Cat and Mouse in Partnership

A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together. ‘But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall suffer from hunger,’ said the cat; ‘and you, little mouse, cannot venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day.’ The good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but they did not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the cat said: ‘I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will set it beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are really in need of it.’ So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse: ‘I want to tell you something, little mouse; my cousin has brought a little son into the world, and has asked me to be godmother; he is white with brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening. Let me go out today, and you look after the house by yourself.’ ‘Yes, yes,’ answered the mouse, ‘by all means go, and if you get anything very good to eat, think of me. I should like a drop of sweet red christening wine myself.’ All this, however, was untrue; the cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight to the church, stole to the pot of fat, began to lick at it, and licked the top of the fat off. Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched herself in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat, and not until it was evening did she return home. ‘Well, here you are again,’ said the mouse, ‘no doubt you have had a merry day.’ ‘All went off well,’ answered the cat. ‘What name did they give the child?’ ‘Top off!’ said the cat quite coolly. ‘Top off!’ cried the mouse, ‘that is a very odd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in your family?’ ‘What does that matter,’ said the cat, ‘it is no worse than Crumb-stealer, as your godchildren are called.’

ある猫が鼠と知り合いになり、自分がどれほど大きな愛と友情を感じているかをさんざん語ったので、とうとう鼠は、一緒に住んで所帯を持とうと承知した。「でも冬に備えて蓄えをしなければ。さもないとひもじい思いをするわ」と猫は言った。「それに、鼠さん、あなたはどこへでも行くわけにはいかない。いつか罠にかかってしまうから」このよい忠告は聞き入れられ、脂の壺が一つ買われたが、どこに置いたらよいか分からなかった。とうとう、さんざん考えたあとで猫は言った。「教会よりよく保管できる場所は知らないわ。あそこから何かを持ち出そうとする者はいないもの。祭壇の下に置いて、本当に入り用になるまで手をつけないことにしましょう」こうして壺は安全なところに置かれたが、まもなく猫はそれがほしくてたまらなくなり、鼠に言った。「ちょっと話があるの、鼠さん。わたしの従姉が男の子を産んで、名づけ親になってほしいと言うの。白地に茶のぶちの子で、洗礼のとき水盤の上で抱くことになっているの。今日は出かけさせて。あなたはひとりで家を見ていてね」「ええ、ええ」と鼠は答えた。「ぜひ行ってらっしゃい。何かとてもおいしいものをいただいたら、わたしのことを思い出してね。洗礼の甘い赤葡萄酒をひとしずく飲みたいわ」だがこれはみな嘘だった。猫に従姉などなく、名づけ親を頼まれてもいなかった。猫はまっすぐ教会へ行き、脂の壺に忍び寄って舐めはじめ、脂の上のほうを舐め取ってしまった。それから町の屋根の上を歩きまわり、機会をうかがい、それから日なたで体を伸ばして、脂の壺のことを思うたびに舌なめずりをした。そして夕方になってようやく帰ってきた。「あら、お帰りなさい」と鼠は言った。「きっと楽しい一日だったでしょうね」「万事うまくいったわ」と猫は答えた。「その子にはどんな名前がついたの」「上っ面なめ」と猫はたいそう涼しい顔で言った。「上っ面なめ」と鼠は叫んだ。「ずいぶん妙で珍しい名前ね。あなたの家ではよくある名なの」「それが何だというの」と猫は言った。「あなたの名づけ子が呼ばれている『パンくず泥棒』より悪くもないでしょう」

Before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning. She said to the mouse: ‘You must do me a favour, and once more manage the house for a day alone. I am again asked to be godmother, and, as the child has a white ring round its neck, I cannot refuse.’ The good mouse consented, but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church, and devoured half the pot of fat. ‘Nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself,’ said she, and was quite satisfied with her day’s work. When she went home the mouse inquired: ‘And what was the child christened?’ ‘Half-done,’ answered the cat. ‘Half-done! What are you saying? I never heard the name in my life, I’ll wager anything it is not in the calendar!’

