The Fish and the Ring

Once upon a time, there was a mighty baron in the North Countrie who was a great magician that knew everything that would come to pass. So one day, when his little boy was four years old, he looked into the Book of Fate to see what would happen to him. And to his dismay, he found that his son would wed a lowly maid that had just been born in a house under the shadow of York Minster. Now the Baron knew the father of the little girl was very, very poor, and he had five children already. So he called for his horse, and rode into York; and passed by the father's house, and saw him sitting by the door, sad and doleful. So he dismounted and went up to him and said: “What is the matter, my good man?” And the man said: “Well, your honour, the fact is, I've five children already, and now a sixth's come, a little lass, and where to get the bread from to fill their mouths, that's more than I can say.”

むかしむかし、北の国に力のある男爵がいて、これから起こることを何でも知っている偉大な魔法使いだった。そこである日、小さな息子が四つになったとき、男爵は息子に何が起こるかを見ようと運命の書をのぞいた。するとがっかりしたことに、息子は、ヨーク大聖堂の陰にある家で生まれたばかりの身分の低い娘と結婚することになっていた。さて、男爵はその女の子の父親がとても、とても貧しくて、もう子どもが五人いることを知っていた。そこで男爵は馬を呼び、ヨークへ乗り込んでいって、その父親の家の前を通りかかると、父親が悲しげにしょんぼりと戸口に座っているのが見えた。そこで男爵は馬を降りて父親のところへ行き、言った。「どうしたのだね、おまえ。」すると男は言った。「へい、旦那さま、じつはもう子どもが五人おりますのに、今度また六人目が、女の子が生まれまして、あの子らの口に入れるパンをどこから持ってくりゃいいのか、あっしにはさっぱり見当がつきませんので。」

“Don't be downhearted, my man,” said the Baron. “If that's your trouble, I can help you. I'll take away the last little one, and you wont have to bother about her.”

「がっかりすることはない、おまえ」と男爵は言った。「それが悩みなら、わしが助けてやれる。いちばん下の子をわしが引き取ってやろう。そうすればおまえはその子のことで苦労しなくてすむ。」

“Thank you kindly, sir,” said the man; and he went in and brought out the lass and gave her to the Baron, who mounted his horse and rode away with her. And when he got by the bank of the river Ouse, he threw the little, thing into the river, and rode off to his castle.

「ご親切にありがとうございます、旦那さま」と男は言った。そして家に入って女の子を連れてきて、男爵に渡した。男爵は馬に乗って女の子を連れて去っていった。そしてウーズ川の岸まで来ると、その小さな子を川に投げ込んで、自分の城へ馬を走らせていった。

But the little lass didn't sink; her clothes kept her up for a time, and she floated, and she floated, till she was cast ashore just in front of a fisherman's hut. There the fisherman found her, and took pity on the poor little thing and took her into his house, and she lived there till she was fifteen years old, and a fine handsome girl.

けれども小さな女の子は沈まなかった。着物のおかげでしばらく浮いていて、流れに流れて、とうとう漁師の小屋のすぐ前に打ち上げられた。そこで漁師が女の子を見つけ、かわいそうな小さな子を哀れに思って家に連れて入り、女の子は十五になって美しいりっぱな娘になるまで、そこで暮らした。

One day it happened that the Baron went out hunting with some companions along the banks of the River Ouse, and stopped at the fisherman's hut to get a drink, and the girl came out to give it to them. They all noticed her beauty, and one of them said to the Baron: “You can read fates, Baron, whom will she marry, d'ye think?”

ある日、たまたま男爵が仲間たちとウーズ川の岸に沿って狩りに出かけ、飲み物をもらおうと漁師の小屋に立ち寄った。すると娘が出てきて飲み物を出した。みんなは娘の美しさに目をとめ、仲間の一人が男爵に言った。「男爵、あなたは運命が読めるでしょう。この娘は誰と結婚すると思いますか。」

“Oh! that's easy to guess,” said the Baron; “some yokel or other. But I'll cast her horoscope. Come here girl, and tell me on what day you were born?”

