Gon, the Little Fox facts for kids
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| Author | Nankichi Niimi |
|---|---|
| Original title | ごん狐 Gongitsune |
| Translator | Mariko Shii Gharbi |
| Illustrator | Genjirou Mita |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Fable, Children's literature |
| Published |
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| Media type | Print (paperback), (hardback) |
| Pages | 36 |
| ISBN | 978-1940842035 |
Gon, the Little Fox (ごん狐, Gongitsune) is a famous Japanese story. It is about a small fox named Gon. Many people consider this story the best work by Niimi Nankichi. He is sometimes called the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan.
Contents
The Story of Gon, the Little Fox
Gon (Japanese: ごん) is a young fox. He often looks for food in a small village. Gon likes to play tricks and steal things. He always manages to get away from the angry villagers.
Gon's Big Mistake
One day, Gon steals an eel. The eel belonged to a man named Hyoju (Japanese:
Making Amends: Gon's Secret Gifts
Gon decided to make things right. He started leaving secret gifts for Hyoju. At first, he stole things to give to Hyoju. But the villagers thought Hyoju was the thief. They even beat him up! After that, Gon only brought gifts he found in the forest. He left mushrooms and nuts for Hyoju. Hyoju was thankful for the gifts. He just did not know who was leaving them.
A Sad Ending
One day, Hyoju saw the fox sneaking around. He was still very sad about his mother. So, he shot Gon, thinking the fox was just causing more trouble. Only after Gon was gone did Hyoju realize the truth. The fox he had just shot was the one who had been leaving him all the kind gifts. It was a very sad moment for Hyoju.
About the Author: Nankichi Niimi
Nankichi Niimi wrote Gon, the Little Fox in 1930. He was only seventeen years old at the time. He based the story on an old Japanese folk tale he had heard. Nankichi wrote the story in Handa, Aichi prefecture. This was the town where he was born.
Why Nankichi Wrote the Story
Nankichi also lost his mother when he was very young. He was only four years old. This sad event made him feel a deep connection to the folk tale. Like Gon, Nankichi did not live a very long life. He passed away at age 29 from tuberculosis.
Movie Adaptations of Gon
Gon, the Little Fox has been made into animated movies.
The 1985 Animated Film
The first animated movie was called Gongitsune (ごんぎつね). It came out in March 1985. Mayumi Tanaka was the voice of Gon in this film.
The 2020 Stop-Motion Film
More recently, a new film was made. It was a stop-motion animation. Takeshi Yashiro directed and animated this short film. He was inspired by Nankichi Niimi's book. The movie was shown in Japan from February 28 to March 5, 2020. Masato Tanaka voiced Gon, and Miyu Irino voiced Hyojyu.
See also
In Spanish: Gongitsune para niños
