Why the Monkey Still Has a Tail

a Tail

尻尾

Once upon a time the monkey and the rabbit made a contract. The monkey was to kill all the butterflies and the rabbit was to kill all the snakes.

むかしむかし、猿と兎が取り決めを結んだ。猿は蝶をすべて退治し、兎は蛇をすべて退治することになった。

One day the rabbit was taking a nap when the monkey passed that way. The monkey thought that he would play a trick on the rabbit so he pulled the rabbit's ears, pretending that he thought they were butterflies. The rabbit awoke very angry at the monkey and he plotted how he might revenge himself on the monkey.

ある日、兎が昼寝をしているところを猿が通りかかった。猿は兎にいたずらをしてやろうと思い、兎の耳を引っぱった。蝶だと思ったふりをしたのである。兎はひどく腹を立てて目を覚まし、どうやって猿に仕返ししてやろうかと企んだ。

The rabbit and the armadillo are very good friends. The armadillo is very, very strong, you know, so it was he whom the rabbit asked to help him.

兎とアルマジロはたいそう仲がいい。アルマジロはご存じのとおり、とても、とても力が強い。そこで兎が助けを頼んだのはアルマジロであった。

One day the rabbit caught the monkey napping. He had watched and waited a long, long time to catch the monkey napping, but at last he succeeded. Even the monkey sometimes takes a nap. The rabbit called the armadillo at once and together they rolled a big stone upon the monkey's tail. The monkey pulled so hard to get his tail out from under the stone that it broke off. The cat, who at that time had no tail of her own, spied the tail and ran away with it. The monkey was very angry at the rabbit. "O, we thought it was just a snake lying there," said the rabbit. "When you pulled my ears, you know, you thought they were butterflies."

ある日、兎は猿が昼寝をしているところを見つけた。猿の昼寝を捕まえようと、長い長いあいだ見張って待っていたのだが、とうとうやってのけたのである。猿でさえ、時には昼寝をするのだ。兎はすぐにアルマジロを呼び、二匹で大きな石を猿の尻尾の上へ転がした。猿が石の下から尻尾を抜こうとあまりに強く引っぱったので、尻尾はちぎれてしまった。そのころまだ自分の尻尾を持っていなかった猫がその尻尾を見つけ、持って逃げてしまった。猿は兎にひどく腹を立てた。「いやあ、ただの蛇がそこに寝そべっているのかと思ったのさ」と兎は言った。「きみだって、ほら、わたしの耳を引っぱったとき、蝶だと思ったんだろう。」

That did not help the monkey to feel any better. How was he to live without his tail! How could he climb without it! He simply had to have it back so he at once set out to find the cat.

そんなことを言われても、猿の気持ちは少しも晴れなかった。尻尾なしでどうやって生きていけというのだ! 尻尾なしでどうやって木に登れるというのだ! どうしても取り戻さねばならない。そこで猿はすぐに猫を探しに出かけた。

At last he found the cat and said to her, "O, kind cat, please give me back my tail."

とうとう猿は猫を見つけて言った。「ああ、優しい猫さん、どうか尻尾を返しておくれ。」

"I will give it to you," replied the cat, "if you will get me some milk."

「返してあげるよ」と猫は答えた。「乳を持ってきてくれたらね。」

"Where shall I get the milk?" asked the monkey.

「乳はどこでもらえばいいのだい」と猿は尋ねた。

"Go ask the cow for some," replied the cat.

「牝牛に頼んでごらん」と猫は答えた。

The monkey went to the cow and said, "O, kind cow, please give me some milk that I may give the milk to the cat so that the cat will give back my tail to me."

猿は牝牛のところへ行って言った。「ああ、優しい牝牛さん、どうか乳をおくれ。その乳を猫にあげて、猫が尻尾を返してくれるように。」

"I will give you the milk," replied the cow, "if you will get me some grass."

「乳をあげよう」と牝牛は答えた。「草を持ってきてくれたらね。」

"Where shall I get the grass?" asked the monkey.

「草はどこでもらえばいいのだい」と猿は尋ねた。

"Go ask the farmer," responded the cow.

