Wayarnbeh the Turtle

Oolah, the lizard, was out getting yams on a Mirrieh flat. She had three of her children with her. Suddenly she thought she heard some one moving behind the big Mirrieh bushes. She listened. All of a sudden out jumped Wayambeh from behind a bush and seized Oolah, telling her not to make a noise and he would not hurt her, but that he meant to take her off to his camp to be his wife. He would take her three children too and look after them. Resistance was useless, for Oolah had only her yam stick, while Wayambeh had his spears and boondees. Wayambeh took the woman and her children to his camp. His tribe when they saw him bring home a woman of the Oolah tribe, asked him if her tribe had given her to him. He said, "No, I have stolen her."

トカゲのウーラが、ミリーの低地でヤムイモを掘っていた。三人の子を連れていた。ふと、大きなミリーの茂みの陰で誰かが動く音が聞こえたような気がした。耳を澄ませた。すると突然、茂みの陰からワヤンベーが跳び出してウーラを掴み、声を立てるな、そうすれば傷つけはしない、ただ妻にするために自分の野営地へ連れて行くのだ、と告げた。三人の子も連れて行って面倒を見よう、と。逆らっても無駄だった。ウーラはヤム掘りの棒しか持っておらず、ワヤンベーは槍とブーンディを持っていたからである。ワヤンベーは女と子どもたちを野営地へ連れて行った。一族の者は、ウーラの一族の女を連れ帰ったのを見て、その一族が女を与えたのかと尋ねた。ワヤンベーは言った。「いや、盗んで来た。」

"Well," they said, "her tribe will soon be after her; you must protect yourself; we shall not fight for you. You had no right to steal her without telling us. We had a young woman of our own tribe for you, yet you go and steal an Oolah and bring her to the camp of the Wayambeh. On your own head be the consequences."

「ふむ」と一族は言った。「じきに女の一族が追って来るぞ。おまえは自分で身を守れ。おれたちは加勢しない。おれたちに断りもなく盗んでよい道理はない。おまえのためにこの一族の若い女を用意してあったのに、ウーラを盗んでワヤンベーの野営地へ連れて来るとは。報いは自分の頭で受けろ。」

In a short time the Oolahs were seen coming across the plain which faced the camp of the Wayambeh. And they came not in friendship or to parley, for no women were with them, and they carried no boughs of peace in their bands, but were painted as for war, and were armed with fighting weapons.

ほどなく、ワヤンベーの野営地に面した平原を、ウーラたちが渡って来るのが見えた。しかも友好のためでも談判のためでもなかった。女を連れておらず、手には和平の枝も持たず、戦いの装いに塗り、戦う武器で身を固めていたからである。

When the Wayambeh saw the approach of the Oolah, their chief said: "Now, Wayambeh, you had better go out on to the plain and do your own fighting; we shall not help you."

ワヤンベーたちはウーラたちが近づくのを見ると、長がこう言った。「さあワヤンベー、平原へ出て自分の戦いをして来るがいい。おれたちは助けん。」

Wayambeh chose the two biggest boreens that he had; one he slung on him, covering the front of his body, and one the back; then, seizing his weapons, he strode out to meet his enemies.

ワヤンベーは持っているうちで最も大きなボリーンを二枚選んだ。一枚を身に掛けて体の前を覆い、もう一枚で背を覆った。それから武器を掴んで、敵を迎えに大股に歩き出した。

When he was well out on to the plain, though still some distance from the Oolah, he called out, "Come on."

平原のかなり先まで出たところで、ウーラたちからはまだ距離があったが、こう叫んだ。「来い。」

The answer was a shower of spears and boomerangs. As they came whizzing through the air Wayambeh drew his arms inside the boreens, and ducked his head down between them, so escaped.

答えは槍とブーメランの雨だった。それが空を切って飛んで来ると、ワヤンベーは両腕をボリーンの内側に引っ込め、その間に頭を沈めて、やり過ごした。

As the weapons fell harmless to the ground, glancing off his boreen, out again he stretched his arms and held up again his head, shouting, "Come on, try again, I'm ready."

武器がボリーンをかすめて地面に落ち、害を為さずに済むと、また両腕を伸ばし、頭をもたげて叫んだ。「来い、もう一度やってみろ、こちらは構わん。」

The answer was another shower of weapons, which he met in the same way. At last the Oolahs closed in round him, forcing him to retreat towards the creek.

答えはまた武器の雨で、同じやり方でしのいだ。とうとうウーラたちは輪を狭め、ワヤンベーを小川の方へ退かせた。

Shower after shower of weapons they slung at him, and were getting at such close quarters that his only chance was to dive into the creek. He turned towards the creek, tore the front boreen off him, flung down his weapons and plunged in.

次から次へと武器を浴びせ、ついには間近に迫ったので、残る望みは小川へ潜ることだけになった。ワヤンベーは小川の方へ向き直り、前のボリーンを引きはがし、武器を投げ捨てて飛び込んだ。

The Oolah waited, spears poised in hand, ready to aim directly his head appeared above water, but they waited in vain. Wayambeh, the black fellow, they never saw again, but in the waterhole wherein he had dived they saw a strange creature, which bore on its back a fixed structure like a boreen, and which, when they went to try and catch it, drew in its head and limbs, so they said, "It is Wayambeh." And this was the beginning of Wayambeh, or turtle, in the creeks.

ウーラたちは槍を手に構えて待った。頭が水の上に現れたらすぐ狙うつもりだった。けれども待つだけ無駄だった。人であったワヤンベーを、彼らは二度と見なかった。けれども飛び込んだ水たまりの中に、奇妙な生き物が見えた。背にボリーンのようなものを張りつけており、捕まえようとすると頭と手足を引っ込めた。そこで彼らは言った。「あれはワヤンベーだ。」こうして小川にワヤンベー、すなわち亀が現れるようになったのである。