Stranded overnight after missing the last train home, three friends accept a stranger's kindness that leads somewhere unexpected.
JLPT N4 stories are longer and bring in te-form, casual speech, conditionals, and chained verbs. The narratives start adding slight twists — family, hobbies, work, and school told with more nuance.
冷たい風が吹く長野県の冬の夜です。山の小さな駅の前に、閉まったままの古い旅館がありました。タロウと二人の友達は、その前で震えていました。
It is a winter night in Nagano Prefecture where a cold wind blows. In front of a small mountain station, there was an old inn that remained closed. Taro and his two friends were shivering in front of it.
彼らはハイキングの帰りに、終電に乗り遅れました。次の電車は明日の朝まで来ません。気温は零下になりそうです。
On their way back from hiking, they missed the last train. The next train will not come until tomorrow morning. The temperature looks like it will drop below freezing.
その時、一台の古い軽トラックが止まりました。おじいさんが車から降りてきました。「こんな所で何をしているんだ。風邪をひくぞ」とおじいさんは言いました。
At that time, an old light truck stopped. An old man got out of the car. "What are you doing in a place like this? You will catch a cold," the old man said.
タロウは事情を説明して、「どこか泊まれる場所を教えていただけませんか」と聞きました。すると、おじいさんは「私の家に泊めてやるよ。ストーブがあるから、暖まりなさい」と言ってくれました。
Taro explained the situation and asked, "Could you please tell us a place where we can stay?" Then, the old man kindly said, "I will let you stay at my house. There is a stove, so warm yourselves up."
三人はおじいさんの家の居間で、暖かい布団を敷いてもらいました。「本当に助かったね。優しいおじいさんに会えてよかった」とタロウは友達に言いました。
The three of them had warm futons laid out for them in the old man's living room. "We were really saved. I am glad we were able to meet a kind old man," Taro said to his friends.
次の朝、タロウが目を覚ますと、外から声が聞こえました。窓から見ると、おじいさんが重そうな大根の箱を持ち上げようとしていました。
The next morning, when Taro woke up, he heard a voice from outside. Looking from the window, the old man was trying to lift a heavy-looking box of daikon radishes.
おじいさんは腰が痛そうでした。タロウたちはすぐに外へ出ました。「昨夜はありがとうございました。何か手伝うことはありませんか」とタロウは聞きました。
The old man's lower back looked like it hurt. Taro and his friends went outside immediately. "Thank you for last night. Is there anything we can help with?" Taro asked.
「この大根の箱をトラックに運んでほしいんだ」とおじいさんが頼みました。三人は若いので、力があります。次々と重い箱を運んであげました。
"I want you to carry these boxes of daikon to the truck," the old man requested. Because the three of them are young, they have strength. They carried the heavy boxes one after another for him.
「若い人に手伝ってもらって、本当に助かったよ」とおじいさんは笑いました。タロウたちも、おじいさんの役に立てて嬉しかったです。
"I was really saved by having young people help me," the old man laughed. Taro and his friends were also glad to be able to be useful to the old man.
農家のお手伝いになった三人は、泥のついた手で大きく手を振りながら、笑顔で朝の電車に乗りました。
The three of them, who had become farm helpers, waved broadly with their mud-covered hands and boarded the morning train with smiles.
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