The Four Clever Brothers

‘Dear children,’ said a poor man to his four sons, ‘I have nothing to give you; you must go out into the wide world and try your luck. Begin by learning some craft or another, and see how you can get on.’ So the four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands, and their little bundles on their shoulders, and after bidding their father goodbye, went all out at the gate together. When they had got on some way they came to four crossways, each leading to a different country. Then the eldest said, ‘Here we must part; but this day four years we will come back to this spot, and in the meantime each must try what he can do for himself.’

「かわいい子どもたち」とある貧しい男が四人の息子に言った。「おまえたちにやれるものは何もない。広い世界へ出て、運を試しておいで。まずは何かの手職を習って、どうやって身を立てられるか見てみなさい。」そこで四人の兄弟は手に杖を取り、肩に小さな包みを担ぎ、父に別れを告げて、みな一緒に門を出て行った。しばらく行くと、四つ辻に来た。どの道もそれぞれ別の国へ通じていた。そこで長兄が言った。「ここで別れねばならない。だが今日から四年めのこの日に、この場所へ戻って来よう。そのあいだ、めいめい自分に何ができるか試すのだ。」

So each brother went his way; and as the eldest was hastening on a man met him, and asked him where he was going, and what he wanted. ‘I am going to try my luck in the world, and should like to begin by learning some art or trade,’ answered he. ‘Then,’ said the man, ‘go with me, and I will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever was.’ ‘No,’ said the other, ‘that is not an honest calling, and what can one look to earn by it in the end but the gallows?’ ‘Oh!’ said the man, ‘you need not fear the gallows; for I will only teach you to steal what will be fair game: I meddle with nothing but what no one else can get or care anything about, and where no one can find you out.’ So the young man agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed himself so clever, that nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon.

そこで兄弟はそれぞれの道を行った。長兄が急いで行くと、一人の男が出会って、どこへ行くのか、何を求めているのかと尋ねた。「世の中で運を試すつもりです。まずは何かの技か商売を習いたいと思っています」と長兄は答えた。「それなら」と男は言った。「わたしと来なさい。いまだかつてない、いちばん狡猾な泥棒になるように教えてやろう。」「いやです」と長兄は言った。「それは正直な稼業ではない。しまいに手にするものといえば、絞首台のほかに何があるでしょう?」「ああ!」と男は言った。「絞首台を恐れることはない。おまえに教えるのは、取って当然のものを盗むことだけだ。わたしは、ほかの誰にも手に入らず、誰も気にもかけず、誰にも見つけられないものにしか手を出さぬ。」そこで若者はこの稼業に就くことに決めた。そしてまもなく、一度狙いを定めたものは何ひとつ取り逃がさぬほどの腕前を見せるようになった。

The second brother also met a man, who, when he found out what he was setting out upon, asked him what craft he meant to follow. ‘I do not know yet,’ said he. ‘Then come with me, and be a star-gazer. It is a noble art, for nothing can be hidden from you, when once you understand the stars.’ The plan pleased him much, and he soon became such a skilful star-gazer, that when he had served out his time, and wanted to leave his master, he gave him a glass, and said, ‘With this you can see all that is passing in the sky and on earth, and nothing can be hidden from you.’

二番めの兄も一人の男に出会った。男は若者が何をしに出て来たのか知ると、どんな手職に就くつもりかと尋ねた。「まだ分かりません」と若者は言った。「ならわたしと来て、星見になりなさい。高貴な技だ。ひとたび星を読めるようになれば、おまえに隠せるものは何もない。」この考えはたいそう気に入り、若者はまもなく腕のよい星見になった。そして年季が明けて師のもとを去ろうというとき、師は一つの眼鏡を渡して言った。「これがあれば、天と地で起きていることがみな見える。おまえに隠せるものは何もない。」

The third brother met a huntsman, who took him with him, and taught him so well all that belonged to hunting, that he became very clever in the craft of the woods; and when he left his master he gave him a bow, and said, ‘Whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure to hit.’

三番めの兄は狩人に出会った。狩人は若者を連れて行き、狩りに関わることをよく教え込んだので、若者は森の技にたいそう長けた者となった。そして師のもとを去るとき、師は一張りの弓を渡して言った。「この弓で狙ったものは、必ず当たる。」

The youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished to do. ‘Would not you like,’ said he, ‘to be a tailor?’ ‘Oh, no!’ said the young man; ‘sitting cross-legged from morning to night, working backwards and forwards with a needle and goose, will never suit me.’ ‘Oh!’ answered the man, ‘that is not my sort of tailoring; come with me, and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that.’ Not knowing what better to do, he came into the plan, and learnt tailoring from the beginning; and when he left his master, he gave him a needle, and said, ‘You can sew anything with this, be it as soft as an egg or as hard as steel; and the joint will be so fine that no seam will be seen.’

