The Golden Bird

A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone. The king became very angry at this, and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree. The gardener set his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o’clock he fell asleep, and in the morning another of the apples was missing. Then the second son was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. Then the third son offered to keep watch; but the gardener at first would not let him, for fear some harm should come to him: however, at last he consented, and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch. As the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener’s son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away. The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and all the council was called together. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, ‘One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.’

ある王が美しい庭を持っていて、その庭には金の林檎をつける木が立っていた。この林檎はいつも数えられていたが、熟しはじめるころになると、毎晩一つずつ消えていることが分かった。王はこれにたいそう腹を立て、庭師に夜じゅう木の下で見張るよう命じた。庭師はいちばん上の息子に見張らせたが、十二時ごろに眠り込んでしまい、朝にはまた林檎が一つなくなっていた。そこで二番目の息子が見張るよう命じられたが、真夜中に彼も眠り込み、朝にはまた林檎が一つなくなっていた。そこで三番目の息子が見張ると申し出たが、庭師ははじめ、何か災いが降りかかるのを恐れて許さなかった。だがとうとう承知して、若者は木の下に横になって見張った。時計が十二を打つと、空に衣ずれのような音がして、一羽の鳥が飛んできた。それは純金でできていた。そして嘴で林檎の一つをつつこうとしたとき、庭師の息子は跳び起きて矢を射かけた。だが矢は鳥を傷つけず、ただ尾から金の羽根を一枚落として、鳥は飛び去った。朝、金の羽根は王のもとへ運ばれ、顧問がみな召集された。誰もがそれは国じゅうの富より値打ちがあると認めたが、王は言った。「羽根一枚では役に立たぬ。鳥そのものを手に入れねばならぬ」

Then the gardener’s eldest son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, ‘Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean.’ But the son thought to himself, ‘What can such a beast as this know about the matter?’ So he shot his arrow at the fox; but he missed it, and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other looked very dirty, and poor. ‘I should be very silly,’ said he, ‘if I went to that shabby house, and left this charming place’; so he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his country too.

そこで庭師のいちばん上の息子が出発し、金の鳥などたやすく見つかると思っていた。そしていくらも行かないうちに森に来て、森のはずれに狐が座っているのを見た。そこで弓を取って射かけようとした。すると狐は言った。「わたしを射ないでください。よい忠告を差し上げます。あなたの用向きは分かっています。金の鳥を見つけたいのでしょう。夕方には村に着きます。着いたら向かい合った宿屋が二軒あって、一方はたいそう感じがよく美しく見えます。そちらへは入らず、もう一方で夜を過ごしなさい。たとえひどく貧しく粗末に見えても」だが息子は心のうちで思った。「こんな獣に何が分かるものか」そして狐に矢を射かけたが外れ、狐は尾を背の上に立てて森へ走り込んだ。それから彼は道を行き、夕方、あの二軒の宿屋がある村に着いた。一方では人々が歌い、踊り、宴をしていたが、もう一方はひどく汚くて貧しそうだった。「ばかげている」と彼は言った。「この心地よい所を置いて、あのみすぼらしい家へ行くなんて」そして立派な家に入り、思うままに食べて飲み、鳥のことも故郷のことも忘れてしまった。

Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no tidings were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but when he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the window where the merrymaking was, and called to him to come in; and he could not withstand the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner.

時が過ぎた。いちばん上の息子は帰らず、その消息も聞こえないので、二番目の息子が出発し、同じことが彼にも起きた。彼も狐に出会い、よい忠告を受けた。だが二軒の宿屋に着くと、宴をしているほうの窓に兄が立っていて、入れと呼んだ。誘惑にあらがえずに入って、同じように金の鳥も故郷も忘れてしまった。

Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of his son, and was afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also, and prevent his coming back. However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox, and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said, ‘Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.’ So he sat down, and the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone so quick that their hair whistled in the wind.

また時が過ぎ、末の息子も金の鳥を求めて広い世間へ出たいと願った。だが父は長いあいだ耳を貸そうとしなかった。この息子をたいそうかわいがっていて、彼にも何か不運が起きて帰れなくなるのを恐れたからである。だがとうとう行かせることになった。息子が家でじっとしていなかったからである。そして森に来ると彼は狐に出会い、同じよい忠告を聞いた。だが彼は狐に感謝し、兄たちのように命を狙おうとはしなかった。そこで狐は言った。「わたしの尾にお乗りなさい。そのほうが速く行けます」そこで彼が座ると狐は走りはじめ、二人は切り株も石も越えて、髪が風に鳴るほど速く進んだ。

When they came to the village, the son followed the fox’s counsel, and without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested there all night at his ease. In the morning came the fox again and met him as he was beginning his journey, and said, ‘Go straight forward, till you come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop of soldiers fast asleep and snoring: take no notice of them, but go into the castle and pass on and on till you come to a room, where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage; close by it stands a beautiful golden cage; but do not try to take the bird out of the shabby cage and put it into the handsome one, otherwise you will repent it.’ Then the fox stretched out his tail again, and the young man sat himself down, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.

