Japanese Readers › Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 1: Hikoichi › Read free
Hikoichi and the Young Lord
彦一さんと若殿
Word of Hikoichi’s cleverness has reached the castle, and the lord is curious — is the boy really as quick as everyone says? He summons Hikoichi for a test: pick out the real young lord from a row of five children dressed in matching kimono, with matching faces and matching ages. Even the lord’s own retainers, who serve the prince every day, cannot tell them apart. Hikoichi studies the children for a moment, and then offers a single quiet observation that no one else would have thought to make.
Listen while you read
Before you read
A few patterns to watch for as you read:
• 頓智 (witty trickster) story structure — setup establishes the hero’s wisdom (賢いわかもの), then a single deft observation cracks the puzzle. Watch for the small detail Hikoichi notices that no one else does.
• ～ことにする / ～ことになる — deliberate decisions vs. things-that-came-to-pass. The lord 呼ぶことにしました (’decided to summon him’); compare with the more passive ことになる you’ll meet later in the volume.
• ～のかどうか — ’whether or not.’ The lord wonders ほんとうにそんなに賢いのかどうか、試してみよう (’whether he’s really that clever — let’s test him’).
• ～てほしいものじゃ — old-lord speech. じゃ for だ, ～ておる for ～ている, どうじゃ for どうだ. This 時代劇-flavored register stamps the lord’s social rank into every line he speaks.
• Counter readings — one of the cleanest places in the volume to drill them: 一人・二人・三人・四人・五人. Note the irregular ひとり / ふたり, and よにん (not しにん).
むかし、むかし、あるところに彦一さんというとても賢い若者が住んでいました。
- むかし、むかし – a long time ago [the classic opener for 昔話 (folktales)]
- あるところに – in a certain place [ある (a certain) + ところ (place) + に (in); a fixed storytelling phrase]
- 彦一さん – Hikoichi [彦 (boy) + 一 (one) — a clever young hero of 頓智話 (wit-tales) from Kyushu (southwest part of Japan)]
- という – called; by the name of
- とても – very
- 賢い – wise; clever
- 若者 – young person; young man [若 (young) + 者 (person)]
- 住んでいました – was living [住む (to live; reside) in て-form + いる (state) in past polite — ongoing state in the past]
たいへん賢くてどんな難しい問題でも解いてしまうので、すっかり有名になり、
- たいへん – very; greatly
- 賢くて – being wise, and… [賢い (wise) in て-form linking to the next clause]
- どんな〜でも – no matter what (kind of)… [a noun goes between どんな and でも: どんな人でも no matter what person]
- 難しい – difficult
- 問題 – problem; question
- 解いてしまう – completely solve [解く (to solve) in て-form + しまう adds a sense of finality / thoroughness]
- ので – because; since (cause-and-effect)
- すっかり – completely; entirely
- 有名になり – became famous [有名 (famous) + に (adverbial) + なる (to become) in conjunctive form — links to the next clause]
とうとうそのうわさがお殿様の耳にも入りました。
- とうとう – at last; finally
- そのうわさ – that rumor [referring to Hikoichi’s reputation]
- お殿様 – the lord; the ruler [お (honorific prefix) + 殿様 (lord) — the central authority figure of feudal Japan]
- 耳にも – into (his) ear, too
- 入りました – entered [入る (to enter) in past polite; 耳に入る is an idiom meaning “to come to one’s ears / be heard”]
お殿様は、「彦一がほんとうにそんなに賢いのかどうか、試してみよう。」
- 彦一 – Hikoichi
- ほんとうに – really; truly
- そんなに – that much; to that degree
- 賢いのか – is (he) (really) so wise [のか marks an inner question — the lord wondering aloud]
- どうか – whether or not [〜のかどうか = “whether X or not”]
- 試してみよう – let’s give it a try [試す (to test) in て-form + みる (try doing) in volitional]
と彦一さんをお城に呼ぶことにしました。
- と – (quotation marker) [closes the lord’s thought above]
- お城に – to the castle [お (honorific) + 城 (castle) + に (direction marker)]
- 呼ぶ – to call; to summon
- ことにしました – decided to [ことにする (to decide to do something) in past polite — emphasizes a deliberate decision]
