The Robber Bridegroom

There was once a miller who had one beautiful daughter, and as she was grown up, he was anxious that she should be well married and provided for. He said to himself, ‘I will give her to the first suitable man who comes and asks for her hand.’ Not long after a suitor appeared, and as he appeared to be very rich and the miller could see nothing in him with which to find fault, he betrothed his daughter to him. But the girl did not care for the man as a girl ought to care for her betrothed husband. She did not feel that she could trust him, and she could not look at him nor think of him without an inward shudder. One day he said to her, ‘You have not yet paid me a visit, although we have been betrothed for some time.’ ‘I do not know where your house is,’ she answered. ‘My house is out there in the dark forest,’ he said. She tried to excuse herself by saying that she would not be able to find the way thither. Her betrothed only replied, ‘You must come and see me next Sunday; I have already invited guests for that day, and that you may not mistake the way, I will strew ashes along the path.’

むかし、美しい娘がひとりある粉屋がいた。そして娘が育つと、粉屋はよい縁に嫁いで暮らしが立つようにと気をもんだ。彼は心のうちで言った。「最初に来て娘の手を求めるふさわしい男に、娘をやろう」まもなく求婚者が現れた。そしてたいそう裕福に見え、粉屋には非の打ちどころが見つからなかったので、彼は娘をその男と婚約させた。だが娘は、許婚の夫に対して娘が抱くべきようには、この男を好いていなかった。信じられる気がせず、この男を見ることも思うことも、内心の身震いなしにはできなかった。ある日、男は娘に言った。「婚約してしばらくになるのに、あなたはまだわたしを訪ねてくれない」「あなたの家がどこにあるのか知りません」と娘は答えた。「わたしの家はあそこ、暗い森のなかだ」と男は言った。娘は、そこへの道が分からないでしょうと言って断ろうとした。だが許婚はこう答えただけだった。「次の日曜に来て会ってください。その日にはもう客を招いてある。そして道を間違えないように、小道に灰を撒いておきましょう」

When Sunday came, and it was time for the girl to start, a feeling of dread came over her which she could not explain, and that she might be able to find her path again, she filled her pockets with peas and lentils to sprinkle on the ground as she went along. On reaching the entrance to the forest she found the path strewed with ashes, and these she followed, throwing down some peas on either side of her at every step she took. She walked the whole day until she came to the deepest, darkest part of the forest. There she saw a lonely house, looking so grim and mysterious, that it did not please her at all. She stepped inside, but not a soul was to be seen, and a great silence reigned throughout. Suddenly a voice cried:

日曜が来て娘が出かける時刻になると、説明のつかない恐れの感じが襲ってきた。そこで道をまた見つけられるように、娘はかくしに豌豆と扁豆を詰めて、歩きながら地面に撒くことにした。森の入口に着くと小道に灰が撒かれていて、娘はそれをたどり、ひと足ごとに左右へ豌豆を落としていった。娘は一日じゅう歩いて、とうとう森のいちばん深く暗い部分に来た。そこに一軒だけ立つ家があって、たいそう陰気で不気味に見え、娘にはまるで気に入らなかった。娘はなかへ足を踏み入れたが、人影ひとつ見えず、家じゅうに大きな静寂が支配していた。突然、声が叫んだ。

‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’

「引き返せ、引き返せ、美しい乙女よ、この人殺しのねぐらにとどまるな」

The girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird hanging in a cage on the wall. Again it cried:

娘が見上げると、その声は壁の籠に掛かった鳥から出ていた。鳥はまた叫んだ。

‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’

「引き返せ、引き返せ、美しい乙女よ、この人殺しのねぐらにとどまるな」

The girl passed on, going from room to room of the house, but they were all empty, and still she saw no one. At last she came to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep her head from shaking. ‘Can you tell me,’ asked the girl, ‘if my betrothed husband lives here?’

娘は先へ進んで家の部屋から部屋へと歩いたが、どこも空っぽで、やはり誰も見えなかった。とうとう地下蔵に来ると、そこにたいそう年老いた女が座っていて、頭の震えを止められずにいた。「教えてください」と娘は尋ねた。「わたしの許婚の夫はここに住んでいますか」

‘Ah, you poor child,’ answered the old woman, ‘what a place for you to come to! This is a murderers’ den. You think yourself a promised bride, and that your marriage will soon take place, but it is with death that you will keep your marriage feast. Look, do you see that large cauldron of water which I am obliged to keep on the fire! As soon as they have you in their power they will kill you without mercy, and cook and eat you, for they are eaters of men. If I did not take pity on you and save you, you would be lost.’