いちばん末の弟もまた一人の男に出会い、何をしたいのかと尋ねられた。「どうだ」と男は言った。「仕立屋になりたくはないか?」「まっぴらです!」と若者は言った。「朝から晩まで足を組んで座り、針と鏝を前へ後ろへ動かすなど、わたしには向きません。」「ああ!」と男は答えた。「わたしの仕立てはそういうものではない。わたしと来れば、それとはまるで違う手職を習えるぞ。」ほかによい当てもなかったので、若者はその話に乗り、仕立てを一から習った。そして師のもとを去るとき、師は一本の針を渡して言った。「これがあれば何でも縫える。卵のように柔らかいものでも、鋼のように硬いものでもな。しかも継ぎ目はたいそう細かくて、縫い目は見えぬ。」

After the space of four years, at the time agreed upon, the four brothers met at the four cross-roads; and having welcomed each other, set off towards their father’s home, where they told him all that had happened to them, and how each had learned some craft.

四年が過ぎて、約束の日に、四人の兄弟は四つ辻で落ち合った。そして互いに喜び合ってから、父の家へ向かった。そして自分たちの身に起こったことと、めいめいがどんな手職を習ったかを父に語った。

Then, one day, as they were sitting before the house under a very high tree, the father said, ‘I should like to try what each of you can do in this way.’ So he looked up, and said to the second son, ‘At the top of this tree there is a chaffinch’s nest; tell me how many eggs there are in it.’ The star-gazer took his glass, looked up, and said, ‘Five.’ ‘Now,’ said the father to the eldest son, ‘take away the eggs without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them know anything of what you are doing.’ So the cunning thief climbed up the tree, and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the bird; and it never saw or felt what he was doing, but kept sitting on at its ease. Then the father took the eggs, and put one on each corner of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman, ‘Cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot.’ The huntsman took up his bow, and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished.

そしてある日、家の前のたいそう高い木の下に座っていると、父が言った。「おまえたちがそれぞれ何をできるのか、試してみたい。」そう言って見上げ、二番めの息子に言った。「この木のてっぺんにあとりの巣がある。中に卵がいくつあるか言ってみろ。」星見は眼鏡を取って見上げ、「五つ」と言った。「さて」と父は長男に言った。「卵を抱いて温めている親鳥に、何をしているか少しも気づかせずに卵を取って来い。」そこで狡猾な泥棒は木に登り、鳥の下から五つの卵を取って父のところへ持って来た。鳥はその仕業を見も感じもせず、気楽に座ったままだった。それから父は卵を取り、卓の四隅に一つずつ、五つめを真ん中に置いて、狩人に言った。「一発で卵を全部二つに切れ。」狩人は弓を取り、父の望み通り、一発で五つの卵をみな射当てた。

‘Now comes your turn,’ said he to the young tailor; ‘sew the eggs and the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the shot shall have done them no harm.’ Then the tailor took his needle, and sewed the eggs as he was told; and when he had done, the thief was sent to take them back to the nest, and put them under the bird without its knowing it. Then she went on sitting, and hatched them: and in a few days they crawled out, and had only a little red streak across their necks, where the tailor had sewn them together.

「さあおまえの番だ」と父は若い仕立屋に言った。「卵と中の雛を、弾が何の害も与えなかったほど見事に縫い合わせてみろ。」そこで仕立屋は針を取り、言われた通りに卵を縫った。そして縫い終わると、泥棒がそれを巣へ戻し、鳥に気づかれぬように下へ置いて来るよう遣わされた。すると鳥はそのまま抱き続けて雛をかえした。そして数日のうちに雛は這い出して来て、首のところに、仕立屋が縫い合わせた小さな赤い筋が一本あるだけだった。

‘Well done, sons!’ said the old man; ‘you have made good use of your time, and learnt something worth the knowing; but I am sure I do not know which ought to have the prize. Oh, that a time might soon come for you to turn your skill to some account!’

「よくやった、息子たち!」と老人は言った。「おまえたちは時をよく使い、知る値打ちのあることを学んだ。だがどれに賞をやるべきか、わしには分からん。ああ、おまえたちの腕を役立てる時が早く来ればよいが!」

Not long after this there was a great bustle in the country; for the king’s daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon, and the king mourned over his loss day and night, and made it known that whoever brought her back to him should have her for a wife. Then the four brothers said to each other, ‘Here is a chance for us; let us try what we can do.’ And they agreed to see whether they could not set the princess free. ‘I will soon find out where she is, however,’ said the star-gazer, as he looked through his glass; and he soon cried out, ‘I see her afar off, sitting upon a rock in the sea, and I can spy the dragon close by, guarding her.’ Then he went to the king, and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers; and they sailed together over the sea, till they came to the right place. There they found the princess sitting, as the star-gazer had said, on the rock; and the dragon was lying asleep, with his head upon her lap. ‘I dare not shoot at him,’ said the huntsman, ‘for I should kill the beautiful young lady also.’ ‘Then I will try my skill,’ said the thief, and went and stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly and gently that the beast did not know it, but went on snoring.