村に着くと、息子は狐の忠告に従い、わき目も振らずにみすぼらしい宿へ行き、そこでひと晩ゆっくり休んだ。朝になるとまた狐が来て、旅立とうとする彼に会って言った。「まっすぐ進んで、城に着くまで行きなさい。城の前には兵士の一隊がぐっすり眠っていびきをかいています。それには構わず城に入り、どんどん進んで、ある部屋に着くまで行きなさい。そこに金の鳥が木の籠に入っています。すぐそばに美しい金の籠が置いてありますが、鳥をみすぼらしい籠から出して立派なほうへ入れようとしてはいけません。さもないと後悔します」それから狐はまた尾を伸ばし、若者が腰を下ろすと、二人は切り株も石も越えて、髪が風に鳴るまで進んだ。

Before the castle gate all was as the fox had said: so the son went in and found the chamber where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage, and below stood the golden cage, and the three golden apples that had been lost were lying close by it. Then thought he to himself, ‘It will be a very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage’; so he opened the door and took hold of it and put it into the golden cage. But the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers awoke, and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king. The next morning the court sat to judge him; and when all was heard, it sentenced him to die, unless he should bring the king the golden horse which could run as swiftly as the wind; and if he did this, he was to have the golden bird given him for his own.

城の門の前は何もかも狐の言ったとおりだった。そこで息子はなかに入り、金の鳥が木の籠に吊るされている部屋を見つけた。その下には金の籠が置いてあり、なくなった三つの金の林檎もそのそばに転がっていた。そこで彼は心のうちで思った。「こんな立派な鳥を、こんなみすぼらしい籠で持ち帰るのはおかしな話だ」そして戸を開けて鳥をつかみ、金の籠に入れた。ところが鳥が大きな悲鳴をあげたので兵士たちがみな目を覚まし、彼を捕らえて王の前へ連れていった。翌朝、法廷が開かれて彼が裁かれた。そしてすべてを聞いたうえで、風のように速く走れる金の馬を王に献上しないかぎり死罪と定められた。そしてそれを成し遂げれば、金の鳥は彼のものとして与えられるというのである。

So he set out once more on his journey, sighing, and in great despair, when on a sudden his friend the fox met him, and said, ‘You see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel. I will still, however, tell you how to find the golden horse, if you will do as I bid you. You must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall: by his side will lie the groom fast asleep and snoring: take away the horse quietly, but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden one that is close by it.’ Then the son sat down on the fox’s tail, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.

そこで彼はまたため息をつきながら、深い絶望のうちに旅に出た。すると突然、友の狐が現れて言った。「わたしの忠告を聞かなかったせいで、どうなったかお分かりでしょう。それでもなお、わたしの言うとおりにするなら、金の馬の見つけ方を教えましょう。まっすぐ進んで、馬が厩にいる城まで行きなさい。そのそばには馬丁がぐっすり眠っていびきをかいています。静かに馬を連れ出しなさい。ただし、そばにある金の鞍ではなく、必ず古い革の鞍を置くのですよ」そこで息子は狐の尾に腰を下ろし、二人は切り株も石も越えて、髪が風に鳴るまで進んだ。

All went right, and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the golden saddle. But when the son looked at the horse, he thought it a great pity to put the leathern saddle upon it. ‘I will give him the good one,’ said he; ‘I am sure he deserves it.’ As he took up the golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out so loud, that all the guards ran in and took him prisoner, and in the morning he was again brought before the court to be judged, and was sentenced to die. But it was agreed, that, if he could bring thither the beautiful princess, he should live, and have the bird and the horse given him for his own.

何もかもうまくいって、馬丁は金の鞍に手を置いていびきをかいていた。だが息子が馬を見ると、これに革の鞍を置くのはあまりに惜しいと思った。「よいほうをやろう」と彼は言った。「きっとそれにふさわしい馬だ」そして金の鞍を取り上げると馬丁が目を覚まして大声で叫んだので、番兵がみな駆け込んできて彼を捕らえ、朝にはまた法廷へ引き出されて裁かれ、死罪と定められた。だが、あの美しい姫をここへ連れてくれば命は助かり、鳥も馬も彼のものとして与えられることになった。

Then he went his way very sorrowful; but the old fox came and said, ‘Why did not you listen to me? If you had, you would have carried away both the bird and the horse; yet will I once more give you counsel. Go straight on, and in the evening you will arrive at a castle. At twelve o’clock at night the princess goes to the bathing-house: go up to her and give her a kiss, and she will let you lead her away; but take care you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.’ Then the fox stretched out his tail, and so away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled again.

