How the Speckled Hen Got Her Speckles

Her Speckles

まだらのわけ

Once upon a time, ages and ages ago, there was a little white hen. One day she was busily engaged in scratching the soil to find worms and insects for her breakfast. As she worked she sang over and over again her little crooning song, "Quirrichi, quirrichi, quirrichi." Suddenly she noticed a tiny piece of paper lying on the ground. "Quirrichi, quirrichi, what luck!" she said to herself. "This must be a letter. One time when the king, the great ruler of our country, held his court in the meadow close by, many people brought him letters and laid them at his feet. Now I, too, even I, the little white hen, have a letter. I am going to carry my letter to the king."

むかしむかし、遥かな遥かなむかし、小さな白い雌鶏がいた。ある日、雌鶏は朝ごはんのミミズや虫を見つけようと、せっせと土を引っかいていた。働きながら、雌鶏は小さな低い歌を何度も何度も歌っていた。「クィリチ、クィリチ、クィリチ」ふと、地面に小さな紙切れが落ちているのに気づいた。「クィリチ、クィリチ、なんて運がいいのかしら」と雌鶏は独りごちた。「これは手紙にちがいないわ。いつだったか、この国の偉い王さまがすぐ近くの牧場で宮廷を開いたとき、大勢の人が手紙を持ってきて王さまの足もとに置いたもの。今度はわたしも、この小さな白い雌鶏のわたしも、手紙を持っているのよ。この手紙を王さまに届けに行きましょう」

The next morning the little white hen started bravely out on her long journey. She carried the letter very carefully in her little brown basket. It was a long distance to the royal palace where the king lived. The little white hen had never been so far from home in all her life.

翌朝、小さな白い雌鶏は勇ましく長い旅に出た。小さな茶色の籠に手紙をたいそう大事に入れて運んだ。王さまの住む宮殿までは長い道のりだった。小さな白い雌鶏は、生まれてこのかた家からこれほど遠くへ出たことはなかった。

After a while she met a friendly fox. Foxes and little white hens are not usually very good friends, you know, but this fox was a friend of the little white hen. Once upon a time she had helped the fox to escape from a trap and the fox had never forgotten her kindness to him.

しばらくすると、仲よしの狐に出会った。ご存じのとおり、狐と小さな白い雌鶏はふつうあまり仲がよくないものだが、この狐は小さな白い雌鶏の友だちだった。いつだったか、雌鶏は狐が罠から逃げるのを手伝ってやったことがあり、狐はその親切を決して忘れなかったのである。

"O, little white hen, where are you going?" asked the fox.

「おうい、小さな白い雌鶏さん、どこへ行くの」と狐は尋ねた。

"Quirrichi, quirrichi," replied the little white hen, "I am going to the royal palace to carry a letter to the king."

「クィリチ、クィリチ」と小さな白い雌鶏は答えた。「王さまに手紙を届けに、宮殿へ行くところよ」

"Indeed, little white hen," said the fox, "I should like to go with you. Give me your permission to accompany you on your journey."

「それはそれは、小さな白い雌鶏さん」と狐は言った。「ぼくも一緒に行きたいな。旅のお供をさせておくれ」

"I shall be glad to have you go with me," said the little white hen. "It is a very long journey to the royal palace where the king lives. Wouldn't you like me to carry you in my little brown basket?"

「一緒に来てくれたらうれしいわ」と小さな白い雌鶏は言った。「王さまの住む宮殿まではとても長い旅なの。わたしの小さな茶色の籠に入れて運んであげましょうか」

The fox climbed into the little brown basket. After the little white hen had gone on for some distance farther she met a river. Once upon a time the little white hen had done the river a kindness. He had, with great difficulty, thrown some ugly worms upon the bank and he was afraid they would crawl back in again. The little white hen had eaten them for him. Always after that the river had been her friend.

狐は小さな茶色の籠に入った。小さな白い雌鶏がもうしばらく行くと、川に出会った。いつだったか、小さな白い雌鶏は川に親切にしてやったことがあった。川がやっとのことで醜いミミズを岸に打ち上げたのに、また這い戻ってくるのではないかと心配していたとき、小さな白い雌鶏がそれを食べてやったのである。それ以来ずっと、川は雌鶏の友だちだった。

"O, little white hen, where are you going?" the river called out as soon as he saw her.

「おうい、小さな白い雌鶏さん、どこへ行くの」と川は雌鶏を見るなり呼びかけた。

"Quirrichi, quirrichi, I am going to the royal palace to carry a letter to the king," replied the little white hen.

「クィリチ、クィリチ、王さまに手紙を届けに、宮殿へ行くところよ」と小さな白い雌鶏は答えた。

"O, little white hen, may I go with you?" asked the river.

「おうい、小さな白い雌鶏さん、一緒に行ってもいいかい」と川は尋ねた。

The little white hen told the river that he might go with her and asked him to ride in the little brown basket. So the river climbed into the little brown basket.