「おお! そんなことはたやすく当たる」と男爵は言った。「どこかの田舎者だろう。だが、この娘の星占いをしてやろう。こっちへ来い、娘、何日に生まれたか言ってみろ。」

“I don't know, sir,” said the girl, “I was picked up just here after having been brought down by the river about fifteen years ago.”

「わかりません、旦那さま」と娘は言った。「十五年ほど前に川に流されてきて、ちょうどここで拾われたのです。」

Then the Baron knew who she was, and when they went away, he rode back and said to the girl: “Hark ye, girl, I will make your fortune. Take this letter to my brother in Scarborough, and you will be settled for life.” And the girl took the letter and said she would go. Now this was what he had written in the letter:

そこで男爵は娘が誰なのかわかった。そしてみんなが帰っていくと、男爵は馬で引き返してきて娘に言った。「よく聞け、娘、おまえを出世させてやろう。この手紙をスカーバラにいるわしの弟のところへ持っていけ。そうすれば一生安泰だ。」娘は手紙を受け取って、行きますと言った。さて、男爵が手紙に書いたのはこういうことだった。

“Dear Brother,--Take the bearer and put her to death immediately.

「親愛なる弟へ——この手紙を持参した者を連れて、ただちに殺せ。

“Yours affectionately,

「愛情をこめて

“Albert.”

「アルバート」

So soon after the girl set out for Scarborough, and slept for the night at a little inn. Now that very night a band of robbers broke into the inn, and searched the girl, who had no money, and only the letter. So they opened this and read it, and thought it a shame. The captain of the robbers took a pen and paper and wrote this letter:

そこでまもなく娘はスカーバラへ向けて出発し、小さな宿屋でひと晩泊まった。さて、まさにその晩、盗賊の一団が宿屋に押し入り、娘の持ち物を調べたが、娘はお金を持っておらず、手紙だけを持っていた。そこで盗賊たちは手紙を開けて読み、ひどい話だと思った。盗賊の頭はペンと紙を取って、こういう手紙を書いた。

“Dear Brother,--Take the bearer and marry her to my son immediately.

「親愛なる弟へ——この手紙を持参した者を連れて、ただちにわしの息子と結婚させよ。

“Yours affectionately,

「愛情をこめて

“Albert.”

「アルバート」

And then he gave it to the girl, bidding her begone. So she went on to the Baron's brother at Scarborough, a noble knight, with whom the Baron's son was staying. When she gave the letter to his brother, he gave orders for the wedding to be prepared at once, and they were married that very day.

それから盗賊の頭はその手紙を娘に渡して、行けと言った。そこで娘はスカーバラの男爵の弟のところへ向かった。弟はりっぱな騎士で、男爵の息子はその騎士のところに滞在していた。娘が手紙を弟に渡すと、弟はすぐに婚礼の支度をするよう命じ、二人はまさにその日に結婚した。

Soon after, the Baron himself came to his brother's castle, and what was his surprise to find that the very thing he had plotted against had come to pass. But he was not to be put off that way; and he took out the girl for a walk, as he said, along the cliffs. And when he got her all alone, he took her by the arms, and was going to throw her over. But she begged hard for her life. “I have not done anything,” she said: “if you will only spare me, I will do whatever you wish. I will never see you or your son again till you desire it.” Then the Baron took off his gold ring and threw it into the sea, saying: “Never let me see your face till you can show me that ring;” and he let her go.

まもなく、男爵自身が弟の城へやって来た。そして自分がたくらんで防ごうとしたまさにそのことが起こってしまったのを知って、どんなに驚いたことだろう。けれども男爵はそんなことであきらめはしなかった。男爵は、本人の言うには散歩に、崖に沿って娘を連れ出した。そして娘と二人きりになると、娘の腕をつかんで、崖から投げ落とそうとした。けれども娘は命だけは助けてくれと必死に頼んだ。「わたしは何もしていません」と娘は言った。「助けてさえくださるなら、何でもお望みどおりにいたします。あなたがお望みになるまで、あなたにもあなたの息子さんにも二度とお会いしません。」すると男爵は金の指輪を外して海に投げ込み、こう言った。「その指輪をわしに見せられるまで、けっしてわしの前に顔を見せるな。」そして男爵は娘を放してやった。

The poor girl wandered on and on, till at last she came to a great noble's castle, and she asked to have some work given to her; and they made her the scullion girl of the castle, for she had been used to such work in the fisherman's hut.

かわいそうな娘はどこまでもさまよい歩き、とうとうある偉い貴族の城に着いた。娘は何か仕事をさせてくれと頼み、城の人たちは娘を城の皿洗い女にした。娘は漁師の小屋でそういう仕事に慣れていたからである。

Now one day, who should she see coming up to the noble's house but the Baron and his brother and his son, her husband. She didn't know what to do; but thought they would not see her in the castle kitchen. So she went back to her work with a sigh, and set to cleaning a huge big fish that was to be boiled for their dinner. And, as she was cleaning it, she saw something shine inside it, and what do you think she found? Why, there was the Baron's ring, the very one he had thrown over the cliff at Scarborough. She was right glad to see it, you may be sure. Then she cooked the fish as nicely as she could, and served it up.

さて、ある日、貴族の屋敷にやって来るのが見えたのは誰だったと思う? 男爵と、その弟と、その息子、つまり娘の夫だった。娘はどうしていいかわからなかったが、城の台所にいれば見つからないだろうと思った。そこで娘はため息をついて仕事に戻り、みんなの晩餐に煮ることになっている、とてつもなく大きな魚をさばきにかかった。そしてさばいていると、魚のなかで何かが光るのが見えた。何が見つかったと思う? なんと、男爵の指輪、男爵がスカーバラの崖から投げ落としたまさにその指輪があったのである。娘がそれを見てどんなに喜んだかは、言うまでもないだろう。それから娘はできるかぎりおいしく魚を料理して、食卓に出した。

Well, when the fish came on the table, the guests liked it so well that they asked the noble who cooked it. He said he didn't know, but called to his servants: “Ho, there, send up the cook that cooked that fine fish.” So they went down to the kitchen and told the girl she was wanted in the hall. Then she washed and tidied herself and put the Baron's gold ring on her thumb and went up into the hall.

さて、魚が食卓に出ると、客たちはそれがたいそう気に入ったので、貴族に誰が料理したのかと尋ねた。貴族は知らないと言ったが、召し使いたちに大声で言った。「おい、あのみごとな魚を料理した料理人をよこせ。」そこで召し使いたちは台所へ下りていって、娘に広間へ呼ばれていると伝えた。そこで娘は顔を洗って身なりを整え、男爵の金の指輪を親指にはめて、広間へ上がっていった。

When the banqueters saw such a young and beautiful cook they were surprised. But the Baron was in a tower of a temper, and started up as if he would do her some violence. So the girl went up to him with her hand before her with the ring on it; and she put it down before him on the table. Then at last the Baron saw that no one could fight against Fate, and he handed her to a seat and announced to all the company that this was his son's true wife; and he took her and his son home to his castle; and they all lived as happy as could be ever afterwards.

宴の客たちは、こんなに若くて美しい料理人を見て驚いた。けれども男爵はかんかんに怒って、娘に何か乱暴をはたらこうとするかのように立ち上がった。そこで娘は、指輪をはめた手を前に差し出して男爵のところへ行き、指輪を男爵の前の食卓に置いた。そこでとうとう男爵は、誰も運命には逆らえないのだと悟り、娘の手を取って席に着かせ、この娘こそ息子のほんとうの妻であると一同に告げた。そして男爵は娘と息子を自分の城へ連れて帰り、みんなはそれからずっとこの上なく幸せに暮らした。