The Goose-girl

The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of their only child. This child was a daughter, who was very beautiful; and her mother loved her dearly, and was very kind to her. And there was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess, and helped her mother to watch over her. When she grew up, she was betrothed to a prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her to be married, she got ready to set off on her journey to his country. Then the queen her mother, packed up a great many costly things; jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and in short everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting-maid to ride with her, and give her into the bridegroom’s hands; and each had a horse for the journey. Now the princess’s horse was the fairy’s gift, and it was called Falada, and could speak.

ある大きな国の王が死に、王妃にひとり子の世話を託して残した。この子は娘で、たいそう美しかった。そして母は娘を深く愛し、たいそうやさしくしていた。それに善良な妖精もいて、この姫をかわいがり、母が娘を見守るのを助けていた。姫が育つと、はるか遠くに住む王子と婚約が結ばれた。そして嫁ぐ時が近づくと、姫はその国への旅に出る支度をした。そこで母である王妃は、たくさんの値打ちのある品を荷造りした。宝石、金、銀、装身具、美しい衣、つまり王家の花嫁にふさわしいものすべてである。そして姫とともに馬で行き、花婿の手に引き渡す侍女を一人つけた。そして二人にはそれぞれ旅の馬があった。さて姫の馬は妖精の贈りもので、ファラダという名で、口をきくことができた。

When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into her bed-chamber, and took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her hair, and gave it to the princess, and said, ‘Take care of it, dear child; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.’ Then they all took a sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put the lock of hair into her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on her journey to her bridegroom’s kingdom.

出発の時が来ると、妖精は自分の寝間へ行って小さな刃物を取り、自分の髪をひと房切って姫に渡して言った。「大事にしておきなさい、かわいい子や。これは道中であなたの役に立つかもしれないまじないです」それから一同は悲しみながら姫に別れを告げた。姫はその髪の房をふところに入れ、馬にまたがって、花婿の国への旅に出た。

One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to feel very thirsty: and she said to her maid, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook, for I want to drink.’ ‘Nay,’ said the maid, ‘if you are thirsty, get off yourself, and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting-maid any longer.’ Then she was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt over the little brook, and drank; for she was frightened, and dared not bring out her golden cup; and she wept and said, ‘Alas! what will become of me?’ And the lock answered her, and said:

ある日、一行が小川のそばを馬で行くと、姫はひどく喉が渇いてきた。そこで侍女に言った。「どうか下りて、あの小川からわたしの金の杯に水を汲んできてちょうだい。飲みたいのです」「いいえ」と侍女は言った。「喉が渇いたなら、ご自分でお下りになって、水のそばにかがんでお飲みなさい。わたしはもうあなたの侍女ではありません」そこで姫はあまりに喉が渇いていたので下りて、小さな川にひざまずいて飲んだ。怯えていて、金の杯を取り出す勇気がなかったのである。そして泣いて言った。「ああ、わたしはどうなるのでしょう」すると髪の房が答えて言った。

‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

「ああ、ああ、母君が知ったなら、悲しみ悲しみ、嘆かれよう」

But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her maid’s ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.

だが姫はたいそう穏やかで柔和だったので、侍女の無礼なふるまいについて何も言わず、また馬にまたがった。

Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid’s rude speech, and said, ‘Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in my golden cup.’ But the maid answered her, and even spoke more haughtily than before: ‘Drink if you will, but I shall not be your waiting-maid.’ Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse, and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and cried and said, ‘What will become of me?’ And the lock of hair answered her again:

それから一同は旅を先へ進んだ。だが日がたいそう暑くなり、太陽が照りつけたので、花嫁はまたひどく喉が渇いてきた。そしてとうとう川に来ると、侍女の無礼な言葉を忘れて言った。「どうか下りて、わたしの金の杯に飲む水を汲んできてちょうだい」だが侍女は答えて、前よりもいっそう高慢に言った。「お飲みになりたければお飲みなさい。でもわたしはあなたの侍女ではありません」そこで姫はあまりに喉が渇いていたので馬から下り、身を横たえて流れの上に頭を差し出し、泣いて言った。「わたしはどうなるのでしょう」すると髪の房がまた答えた。

‘Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

「ああ、ああ、母君が知ったなら、悲しみ悲しみ、嘆かれよう」

And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom, and floated away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she did not see it; but her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done drinking, and would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, ‘I shall ride upon Falada, and you may have my horse instead’; so she was forced to give up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and put on her maid’s shabby ones.

