A Pot of Poison
New Crown English Series 2 (2021) pg. 66-69
| A Pot of Poison | |
|---|---|
| 毒の壷 | |
| Details | |
| Word count | 239 |
| Book | New Crown |
| Grade | 2 |
| Year | 2021 |
| Master: | I'm going to see a friend. I'll be back in a few hours. |
| Kan: | Yes, Master. |
| Master: | Do you see that pot on the shelf? |
| Chin: | Yes, Master. |
| Master: | Don't touch it. Don't open it. It's full of poison. |
| An: | Poison? Poison! We'll be careful. |
| Master: | Be very, very careful. |
| An, Chin: | We will, Master. We will. |
| Kan: | Don't worry, Master. We are always careful. |
| An: | The Master will return soon. |
| Chin: | Shall we clean the room? |
| An: | Yes, let's. I'll wipe the floor. |
| Chin: | What do you think about the pot? |
| An: | What do you mean? |
| Chin: | Is it really full of poison? |
| Kan: | Hmm. Give it to me, and shut the door. I'll check it out. |
| An: | Don't! |
| Kan: | There's brown stuff in it. It smells nice. I'll try some. |
| An: | Wait! It's poison! |
| Kan: | No, it's delicious! Have some. |
| Chin: | You're right. It is delicious. It's sugar! |
| Kan: | I'm full. |
| Chin: | Oh no, the pot is empty! |
| Kan: | We ate all of it. |
| An: | We're in trouble. |
| Kan: | Wait a minute. I have an idea. Let's break his special plate. |
| Chin: | What do you mean? |
| Kan: | You'll see. One, two . . . |
| An: | You must be kidding! Stop! |
| Kan: | Three! |
| An: | No! I can't believe you broke it. Now we're really in trouble. |
| Kan: | Don't worry. I have a plan. |
| Master: | I'm back. What's going on? |
| Kan: | Master, we broke your special plate. |
| Master: | You awful boys! I'll punish you for that! |
| An: | You don't have to. We punished ourselves. |
| Chin: | Because we broke your plate . . . . |
| An: | We ate the poison in the pot. |
| Chin: | I can feel the poison now. |
| Kan: | My ears are ringing. Agghhhhhh! |
| Master: | Ah . . . . |
New Crown Book 2 (Heisei 24) pg. 49-52
| A Pot of Poison | |
|---|---|
| 毒の壷 | |
| Details | |
| Word count | 194 |
| Book | New Crown |
| Grade | 2 |
| Year | 2012 |
In a temple far away, a priest and two boys live. One day the priest has to go away.
| Priest: | Boys, I'll put this pot over there. Watch it until I get back. |
| Chin: | Yes, Master. |
| Kan: | Is something in the pot, Master? |
| Priest: | Yes. Poison! Don't touch it. |
| Chin, Kan: | No, Master |
For two hours Chin watches the pot.
| Chin: | Now it's your turn. |
| Kan: | Is it really poison? |
| Chin: | The Master said so. |
| Kan: | I'll check it out. |
Kan goes up to the pot. He looks in.
| Kan: | It's brown. I'll eat some. |
| Chin: | Don't! It's poison. |
| Kan: | It's delicious. This isn't poison. |
| Chin: | I don't believe you. |
| Kan: | It's sugar! Have some. |
Soon the pot is empty.
| Chin: | Oh, no. What will the Master do? |
| Kan: | Wait a minute. I have an idea. |
| Kan: | Let's break this vase. |
| Chin: | What? Stop it. |
| Chin: | Oh, no. You broke it. Now we're really in trouble. |
| Kan: | Don't worry. I have a plan. Follow my lead. |
Just then the door opens, and the Master enters the room.
| Priest: | I'm back. Oh, no! What happened? |
| Chin: | Master, we broke your vase. |
| Priest: | You bad boys! I'll punish you for this. |
| Kan: | We know, Master. So we punished ourselves. |
| Chin: | We ate the poison in the pot. |
| Chin, Kan: | Soon we'll die! Agghhhhhh! |
| Priest: | Well ... |
New Crown Book 3 (Shōwa 56) pg. 66-71
| A Pot of Poison | |
|---|---|
| 毒の壷 | |
| Details | |
| Word count | 390 |
| Book | New Crown |
| Grade | 3 |
| Year | 1981 |
This is a story about a priest. The priest had many treasures, and among them there was one thing he treasured most of all. It was a pot.
One day he had to go away for a day or two. He told his two pupils to come and see him.
"You see that pot over there in my room," he said. "You mustn't touch it, because it'll break easily. A little wind coming through the window may break it. So shut all the doors and windows. I want you to watch if for me from outside the room."
"What's in the pot, Master?" asked the pupils.
"It's full of poison," said the priest.
| Chin: | I've watched the pot for two hours. Now it's your turn, Kan. |
| Kan: | All right. But I wonder what's in it. |
| Chin: | The Master said it was full of poison. |
| Kan: | I know. But why does he have so much poison? |
| Chin: | I don't know |
| Kan: | I wonder who gave it to him. |
| Kan: | I must look at the poison. I feel I can't stop myself. |
(Kan opens the shoji and goes up to the pot.)
| Chin: | Be careful, Kan. |
(Chin watches Kan. Kan opens the pot and looks in.)
| Kan: | It's something brown. I'll eat some. |
| Chin: | Stop it! It's poison! You'll die! |
| Kan: | Don't tell me to stop. Oh, it's delicious. |
| Chin: | You'll die! |
| Kan: | No, I won't. I wonder where Master got this. |
| Kan: | This is not poison. |
| Chin: | What is it? |
| Kan: | Try some. |
| Chin: | Oh, it's sugar! |
| Kan: | Yes, it is. It's sugar. It isn't poison. |
| Chin: | What delicious poison! |
(They eat all the sugar.)
| Kan: | We've eaten all the sugar. |
| Chin: | Master will be angry. |
| Kan: | Do you know when he will come back? |
| Chin: | This afternoon, perhaps. |
| Kan: | There's no time to lose. We'd better break his treasured vase. |
| Chin: | Do you think do? |
The pupils broke the priest's vase and waited for him.
The priest came back. He saw no one in front of his room. He rushed in.
"Oh," he cried, "it's all gone!"
The pupils went up to the priest.
"I told you to watch my sugar, didn't I?" said the priest. "Where is my sugar?"
"Sugar?" said Chin. "It was poison, wasn't it?"
"I broke your treasured vase," said Kan. "I didn't know how to repair it. I didn't know what to do. I though I should kill myself, so I took all the poison that was in the pot."