「百姓に頼んでごらん」と牝牛は答えた。

The monkey went to the farmer and said, "O, kind farmer, please give me some grass that I may give the grass to the cow so that the cow will give me some milk so that I may give the milk to the cat so that the cat will give back my tail to me."

猿は百姓のところへ行って言った。「ああ、優しいお百姓さん、どうか草をおくれ。その草を牝牛にあげて、牝牛が乳をくれて、その乳を猫にあげて、猫が尻尾を返してくれるように。」

The farmer said, "I will give you some grass if you will give me some rain."

百姓は言った。「草をやろう。雨をくれたらな。」

"Where shall I get the rain?" asked the monkey.

「雨はどこでもらえばいいのだい」と猿は尋ねた。

"Go ask the clouds," responded the farmer.

「雲に頼んでごらん」と百姓は答えた。

The monkey went to the clouds and said, "O, kind clouds, please send me down some rain that I may give the rain to the farmer so that the farmer will give me some grass so that I may give the grass to the cow so that the cow will give me some milk so that I may give the milk to the cat so that the cat will give me back my tail."

猿は雲のところへ行って言った。「ああ、優しい雲さん、どうか雨を降らせておくれ。その雨を百姓にあげて、百姓が草をくれて、その草を牝牛にあげて、牝牛が乳をくれて、その乳を猫にあげて、猫が尻尾を返してくれるように。」

"I will give you some rain," replied the clouds, "if you will get me some fog."

「雨をあげよう」と雲は答えた。「霧を持ってきてくれたらね。」

"Where shall I get the fog?" asked the monkey.

「霧はどこでもらえばいいのだい」と猿は尋ねた。

"Go ask the rivers," replied the clouds.

「川に頼んでごらん」と雲は答えた。

The monkey went to the river and said, "O, kind river, please give me a fog that I may give the fog to the clouds so that the clouds will give some rain so that I may give the rain to the farmer so that the farmer will give me some grass so that I may give the grass to the cow so that the cow will give me some milk so that I may give the milk to the cat so that the cat will give me back my tail."

猿は川のところへ行って言った。「ああ、優しい川さん、どうか霧をおくれ。その霧を雲にあげて、雲が雨を降らせて、その雨を百姓にあげて、百姓が草をくれて、その草を牝牛にあげて、牝牛が乳をくれて、その乳を猫にあげて、猫が尻尾を返してくれるように。」

"I will give you a fog," replied the river, "if you will find a new spring to feed me."

「霧をあげよう」と川は答えた。「わたしを養う新しい泉を見つけてくれたらね。」

"Where shall I find a spring?" asked the monkey.

「泉はどこで見つければいいのだい」と猿は尋ねた。

"Go search for one among the rocks upon the hillside," replied the river.

「丘の斜面の岩のあいだを探してごらん」と川は答えた。

Then the monkey climbed up the steep hill and searched and searched among the rocks until at last he found a little spring to feed the river. He brought the spring to the river and the river gave him a fog. He took the fog to the clouds and the clouds gave him rain. He took the rain to the farmer and the farmer gave him grass. He took the grass to the cow and the cow gave him milk. He took the milk to the cat and the cat gave him back his tail. The monkey was so glad to have his tail again that he danced and danced with glee. Ever since that time the monkey has been very careful to guard his tail. He still has one and he is still happy because of it.

そこで猿は険しい丘を登り、岩のあいだを探しに探して、とうとう川を養う小さな泉を見つけた。猿が泉を川へ引いてくると、川は霧をくれた。霧を雲へ持っていくと、雲は雨をくれた。雨を百姓へ持っていくと、百姓は草をくれた。草を牝牛へ持っていくと、牝牛は乳をくれた。乳を猫へ持っていくと、猫は尻尾を返してくれた。猿は尻尾を取り戻せたのが嬉しくて、喜びのあまり踊りに踊った。その時からずっと、猿は自分の尻尾をたいそう用心して守っている。いまも尻尾を持っていて、そのおかげでいまも幸せなのである。