小さな白い雌鶏は川に、一緒に来てもいいと言い、小さな茶色の籠に乗るよう頼んだ。そこで川は小さな茶色の籠に入った。

After the little white hen had journeyed along for a time she came to a fire. Once upon a time, when the fire had been dying the little white hen had brought some dried grass. The grass had given the fire new life and always after that he had been the friend of the little white hen.

小さな白い雌鶏がしばらく旅を続けると、火のところに来た。いつだったか、火が消えかけていたとき、小さな白い雌鶏が枯れ草を持ってきてやったことがあった。草のおかげで火は新しい命を得て、それ以来ずっと小さな白い雌鶏の友だちだった。

"O, little white hen, where are you going?" the fire asked.

「おうい、小さな白い雌鶏さん、どこへ行くの」と火は尋ねた。

"Quirrichi, quirrichi, I am going to the royal palace to carry a letter to the king," replied the little white hen.

「クィリチ、クィリチ、王さまに手紙を届けに、宮殿へ行くところよ」と小さな白い雌鶏は答えた。

"O, little white hen, may I go with you?" asked the fire. "I have never been to the royal palace and I have never had even a peep at the king."

「おうい、小さな白い雌鶏さん、一緒に行ってもいいかい」と火は尋ねた。「ぼくは宮殿へ行ったこともないし、王さまをちらりとのぞいたこともないんだ」

The little white hen told the fire that he might go with her and asked him to climb into the little brown basket. By this time the little brown basket was so full, that, try as they might, they couldn't make room for the fire. At last they thought of a plan. The fire changed himself into ashes and then there was room for him to get into the basket.

小さな白い雌鶏は火に、一緒に来てもいいと言い、小さな茶色の籠に入るよう頼んだ。このころには小さな茶色の籠はあまりにいっぱいで、どんなにがんばっても火の入る場所をこしらえられなかった。とうとうみなは一計を案じた。火が灰に姿を変えると、籠に入る場所ができた。

The little white hen journeyed on and on, and finally she arrived at the royal palace.

小さな白い雌鶏はどこまでも旅を続け、とうとう宮殿に着いた。

"Who are you and what are you carrying in your little brown basket?" asked the royal doorkeeper when he opened the door.

「お前はだれで、その小さな茶色の籠に何を入れて運んでいるのだ」と宮殿の門番は戸を開けて尋ねた。

"I am the little white hen and I am carrying a letter to the king," replied the little white hen. She didn't say a word about the fox and the river and the fire which she had in her little brown basket. She was so frightened before the great royal doorkeeper of the palace that she could hardly find her voice at all.

「わたしは小さな白い雌鶏で、王さまに手紙を届けに来ました」と小さな白い雌鶏は答えた。小さな茶色の籠に入れている狐と川と火のことは、ひと言も言わなかった。宮殿の偉い門番の前であまりに怯えて、ほとんど声も出なかったのである。

The royal doorkeeper invited the little white hen to enter the palace and he led her to the royal throne where the king was sitting. The little white hen bowed very low before the king--so low, in fact, that it mussed up all her feathers.

門番は小さな白い雌鶏を宮殿に招き入れ、王さまの座っている玉座へ案内した。小さな白い雌鶏は王さまの前でたいそう低くお辞儀をした——あまり低かったので、羽がすっかり乱れてしまった。

"Who are you and what is your business?" asked the king in his big, deep, kingly voice.

「お前はだれで、何の用だ」と王さまは大きな、太い、王さまらしい声で尋ねた。

"Quirrichi, quirrichi, I am the little white hen," replied the little white hen in her low, frightened, little voice. "I have come to bring my letter to your royal majesty." She handed the king the piece of paper which had remained all this time at the bottom of the little brown basket. There were marks of dirt upon it where the friendly fox's feet had rested. It was damp where the river had lain. It had tiny holes in it where the fire had sat after he had turned himself into hot ashes.

「クィリチ、クィリチ、わたしは小さな白い雌鶏です」と小さな白い雌鶏は、低く怯えた小さな声で答えた。「王さまに手紙をお届けにまいりました」雌鶏は、ずっと小さな茶色の籠の底にあった紙切れを王さまに差し出した。紙には、仲よしの狐の足が載っていたところに泥の跡がついていた。川が寝ていたところは湿っていた。火が熱い灰に姿を変えて座っていたところには、小さな穴があいていた。

"What do you mean by bringing me this dirty piece of paper?" shouted the king in his biggest, deepest, gruffest voice. "I am highly offended. I always knew that hens were stupid little creatures but you are quite the stupidest little hen I ever saw in all my life."

「こんな汚い紙切れを持ってくるとは、どういうつもりだ」と王さまはいちばん大きな、いちばん太い、いちばん荒々しい声でどなった。「たいそう不愉快だ。雌鶏がばかな小さな生きものだとはかねがね知っていたが、お前ほどばかな雌鶏は生まれてこのかた見たことがない」

"Here," and he turned to one of the attendants standing by the throne, "take this stupid, little white hen and throw her out into the royal poultry yard. I think we will have her for dinner to-morrow."

