Skit 3

OUTLINE　あらすじ

Once upon a time in Japan, there lived two very poor young twins, Taro and Jiro. They worked very hard every day, but they were still poor. In their misery they prayed to God, asking for divine assistance. One day they had a strange dream in which God told them that they should go to town in the morning and keep the first thing they picked up.

The next morning on the way to town, Taro stumbled and fell. He realised when he got up that he had some straw in his hand. Horseflies were buzzing around them noisily, so they caught them and tied them up with the straw. Then they met a mother with a little boy who was crying. They gave the boy the horseflies tied in the straw, and he began playing with them and stopped crying. The mother thanked them and gave them three oranges.

As they were walking holding the three oranges, they met an old man with a young woman who was suffering from thirst. The old man said, 'She is very thirsty but we cannot find water.' Taro and Jiro gave the woman the three oranges and she ate them all. She said, ' If I had not met you, I might have died.' and gave them a pretty kimono. A few pieces of straw had become three oranges, and now the oranges had become a pretty kimono!

Then a samurai with a horse came towards them, and just in front of them the horse fell down. The samurai said, 'I have an important errand and I am not able to take care of my horse, so I will give it to you. Please take care of it'. Taro and Jiro said, 'We'll take it, and we will give you this pretty kimono in exchange.' They looked after the horse through the night, and prayed to God.

In the morning, the horse opened its eyes and got up. As they walked along they came to a big house, and the owner of the house said, 'You have a very fine horse. Please give it to me in exchange for my rice paddy.' The poor twins now had a rice paddy!

They worked very hard together in the rice paddy and became very rich. Henceforth, people called them 'the twin millionaires with the straw.'

LANGUAGE　ことば

Basic greetings and expressions.

CAST　はいやく

	ナレーター	narrator
	たろう	Taro
	じろう	Jiro
	かみさま	God
	おとこのこ	boy
	おかあさん	mother

	おんなのひと	woman
	おじいさん	old man
	さむらい	samurai
	うま	horse
	めしつかい	servant
	おかねもちのひと	rich man

CULTURAL NOTE 　ぶんか

ひょうたん

gourd

In the old days in Japan, gourds were often used as containers for water and other drinks.

SCRIPT スクリプト

ナレーター： (na ree taa　)

Once upon a time in Japan, there lived two very poor young twins, Taro and Jiro. They worked very hard every day, but were still poor. They prayed to God every night before going to bed.

たろう： (ta ro u　　)

わたしは、たろうです(wa ta shi wa ta ro u de su)。

I am Taro.

じろう：(ji ro u　)

わたしは、じろうです(wa ta shi wa ji ro u de su)。

I am Jiro.

たろう＆じろう：(ta ro u ji ro u　)

かみさま、たすけてください(ka mi sa ma ta su ke te ku da sa i)。

God, please help me.

(Taro and Jiro clap twice and pray)

おやすみなさい(o ya su mi na sa i)。

Good night.

(Taro and Jiro lie down on the floor and go to sleep)

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

God appears in their dream. He tells them to go to town and keep the first thing they find.

かみさま：(ka mi sa ma　)

わたしは、かみさまです(wa ta shi wa ka mi sa ma de su)。

I am God.

あしたはまちにいってください(a shi ta wa ma chi ni i tte ku da sa i)。

Go to town tomorrow.

たろう＆じろう： (ta ro u ji ro u　)

(Wake up and greet each other) おはよう(o ha yo u)。

Good morning.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

Taro and Jiro keep the straw as God told them to, and continue walking to town.

(Some horseflies are buzzing around them noisily. They catch them and tie them up with the straw. They continue walking. A mother with a crying boy comes towards them)

じろう：(ji ro u　)

どうぞ(do u zo)。

Here you are.

おとこのこ：(o to ko no ko　)

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。(Bows)

Thank you.

