{"product_id":"japanese-reader-collection-volume-4-the-mouse-bride-paperback","title":"Japanese Reader Collection Volume 4: The Mouse Bride - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eYumi Boutwell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eClay Boutwell\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRead two of Japan's most beloved folktales, broken down sentence by sentence for upper-beginner learners.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA mouse couple sets out to find the world's most powerful husband for their daughter, visiting the sun, the cloud, the wind, and the wall - only to discover that strength can hide in very small places. A boy-monk named Ikkyū is summoned by the shogun and asked to capture a tiger from a folding-screen painting; with a length of rope and a headband, the small monk turns the impossible task back on the shogun himself. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Mouse Bride\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eIkkyū-san\u003c\/i\u003e are two pillars of Japanese childhood culture - and Ikkyū, the real Zen monk born in 1394, has been beloved across six centuries for his quick wit. This volume gives you the language to read both stories in Japanese, with line-by-line vocabulary, grammar notes, native-speaker audio, and a simple English translation for self-checking.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew in the 2026 edition: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBonus unlock code inside the book\u003c\/b\u003e - redeem at Makoto+ to study every sentence from this book interactively, on the web or in the mobile app\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew watercolor illustration and audio QR codes on every story's opening page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHook teaser and Before-You-Read intro for each story, pointing you toward the grammar and vocabulary patterns to watch for\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull Exercises sections with answer keys (Comprehension Questions, Particle Fill-in, Grammar Pattern Hunt, Translation Comparison) for both stories\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResized furigana - ruby now sits closer to the base text, the way good Japanese typography should\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRunning headers, page numbers, and sumi-e section ornaments throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe two stories: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1. The Mouse Bride\u003c\/b\u003e - A mouse father and mother have a beautiful daughter named Chūko, and when she comes of age they decide that nothing less than the greatest husband in the world will do. Their search follows a winding chain of humility - sun bows to cloud, cloud bows to wind, wind bows to wall - until the chain loops back to a place they never thought to look.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2. Ikkyū-san\u003c\/b\u003e - The shogun has a folding screen painted with a fierce tiger that, he insists, comes alive at night and prowls the palace. He summons the famously clever boy-monk Ikkyū to bind it. Armed with a length of rope and a headband, the small monk takes his place before the screen - and proceeds to send the shogun's challenge right back to him with the kind of polite logic that no samurai sword can answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat's inside: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach story presented three ways: with line-by-line vocabulary, in plain Japanese (for unscaffolded reading practice), and in English summary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWord-by-word breakdowns with furigana over every kanji\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrammar spotlights, cultural notes, and reading tips throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree MP3 audio downloads - natural speed and slowed down - recorded by a native speaker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFree Anki decks for pre-study\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBonus unlock code for Makoto+ Sentence Explorer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo sign-up required for the audio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWho this is for: \u003c\/b\u003e Upper-beginner to lower-intermediate learners. You'll need solid kana and a working sense of basic grammar. (New to hiragana? Take our free two-week crash course at TheJapanesePage.com\/hiragana.)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions or requests for future readers? The authors' personal email addresses are inside the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 90\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.19 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 30, 2016\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43425420410947,"sku":"9781533526847","price":20.23,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/store7994.com\/products\/japanese-reader-collection-volume-4-the-mouse-bride-paperback","provider":"STORE 7994","version":"1.0","type":"link"}