta no wa"

who's always been giving me chestnuts?"

ふるえているこぎつねに

Furuete iru kogitsune ni

To the trembling little fox,

やさしく笑いかけて

yasashiku waraikakete

the villager then said

村人はさらに言いました

murabito wa sarani iimashita

with a friendly smile.

「ここにいれば毎日

"Koko ni ireba mainichi

"If you stay here, every day

大好きなうなぎを

daisuki na unagi o

you can eat plenty

たくさん食べれるよ」

takusan tabereru yo"

of delicious eel."