📝 Grammar Spotlight: ことにする
ことにする means “to decide to do something.” It emphasizes a deliberate decision. Compare:
ことにする – I decided (my own choice)
ことになる – It was decided (by circumstance or others)
彦一さんがお城に行ってかしこまって待っていると、お殿様がやってきました。
- お城に行って – went to the castle, and… [行く (to go) in て-form linking to the next clause]
- かしこまって – respectfully; formally [from かしこまる (to sit formally / show deference); shows Hikoichi’s bearing before the lord]
- 待っていると – while (he) was waiting [待つ (to wait) in て-form + いる (continuous) + と (when; while)]
- やってきました – arrived; came [やってくる (to come; show up) in past polite — motion toward the speaker / scene]
「おお、お前が評判の彦一か、どれ、面をあげなさい。
- おお – ah!; oh! [an expression of recognition or mild surprise]
- お前 – you [can sound rough or condescending; used by an authority figure to a social inferior — appropriate from a 殿様]
- 評判の – famous; well-known [評判 (reputation) + の (descriptive particle): “the (famously) talked-about (Hikoichi)”]
- か – so you are…? [particle indicating a mild question or recognition]
- どれ – well now; let me see [an interjection used when one is about to begin doing something]
- 面をあげなさい – lift your face [面 (face — old-fashioned, more formal than 顔) + あげる (to raise) in なさい command form; what a superior says when granting permission to look up]
うーむ、確かに賢そうな面をしておるの。」お殿様はうれしそうに言いました。
- うーむ – hmm… [an expression of contemplation]
- 確かに – certainly; indeed [確か (certain) + に (adverbial)]
- 賢そうな面 – a clever-looking face [賢い (wise) + そう (looks like; appears) — drop the い before そう; 面 is a rougher word for face than 顔, fitting the lord’s blunt register]
- をしておるの – has (such a face) [をしている (having; with) in archaic/dialectal form おる + の (explanatory ender) — old-lord speech]
- うれしそうに – happily; with apparent pleasure [うれしい (happy) + そう (appears) + に (adverbial)]
- 言いました – said [言う (to say) in past polite]
「そんなに賢いのなら、若殿の遊び相手をしてほしいものじゃ。
- そんなに賢いのなら – if you are that clever [のなら = explanatory の + なら (if)]
- 若殿 – the young lord [若 (young) + 殿 (lord) — the lord’s son and heir]
- 遊び相手 – playmate [遊び (play) + 相手 (partner; companion)]
- してほしい – want (you) to do [the 〜てほしい pattern: want someone else to do something for you]
- ものじゃ – it is (a thing I want) [ものだ in archaic form じゃ — old lord’s speech expressing strong wish or pronouncement]
若、入っておいで。」
- 若 – Young one (vocative) [shortened from 若殿; affectionate or respectful term for a younger noble]
- 入っておいで – come on in [入る (to enter) in て-form + おいで (come; soft command for a junior or child)]
お殿様が呼ぶと、一人、二人、三人、四人、五人・・・。
- お殿様 – the lord
- 呼ぶと – when (he) called [呼ぶ (to call) + と (when; upon doing)]
- 一人 – one person [irregular reading]
- 二人 – two people [also irregular]
- 三人 – three people
- 四人 – four people [note it is not よんにん]
- 五人 – five people
📝 Grammar Spotlight: 人 (counter for people)
Japanese attaches counters to numbers depending on what’s being counted. The counter for people is 人（にん）, but the first two break the pattern:
一人（ひとり）– one person (irregular)
二人（ふたり）– two people (irregular)
From 三人 onward it behaves itself. Just memorize ひとり and ふたり as their own words (一人で = “alone,” 二人とも = “both of them”) and you’ll use them long before the rest.
なんと五人もの子供が入ってくるではありませんか。
- なんと – my!; amazingly [expresses surprise or astonishment]
- 五人もの – as many as five [五人 + も (emphasizing an unexpectedly large number) + の (connective)]
- 子供 – children
- 入ってくる – come in [入る + てくる (motion toward the speaker)]
- ではありませんか – isn’t it? [a rhetorical ending expressing surprise — “why, look at this!”]
