About Nankichi Niimi
Nankichi Niimi (1913-1943) was a renowned Japanese author known for his enchanting and poignant children’s stories. He was born in Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Despite his short life, Niimi’s literary works left a lasting impact on Japanese children’s literature.
Niimi’s stories often revolve around themes of empathy, compassion, and the beauty of nature. His writing style was characterized by its simplicity and ability to capture the hearts of both children and adults. He had a unique talent for weaving magical and imaginative elements into his narratives while addressing universal emotions and human experiences.
Some of Niimi’s most famous works include “Gon, the Little Fox” (Gon no Tora) and “Night on the Galactic Railroad” (Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru). “Gon, the Little Fox” tells the heartwarming story of a young fox and his journey to become human. It explores themes of identity, sacrifice, and the importance of family bonds. “Night on the Galactic Railroad” is a captivating allegorical tale about a young boy’s dream-like journey through the stars. It delves into existential questions, friendship, and the search for meaning in life.
Niimi’s stories continue to be cherished in Japan and have been translated into various languages, captivating readers worldwide. His ability to convey profound emotions through simple and accessible language has made him one of the most beloved children’s authors in Japanese literature. Despite his untimely death at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis, Nankichi Niimi’s legacy lives on, inspiring generations of readers with his timeless stories of hope, love, and the human spirit.
日本語（Japanese）
二ひきの馬が、まどのところでぐうるぐうるとひるねをしていました。
すると、すずしい風がでてきたので、一ぴきがくしゃめをしてめをさましました。
ところが、あとあしがいっぽんしびれていたので、よろよろとよろけてしまいました。
「おやおや。」
そのあしに力をいれようとしても、さっぱりはいりません。
そこでともだちの馬をゆりおこしました。
「たいへんだ、あとあしをいっぽん、だれかにぬすまれてしまった。」
「だって、ちゃんとついてるじゃないか。」
「いやこれはちがう。だれかのあしだ。」
「どうして。」
「ぼくの思うままに歩かないもの。ちょっとこのあしをけとばしてくれ。」
そこで、ともだちの馬は、ひづめでそのあしをぽォんとけとばしました。
「やっぱりこれはぼくのじゃない、いたくないもの。ぼくのあしならいたいはずだ。よし、はやく、ぬすまれたあしをみつけてこよう。」
そこで、その馬はよろよろと歩いてゆきました。
「やァ、椅子がある。椅子がぼくのあしをぬすんだのかもしれない。よし、けとばしてやろう、ぼくのあしならいたいはずだ。」
馬はかたあしで、椅子のあしをけとばしました。
椅子は、いたいとも、なんともいわないで、こわれてしまいました。
馬は、テーブルのあしや、ベッドのあしを、ぽんぽんけってまわりました。けれど、どれもいたいといわなくて、こわれてしまいました。
いくらさがしてもぬすまれたあしはありません。
「ひょっとしたら、あいつがとったのかもしれない。」
と馬は思いました。
そこで、馬はともだちの馬のところへかえってきました。そして、すきをみて、ともだちのあとあしをぽォんとけとばしました。
するとともだちは、
「いたいッ。」
とさけんでとびあがりました。
「そォらみろ、それがぼくのあしだ。きみだろう、ぬすんだのは。」
「このとんまめが。」
ともだちの馬は力いっぱいけかえしました。
しびれがもうなおっていたので、その馬も、
「いたいッ。」
と、とびあがりました。
そして、やっとのことで、じぶんのあしはぬすまれたのではなく、しびれていたのだとわかりました。
英語（English）
Two horses were taking a nap, dozing by the window. Then, as a cool breeze started to blow, one of the horses sneezed and woke up. However, one of its hind legs had fallen asleep, and it wobbled unsteadily.
“Oh dear.”
No matter how hard it tried to put strength into that leg, it just couldn’t. So, it woke up its friend.
“This is terrible! Someone has stolen one of my hind legs!”
“But look, it’s still there.”
“No, this isn’t my leg. It’s someone else’s.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because it won’t move the way I want it to. Kick this leg for me.”
So, the friend horse kicked the leg with its hoof.
“See, this definitely isn’t mine. It doesn’t hurt at all. If it were my leg, it should hurt. Alright, let’s hurry and find the leg that was stolen.”
So, the horse wobbled as it walked away.
“Ah, there’s a chair. Maybe the chair stole my leg. Alright, I’ll kick it. If it’s my leg, it should hurt.”
The horse kicked one of the chair’s legs with its hoof. The chair didn’t say it hurt or anything—it just broke. The horse then went around kicking the legs of the table and the bed. But none of them said they hurt, and they all ended up breaking.
No matter how much the horse searched, it couldn’t find the stolen leg.
“Maybe my friend took it,” the horse thought.
So, the horse went back to its friend. Seizing an opportunity, it kicked its friend’s hind leg.
“Ouch!” the friend shouted, jumping up.
“See? That’s my leg. You must be the one who stole it.”
“You fool!”
The friend horse kicked back with all its strength. Since the numbness had already worn off, the horse also shouted, “Ouch!” and jumped up.
Finally, the horse realized that its leg hadn’t been stolen—it had just fallen asleep.
朗読（Recitation）
まとめ
I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you always.😊
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