「おい」と王さまは玉座のそばに立っている家来の一人のほうを向いた。「このばかな小さな白い雌鶏を連れていって、王家の鶏小屋に放り込め。明日の夕飯にしようと思う」

The little white hen was roughly seized by the tallest royal attendant and carried down the back stairs, through the back gate, out into the royal poultry yard. She still clung to the little brown basket which she had brought with her on her long journey to the royal palace and through all the sad experiences she had met there.

小さな白い雌鶏は、いちばん背の高い家来に手荒くつかまれ、裏の階段を下り、裏門を抜けて、王家の鶏小屋へ運ばれていった。それでも雌鶏は、宮殿までの長い旅のあいだも、そこで出会ったつらい出来事のあいだもずっと持ってきた、小さな茶色の籠をしっかり握っていた。

When the little white hen reached the royal poultry yard all the royal fowls flew at her. Some plucked at her rumpled white feathers. Others tried to pick out her eyes. One pulled off the cover of the little brown basket.

小さな白い雌鶏が王家の鶏小屋に着くと、王家の鶏たちがみな雌鶏に跳びかかった。しわくちゃになった白い羽をつつく者もいれば、目をつつき出そうとする者もいた。一羽が小さな茶色の籠の蓋を引きはがした。

Out sprang the fox from the little brown basket and in the twinkling of an eye he fell upon the fowls of the royal poultry yard. Not a single fowl was left alive.

小さな茶色の籠から狐が跳び出し、あっという間に王家の鶏小屋の鶏たちに襲いかかった。生き残った鶏は一羽もいなかった。

There was such a great commotion that the king, the queen, the royal attendants and all the royal servants of the palace came rushing out to see what was the matter. The fox had already taken to his heels and the little white hen lost no time in running away too. She did not, however, forget to take her little brown basket with her.

あまりの大騒ぎに、王さまも、お妃さまも、家来たちも、宮殿の召使いたちもみな、何事かと駆け出してきた。狐はもう一目散に逃げていて、小さな白い雌鶏もすかさず逃げ出した。けれども、小さな茶色の籠を持っていくのは忘れなかった。

The royal household all ran after her in swift pursuit. They had almost caught her when the river suddenly sprang out of the little brown basket and flowed between the little white hen and her royal pursuers. They couldn't get across without canoes.

王家の人々はみな、すばやく雌鶏を追いかけた。もう少しで捕まえるというとき、川が突然小さな茶色の籠から跳び出して、小さな白い雌鶏と王家の追っ手のあいだを流れた。追っ手たちは丸木舟がなければ渡れなかった。

While they were getting the canoes and climbing into them the little white hen had time to run a long way. She had almost reached a thick forest where she could easily hide herself when the royal pursuers again drew near. Then the fire which had changed itself into hot ashes jumped out of the little brown basket. It immediately became dark, so dark that the royal household could not even see each other's faces and, of course, they could not see in which direction the little white hen was running. There was nothing for them to do but to return to the royal palace and live on beef and mutton.

追っ手たちが丸木舟を取ってきて乗り込んでいるあいだに、小さな白い雌鶏はずっと遠くまで逃げることができた。たやすく隠れられる深い森にもう少しで着くというとき、王家の追っ手がまた近づいてきた。すると熱い灰に姿を変えていた火が、小さな茶色の籠から跳び出した。たちまちあたりは暗くなり、あまりに暗くて王家の人々は互いの顔さえ見えず、もちろん小さな白い雌鶏がどちらへ走っているのかも見えなかった。追っ手たちは宮殿へ帰って、牛肉と羊肉を食べて暮らすほかなかった。

The fire which had turned itself into ashes sprang out of the little brown basket so suddenly that it scattered ashes all over the little white hen. From that day she was always speckled where the ashes fell upon her. The chickens of the little white hen (who was now a little speckled hen) were all speckled too. So were their chickens and their chickens and their chickens' chickens, even down to this very day. Whenever you see a speckled hen you may know that she is descended from the little white hen who carried a letter to the king, and who, in her adventures, became the first speckled hen.

灰に姿を変えていた火が小さな茶色の籠からあまりに急に跳び出したので、小さな白い雌鶏の体一面に灰が散らばった。その日から、雌鶏は灰のかかったところがいつもまだらになった。小さな白い雌鶏(今では小さなまだらの雌鶏)のひよこたちもみなまだらだった。そのひよこたちも、そのまたひよこたちも、そのまたひよこのひよこたちも、今日に至るまでずっとそうである。まだらの雌鶏を見かけたら、それは王さまに手紙を届けて、その冒険のなかで最初のまだらの雌鶏になった、あの小さな白い雌鶏の子孫だとわかるだろう。