Stories of Japanese picture book’s are very interesting but at the same time teach us about a life, just like western’s children’s books. I hope you read this Japanese story to your children if you have and enjoy together!

Sokotsu Sobei – そこつ　そうべい

JUST few words before starting.

Awatemono –  (あわてもの)ーa hasty person

Kamado (かまど）- a cooking stove

Hifuki dake (ひふきだけ) – A bamboo blowpipe

Wara (わら） – straw

Furoshiki (ふろしき) – a cloth wrapper

Cha ya – （茶や）a cafe

Endai – (えんだい) – an outdoor bench

Malira (まくら) – a pillow

– let’s start!

Once upon a time, there was a man called [sonbei] who was a hasty person at a village. When his wife was blowing fire in a kamato (a cooking stove) with a bamboo blowpipe Sobei was punching wara (straw) besides his wife and started talking to his wife.

「My dear, I am going to a town for shopping early morning tomorrow so can you make a bento for me?」

[Yes my dear, I will make a delicious bento and put it besides your pillow for you]

Next morning Sobei woke up early morning and was looking around for the bendo saying 「where is the bento?」

「Over there, it is just besides your pillow! That is why you are called [Sokotsu sobei」by the people at a village.

「What is all about?」

「The thing is that the people are calling you as the most hasty person in the village!」

Sobai finally noticed the bento which was besides his pillow.

「Where is a furoshiki (a cloth wrapper)?」

When he found the furoshiki he started wrapping with a rustling sound.

「My dear, I’m off」

Sobei went out carrying the furoshiki wrapping on his shoulder.

「Why the people at the village are calling a reliable man like me [sokotsu sobei] ? Oh my god! 」

While he was moaning and walking on a road over a mountain pass it became a noon.

[I’m hungry. well, let’s decide to eat!]

An cha ya (cafe) at the mountain pass became visible in the distance.

[Let’s take a break at the cafe over there and eat the bento.]

He sat down on an outdoor bench at the cafe and dropped his wrapping from his shoulder and put it on his knees.

[Ah, I’m so hungry. I wonder what kind of bento my wife made for me. She is really good at making omusubi (rice balls), so it may be omusubi today as well.

While Sobei was exciting he started opening the furoshiki wrapping.

And then children came close to him, 「Ojisan, what are you doing?」They asked him.

[I am going to eat the obento!l!」

Sobei opened his wrapping, was surprised to find out that it was his own pillow in the cloth wraper.

As his wife put the obento besides his pillow he wrapped the pillow instead of the obento mistakenly and brought it.

「Wow, his obento is the pillow, ahahaha.」

The children was teasing him. The adults at the cafe also gathered and whispering, laughing at him.

Sobei was so embarrassed that his face immediately turned to red and run away in a hurry.

To be continued (tuzuki ・つづき)