Sōseki Project - I am a Cat - Chapter 10 a

Practice text with full furigana

「よっぽど重おもい石地蔵いしじぞうなのね」

「ええ、それでその男おとこが疲つかれてしまって、うちへ帰かえって寝ねてしまったから、町内ちょうないのものはまた相談そうだんをしたんですね。すると今度こんどは町内で一番いちばん利口りこうな男が、私わたしに任まかせて御覧ごらんなさい、一番いちばんやって見みますからって、重箱じゅうばこのなかへ牡丹餅ぼたもちを一杯いっぱい入いれて、地蔵の前まえへ来きて、『ここまでおいで』と云いいながら牡丹餅を見せびらかしたんだって、地蔵だって食くい意地いじが張はってるから牡丹餅で釣つれるだろうと思おもったら、少すこしも動うごかないんだって。利口な男はこれではいけないと思ってね。今度は瓢箪ひょうたんへお酒さけを入れて、その瓢箪を片手かたてへぶら下さげて、片手へ猪口ちょこを持もってまた地蔵さんの前へ来て、さあ飲のみたくはないかね、飲みたければここまでおいでと三さん時間じかんばかり、からかって見たがやはり動かないんですって」

「雪江ゆきえさん、地蔵じぞう様さまは御腹おなかが減へらないの」ととん子こがきくと「牡丹餅が食べたいな」とすん子こが云った。

「利口な人ひとは二度にど共ともしくじったから、その次つぎには贋札にせさつを沢山たくさんこしらえて、さあ欲ほしいだろう、欲しければ取とりにおいでと札を出だしたり引ひっ込こましたりしたがこれもまるで益やくに立たたないんですって。よっぽど頑固がんこな地蔵様なのよ」

「そうね。すこし叔父おじさんに似にているわ」

「ええまるで叔父さんよ、しまいに利口な人も愛想あいそをつかしてやめてしまったんですとさ。それでそのあとからね、大おおきな法螺ほらを吹ふく人が出でて、私ならきっと片かたづけて見せますからご安心あんしんなさいとさも容易たやすい事ことのように受合うけあったそうです」

Rough translation

"It must have been heavy."

"It was. The strongman wore himself out and went home to rest, so the townspeople reconvened. This time another fellow, the cleverest man among them, raised his hand and offered to tackle the task. Entrusted to go and try, he filled a box with layers of botamochi and set out to engage the Jizō. Once in front of it, he called, 'Come get some,' while showing off his wares. Jizō are voracious eaters, so he figured he could surely entice this particular Jizō to yield its spot in exchange for a meal, but no such luck. Setting aside the mochi, he next filled a bottle gourd with saké. Dangling the bottle gourd from one hand and holding a small cup in the other, he returned again to tempt the Jizō. 'Wouldn't a drink be nice now? If you'd like a drink, just follow me.' For three hours he taunted and tempted the Jizō, all to no effect."

"But Yukie, isn't the Jizō hungry?" Tonko asks. "I want botamochi," Sunko adds.

"Having thus failed twice, the clever fellow next printed up a stash of counterfeit banknotes. 'Are you fond of wealth? Come with me and all this is yours,' he called as he repeatedly held out the notes and drew them back. To this, the Jizō reacted not in the least. It was stubborn and loathe to move."

"Stubborn indeed. Just like your uncle."

"Exactly like Uncle. In the end, the clever fellow'd exhausted his means and quit. Next came a boastful chap, known for blowing his own horn. 'Rest assured and leave it to me,' he declared, as if success were a foregone conclusion."

Vocabulary

重おもい heavy石地蔵いしじぞう stone statue of Jizō (bodhisattva who watches over travelers) 男おとこ man; fellow疲つかれて get tired; be worn out帰かえって return (home)寝ねて sleep; rest町内ちょうない neighborhood; town相談そうだん consultation; discussion今度こんど this time; next一番いちばん first and foremost; most of all利口りこうな clever; bright; resourceful私わたし I; me任まかせて entrust (to)御覧ごらんなさい try ...一番いちばん as an experiment; by way of trialやって見みます try doing重箱じゅうばこ jūbako; multi-tiered food box牡丹餅ぼたもち botamochi; adzuki bean-covered mochi一杯いっぱい full; filled; brimming with入いれて put into前まえ front of来きて come (to)云いいながら saying食くい意地いじが張はってる be gluttonous; be voracious; eat greedily釣つれる can entice; can lure; can tempt思おもったら think; figure少すこしも (not) in the least動うごかない not move; not budge瓢箪ひょうたん bottle gourdお酒さけ saké; rice wine片手かたて one handぶら下さげて hang; suspend (from)猪口ちょこ small saké cup持もって hold; carry飲のみたくはないかね wouldn't (you) like a drink三さん時間じかん three hours 雪江ゆきえ Yukie (name)地蔵じぞう様さま Jizō-sama (bodhisattva who watches over travelers)御腹おなかが減へらないの isn't (he) hungryとん子こ Tonko (name)すん子こ Sunko (name) 人ひと person; man; individual二度にど共とも both timesしくじった failed; struck outその次つぎ after that; next贋札にせさつ counterfeit paper money; forged bank notes沢山たくさん very much; a great many欲ほしい want; desire; need取とりにおいで come and get出だしたり引ひっ込こましたりした pushed forward and pulled back; presented and withdrew益やくに立たたない serve no purpose; have no effect; be all in vain頑固がんこな stubborn; obstinate; hard-headed 叔父おじさん uncle似にている is like; is similar to 愛想あいそをつかして lose patience with; get fed up with大おおきな big; grand; outsized法螺ほら boasting; bragging; bluster吹ふく spout; trumpet出でて appear; emerge片かたづけて take care of; deal withご安心あんしんなさい don't worry; rest assured容易たやすい easy; simple事こと act; action受合うけあった took on; promised (to do)