そして姫が飲もうと身をかがめると、髪の房がふところから落ちて、水とともに流れ去った。さて姫はあまりに怯えていたのでそれに気づかなかった。だが侍女はそれを見て、たいそう喜んだ。このまじないのことを知っていたからである。そして髪を失った今、この哀れな花嫁が自分の思いのままになると見て取った。そこで花嫁が飲み終えてまたファラダに乗ろうとすると、侍女は言った。「わたしがファラダに乗ります。あなたは代わりにわたしの馬にお乗りなさい」そこで姫は馬を譲るほかなく、まもなく王家の衣を脱いで侍女のみすぼらしい衣を着るほかなかった。

At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened. But Falada saw it all, and marked it well.

とうとう旅の終わりが近づくと、この不実な召使いは、起きたことを誰かに話せば女主人を殺すと脅した。だがファラダはすべてを見て、よく心に留めていた。

Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court. There was great joy at their coming, and the prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.

そうして侍女がファラダに乗り、本当の花嫁がもう一頭の馬に乗って、二人はこうして進み、とうとう王の宮廷に着いた。二人の到着に大きな喜びがあり、王子は迎えに飛んできて、侍女を馬から下ろした。彼女が自分の妻になる者だと思ったのである。そして侍女は王家の部屋へ案内された。だが本当の姫は下の中庭にとどまるよう言われた。

Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so he amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window, looking at what was going on; and he saw her in the courtyard. As she looked very pretty, and too delicate for a waiting-maid, he went up into the royal chamber to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her, that was thus left standing in the court below. ‘I brought her with me for the sake of her company on the road,’ said she; ‘pray give the girl some work to do, that she may not be idle.’ The old king could not for some time think of any work for her to do; but at last he said, ‘I have a lad who takes care of my geese; she may go and help him.’ Now the name of this lad, that the real bride was to help in watching the king’s geese, was Curdken.

さてちょうどそのとき、年老いた王はほかにすることがなかったので、台所の窓辺に座って外の様子を眺めて気を紛らせていた。そして中庭に姫を見た。姫はたいそう美しく、侍女にしては上品すぎるように見えたので、王は王家の部屋へ上がって花嫁に、下の中庭に立ち残されているのは誰を連れてきたのかと尋ねた。「道中の連れとして連れてきたのです」と彼女は言った。「どうかあの娘に何か仕事をお与えください。怠けていないように」年老いた王はしばらくのあいだ、彼女にさせる仕事を思いつけなかったが、とうとう言った。「わしの鵞鳥の世話をしている若者がいる。あれを手伝いに行かせよう」さて、本当の花嫁が王の鵞鳥の見張りを手伝うことになったこの若者の名は、クルトケンといった。

But the false bride said to the prince, ‘Dear husband, pray do me one piece of kindness.’ ‘That I will,’ said the prince. ‘Then tell one of your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse I rode upon, for it was very unruly, and plagued me sadly on the road’; but the truth was, she was very much afraid lest Falada should some day or other speak, and tell all she had done to the princess. She carried her point, and the faithful Falada was killed; but when the true princess heard of it, she wept, and begged the man to nail up Falada’s head against a large dark gate of the city, through which she had to pass every morning and evening, that there she might still see him sometimes. Then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished; and cut off the head, and nailed it up under the dark gate.

だが偽の花嫁は王子に言った。「あなた、どうか一つ親切をしてください」「もちろんだとも」と王子は言った。「では、屠り手の一人に命じて、わたしが乗ってきた馬の首を刎ねさせてください。あの馬はひどく手に負えず、道中わたしをさんざん苦しめたのです」だが実のところ、彼女はファラダがいつか口をきいて、自分が姫にしたことをすべて話しはしないかとひどく恐れていたのである。彼女は思いを通し、忠実なファラダは殺された。だが本当の姫はそれを聞いて泣き、毎朝毎晩自分が通らねばならない町の大きな暗い門に、ファラダの首を打ちつけてくださいとその男に頼んだ。そうすればそこでまだ時おり見られるからである。そこで屠り手は望みどおりにすると言って、首を刎ね、暗い門の下に打ちつけた。

Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate, she said sorrowfully:

翌朝早く、姫がクルトケンとともに門を出るとき、姫は悲しげに言った。

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

「ファラダよ、ファラダよ、そこに掛かっているのね」

and the head answered:

