The Elves and the Shoemaker

There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.

むかしある靴屋がいた。たいそうよく働き、たいそう正直だったが、それでも暮らしを立てるだけの稼ぎがなかった。とうとう持ち物はすっかりなくなって、残ったのは靴を一足作るだけの革ばかりになった。

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.

そこで靴屋は革を裁って、あくる日には縫い上げられるように支度を整え、朝早く起きて仕事にかかるつもりだった。難儀のさなかにも良心は曇りなく、心は軽かった。それで安らかに床につき、心配事はみな天にゆだねて、まもなく眠り込んだ。朝、祈りを済ませて仕事に取りかかろうと腰を下ろすと、驚いたことに、靴はすっかりでき上がって卓の上に立っていた。この善良な男は、こんな奇妙なことが起こって、何と言い、何と考えてよいか分からなかった。仕事ぶりを見てみると、仕事じゅうに縫い目の乱れが一つもない。何もかもきちんと正しくできていて、まったくの名品だった。

The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand. Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pair more. He cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and well off again.

その同じ日に客が来て、靴がたいそうよく足に合ったので、いつもより高い値を喜んで払ってくれた。そこで貧しい靴屋はその金で、もう二足分の革を買った。夕方に仕事を裁ち、あくる朝早く起きて始められるように早く床についた。けれどもその手間はすっかり省けた。朝起きてみると、仕事は手を触れずとも済んでいたからである。まもなく買い手がやって来て、品に相応の金を払ってくれたので、靴屋はさらに四足分の革を買った。また夜のうちに仕事を裁つと、前と同じく朝にはでき上がっていた。そうしてしばらく続いた。夕方に支度したものは、いつも夜明けまでにでき上がっていて、この善良な男はまもなく繁盛して、また豊かになった。

One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, ‘I should like to sit up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.’ The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hung up there, and watched what would happen.

クリスマスのころのある晩、靴屋と女房が火のそばに座って話していると、靴屋が言った。「今夜は起きて見張っていたい。来てわたしの仕事をしてくれるのが誰なのか見られるように。」女房もその考えを気に入った。そこで二人は灯りをともしたままにして、部屋の隅に掛かっていた幕の陰に隠れ、何が起こるかを見守った。

As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.

真夜中になるとすぐ、裸の小さな小人が二人入って来た。そして靴屋の作業台に腰を下ろし、裁ってある仕事をみな取り上げて、小さな指を動かし始めた。縫ったり打ったり叩いたりするその速さときたら、靴屋は驚くばかりで、目を離すことができなかった。二人は仕事がすっかり済んで、靴が履けるばかりになって卓の上に立つまで続けた。それは夜明けよりずっと前のことで、それから二人は稲妻のように素早く立ち去った。

The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. ‘These little wights have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good turn if we can. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do; and indeed it is not very decent, for they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold. I’ll tell you what, I will make each of them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into the bargain; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.’

あくる日、女房は靴屋に言った。「あの小さい人たちのおかげでわたしたちは豊かになりました。あの人たちにお礼をして、できることならよくしてあげるべきですよ。あんな格好で走り回っているのを見るのが気の毒でなりません。それに、まったく見苦しくもあります。寒さをよける物を何ひとつ身につけていないのですから。こうしましょう、わたしがあの人たちに一人ずつ、肌着と上着とチョッキ、おまけにズボンも一着ずつこしらえます。あなたは一人ずつに小さな靴を作っておあげなさい。」

The thought pleased the good cobbler very much; and one evening, when all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to watch what the little elves would do.

この考えは善良な靴直しをたいそう喜ばせた。そしてある晩、品がすっかりそろうと、二人はいつも裁っておく仕事の代わりにそれを卓の上に並べ、それから隠れて、小さな妖精たちがどうするかを見守った。

About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped round the room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled, and seemed mightily delighted.

真夜中ごろ、二人は踊り跳ねながら入って来て、部屋をぐるりと跳ね回り、それからいつものように仕事に取りかかろうと腰を下ろした。ところが自分たちのために置かれた着物を見ると、笑ってくすくす声を立て、たいそう喜んでいるようだった。

Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced and capered and sprang about, as merry as could be; till at last they danced out at the door, and away over the green.

それから二人はまたたく間にそれを身につけ、これ以上ないほど浮かれて、踊り、跳ね、跳び回った。そしてとうとう、踊りながら戸口から出て、緑の野を越えて行ってしまった。

The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them from that time forward, as long as they lived.

善良な夫婦は二度と小人たちを見なかった。けれどもそのときから、二人が生きているかぎり、何もかもうまくいった。