The Old Man and His Grandson

There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth. His son and his son’s wife were disgusted at this, so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears. Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.

むかし、たいそう年老いた男がいた。目はかすみ、耳は遠くなり、膝は震え、食卓につくと匙もろくに持てず、スープを卓布にこぼしたり、口からたらしたりした。息子とその嫁はこれを嫌がり、とうとう年老いた祖父は暖炉の陰の隅に座らされることになった。二人は老人に土焼きの鉢で食べ物を与えたが、それさえ十分な量ではなかった。老人は涙をいっぱいにためた目で、食卓のほうを見やるのだった。あるとき、震える手で鉢を持ちきれず、鉢は床に落ちて割れてしまった。若い嫁は老人を叱ったが、老人は何も言わず、ただ溜息をついた。そこで二人は数ペニーで木の鉢を買ってきて、老人はそれで食べねばならなくなった。

They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. ‘What are you doing there?’ asked the father. ‘I am making a little trough,’ answered the child, ‘for father and mother to eat out of when I am big.’

あるとき、みながそうして座っていると、四つになる小さな孫が、床の上で木切れを集めはじめた。「そこで何をしているのだい」と父親が尋ねた。「小さな飼い葉桶を作っているの」と子は答えた。「ぼくが大きくなったら、お父さんとお母さんがこれで食べられるように。」

The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything.

夫婦はしばらく顔を見合わせていたが、やがて泣きだした。それから二人は年老いた祖父を食卓へ連れてきて、それからはいつもいっしょに食べさせ、何かを少しこぼしても何も言わなくなった。