そののちまもなく、国じゅうが大騒ぎになった。王の姫が強大な竜にさらわれたのである。王は昼も夜もその喪失を嘆き、姫を連れ戻した者には姫を妻として与えると触れ出した。そこで四人の兄弟は互いに言い合った。「これはわれらの好機だ。何ができるか試してみよう。」そして姫を助け出せないか見てみようと決めた。「わたしならすぐに居所が分かる」と星見は言って眼鏡を覗き、ほどなく叫んだ。「遠くに姫が見える。海の岩の上に座っておられる。そのすぐそばに竜がいて、見張っているのも見える。」そこで兄弟は王のところへ行き、自分たちのために船を一隻貸してほしいと願い出た。そして一緒に海を渡り、とうとうその場所に着いた。そこには星見の言った通り、姫が岩の上に座っていて、竜は姫の膝に頭を載せて眠っていた。「あれを射るわけにはいかない」と狩人は言った。「美しい姫君まで殺してしまう。」「では、わたしの腕を試そう」と泥棒は言って、竜の下から姫を盗み出した。それはたいそう静かで穏やかだったので、竜は気づきもせず、いびきをかき続けた。

Then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards the ship; but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air; for he awoke and missed the princess. But when he got over the boat, and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so that he fell down dead. They were still not safe; for he was such a great beast that in his fall he overset the boat, and they had to swim in the open sea upon a few planks. So the tailor took his needle, and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together; and he sat down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the boat; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe.

そこで兄弟は喜びいっぱいで姫を小舟に乗せ、本船の方へ急いだ。けれどもまもなく竜が吠えながら空を追って来た。目を覚まして、姫がいないのに気づいたのである。ところが竜が小舟の上に来て、飛びかかって姫をさらおうとしたとき、狩人が弓を取り、まっすぐ心臓を射抜いたので、竜は落ちて死んだ。それでもまだ安全ではなかった。あまりに大きな獣だったので、落ちるときに小舟をひっくり返してしまい、兄弟は大海の上で板きれにつかまって泳ぐはめになった。そこで仕立屋が針を取り、大きな縫い目で板を何枚か縫い合わせた。そしてその上に座って漕ぎ回り、小舟の破片を残らず集めて、たいそう手早く縫い合わせたので、まもなく舟はでき上がった。そして兄弟は本船にたどり着き、無事に家へ帰った。

When they had brought home the princess to her father, there was great rejoicing; and he said to the four brothers, ‘One of you shall marry her, but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to be.’ Then there arose a quarrel between them; and the star-gazer said, ‘If I had not found the princess out, all your skill would have been of no use; therefore she ought to be mine.’ ‘Your seeing her would have been of no use,’ said the thief, ‘if I had not taken her away from the dragon; therefore she ought to be mine.’ ‘No, she is mine,’ said the huntsman; ‘for if I had not killed the dragon, he would, after all, have torn you and the princess into pieces.’ ‘And if I had not sewn the boat together again,’ said the tailor, ‘you would all have been drowned, therefore she is mine.’ Then the king put in a word, and said, ‘Each of you is right; and as all cannot have the young lady, the best way is for neither of you to have her: for the truth is, there is somebody she likes a great deal better. But to make up for your loss, I will give each of you, as a reward for his skill, half a kingdom.’ So the brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them. And the king then gave to each half a kingdom, as he had said; and they lived very happily the rest of their days, and took good care of their father; and somebody took better care of the young lady, than to let either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again.

姫を父のもとへ連れ帰ると、大変な喜びようだった。そして王は四人の兄弟に言った。「そなたらの一人が姫と結婚するがよい。だが誰にするかは、そなたらのあいだで決めよ。」するとそこに諍いが起こった。星見が言った。「わたしが姫を見つけ出さなければ、おまえたちの腕はみな役に立たなかった。だから姫はわたしのものだ。」「見つけたところで役には立たなかった」と泥棒は言った。「わたしが竜の下から姫をさらい出さなければな。だから姫はわたしのものだ。」「いや、姫はわたしのものだ」と狩人は言った。「わたしが竜を殺さなければ、結局おまえたちも姫も引き裂かれていたのだから。」「それにわたしが舟を縫い合わせなければ」と仕立屋は言った。「おまえたちはみな溺れていた。だから姫はわたしのものだ。」そこで王が口をはさんで言った。「そなたらはめいめい正しい。そして全員が姫を得ることはできぬのだから、いちばんよいのは誰も姫を得ぬことだ。実を言えば、姫にはもっとずっと好きな者がいるのでな。だがその埋め合わせに、腕前の褒美として、そなたらめいめいに王国の半分ずつを与えよう。」そこで兄弟は、これは争うよりも、自分を望まぬ姫と結婚するよりもずっとよい案だと得心した。そして王は言った通り、めいめいに王国の半分を与えた。兄弟はその後の日々をたいそう幸せに暮らし、父をよく世話した。そして姫の方は、竜にも手職者の誰にも二度と渡さぬよう、誰かがもっとよく世話をしたのだった。