そこで彼はたいそう悲しんで道を行ったが、あの年老いた狐が来て言った。「なぜわたしの言うことを聞かなかったのです。聞いていれば鳥も馬も持ち帰れたでしょうに。それでもなお、もう一度忠告しましょう。まっすぐ進めば、夕方に城に着きます。夜の十二時に姫が湯殿へ行きます。近づいて口づけしなさい。そうすれば姫はついてきます。ただし、父と母に別れを告げに行かせてはなりません」それから狐は尾を伸ばし、二人は切り株も石も越えて、髪がまた鳴るまで進んだ。

As they came to the castle, all was as the fox had said, and at twelve o’clock the young man met the princess going to the bath and gave her the kiss, and she agreed to run away with him, but begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father. At first he refused, but she wept still more and more, and fell at his feet, till at last he consented; but the moment she came to her father’s house the guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again.

城に着くと何もかも狐の言ったとおりで、十二時に若者は湯へ行く姫に出会って口づけした。姫は一緒に逃げると承知したが、涙ながらに、父に別れを告げさせてくださいとしきりに願った。はじめ彼は断ったが、姫はますます泣いて足もとに身を投げたので、とうとう彼は承知した。だが姫が父の家に入った瞬間、番兵が目を覚まし、彼はまた捕らえられた。

Then he was brought before the king, and the king said, ‘You shall never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window.’ Now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away: and when he had worked for seven days, and had done very little, the fox came and said. ‘Lie down and go to sleep; I will work for you.’ And in the morning he awoke and the hill was gone; so he went merrily to the king, and told him that now that it was removed he must give him the princess.

そこで彼は王の前へ引き出され、王は言った。「わしの窓からの眺めを遮っているあの丘を八日のうちに掘り崩さぬかぎり、娘はけっしてやらぬ」さてこの丘はあまりに大きくて、世界じゅうの者でも取り除けないほどだった。そして彼が七日働いてもほとんど進まずにいると、狐が来て言った。「横になってお眠りなさい。わたしが代わりに働きます」そして朝、目を覚ますと丘は消えていた。そこで彼は喜んで王のもとへ行き、丘は取り除いたのだから姫をくださいと告げた。

Then the king was obliged to keep his word, and away went the young man and the princess; and the fox came and said to him, ‘We will have all three, the princess, the horse, and the bird.’ ‘Ah!’ said the young man, ‘that would be a great thing, but how can you contrive it?’

そこで王は約束を守るほかなく、若者と姫は出発した。すると狐が来て彼に言った。「三つとも手に入れましょう。姫も馬も鳥も」「ああ」と若者は言った。「それは大したことだが、どうやってやるのだ」

‘If you will only listen,’ said the fox, ‘it can be done. When you come to the king, and he asks for the beautiful princess, you must say, “Here she is!” Then he will be very joyful; and you will mount the golden horse that they are to give you, and put out your hand to take leave of them; but shake hands with the princess last. Then lift her quickly on to the horse behind you; clap your spurs to his side, and gallop away as fast as you can.’

「聞いてくださるなら」と狐は言った。「できます。王のところへ行って、あの美しい姫はどこだと尋ねられたら、『ここにおります』と言いなさい。すると王はたいそう喜びます。そうしたら、くれることになっている金の馬にまたがり、別れの手を差し出すのです。ただし姫と握手するのはいちばん最後に。そして素早く姫を後ろに引き上げ、拍車を当てて力のかぎり駆け去るのです」

All went right: then the fox said, ‘When you come to the castle where the bird is, I will stay with the princess at the door, and you will ride in and speak to the king; and when he sees that it is the right horse, he will bring out the bird; but you must sit still, and say that you want to look at it, to see whether it is the true golden bird; and when you get it into your hand, ride away.’

何もかもうまくいった。すると狐は言った。「鳥のある城に着いたら、わたしは姫と門のところにいます。あなたは乗り入れて王と話しなさい。王は正しい馬だと見て取れば鳥を持ってきます。だがあなたは座ったまま、本物の金の鳥かどうか見たいと言うのです。そして手に入ったら乗り去りなさい」

This, too, happened as the fox said; they carried off the bird, the princess mounted again, and they rode on to a great wood. Then the fox came, and said, ‘Pray kill me, and cut off my head and my feet.’ But the young man refused to do it: so the fox said, ‘I will at any rate give you good counsel: beware of two things; ransom no one from the gallows, and sit down by the side of no river.’ Then away he went. ‘Well,’ thought the young man, ‘it is no hard matter to keep that advice.’

