A story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1922) — a dead man in a forest, and three people who all say: 'I killed him.'
Want the fuller version? Read this story at B2/C1 level →
Before we read, let's learn the words you'll need. Think first — then click Reveal to check.
Read the sentence. What does the bold word mean? Then reveal.
Read the meaning. Say the word. The first letter helps you.
Read the sentence and choose a, b or c. Then reveal.
This is a famous Japanese story, told here in simple English. A samurai is dead in a forest. A judge asks seven people what happened. There is no narrator — only the people speaking. Read each part, then try the questions from memory.
The woodcutter: "Yes, sir. I found the body this morning. I went up the hill to cut wood, and there he was, in a small forest of bamboo. He lay on his back in a blue robe. There was one wound in his chest, and dry blood on the leaves. A sword? No. I saw only a rope by a tree, and a comb. The grass was flat everywhere — I think he fought before he died."
The priest: "I saw the man yesterday at noon, on the road. He was walking next to a woman on a horse. I couldn't see her face — she wore a veil. The man had a sword, and a bow with about twenty arrows. Poor man. Life is so short."
The policeman: "I caught the thief last night — Tajōmaru, the famous thief. He fell off a horse near the bridge. He had a bow and seventeen arrows — the dead man's. And the horse was the woman's horse. So Tajōmaru killed him. But sir — Tajōmaru likes women. Where is the woman now? Please, look for her."
The old woman: "The dead man is my daughter's husband. His name was Takehiro, a samurai, twenty-six years old — a gentle man. My daughter is Masago. She is nineteen, and very brave, like a man. They left for Wakasa yesterday. Now he is dead — and where is my daughter? Please, sir, find her! And that thief — I hate him!" (She cried and could not speak.)
1. What did the woodcutter find next to the body?
2. Who is the dead man, and who is missing?
1. A rope by a tree, and a comb. No sword.
2. Takehiro, a samurai, twenty-six years old. His wife Masago, nineteen, is missing.
Tajōmaru: "Yes, I killed the man. But I did not kill the woman. Where is she? I don't know."
"I met them on the road at noon. The wind lifted the woman's veil for a second, and I saw her face. It was beautiful like a goddess. I decided: I will take this woman, even if I must kill the man."
"You think killing a man is a big thing? You kill people too — with money, with power, with nice words. No blood, but you kill them. Who is worse, you or me?"
"I told the man a lie: there is treasure in the forest — old swords and mirrors — and I will sell it cheap. He was greedy. He came with me. The woman waited on her horse. In the forest, I jumped on him and tied him to a tree with my rope. Then I went back to the woman and said: 'Your husband is ill — come!' She came. When she saw her husband tied up, she pulled out a small knife and tried to kill me! What a fierce woman! But I knocked the knife from her hand. And I took her."
"I did not want to kill the man. But then the woman held my arm and cried: 'One of you must die — you or my husband! I cannot live with two men knowing my shame. I will go with the one who lives.' When I saw her eyes, I wanted her for my wife. So I untied the man and said: 'Fight me.' We fought with swords. On the twenty-third stroke, my sword went through his chest. Twenty-three! No other man ever fought me so long."
"Then I turned round — and the woman was gone. I took the man's sword and bow and left. That is all. Hang me if you like."
1. How did the thief get the man into the forest?
2. According to the thief, why did he kill the husband?
1. He told him a lie about treasure — old swords and mirrors — buried in the forest. The man was greedy and followed him.
2. The woman said one of the two men must die, and she would go with the one who lived. So he untied the husband and they fought with swords. He killed him on the twenty-third stroke.
The wife, Masago, at a temple: "After the thief hurt me, he laughed at my husband, tied to the tree. I ran to my husband. And I saw his eyes. They were not angry. They were not sad. They were cold — full of contempt for me. That look hurt me more than anything. I fainted."