「ああ、かわいそうな子よ」と老婆は答えた。「なんというところへ来てしまったのだろう。ここは人殺しの巣だよ。おまえは自分を約束された花嫁だと思って、まもなく婚礼が行われると思っているだろうが、おまえが婚礼の宴を挙げるのは死とだよ。ごらん、わたしが火にかけておかねばならないあの大きな水の釜が見えるだろう。あの者たちはおまえを手中にしたら情け容赦もなく殺して、煮て食べる。あれは人を食う者どもだからね。わたしがおまえを憐れんで救わなければ、おまえは失われてしまう」

Thereupon the old woman led her behind a large cask, which quite hid her from view. ‘Keep as still as a mouse,’ she said; ‘do not move or speak, or it will be all over with you. Tonight, when the robbers are all asleep, we will flee together. I have long been waiting for an opportunity to escape.’

そう言って老婆は娘を大きな樽の陰へ導いた。そこなら娘はすっかり隠れた。「鼠のように静かにしておいで」と老婆は言った。「動いても声を出してもいけない。さもないとおまえはおしまいだ。今夜、盗賊どもがみな眠ったら、一緒に逃げよう。わたしも長いこと逃げる機会を待っていたのだよ」

The words were hardly out of her mouth when the godless crew returned, dragging another young girl along with them. They were all drunk, and paid no heed to her cries and lamentations. They gave her wine to drink, three glasses full, one of white wine, one of red, and one of yellow, and with that her heart gave way and she died. Then they tore off her dainty clothing, laid her on a table, and cut her beautiful body into pieces, and sprinkled salt upon it.

その言葉が口から出るか出ないかのうちに、この神なき一味が帰ってきて、もう一人の若い娘を引きずってきた。みな酔っていて、その泣き叫ぶ声にも嘆きにも構わなかった。彼らはその娘に葡萄酒を飲ませた。三杯いっぱい、一杯は白、一杯は赤、一杯は黄色の葡萄酒である。それで娘の心臓は止まり、娘は死んだ。それから彼らは娘の上等な衣を剝ぎ取り、机に載せて、その美しい体を切り刻み、塩を振りかけた。

The poor betrothed girl crouched trembling and shuddering behind the cask, for she saw what a terrible fate had been intended for her by the robbers. One of them now noticed a gold ring still remaining on the little finger of the murdered girl, and as he could not draw it off easily, he took a hatchet and cut off the finger; but the finger sprang into the air, and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl who was hiding there. The robber took a light and began looking for it, but he could not find it. ‘Have you looked behind the large cask?’ said one of the others. But the old woman called out, ‘Come and eat your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won’t run away.’

哀れな許婚の娘は樽の陰で震えおののきながらうずくまっていた。盗賊たちが自分にどんなおそろしい運命を用意していたかを見たからである。そのうち一人が、殺された娘の小指にまだ金の指輪が残っているのに気づいた。そして簡単に抜けなかったので、手斧を取って指を切り落とした。ところが指は空へ跳んで、樽の陰に隠れていた娘の膝に落ちた。この盗賊は灯りを取って探しはじめたが、見つけられなかった。「大きな樽の陰は見たか」とほかの一人が言った。だが老婆が呼ばわった。「来て夕飯をお食べ。その件は明日にしておおき。指は逃げやしないよ」

‘The old woman is right,’ said the robbers, and they ceased looking for the finger and sat down.

「婆さんの言うとおりだ」と盗賊たちは言い、指を探すのをやめて腰を下ろした。

The old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine, and before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar, fast asleep and snoring. As soon as the girl was assured of this, she came from behind the cask. She was obliged to step over the bodies of the sleepers, who were lying close together, and every moment she was filled with renewed dread lest she should awaken them. But God helped her, so that she passed safely over them, and then she and the old woman went upstairs, opened the door, and hastened as fast as they could from the murderers’ den. They found the ashes scattered by the wind, but the peas and lentils had sprouted, and grown sufficiently above the ground, to guide them in the moonlight along the path. All night long they walked, and it was morning before they reached the mill. Then the girl told her father all that had happened.

それから老婆は葡萄酒に眠り薬を混ぜ、まもなく彼らはみな地下蔵の床に横たわってぐっすり眠り、いびきをかいていた。娘はそれを確かめるやいなや、樽の陰から出てきた。娘は身を寄せ合って横たわる眠り手たちの体をまたがねばならず、目を覚まさせはしないかと刻々あらたな恐れに襲われた。だが神が助けてくださったので、娘は無事にまたぎ越えた。それから娘と老婆は階上へ行き、戸を開けて、できるだけ速く人殺しの巣から急いで逃げた。灰は風に散らされていたが、豌豆と扁豆は芽を出して、月明かりのなか二人を道に沿って導くのに十分なほど地上に伸びていた。二人はひと晩じゅう歩き、粉挽き小屋に着いたのは朝になってからだった。それから娘は父に起きたことをすべて話した。

The day came that had been fixed for the marriage. The bridegroom arrived and also a large company of guests, for the miller had taken care to invite all his friends and relations. As they sat at the feast, each guest in turn was asked to tell a tale; the bride sat still and did not say a word.