ほどなく猫はまた食べたくてたまらなくなった。猫は鼠に言った。「お願いを聞いてちょうだい。もう一度だけ、一日ひとりで家を見ていて。また名づけ親を頼まれたの。首のまわりに白い輪のある子だから、断れないのよ」善良な鼠は承知したが、猫は町の壁づたいに教会へ忍んでいって、脂の壺の半分を食べてしまった。「自分ひとりのものにしておくものほどおいしいものはないわ」と猫は言い、その日の働きにすっかり満足した。帰ってくると鼠が尋ねた。「それで、その子はどんな名前になったの」「半分すみ」と猫は答えた。「半分すみ。何を言っているの。そんな名前、生まれてこのかた聞いたことがない。暦にだって載っていないでしょうよ」

The cat’s mouth soon began to water for some more licking. ‘All good things go in threes,’ said she, ‘I am asked to stand godmother again. The child is quite black, only it has white paws, but with that exception, it has not a single white hair on its whole body; this only happens once every few years, you will let me go, won’t you?’ ‘Top-off! Half-done!’ answered the mouse, ‘they are such odd names, they make me very thoughtful.’ ‘You sit at home,’ said the cat, ‘in your dark-grey fur coat and long tail, and are filled with fancies, that’s because you do not go out in the daytime.’ During the cat’s absence the mouse cleaned the house, and put it in order, but the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat. ‘When everything is eaten up one has some peace,’ said she to herself, and well filled and fat she did not return home till night. The mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child. ‘It will not please you more than the others,’ said the cat. ‘He is called All-gone.’ ‘All-gone,’ cried the mouse ‘that is the most suspicious name of all! I have never seen it in print. All-gone; what can that mean?’ and she shook her head, curled herself up, and lay down to sleep.

まもなく猫の口は、もっと舐めたくてよだれが出はじめた。「よいことは三度そろうものよ」と猫は言った。「また名づけ親を頼まれたの。その子は真っ黒で、足だけが白いの。ほかには体じゅう白い毛が一本もないのよ。こんなのは何年かに一度しかないことだから、行かせてくれるでしょう」「上っ面なめ、半分すみ」と鼠は答えた。「妙な名前ばかりで、どうにも考え込んでしまうわ」「あなたは家にいて」と猫は言った。「その暗い灰色の毛皮と長い尾で、あれこれ空想ばかりしているのよ。昼間に外へ出ないからだわ」猫の留守のあいだに鼠は家を掃いて片づけたが、欲張りな猫は脂の壺をすっかり空にしてしまった。「何もかも食べつくしてしまえば気が休まるわ」と猫はひとりごとを言い、腹いっぱいに太って、夜まで帰ってこなかった。鼠はすぐに、三人目の子にはどんな名前がついたのかと尋ねた。「ほかのより気に入らないでしょうね」と猫は言った。「すっかりなし、というのよ」「すっかりなし」と鼠は叫んだ。「それがいちばん怪しい名前だわ。印刷されたものでも見たことがない。すっかりなし。いったいどういう意味なの」そして首を振り、体を丸めて眠りについた。

From this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother, but when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside, the mouse thought of their provision, and said: ‘Come, cat, we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves--we shall enjoy that.’ ‘Yes,’ answered the cat, ‘you will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window.’ They set out on their way, but when they arrived, the pot of fat certainly was still in its place, but it was empty. ‘Alas!’ said the mouse, ‘now I see what has happened, now it comes to light! You are a true friend! You have devoured all when you were standing godmother. First top off, then half-done, then--’ ‘Will you hold your tongue,’ cried the cat, ‘one word more, and I will eat you too.’ ‘All-gone’ was already on the poor mouse’s lips; scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her down. Verily, that is the way of the world.

それからというもの、猫に名づけ親を頼む者はいなくなった。だが冬が来て外に何も見つからなくなると、鼠は蓄えのことを思い出して言った。「さあ猫さん、わたしたちが自分のために蓄えておいた脂の壺のところへ行きましょう。あれを楽しみましょう」「ええ」と猫は答えた。「あなたはあれを、そのかわいらしい舌を窓から出すのと同じくらい楽しむでしょうよ」二人は出かけたが、着いてみると、脂の壺はたしかにまだその場にあったが、空っぽだった。「ああ」と鼠は言った。「これで何が起きたか分かった。今こそ明るみに出たのね。あなたはたいした友だちだこと。名づけ親に立っていたあいだに、みんな食べてしまったのね。まず上っ面なめ、それから半分すみ、それから——」「黙りなさい」と猫は叫んだ。「もうひと言でも言ったら、あなたも食べてしまうわよ」「すっかりなし」はもう哀れな鼠の唇にのぼっていた。そしてそれを口にするかしないかのうちに、猫は跳びかかってつかまえ、呑み込んでしまった。まことに、世の中とはそういうものである。