Recommended for upper beginners and lower intermediates of Japanese. NEWLY UPDATED WITH A BONUS STORY: Kaguya Hime (including MP3s of both stories) ***** FREE PDF and MP3s of the stories read by a native Japanese speaker--download link found on the last page. Listen while reading to develop listening comprehension, reading skills, and building vocabulary. ***** THE STORIES: Inch-High Samurai: Read--in Japanese--how a tiny, yet very brave samurai manages to marry a princess. Kaguya Hime: An old man finds a girl in a bamboo stalk and raises her as his own. It turns out, she is out of this world. While beginners of Japanese can get a lot from this, hiragana knowledge is highly recommended. WHAT YOU GET: * All vocabulary is defined in English under each paragraph * The full story just in Japanese is also provided so you can practice reading without interruption * An English translation is provided (but not encouraged) * Extensive grammar notes for both stories * Best of all, download FREE MP3s of the story read by a native Japanese speech actress. (See the last page of the book for the link)