すると首は答えた。

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

「花嫁よ、花嫁よ、そこを行かれるのですね。ああ、ああ、母君が知ったなら、悲しみ悲しみ、嘆かれよう」

Then they went out of the city, and drove the geese on. And when she came to the meadow, she sat down upon a bank there, and let down her waving locks of hair, which were all of pure silver; and when Curdken saw it glitter in the sun, he ran up, and would have pulled some of the locks out, but she cried:

それから二人は町を出て、鵞鳥を追っていった。そして牧草地に来ると、姫はそこの土手に腰を下ろし、波打つ髪を垂らした。それはすっかり純銀でできていた。そしてクルトケンがそれが日に光るのを見ると、駆け寄ってその髪を何本か引き抜こうとした。だが姫は叫んだ。

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

「吹け、風よ、吹け。クルトケンの帽子を飛ばせ。吹け、風よ、吹け。あの子をそれの後から行かせよ。丘を越え谷を越え岩を越え、巻き上げて運び去れ。銀の巻き毛がすっかり梳かれて縮れるまで」

Then there came a wind, so strong that it blew off Curdken’s hat; and away it flew over the hills: and he was forced to turn and run after it; till, by the time he came back, she had done combing and curling her hair, and had put it up again safe. Then he was very angry and sulky, and would not speak to her at all; but they watched the geese until it grew dark in the evening, and then drove them homewards.

すると風が吹いてきて、あまりに強かったのでクルトケンの帽子を吹き飛ばした。そして帽子は丘を越えて飛んでいき、彼は引き返してそれを追いかけるほかなかった。そして戻ってきたころには、姫は髪を梳いて縮らせ終えて、また無事に結い上げていた。そこで彼はたいそう腹を立てて不機嫌になり、まるで姫と口をきこうとしなかった。だが二人は夕方暗くなるまで鵞鳥を見張り、それから家へ追っていった。

The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor girl looked up at Falada’s head, and cried:

翌朝、二人が暗い門を通るとき、哀れな娘はファラダの首を見上げて叫んだ。

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

「ファラダよ、ファラダよ、そこに掛かっているのね」

and the head answered:

すると首は答えた。

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

「花嫁よ、花嫁よ、そこを行かれるのですね。ああ、ああ、母君が知ったなら、悲しみ悲しみ、嘆かれよう」

Then she drove on the geese, and sat down again in the meadow, and began to comb out her hair as before; and Curdken ran up to her, and wanted to take hold of it; but she cried out quickly:

それから姫は鵞鳥を追っていって、また牧草地に腰を下ろし、前のように髪を梳きはじめた。するとクルトケンが駆け寄ってきて、それをつかもうとした。だが姫は素早く叫んだ。

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

「吹け、風よ、吹け。クルトケンの帽子を飛ばせ。吹け、風よ、吹け。あの子をそれの後から行かせよ。丘を越え谷を越え岩を越え、巻き上げて運び去れ。銀の巻き毛がすっかり梳かれて縮れるまで」

Then the wind came and blew away his hat; and off it flew a great way, over the hills and far away, so that he had to run after it; and when he came back she had bound up her hair again, and all was safe. So they watched the geese till it grew dark.

すると風が来て彼の帽子を吹き飛ばした。そして帽子は丘を越えてはるか遠くまで飛んでいったので、彼はそれを追いかけるほかなかった。そして戻ってきたころには姫はまた髪を結い上げていて、何もかも無事だった。こうして二人は暗くなるまで鵞鳥を見張った。

In the evening, after they came home, Curdken went to the old king, and said, ‘I cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the geese any longer.’ ‘Why?’ said the king. ‘Because, instead of doing any good, she does nothing but tease me all day long.’ Then the king made him tell him what had happened. And Curdken said, ‘When we go in the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese, she cries and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall, and says:

夕方、家に帰ったあと、クルトケンは年老いた王のところへ行って言った。「あの見知らぬ娘に、もうこれ以上鵞鳥の番を手伝わせておけません」「なぜだ」と王は言った。「役に立つどころか、一日じゅうわたしをからかってばかりいるからです」そこで王は彼に、何があったのかを話させた。するとクルトケンは言った。「朝、鵞鳥の群れを連れて暗い門を通ると、あの娘は壁に掛かった馬の首に向かって叫んで話しかけるのです。こう言います。

‘Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!’

「ファラダよ、ファラダよ、そこに掛かっているのね」

and the head answers:

すると首は答えます。

‘Bride, bride, there thou gangest! Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.’

