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October 14, 2026
Learn Japanese with Yokai: the Japanese reader bundle

Japanese Reading Practice: Tengu Legends (天狗の昔ばなし), with Furigana and Audio

This is the first half of 天狗てんぐの昔むかしばなし (Tengu Stories), the third story in Learn Japanese with Yokai 2: The Tengu. The tengu is the long-nosed, red-faced goblin of Japan's mountains, and these are legends told about real places: a temple north of Kyoto you can still visit, and a mountain village on the island of Shikoku.

The Japanese is written for learners around JLPT N4. Every kanji has furigana, and every line has Yumi's native audio.

How to read it: read each line out loud first, then press play to hear Yumi read it. Open Words and notes if you get stuck, and check the English last.
Listen to the whole passage first, if you like (about a minute):
LINE 1

Words and notes
  • 京都きょうとにin KyotoN5京都きょうと (Kyoto) + に (location marker)
  • 鞍馬山くらまやまMount Kurama鞍くら (saddle) + 馬ま (horse) + 山やま (mountain): the mountain just north of Kyoto that legend makes the tengu's capital
  • という山やまa mountain calledN5という (called) + 山やま (mountain): presenting a new name
  • がありますthere isN5が (subject) + あります (polite of ある to exist: inanimate)
The storyteller's opener: 「場所ばしょに『X』という山やまがあります」, in (place) there is a mountain called X. Introduce the place first, then tell its story.

Folklore: 鞍馬山くらまやま is THE tengu mountain, home of 僧正坊そうじょうぼう, king of the tengu in legend.

English

In Kyoto there is a mountain called Mount Kurama.

LINE 2

Words and notes
  • この山やまにあるlocated on this mountainN5この山やま (this mountain) + に (on) + ある: the clause modifies 「鞍馬寺くらまでら」
  • 鞍馬寺くらまでらKurama Temple鞍馬くらま (Kurama) + 寺でら (temple): the ancient temple (founded 770) halfway up the mountain
  • という人ひとがa person calledN5という (called) + 人ひと (person) + が (subject)
  • 子供こどものころin his childhoodN4子供こども (child) + の + ころ (the time of)
  • 僧そうになるためにin order to become a monkN4僧そう (monk) + になる (become) + ために (purpose)
  • 預あずけられましたwas entrustedN3polite past passive of 預あずける (to entrust): the boy is handed over; others did the deciding
「預あずけられました」 is the passive of 預あずける (to entrust): the boy was handed over, and the deciding was done by others, which is exactly what the passive leaves unsaid. 「僧そうになるために」 = in order to become a monk: ために after a dictionary-form verb marks purpose.

Folklore: 源義経みなもとのよしつね (1159–1189) is Japan's great tragic hero, known as a boy by his childhood name 牛若丸うしわかまる.

English

A man named Minamoto no Yoshitsune was entrusted as a child to Kurama Temple, on this mountain, so that he could become a monk.

LINE 3

Words and notes
  • 今いまからfrom nowN5今いま (now) + から (from: counting backwards)
  • 1000年ねんほどabout 1000 yearsN41000年ねん (years) + ほど (about: approximation)
  • 前まえのことですit was … beforeN5前まえ (before) + の + こと (matter) + です: the dating formula
「今いまから〜前まえのことです」 is the storyteller's dating formula: it happened about X before now. 「ほど」 marks an approximation, a shade more written than 「くらい」.
English

This was about a thousand years ago.

LINE 4

Words and notes
  • この山やまでon this mountainN5この山やま (this mountain) + で (at: where the action happens)
  • 義経よしつねはas for Yoshitsune義経よしつね (Yoshitsune, 1159–1189: Japan's beloved tragic warrior hero) + は (topic marker)
  • 天狗てんぐに出会であいmet a tengu, andN3天狗てんぐ + に (the one encountered) + 出会であい (ます-stem of 出会であう to meet: joins clauses)
  • 剣術けんじゅつを習ならったlearned swordsmanshipN4剣術けんじゅつ (swordsmanship) + を + 習ならった (past of 習ならう to learn: implies a teacher)
  • といわれていますit is said thatN4passive 〜ている of 言いう (to say): the marker that what you are reading is legend
「出会であい、」: the ます-stem joins two clauses, met, and then learned. 「天狗てんぐに出会であう」 takes に: you run into someone, so the meeting has a direction. 「といわれています」 wraps the whole episode as legend, not record.
English

On this mountain, it is said, Yoshitsune met a tengu and learned swordsmanship.

LINE 5

Words and notes
  • その後ごlaterN3その (that) + 後ご (after)
  • たいへん強つよいvery strongN5たいへん (very: formal) + 強つよい (strong)
  • 武将ぶしょうになりましたbecame a military commander武将ぶしょう (武ぶ military + 将しょう general) + に + なりました (polite past of なる to become)
「武将ぶしょうになりました」: plain 「〜になる」 for how a life turned out. The legend's logic sits in the sentence order: trained by a tengu (line 4), therefore strong (line 5). No ので needed; the storyteller just lays one stone on the other.
English

Yoshitsune later became a very strong military commander.

LINE 6

Words and notes
  • この伝説でんせつをもとにbased on this legendN2この伝説でんせつ (this legend) + を + もとに (taking as the source)
  • 鞍馬天狗くらまてんぐ"Kurama Tengu"the masked swordsman hero of 大佛次郎おさらぎじろう's popular novels (1924–), named for this legend
  • という小説しょうせつa novel calledN3という (called) + 小説しょうせつ (novel)
  • も作つくられましたwas also writtenN5も (also) + 作つくられました (polite past passive of 作つくる to make)
「〜をもとに」 = based on; taking X as the source: the same もと as 基もと (basis), also written 元もと. 「作つくられました」 is passive again, and 「も」 adds also: the legend produced more than one thing.

