Mullyangah the Morning Star

Mullyan, the eagle hawk, built himself a home high in a yaraan tree. There he lived apart from his tribe, with Moodai the opossum, his wife, and Moodai the opossum, his mother-in-law. With them too was Buttergah, a daughter of the Buggoo or flying squirrel tribe. Buttergah was a friend of Moodai, the wife of Mullyan, and a distant cousin to the Moodai tribe.

オナガイヌワシのマリアンは、ヤラーン(白いユーカリ)の木の高いところに自分の家を建てた。そこで一族から離れ、妻のフクロネズミのムーダイと、義母のフクロネズミのムーダイとともに暮らしていた。一緒にいたのはもう一人、モモンガの一族ブグーの娘バッターガーだった。バッターガーはマリアンの妻ムーダイの友で、ムーダイの一族の遠い縁者にあたった。

Mullyan the eagle hawk was a cannibal. That was the reason of his living apart from the other blacks. In order to satisfy his cannibal cravings, he used to sally forth with a big spear, a spear about four times as big as an ordinary spear. If he found a black fellow hunting alone, he would kill him and take his body up to the house in the tree. There the Moodai and Buttergab would cook it, and all of them would eat the flesh; for the women as well as Mullyan were cannibals. This went on for some time, until at last so many black fellows were slain that their friends determined to find out what became of them, and they tracked the last one they missed. They tracked him to where he had evidently been slain; they took up the tracks of his slayer, and followed them right to the foot of the yaraan tree, in which was built the home of Mullyan. They tried to climb the tree, but it was high and straight, and they gave up the attempt after many efforts. In their despair at their failure they thought of the Bibbees, a tribe noted for its climbing powers. They summoned two young Bibbees to their aid. One came, bringing with him his friend Murrawondah of the climbing rat tribe.

オナガイヌワシのマリアンは人を食う者だった。ほかの人々から離れて暮らしていたのはそのためである。人を食いたい欲を満たすために、大きな槍を持って出かけるのが常だった。普通の槍の四倍ほどもある槍である。一人で狩りをしている者を見つけると殺して、その体を木の上の家へ運んだ。そこでムーダイたちとバッターガーがそれを焼き、みなでその肉を食べた。女たちもマリアンと同じく人を食う者だったのである。これがしばらく続いて、とうとうあまりに多くの者が殺されたので、その友たちは彼らがどうなったのかを突き止めようと決め、いちばん最後にいなくなった者の跡をたどった。跡は明らかに殺された場所まで続いていた。そこから殺した者の跡を取り、ヤラーンの木の根元まで追った。そこにマリアンの家が建っていた。木に登ろうとしたが、高くまっすぐで、何度も試したあげくあきらめた。しくじってどうにもならなくなったとき、彼らはビビーたち、登る力で名高い一族のことを思い出した。二人の若いビビーを呼んで助けを求めた。一人が来て、その友である木登りネズミの一族のムラウォンダーを連れて来た。

Having heard what the blacks wanted them to do, these famous climbers went to the yaraan tree and made a start at once. There was only light enough that first night for them to see to reach a fork in the tree about half-way up. There they camped, watched Mullyan away in the morning, and then climbed on. At last they reached the home of Mullyan. They watched their chance and then sneaked into his humpy.

人々が何をしてほしいのかを聞くと、この名高い登り手たちはヤラーンの木へ行き、すぐに取りかかった。最初の晩は、木の半ばほどにある又まで登り着くのがやっとの明るさしかなかった。そこで野営し、朝マリアンが出かけるのを見届けてから、さらに登った。とうとうマリアンの家にたどり着いた。機を見て、その小屋にこっそり忍び込んだ。

When they were safely inside, they hastened to secrete a smouldering stick in one end of the humpy, taking care they were not seen by any of the women. Then they went quietly down again, no one the wiser of their coming or going. During the day the women heard sometimes a crackling noise, as of burning, but looking round they saw nothing, and as their own fire was safe, they took no notice, thinking it might have been caused by some grass having fallen into their fire.