おかあさん：(o ka a sa n　)

ありがとうございます(a ri ga to u go za i ma su)。

Thank you very much.

みかんをどうぞ(mi ka n o do u zo)。

Have some oranges.

(Mother gives three oranges to Jiro&Taro)

たろう＆じろう：(ta ro u ji ro u　)

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。(Bows)

Thank you.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

Taro & Jiro continue walking. They meet an old man who is taking care of a young woman suffering from thirst.

おんなのひと：(o n na no hi to　)

みずをください(mi zu o ku da sa i)。

Give me some water.

(The old man turns a gourd upside down to show it is empty)

おじいさん：(o ji i sa n　)

みずはありません(mi zu wa a ri ma se n)。

There's no water.

おんなのひと：(o n na no hi to　)

みずがほしいです(mi zu ga ho shi i de su)。

I want some water.

たろう：(ta ro u)

みかんがあります(mi ka n ga a ri ma su)。

I have oranges.

みかんをどうぞ(mi ka n o do u zo)。

Please eat them.

おんなのひと：(o n na no hi to　)

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。(Eats the oranges)

Thank you.

わたしはげんきです(wa ta shi wa ge n ki de su)。

I'm fine now.

きものをどうぞ(ki mo no o do u zo)。

Here you are. (Gives her kimono to Jiro)

じろう：(ji ro u　)

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。

Thank you.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

They continue walking.

(A samurai with a fine horse comes along. The horse suddenly falls down in front of Taro and Jiro.)

さむらい：(sa mu ra i　)

おい、どうしたんだ(o i do u shi ta n da)。

Oh! What's happened to you?

うま：(u ma　)

おなかがいたいんです(o na ka ga i ta i n de su)。

I have a stomach ache.

ヒヒーン(hi hi n)。

Neigh.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

The samurai has an important errand, so he has to leave in a hurry.

さむらい：(sa mu ra i　)

すみません(su mi ma se n)。

Excuse me.

うまをおねがいします(u ma o o ne ga i shi ma su)。

I'll give you my horse. Please take care of it.

たろう：(ta ro u　)

はい(ha i)。

All right.

じろう：(ji ro u　)

きものをどうぞ(ki mo no o do u zo)。

We'll give you a kimono in exchange for your horse.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

Taro and Jiro gave the kimono to the samurai in return for the horse. They took good care of the horse and prayed to God. Now it is sunrise.

(The horse gets up)

うま：(u ma　)

ヒヒーン、わたしはげんきです(hi hi n wa ta shi wa ge n ki de su)。

Neigh, I am well.

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。

Thank you.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

Taro and Jiro continue walking with the horse. They come to a very big house surrounded by a large rice paddy.

(A rich man, the owner of the horse, comes out with a servant and looks at the horse)

めしつかい：(me shi tsu ka i　)

りっぱなうまですね(ri ppa na u ma de su ne)。

What a magnificent horse.

(Pointing to Taro and Jiro's horse)

おかねもちのひと：(o ka ne mo chi no hi to　)

このうまをください(ko no u ma o ku da sa i)。

Please give me your horse.

わたしのたんぼをどうぞ(wa ta shi no ta n bo o do u zo)。

Take my rice paddy.

たろう＆じろう：(ta ro u ji ro u　)

はい、ありがとう(ha i a ri ga to u)。

All right. Thank you.

(Taro & Jiro give him the horse)

おかねもちのひと(o ka ne mo chi no hi to)
＆めしつかい：( me shi tu ka i　)

ありがとう(a ri ga to u)。

Thank you.

ナレーター：(na ree taa　)

Taro and Jiro exchanged their horse for the rich man's rice paddy. The straw had become three oranges, the three oranges had become a kimono, the kimono had become a fine horse, and finally, the fine horse had become a large rice paddy!
Taro and Jiro worked very hard in the rice paddy and became rich. This is why, from that time, people called them 'the twin millionaires with the straw.'

Script (PDF:126kb)