婚礼の日と定められた日が来た。花婿が到着し、大勢の客も来た。粉屋が友人と親類をみな招くように取り計らっていたからである。一同が宴の席につくと、客は順に一つずつ話を語るよう求められた。花嫁は黙って座り、ひと言も言わなかった。

‘And you, my love,’ said the bridegroom, turning to her, ‘is there no tale you know? Tell us something.’

「それであなたは、わたしの愛しい人」と花婿は彼女のほうを向いて言った。「何か知っている話はありませんか。何か聞かせてください」

‘I will tell you a dream, then,’ said the bride. ‘I went alone through a forest and came at last to a house; not a soul could I find within, but a bird that was hanging in a cage on the wall cried:

「では、夢をお話ししましょう」と花嫁は言った。「わたしはひとりで森を通って、とうとうある家に着きました。なかには人影ひとつ見つかりませんでしたが、壁の籠に掛かった鳥がこう叫んだのです。

‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’

「引き返せ、引き返せ、美しい乙女よ、この人殺しのねぐらにとどまるな」

and again a second time it said these words.’

そして二度目にもまた、この言葉を言いました」

‘My darling, this is only a dream.’

「わたしの愛しい人、それはただの夢だよ」

‘I went on through the house from room to room, but they were all empty, and everything was so grim and mysterious. At last I went down to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep her head still. I asked her if my betrothed lived here, and she answered, “Ah, you poor child, you are come to a murderers’ den; your betrothed does indeed live here, but he will kill you without mercy and afterwards cook and eat you.”’

「わたしは家のなかを部屋から部屋へ進みましたが、どこも空っぽで、何もかもがたいそう陰気で不気味でした。とうとう地下蔵へ下りていくと、そこにたいそう年老いた女が座っていて、頭の震えを止められずにいました。わたしが、許婚はここに住んでいますかと尋ねると、女はこう答えました。『ああ、かわいそうな子よ、おまえは人殺しの巣に来てしまった。おまえの許婚はたしかにここに住んでいるが、あの男はおまえを情け容赦もなく殺して、そのあと煮て食べるのだよ』」

‘My darling, this is only a dream.’

「わたしの愛しい人、それはただの夢だよ」

‘The old woman hid me behind a large cask, and scarcely had she done this when the robbers returned home, dragging a young girl along with them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink, white, red, and yellow, and with that she died.’

「老婆はわたしを大きな樽の陰に隠しました。そしてそうするやいなや盗賊たちが帰ってきて、若い娘を一人引きずってきました。彼らはその娘に三種の葡萄酒を飲ませました。白と赤と黄色です。そしてそれで娘は死にました」

‘My darling, this is only a dream.’

「わたしの愛しい人、それはただの夢だよ」

‘Then they tore off her dainty clothing, and cut her beautiful body into pieces and sprinkled salt upon it.’

「それから彼らは娘の上等な衣を剝ぎ取り、その美しい体を切り刻んで、塩を振りかけました」

‘My darling, this is only a dream.’

「わたしの愛しい人、それはただの夢だよ」

‘And one of the robbers saw that there was a gold ring still left on her finger, and as it was difficult to draw off, he took a hatchet and cut off her finger; but the finger sprang into the air and fell behind the great cask into my lap. And here is the finger with the ring.’ And with these words the bride drew forth the finger and shewed it to the assembled guests.

「そして盗賊の一人が、娘の指にまだ金の指輪が残っているのを見つけました。そして抜きにくかったので、手斧を取って指を切り落としました。ところがその指は空へ跳んで、大きな樽の陰のわたしの膝に落ちたのです。そして、これがその指輪のついた指です」そしてこの言葉とともに、花嫁は指を取り出して、集まった客たちに見せた。

The bridegroom, who during this recital had grown deadly pale, up and tried to escape, but the guests seized him and held him fast. They delivered him up to justice, and he and all his murderous band were condemned to death for their wicked deeds.

この話のあいだに死人のように青ざめていた花婿は跳び上がって逃げようとしたが、客たちが彼を捕らえて固く押さえた。一同は彼を裁きに引き渡し、彼とその人殺しの一味はみな、その邪悪な行いゆえに死罪と定められた。