やどなし犬
A kind butcher in a small American town and a homeless dog.
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Sample: three-line reading
Each word has its meaning in this sentence underneath, and each sentence has a full translation. Read the original and glance down only when you need to.
About the book
On a cold, windy morning in a small American town, a kind butcher spots a thin, soaked stray dog, tosses it scraps of meat, and the dog catches each piece skillfully in midair before finally running off with one in its mouth. The writing moves briskly and vividly, with the dog's nimble actions and the butcher's playful banter giving the scene a lively, charming feel.
Cultural notes (selection)
Background a translation can’t carry: social roles, history and allusions. While reading, tap “Note” at the end of a sentence to see them all.
In traditional Japanese shops, the entrance area where the earth is pounded firm and left unfloored is written 三和土. Outside is the street, while inside the floor is raised and boarded, so visitors often stop at this boundary. The dog sitting on the たたき, looking up at meat hung at the front of the shop, fits this spatial arrangement exactly; the word has no exact English equivalent.
A person who earns a living performing acrobatic feats of agility—one kind of street entertainer. The butcher says the dog catches meat 'just like a かるわざ師,' a metaphor with a lively, working-class flavour.
「おまい」 is a colloquial variant of 「おまえ」 (you), casual and familiar. The butcher addresses the dog this way, with an affectionate tone.
About the author
Miekichi Suzuki (September 29, 1882 – June 27, 1936) was a Japanese novelist and author of children's stories from Hiroshima. He wrote both fiction for adults and stories for children.
How the glosses are made
Word glosses and sentence translations are generated in context by AI models (DeepSeek and Zhipu GLM), and every word is checked to have a gloss. AI can make mistakes; you can report problems from the book page.
FAQ
Is this the original text?
Yes. The library holds the opening section of the public-domain original, taken from 青空文库.
Do I need to pay or sign up?
Library books are free to read without an account. Other gloss languages and importing your own texts need an account and credits.
What level is it?
This one is marked “Beginner”. Every word is glossed, so you can keep reading even with a small vocabulary.
Can I use another gloss language?
English and Chinese glosses are prepared in advance; signed-in readers can generate other languages.