これも狐の言ったとおりになった。二人は鳥を奪い、姫はまた馬に乗り、一行は大きな森まで進んだ。すると狐が来て言った。「どうかわたしを殺して、頭と足を切り落としてください」だが若者はそれを拒んだ。そこで狐は言った。「ではせめてよい忠告を差し上げます。二つのことに気をつけなさい。絞首台から誰も買い戻さないこと、そして川のほとりに腰を下ろさないことです」そして狐は去った。「なに」と若者は思った。「その忠告を守るのは難しくもない」

He rode on with the princess, till at last he came to the village where he had left his two brothers. And there he heard a great noise and uproar; and when he asked what was the matter, the people said, ‘Two men are going to be hanged.’ As he came nearer, he saw that the two men were his brothers, who had turned robbers; so he said, ‘Cannot they in any way be saved?’ But the people said ‘No,’ unless he would bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty. Then he did not stay to think about the matter, but paid what was asked, and his brothers were given up, and went on with him towards their home.

彼は姫とともに進み、とうとう二人の兄を置き去りにしたあの村に来た。そこで大きな騒ぎと喧噪が聞こえたので、何ごとかと尋ねると、人々は言った。「二人の男が絞首刑になるのです」近づいてみると、その二人は盗賊になった兄たちだった。そこで彼は言った。「なんとか助けられないのですか」だが人々は、この悪党どもの身代金として金をすべて差し出して自由を買うのでなければ無理だと言った。そこで彼は考えもせずに求められただけ払い、兄たちは引き渡されて、彼とともに故郷へ向かった。

And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so cool and pleasant that the two brothers said, ‘Let us sit down by the side of the river, and rest a while, to eat and drink.’ So he said, ‘Yes,’ and forgot the fox’s counsel, and sat down on the side of the river; and while he suspected nothing, they came behind, and threw him down the bank, and took the princess, the horse, and the bird, and went home to the king their master, and said. ‘All this have we won by our labour.’ Then there was great rejoicing made; but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the princess wept.

そして狐が最初に彼らに出会った森に来ると、あまりに涼しく心地よかったので、二人の兄は言った。「川のほとりに座って、しばらく休んで食べて飲もう」そこで彼は「そうしよう」と言い、狐の忠告を忘れて川のほとりに腰を下ろした。そして彼が何も疑っていないあいだに、二人は後ろから来て彼を土手から突き落とし、姫と馬と鳥を奪って主君である王のもとへ帰り、こう言った。「これはみな、われらの働きで勝ち取ったものです」そこで大きな祝いが催された。だが馬は食べようとせず、鳥は歌おうとせず、姫は泣いていた。

The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river’s bed: luckily it was nearly dry, but his bones were almost broken, and the bank was so steep that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once more, and scolded him for not following his advice; otherwise no evil would have befallen him: ‘Yet,’ said he, ‘I cannot leave you here, so lay hold of my tail and hold fast.’ Then he pulled him out of the river, and said to him, as he got upon the bank, ‘Your brothers have set watch to kill you, if they find you in the kingdom.’ So he dressed himself as a poor man, and came secretly to the king’s court, and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and the bird to sing, and the princess left off weeping. Then he went to the king, and told him all his brothers’ roguery; and they were seized and punished, and he had the princess given to him again; and after the king’s death he was heir to his kingdom.

末の息子は川床の底まで落ちた。幸いほとんど涸れていたが、骨は折れんばかりで、土手が急なので出る道が見つからなかった。するとあの年老いた狐がもう一度来て、忠告に従わなかったことを叱った。従っていれば災いは降りかからなかったのである。「それでも」と狐は言った。「あなたをここに置いてはいけません。わたしの尾をつかんでしっかり握ってください」そして狐は彼を川から引き上げ、土手に上がったところでこう言った。「兄さんたちは、あなたが国のなかで見つかったら殺すようにと見張りを置いています」そこで彼は貧しい男の身なりをして、こっそり王の宮廷へ来た。すると戸口に入るか入らぬかのうちに、馬は食べはじめ、鳥は歌いはじめ、姫は泣くのをやめた。それから彼は王のところへ行って、兄たちの悪行をすべて話した。二人は捕らえられて罰せられ、彼には姫がまた与えられた。そして王の死後、彼はその国を継いだ。

A long while after, he went to walk one day in the wood, and the old fox met him, and besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him, and cut off his head and feet. And at last he did so, and in a moment the fox was changed into a man, and turned out to be the brother of the princess, who had been lost a great many many years.

ずっとのちのこと、ある日彼が森を歩いていると、あの年老いた狐に出会った。狐は目に涙を浮かべて、どうか自分を殺して頭と足を切り落としてくださいと懇願した。そしてとうとう彼がそうすると、たちまち狐は人に変わり、それは長い長い年月ゆくえの知れなかった、あの姫の兄だった。