無事に中に入ると、女たちの誰にも見られないよう気をつけながら、小屋の片隅にくすぶる棒を急いで隠した。それから静かにまた下りて行き、来たことも去ったことも誰にも気づかれなかった。日のあいだ、女たちはときおり何かの燃えるようなぱちぱちいう音を聞いたが、見回しても何も見えず、自分たちの火は無事だったので、草でも火に落ちたのだろうと思って気に留めなかった。

After their descent from having hidden the smouldering fire stick, Bibbee and Murrawondah found the blacks and told them what they had done. Hearing that the plan was to burn out Mullyan, and fearing that the tree might fall, they all moved to some little distance, there to watch and wait for the end. Great was their joy at the thought that at last their enemy was circumvented. And proud were Bibbee and Murrawondah as the black fellows praised their prowess.

くすぶる火種を隠して下りて来ると、ビビーとムラウォンダーは人々を見つけて、してきたことを告げた。マリアンを焼き出す手はずだと聞き、木が倒れるかもしれないと恐れて、みなは少し離れたところへ移り、そこで終わりを見届けようと待った。とうとう敵を出し抜いたと思って、みなの喜びは大きかった。そして人々がその腕前をほめるので、ビビーとムラウォンダーは誇らしかった。

After dinner-time Mullyan came back. When he reached the entrance to his house he put down his big spear outside. Then he went in and threw himself down to rest, for long had he walked and little had he gained. In a few minutes he heard his big spear fall down. He jumped up and stuck it in its place again. He had no sooner thrown himself down, than again he heard it fall. Once more he rose and replaced it. As he reached his resting-place again, out burst a flame of fire from the end of his humpy. He called out to the three women, who were cooking, and they rushed to help him extinguish the flames. But in spite of their efforts the fire only blazed the brighter. Mullyan's arm was burnt off. The Moodai had their feet burnt, and Buttergah was badly burnt too. Seeing they were helpless against the fire, they turned to leave the humpy to its fate, and make good their own escape. But they had left it too late. As they turned to descend the tree, the roof of the humpy fell on them. And all that remained when the fire ceased, were the charred bones of the dwellers in the yaraan tree. That was all that the blacks found of their enemies; but their legend says that Mullyan the eagle hawk lives in the sky as Mullyangah the morning star, on one side of which is a little star, which is his one arm; on the other a larger star, which is Moodai the opossum, his wife.

昼下がりにマリアンが帰って来た。家の入口に着くと、大きな槍を外に立てかけた。それから中に入り、身を投げ出して休んだ。長く歩いたわりに得たものが少なかったからである。数分すると、大きな槍が倒れる音が聞こえた。跳ね起きて、もとの場所に立て直した。身を投げ出すが早いか、また倒れる音が聞こえた。もう一度起きて立て直した。休み場所へ戻ったちょうどそのとき、小屋の端から炎が噴き出した。料理をしていた三人の女を呼ぶと、女たちは火を消すのを手伝おうと駆けつけた。けれども懸命になればなるほど、火は明るく燃えるばかりだった。マリアンの腕は焼け落ちた。ムーダイたちは足を焼かれ、バッターガーもひどい火傷を負った。火にはかなわないと見て、みなは小屋を成り行きにまかせ、自分たちだけでも逃げようと向き直った。けれども遅すぎた。木を下りようと向き直ったとき、小屋の屋根が落ちてきた。そして火が消えたとき残っていたのは、ヤラーンの木の住人たちの黒焦げの骨だけだった。人々が敵の跡に見つけたのはそれだけだった。けれども彼らの言い伝えでは、オナガイヌワシのマリアンは明けの明星マリアンガーとして空にいるという。その片側には小さな星があって、それが残った一本の腕であり、もう片側にはもっと大きな星があって、それが妻のフクロネズミのムーダイだという。