"When I woke up, the thief was gone. My husband's eyes were still cold. I said: 'I cannot live after this. I will die. But you must die too — you saw my shame.' He said nothing. His mouth was full of leaves. But his eyes said one word: 'Kill.' I took my little knife, and I put it into his chest. Then I tried to kill myself. I tried the knife. I tried the river. I could not do it. And so I am here. What should I do? What should I…" (She cried.)
The dead man, speaking through a ghost-woman: "After the thief hurt my wife, he sat down and talked to her softly. 'Come with me,' he said. 'Be my wife.' I could not speak. I looked at my wife with my eyes: don't believe him! But my wife lifted her face. She was more beautiful than ever. And she said: 'Yes. Take me with you.'"
"Then she did something worse. She pointed at me and screamed: 'Kill him! I cannot go with you while he lives!' Even the thief went pale. He looked at her — and he kicked her to the ground. Then he asked me: 'What shall I do with this woman? Kill her, or let her go?' For those words, I can forgive the thief everything."
"My wife ran away into the forest. The thief could not catch her. He took my sword and my bow, cut one of my ropes, and left. Everything was quiet. Someone was crying — it was me. I got free. My wife's little knife was on the ground. I picked it up, and I put it into my own chest. There was no pain. Everything went quiet and dark. Then… someone came softly. I could not see who. A hand took the knife out of my chest. And I went down into the dark for ever."
1. According to the wife, who killed the husband, and why?
2. According to the dead man, who killed him?
1. She did. His eyes were full of contempt for her, and they 'said' one word: 'Kill.' So she put her knife in his chest.
2. He killed himself with his wife's knife, after she asked the thief to kill him and then ran away. At the end, someone took the knife from his chest.
The judge asks questions all the way through the story — we just don't hear them. To find the truth, you need good questions. Here is how to make them.
One each, from: Who · Where · When · Why · How many.
1. did the woodcutter find the body? — In a small bamboo forest.
2. did the priest see the man? — Yesterday at noon.
3. arrows did the thief have? — Seventeen.
4. was the dead man? — Takehiro, a samurai.
5. did the woman pull out a knife? — Because she saw her husband tied to a tree.
1. Where
2. When
3. How many
4. Who
5. Why
Put the words in order. Remember: did + base verb.
1. the thief / did / where / meet them? →
2. did / say / what / the old woman? →
3. kill / who / the man? (no 'did'!) →
4. the woman / run / did / why / away? →
1. Where did the thief meet them?
2. What did the old woman say?
3. Who killed the man?
4. Why did the woman run away?
Write a question for each answer.
1. ? — A rope and a comb.
2. ? — Because he was greedy and wanted the treasure.
3. ? — Twenty-three strokes.
4. ? — Nineteen years old.
5. ? — Nobody knows.
1. What did the woodcutter find next to the body?
2. Why did the man go into the forest?
3. How many strokes did they fight?
4. How old was Masago (the wife)?
5. Where did the woman go? / Who took the knife? (Any sensible question is fine!)
In the Speak tab, be the judge: ask the questions the story never shows us.
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927) was one of the most important Japanese writers of the twentieth century. He wrote this story in 1922, using an old tale from the twelfth century. In 1950 the director Akira Kurosawa made it into a famous film, Rashōmon. Today, when people tell different stories about the same event, we call it 'the Rashomon effect'.
Everyone in this story says 'I did it'. The thief says he won a fair fight. The wife says her husband asked her to kill him. The husband says he killed himself like a samurai. Every story makes the speaker look brave, or sad, or honourable. And at the very end, a hand takes the knife. Who? The story never says.
This is the heart of the lesson — do all three out loud. The timer helps you keep going: fill the time with details.
Tell 'In a Grove' to someone who does not know it: the body → the four witnesses → the thief's story → the wife's story → the dead man's story → the knife.
Use at least five key words (forest, sword, rope, comb, thief, judge, ghost, dead, truth, wife).
You are the judge. Ask ten questions — to the thief, to the wife, to the dead man. Use Who, What, Where, When, Why, How many. Then give your decision: who killed the samurai?
Tell one event three times, as three different people would tell it. Then ask questions to find the truth.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: