The Fox and the Horse

A farmer had a horse that had been an excellent faithful servant to him: but he was now grown too old to work; so the farmer would give him nothing more to eat, and said, ‘I want you no longer, so take yourself off out of my stable; I shall not take you back again until you are stronger than a lion.’ Then he opened the door and turned him adrift.

ある百姓が、長いあいだ申し分なく忠実に仕えてくれた馬を一頭持っていた。けれども馬は年を取りすぎて働けなくなった。そこで百姓はもう餌を何もやろうとせず、こう言った。「もうおまえには用がない。厩から出て行け。獅子より強くなるまでは、二度と戻しはせん。」そう言って戸を開け、馬を追い出した。

The poor horse was very melancholy, and wandered up and down in the wood, seeking some little shelter from the cold wind and rain. Presently a fox met him: ‘What’s the matter, my friend?’ said he, ‘why do you hang down your head and look so lonely and woe-begone?’ ‘Ah!’ replied the horse, ‘justice and avarice never dwell in one house; my master has forgotten all that I have done for him so many years, and because I can no longer work he has turned me adrift, and says unless I become stronger than a lion he will not take me back again; what chance can I have of that? he knows I have none, or he would not talk so.’

哀れな馬はひどくふさぎ込み、冷たい風と雨をよける小さな隠れ場所を求めて、森をさまよい歩いた。やがて狐が出会った。「どうしたんだ、友よ」と狐は言った。「なぜ頭を垂れて、そんなに寂しく打ちひしがれた顔をしている?」「ああ!」と馬は答えた。「正義と強欲は同じ家に住まないものさ。主人はおれが長年してやったことをすっかり忘れて、もう働けないからと追い出した。そして獅子より強くならないかぎり戻さないと言う。そんなことがおれにできるものか? できないと知っていればこそ、ああ言うのだ。」

However, the fox bid him be of good cheer, and said, ‘I will help you; lie down there, stretch yourself out quite stiff, and pretend to be dead.’ The horse did as he was told, and the fox went straight to the lion who lived in a cave close by, and said to him, ‘A little way off lies a dead horse; come with me and you may make an excellent meal of his carcase.’ The lion was greatly pleased, and set off immediately; and when they came to the horse, the fox said, ‘You will not be able to eat him comfortably here; I’ll tell you what--I will tie you fast to his tail, and then you can draw him to your den, and eat him at your leisure.’

それでも狐は元気を出せと言って、こう言った。「おれが助けてやろう。そこに横になって、体を固く伸ばして、死んだふりをしろ。」馬は言われた通りにし、狐はすぐそばの洞穴に住む獅子のところへまっすぐ行って言った。「少し先に死んだ馬が横たわっている。おれと来れば、その死骸で結構なご馳走にありつけるぞ。」獅子はたいそう喜んで、すぐに出かけた。そして馬のところへ来ると、狐は言った。「ここでは気持ちよく食えまい。いいことを教えよう——おまえを馬の尾にしっかり結びつけてやる。そうすれば巣穴まで引いて行って、ゆっくり食えるだろう。」

This advice pleased the lion, so he laid himself down quietly for the fox to make him fast to the horse. But the fox managed to tie his legs together and bound all so hard and fast that with all his strength he could not set himself free. When the work was done, the fox clapped the horse on the shoulder, and said, ‘Jip! Dobbin! Jip!’ Then up he sprang, and moved off, dragging the lion behind him. The beast began to roar and bellow, till all the birds of the wood flew away for fright; but the horse let him sing on, and made his way quietly over the fields to his master’s house.

この知恵は獅子を喜ばせたので、獅子は狐が自分を馬に結びつけられるよう、おとなしく横になった。けれども狐はうまく獅子の脚をひとまとめに縛り、どれもこれも固くきつく縛り上げたので、獅子はどんなに力を出しても身を解けなかった。仕事が済むと狐は馬の肩を叩いて言った。「それ! はいどう! それ!」すると馬は跳ね起きて歩き出し、獅子を後ろに引きずって行った。獣は吠え、わめき始め、森の鳥という鳥が驚いて飛び去った。けれども馬は好きに歌わせておいて、静かに野を越え、主人の家へ道をたどった。

‘Here he is, master,’ said he, ‘I have got the better of him’: and when the farmer saw his old servant, his heart relented, and he said. ‘Thou shalt stay in thy stable and be well taken care of.’ And so the poor old horse had plenty to eat, and lived--till he died.

「ご主人、ここにいますよ」と馬は言った。「こいつを打ち負かしてきました。」そして百姓は自分の年取った下僕を見ると心がほぐれて、こう言った。「おまえは厩にいて、大事にしてもらうがよい。」こうして哀れな年取った馬はたっぷり食べるものを得て、生きた——死ぬまで。