The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and give them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Jiichan, Grandpa, is saddened by all the changes around him, but in the end he is welcomed back by all the grown up children who once listened to his stories. This encourages him to continue pedaling into town with his stories and candies.

The vocabulary introduced in this story:

familiar ~ something that is known because it is experienced often

applause ~ clapping

rude ~ not being polite, or having bad manners

jerky ~ moving in sudden, uneven, or awkward ways

blasted ~ made a sudden, loud sound

blurry ~ unclear or smeared

rickety ~ shaky or likely to fall apart

vacant ~ empty