The Song of the Sanshin
Kenji lived on a warm island in Okinawa. The blue sea was all around his home.
Kenji loved to visit his grandfather, Ji-Ji. Ji-Ji had a special musical instrument.
It was called a sanshin. It had three strong strings and a body made of snake skin.
"Would you like to play?" Ji-Ji asked with a smile. Kenji nodded his head fast.
Ji-Ji sat close to Kenji. He showed Kenji how to hold the wooden neck.
"Pluck this string first," Ji-Ji said softly. Kenji pulled the string with his finger.
A bright, happy sound filled the warm room. It sounded like the waves on the sandy beach.
"Good job," Ji-Ji said. "This song is very old."
Ji-Ji sang a song about the wind and the sea. The song came from the Ryukyu Islands long ago.
Kenji tried again and made a sweet sound. He felt very proud.
He wanted to play music just like his grandpa. They played together until the sun went down.
- sanshin:
- A traditional three-stringed musical instrument from Okinawa, often with a body covered in snake skin.
- pluck:
- To pull a string with your fingers and let it go quickly to make a musical sound.
- Okinawa:
- A group of warm, beautiful islands in Japan surrounded by the blue sea.
- Ryukyu Islands:
- A chain of islands in Japan, including Okinawa, known for their ancient and rich cultural traditions.
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- 1Where does Kenji live?
- 2Whom does Kenji love to visit?
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About this short story passage for Lower Elementary
“The Song of the Sanshin” is a short story reading passage about Okinawan Musical Traditions, written for Lower Elementary. It takes about 1 minute to read (163 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.