Folklore: 鞍馬天狗くらまてんぐ (1924–) by 大佛次郎おさらぎじろう is a masked swordsman hero, one of the most popular series of the 20th century.

English

Based on this legend, a novel called "Kurama Tengu" was also written.

LINE 7

Words and notes
  • 愛媛県えひめけんにはin Ehime Prefecture愛媛県えひめけん (Ehime, in Shikoku) + に (in) + は (topic marker)
  • 天狗てんぐに助たすけられたhelped by a tenguN4天狗てんぐ + に (by: the helper) + 助たすけられた (past passive of 助たすける to help; modifies 「子供こども」)
  • 子供こどもの話はなしがthe story of a childN4子供こども (child) + の (of) + 話はなし (story) + が (subject)
  • 伝つたえられていますhas been passed downN3passive 〜ている of 伝つたえる (to pass down): kept alive by the people who tell it; compare intransitive 伝つたわる (to be handed down)
「天狗てんぐに助たすけられた」: passive with に marking the helper, and the whole clause modifies 「子供こども」: a child (who was) helped by a tengu. 「伝つたえられています」 is the passive of 伝つたえる (to pass on): people have kept telling this one.
English

In Ehime Prefecture, the story of a child helped by a tengu has been passed down.

LINE 8

Words and notes
  • ある時ときone dayN4ある (a certain: determiner, not the verb) + 時とき (time)
  • 男おとこの子こがa boyN5男おとこの子こ (boy) + が (subject)
  • 山やまの中なかでin the mountainsN5山やま (mountains) + の + 中なか (inside) + で (where it happened)
  • 迷子まいごになってしまいましたended up lostN3迷子まいご (迷まよう stray + 子こ child) + になって + しまいました (polite past of しまう: ended up, unintended)
「ある時とき」 is the storyteller's one day, with the same determiner ある as in 「あるところに」 (in a certain place). 「迷子まいごになってしまいました」: 〜てしまう marks the unintended. Nobody plans to get lost.
English

One day, a boy got lost in the mountains.

LINE 9

Words and notes
  • 村むらの人ひとたちはthe village peopleN4村むら (village) + の + 人ひとたち (people) + は (topic marker)
  • 一生懸命いっしょうけんめいにwith all their mightN4一生いっしょう (a whole life) + 懸命けんめい (staking one's life): originally 一所いっしょ懸命けんめい, a samurai staking his life on a single plot of land
  • 探さがしますがthey search, butN4探さがします (polite of 探さがす to search) + が (but)
  • 見みつかりませんhe is not foundN4negative polite of 見みつかる (to be found): intransitive: the lost one fails to turn up; compare 見みつける (find)
「探さがしますが、見みつかりません」 is a useful pair: 探さがす is what you do, 見みつかる is what the lost thing does (or fails to). The present tense in a past story moves the narrator into the scene as it unfolds.
English

The village people searched with all their might, but he was not to be found.

LINE 10

Words and notes
  • ところがbutN3a stronger turn than でも: what follows defies the expectation just built
  • 村むらに帰かえってきてみるとwhen they came back and lookedN4村むら (village) + に + 帰かえってきて (て-form of 帰かえってくる: 帰かえる to return + くる motion back) + みると (the discovery pattern)
  • その迷子まいごの男おとこの子こがthat lost boyN3その (that) + 迷子まいご (lost) + の + 男おとこの子こ (boy) + が
  • 無事ぶじにsafe and soundN3無ぶ (without) + 事じ (incident): nothing had happened to him
  • 帰かえっていたのですhad (already) come homeN5past 〜ている of 帰かえる (to return): was already back, a state + のです (the discovered fact)
「ところが」 flags a turn the reader will not expect. 「帰かえってきてみると」 is the discovery pattern 〜てみると: do the thing, and what you find follows. 「帰かえっていたのです」: past 〜ている + のです. He was already home, and のです presents it as the surprising fact they discovered.
English

But when they got back to the village, there was the lost boy, already home safe and sound.

What has happened so far

In Kyoto there is a mountain called Mount Kurama. About a thousand years ago, a boy named Minamoto no Yoshitsune was entrusted to Kurama Temple on this mountain, to become a monk. On this mountain, it is said, Yoshitsune met a tengu and learned swordsmanship from him, and he later became a very strong military commander. The legend went on to inspire a novel, "Kurama Tengu."

In Ehime Prefecture, a story has been passed down about a child who was helped by a tengu. One day a boy got lost in the mountains. The village people searched as hard as they could, but he was nowhere to be found. Yet when they came back to the village, there was the lost boy, already home and safe.

What happens next

Finish the story. Learn Japanese with Yokai is our set of Japanese readers with furigana on every kanji, native audio at normal and slow speed, line-by-line notes, a full English translation, and a Kanji in Focus page for every important character. It is six books now, growing to ten, and every new book is yours free when it arrives. Every story also opens in the free Makoto Japanese Explorer app, where you can tap any word for its reading and meaning.

Get the Yokai bundle, $24

Story text from Learn Japanese with Yokai 2: The Tengu by Clay and Yumi Boutwell. Audio read by Yumi Boutwell.

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