Kamotorigonbee

The Flying Farmer

ISBN4-591-03712-6 C8739 P1000E
Translation by Tom Ray and Hiromi Mochizuki (hiromi@hip.atr.co.jp)
kamotorigonbee
page 3

-
Long ago in some place,


there was a man named Mr. Gonbee, who lived by hunting ducks.

It happened one day, Mr Gonbee thought


"It is troublesome to hunt one or two ducks every day.

If one time I hunt one hundred ducks, and

take them to town to sell, then



the next ninety nine days I can live a relaxing break, I think."

and he set one hundred traps in the marsh.
- = wild duck
= hunt
= live
= trouble, troublesome
= relax (oneself)
= marsh, swamp
= trap
= lay (set) a trap
page 4





-
The next day,

early in the morning Mr. Gonbee went to the marsh, and

there were many ducks caught in the traps.

He counted and there were ninety nine.


The ducks floating quietly in the marsh didn't know anything.
- = be caught
= count
= same as = not knowing
= marsh
= float
page 5



-
"That's it, I've got it.

One more and it will be a hundred."

Mr. Gonbee was very happy.


He waited patiently while holding the thick rope tied to the traps.
- = tie
= thick, big
= rope
= grasp, grip, take hold of
= still, patiently
page 6






-
Before long the marsh shined like a mirror.

From behind the mountain over there,

the face of the sun came out.

And then the ducks were dazzled, and

all together opened their wings, and

took off into the sky.
- = before long
= mirror
= shine
= over there
= back side
= the sun
= dazzling
= all together
= wing
= open
= take off

page 8





-
"This is troublesome. What shall I do."

Mr. Gonbee confusedly pulled the rope, but

is opposed by ninety nine ducks.

Mr. Gombee was drug little by little, and

together with the ducks went climbing into the sky.
- = = this is
= exclamation, used by farmers and people living in country
= be confused, be flurried
= pull, stretch
= an opponent, a companion, a partner
= little by little
= drag
= climb
page 10




-

Mr. Gonbee went flying over the field and over the mountain.

Before long the rope became twisted, and

putsun, broke.

Mr. Gonbee, head over heels.

"Help me..."
- = field
= go over, get over, cross
= be twisted
= sound of rope breaking
= cut
= head over heels
page 12





-

The place he fell, a soft foxtail millet field.

Mr. Gonbee did not have one scratch.

"Ahh, good. I was saved."

He felt greatly relieved, but

the foxtail millet field was ruined.
- = fall
= soft
= foxtail millet
= a scratch
= to help
= be relieved
= chest
= stroke down, feel greatly
relieved
= spoil, ruin
page 13






-
"Though we are short of help,


you gave us extra work."

He was scolded by the farmer, and

while Mr. Gonbee scratched his head, he said

"Sorry.

I will work as hard as I can, so please forgive me."
- = a hand, help
= be enough
= short, lack
= though, as
= extra
= to do something for others
= farmer
= scold, tell off
= scratch
= hard, as ~ as one can
= forgive
page 14





-
Mr. Gonbee began working in the foxtail millet field.


While sweating, and

reaping foxtail millet with a sicle,

he found a thick foxtail millet stem.

With power,

he tried to cut down that stem, and

the stem bent down, and

pachin, hit him in the rear end.
- = to sweat
= shed, wash away
= a sickle, a reaping hook
= reap, mow
= while
= thick
= a stem
= with power
= put in, with power
= mow, cut down, reap,
harvest
= to try to
= bend down
= sound of hitting something
= rear end, butt
= hit, touch

page 15




-
Mr. Gonbee snapped away, and

while spinning like a top,

again he went flying into the sky.

"Please help me. My eyes are spinning!"
- = snap
= fly, let ~ fly
= a top
page 16





-
He crossed over field, he crossed over mountains, and


the place that he fell was the garden of an umbrella store.

He broke many umbrellas that were being dried.

"Though we are short of help,

you gave us extra work.

What on earth can you do!"

The umbrella shopkeeper flew into a rage.
- = cross over
= fall
= (to) dry
= from
= break
= on earth
= a storekeeper
= flew into a rage
page 17





-
"I'm sorry.


I will work as hard as I can, so please forgive me."

Mr. Gongee, while scratching his head again,

decided to work for the umbrella shopkeeper.
-~ = to decide to ~
page 18




......


-
Mr. Gonbee, truly worked very hard.

Each time he made an umbrella, he took it to dry in the garden.

The umbrella shopkeeper was very happy.

"You are also good at making umbrellas!
......
If you stay forever, it would be helpful..."

As the shopkeeper praised him, Mr. Gonbee looked happy.

- = to stick, to affix
= stay forever
= praise
verb + = somebody does verb for you
= as
= to look like something
page 20



......






-
The finished umbrellas were drying in the garden when a wind
came.

The umbrellas rolled (korokoro), and

hit here and there, and

the paste came off.
......
"This wind is not helpful at all..."


While complaining, and

fixing the broken umbrellas,

suddenly a strong wind came blowing.

"Master, master.

Please come for a second."

He raised his voice, but he couldn't do anything.


Again, together with the umbrellas, Mr. Gonbee was blown into the
sky.
- = dry
= come out
= sound of something rolling
= roll
= run into, hit
= paste, starch (glue)
= come off
= really, quite, not ~ at all (negative)
= useless
= to complain
= fix, mend
= suddenly
= strong
= blow

 = raise
= couldn't do ~
= again
= fly, let ~ fly, blow off
page 23

-
"What will become of me?

Where am I being blown to?"

While firmly holding the handle of the umbrella,

Mr. Gonbee went over mountain after mountain.

Then, he was able to see a large temple.
- = handle
= tightly, firmly
= hold, catch
= go over
= temple
page 24






-
"Well, I will get off at that temple."

Mr. Gonbee tried to close the umbrella little by little.

However, the umbrella folded the other way becoming like a sake
cup.
- = little by little
verb + = to try to verb
= to close an umbrella, become
narrower
= opposite
= a small cup for sake
page 25




-
"Help me..."

Mr. Gonbee shut his eyes.


The place he fell was the top of the high tower of the temple.
- = shut, close
= fall, drop
= tower
= top
page 26






-
"Hey. Hey.

Someone, bring a long ladder!

Bring me down from here!"

Mr. Gonbee was screaming, and

The young Buddhist monks of the temple came out.

The young monks spread a large Japanese wrapping cloth, and

were strongly gesturing.

- = someone
= ladder
= take down
= shout, scream
= a young Buddhist monk
= a Japanese wrapping cloth
= spread
= hard
= sign (gesture), signal, gesture
page 29








......



-
"What, what?

Jump down from here to there?

I wonder if its ok.

If I don't fall on the furoshiki, then


I will die.

It will be the end."

While trembling, Mr. Gonbee was staring at the furoshiki, and

his legs slipped.
......
Garagaragara (sound of something falling)......

Mr. Gonbee went head over heels.

From the top of the tower he fell into the furoshiki.
- = jump down
= die
= Buddha
= consistency
= sentence ending for old men
= tremble, shiver
= stare
= slide, slip
= slide, slip
= slip
= head over heels
= fall
page 31





-
Bump!!

At that time,

the young monks holding the edges of the furoshiki,

all came together gocchinko (sound of bumping heads).

Sparks flew.

Those sparks caught fire, and

next the tower boubou (burning sound) caught on fire.

With this, "Gonbee the duck hunter" story closes.
- = with a bump
= time
= edge, side, tip
= hold
= make friends with, become friends with
= sound of bumping heads
= sparks
= catch fire

 = next time
= sound of something burning
= fire