どの子も同じような年頃で、同じような顔つきです。しかも、同じ着物を着ています。
- どの子も – every child [どの (which) + 子 (child) + も (every; all)]
- 同じような – similar; the same kind of [同じ (same) + ような (like; similar to)]
- 年頃 – about the same age [年 (age; year) + 頃 (about; around)]
- 顔つき – facial features; look of the face [顔 (face) + つき (-look; appearance)]
- しかも – moreover; furthermore
- 同じ着物 – the same kimono
- 着ています – are wearing [着る (to wear) in て-form + いる (state) in polite — current ongoing state]
毎日、お城でお殿様に仕えている家来でも見分けがつきません。
- 毎日 – every day [毎 (every) + 日 (day); other examples: 毎朝 every morning, 毎年 every year]
- お城で – at the castle [で marks the location of an action]
- 仕えている – serving [仕える (to serve; be in service to) in て-form + いる — habitual / ongoing]
- 家来 – retainer; vassal [a feudal lord’s loyal servant]
- でも – even (the retainers) [emphasizes how unlikely the inability is]
- 見分けがつきません – can’t tell (them) apart [見分け (discernment; distinction) + がつく (to be made) in negative polite — fixed expression for “can’t distinguish”]
「どうじゃ、彦一、どの子が本物の若かわかるか？
- どうじゃ – well, then [old-fashioned form of どうだ — typical of 殿様 or sage characters in 時代劇 (period drama)]
- どの子 – which child
- 本物の若 – the real young lord [本物 (real; genuine) + の + 若 (young lord, shortened)]
- か – question marker
- わかるか – can (you) tell? [わかる (to understand; to discern) + か (question)]
🧠 Language Tip: じゃ vs だ
じゃ in どうじゃ is an old-fashioned, slightly assertive contraction of だ — the kind of speech you’ll hear from samurai, lords, and sages in period drama (時代劇).
Today it sounds dated or theatrical, except in the Kansai and Kyūshū dialects where じゃ is still everyday speech. When you see じゃ in a folktale, picture an authoritative voice — a lord, a teacher, an old monk.
わからなければ、わからないといえばよいのだ。」
- わからなければ – if (you) don’t know [分かる (to understand) → negative 分からない → ば-form なければ — “if not”]
- わからないと言えば – if (you) say “I don’t know” [と (quotation) + 言う (to say) → ば-form 言えば — “if (you) say”]
- よいのだ – it is fine; that’s all (you need to do) [よい (good; fine) + のだ (explanatory ender) — the 〜ばよい pattern grants permission: “if you do X, that’s enough”]
📖 Grammar Spotlight: The 〜ば Conditional
The 〜ば form is one of a few ways to say “if” in Japanese. To form it:
• Verbs: Change the final う-row kana to the え-row + ば. Example: わかる → わかれば
• Negative: 〜ない → 〜なければ. Example: わからない → わからなければ
The pattern 〜ばよい is a gentle way to give permission: 「言えばよいのだ」—“It’s fine if you just say so.”
お殿様はにやりと笑って彦一の顔を 見ました。彦一さんはしばらく考えていましたが、こう答えました。
- にやりと – with a smirk; with a knowing grin [にやり (smirk) + と (manner particle)]
- 笑って – smiled, and… [笑う (to smile / laugh) in て-form linking to the next action]
- 彦一の顔 – Hikoichi’s face
- 見ました – looked at [見る (to look) in past polite]
- しばらく – for a while; for a moment
- 考えていました – was thinking [考える (to think) in て-form + いる in past polite — ongoing past action]
- が – but; however
- こう答えました – answered like this [こう (like this; in this way) + 答える (to answer) in past polite — a classic 昔話 storytelling device introducing a quote]
「私には本物の若殿様がわかります。
- 私には – as for me [私 (I) + には — the に adds emphasis: “to me, at least…”; implies others may not, but I can]
- 本物の若殿様 – the real young lord [若殿様 adds the 様 honorific that the young noble deserves]
- わかります – (I) can tell; (I) know [わかる (to understand; discern) in polite present]
🧠 Language Tip: には for Emphasis
私にはわかります means “As for me, I can tell.” The には adds emphasis—implying that while others cannot tell the children apart, 彦一 can.
Compare: 私はわかります (I understand) vs. 私にはわかります (I, for one, understand). This subtle difference signals confidence or contrast.