「花嫁よ、花嫁よ、そこを行かれるのですね。ああ、ああ、母君が知ったなら、悲しみ悲しみ、嘆かれよう」

And Curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the meadow where the geese fed; how his hat was blown away; and how he was forced to run after it, and to leave his flock of geese to themselves. But the old king told the boy to go out again the next day: and when morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how she spoke to Falada, and how Falada answered. Then he went into the field, and hid himself in a bush by the meadow’s side; and he soon saw with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese; and how, after a little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then he heard her say:

そしてクルトケンは、鵞鳥に草を食ませる牧草地で起きたことを王に話しつづけた。自分の帽子が吹き飛ばされたこと、それを追いかけるほかなく、鵞鳥の群れを放っておくほかなかったことを。だが年老いた王は、この少年に翌日もまた出かけるように言った。そして朝が来ると、王は暗い門の後ろに身を置いて、娘がファラダに語りかけ、ファラダが答えるのを聞いた。それから野へ出て、牧草地のそばの茂みに身を隠した。そしてまもなく自分の目で、二人が鵞鳥の群れを追うのを、そしてしばらくすると娘が日に光る髪を垂らすのを見た。そして娘がこう言うのを聞いた。

‘Blow, breezes, blow! Let Curdken’s hat go! Blow, breezes, blow! Let him after it go! O’er hills, dales, and rocks, Away be it whirl’d Till the silvery locks Are all comb’d and curl’d!

「吹け、風よ、吹け。クルトケンの帽子を飛ばせ。吹け、風よ、吹け。あの子をそれの後から行かせよ。丘を越え谷を越え岩を越え、巻き上げて運び去れ。銀の巻き毛がすっかり梳かれて縮れるまで」

And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken’s hat, and away went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and curling her hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without being seen; and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into tears, and said, ‘That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life.’

するとまもなく突風が来てクルトケンの帽子を運び去り、クルトケンはそのあとを追っていった。そのあいだ娘は髪を梳いて縮らせつづけた。これをすべて年老いた王は見た。そこで王は見られずに家へ帰った。そして小さな鵞鳥番の娘が夕方戻ってくると、王は娘を脇へ呼んで、なぜそんなことをするのかと尋ねた。だが娘は涙にくれて言った。「それはあなたにも誰にも話してはならないのです。さもないとわたしは命を失います」

But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had her brilliant dress on.

だが年老いた王があまりに懇ろに頼んだので、娘は最初から最後まで、ひと言ひと言すべてを話すまで心が休まらなかった。そしてそうしたのは娘にとってたいそう幸いだった。というのも、話し終えると王は娘に王家の衣を着せるよう命じ、驚きに満ちて娘を見つめたからである。娘はそれほど美しかった。それから王は息子を呼んで、おまえが得たのは偽の花嫁にすぎない、あれはただの侍女で、本当の花嫁はそばに立っているのだと告げた。そして若い王は娘の美しさを見、どれほど柔和で辛抱強かったかを聞いて喜んだ。そして偽の花嫁には何も言わずに、王は宮廷じゅうのために大きな宴の支度を命じた。花婿は上座に座り、片側には偽の姫が、もう片側には本当の姫が座った。だが誰も彼女だと気づかなかった。その美しさが人々の目にあまりにまばゆく、輝く衣をまとった今では、あの小さな鵞鳥番の娘にはまるで見えなかったからである。

When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus. ‘Nothing better,’ said this false bride, ‘than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she was dead.’ ‘Thou art she!’ said the old king; ‘and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.’ And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life again.

一同が食べて飲んでたいそう陽気になると、年老いた王は、一つ話をしようと言った。そして語りはじめて、あの姫の話をすべて、まるでかつて聞いた話であるかのように語った。そして本当の侍女に、そんなふるまいをした者にはどんな罰がふさわしいと思うかと尋ねた。「これに勝るものはありません」とこの偽の花嫁は言った。「鋭い釘を打ち並べた樽に入れて、白馬を二頭つないで、死ぬまで通りから通りへ引きずりまわすことです」「おまえがその者だ」と年老いた王は言った。「そして自分で自分を裁いたのだから、そのとおりにしてやろう」そして若い王は本当の妻と結ばれ、二人は生涯を平和と幸いのうちにこの国を治めた。そして善良な妖精がやってきて、忠実なファラダをまた生き返らせた。