若様は手習いのあとと見えて、手に墨がついております。」
- 若様 – the young lord [respectful address — 若 + 様]
- 手習い – calligraphy practice [手 (hand) + 習い (learning; practice); an archaic word for what we’d now call 書道 (calligraphy)]
- あと – after; the aftermath of [here, “just after doing X”]
- と見えて – it appears that…; it seems that… [と + 見える (to appear; to seem) in て-form — links the appearance to the next clause]
- 手に – on (his) hand
- 墨 – ink [the black sumi ink used for 書道 (calligraphy) and 手習い]
- ついております – is stuck on; is stained [つく (to stick; adhere) in て-form + おる (humble/old form of いる) in polite — old-style speech, fitting Hikoichi’s deferential register]
すると、この言葉につられて本物の若様は自分の手のひらを見ました。
- すると – thereupon; and then
- この言葉 – these words [referring to what Hikoichi just said]
- につられて – being drawn in (by); lured (by) [に (by) + つられる (to be lured; passive of つる) in て-form]
- 自分の手のひら – his own palm [自分 (oneself) + の + 手のひら (palm of the hand)]
- 見ました – looked at
あとの子供はそれをのぞき込みました。ところが、どこにも墨などついていません。
- あとの子供 – the other children; the rest of the children [あと (the rest; the others)]
- それ – that [referring to the young lord’s palm]
- のぞき込みました – peered in; peeked at closely [a compound: のぞく (to peek) + 込む (do thoroughly / inward) in past polite]
- ところが – but; however [marks an unexpected turn]
- どこにも – not anywhere [どこ (where) + にも + negative verb = “nowhere”]
- 墨など – ink or anything (of the sort) [など softens to “any such thing” — none of it found]
- ついていません – isn’t stuck (on); isn’t stained [つく in て-form + いる in negative polite]
彦一さんはすかさずこう言いました。「今、自分の手のひらを見た子が本物の若様です。」
- すかさず – without delay; immediately [a key word for Hikoichi’s character — the 頓智 (wit) hero who answers in a flash]
- こう言いました – said this [こう (in this way) + 言う (to say) in past polite]
- 今 – just now
- 自分の手のひらを見た子 – the child who looked at his own palm [見た (looked at — past plain) modifies 子; the relative clause comes BEFORE the noun in Japanese, opposite of English]
- 本物の若様 – the real young lord
🎯 Reading Tip: こう言いました Pattern
You will see こう言いました (“said like this”) and こう答えました (“answered like this”) frequently in 昔話. It’s a storytelling device—the narrator sets up what a character said, then the direct quote follows.
お殿様はすっかり彦一さんの知恵に感心して、たくさんの褒美を与えたということです。 おしまい。
- すっかり – completely; thoroughly
- 知恵 – wisdom; cleverness [the wit-tale word — 頓智 is the trickier, on-the-spot version of 知恵]
- に感心して – impressed by; admiring [感心する takes に for the thing admired]
- たくさんの褒美 – lots of rewards [褒美 (reward; prize given by a superior)]
- 与えた – gave; bestowed [与える (to grant; bestow — used when a superior gives to an inferior) in past plain]
- ということです – it is said that…; so the story goes [a fixed ending phrase that frames a story as received tradition]
- おしまい – the end [classic Japanese story closer]
The story in English
Try the Japanese first and use this only as needed.
Once upon a time, there lived a very clever young man named Hikoichi.
He was so clever that he could solve any kind of difficult problem. He became so famous, that even the lord heard about him.
The lord said, “Let’s see if Hikoichi is really that smart.” The lord decided to invite him to the castle.
Hikoichi went to the castle and waited for the lord. The lord came to him.
“Oh, so you are the famous Hikoichi. Lift up your face. Yes, you certainly have a wise face,” the lord said happily.
“If you’re so clever, I’d like you to play with the young lord,” the lord said, then called, “Come on in, young man.”
When the lord called, one, two, three, four, five... What a surprise, five children came in!
All the children were about the same age and had similar faces. And they all wore the same kimono.
Even his retainers, who served the lord every day at the castle, could not tell them apart.
“How about it, Hikoichi, can you tell which one is the real young lord? If you don’t know, just say you don’t know.”
The lord smiled and looked at Hikoichi.
Hikoichi thought for a moment, and then replied.
“I know the real young lord. He is the one with ink on his hands, as if he had just done calligraphy.”
With those words, the real young lord looked at the palm of his hand.
The rest of the children looked at him.
But there was no ink anywhere on his hands.
Hikoichi quickly said, “The boy who just looked at his palm is the real young lord.”
The lord was so impressed with Hikoichi’s wisdom that he gave him many rewards.
The end.
This is one story of four
Everything above — the furigana, the line-by-line vocabulary, both audio speeds — is how the whole book works. Learn Japanese with Stories Volume 1: Hikoichi has three more stories in exactly this format, plus exercises, an answer key and a kanji section.
See the book