Why the Lizard Continually Moves His Head Up and Down

In a town not very far from Anansi’s home lived a great king. This king had three beautiful daughters, whose names were kept a secret from everybody except their own family. One day their father made a proclamation that his three daughters would be given as wives to any man who could find out their names. Anansi made up his mind to do so.

アナンシの家からそう遠くない町に、偉い王が住んでいた。この王には美しい娘が三人いて、その名は家族のほかはだれにも秘密にされていた。ある日、父親の王は、三人の娘の名を突き止めた者にはだれにでも、娘たちを妻として与えるというお触れを出した。アナンシはそれをやってのけようと心に決めた。

He first bought a large jar of honey, and set off for the bathing-place of the king’s daughters. Arrived there, he climbed to the top of a tree on which grew some very fine fruit. He picked some of this fruit and poured honey over it. When he saw the princesses approaching he dropped the fruit on the ground and waited. The girls thought the fruit dropped of its own accord, and one of them ran forward to pick it up. When she tasted it, she called out to her sisters by name to exclaim on its sweetness. Anansi dropped another, which the second princess picked up—she, in her turn, calling out the names of the other two. In this fashion Anansi found out all the names.

アナンシはまず蜂蜜を大きな壺に一つ買って、王の娘たちの水浴び場へ出かけた。そこに着くと、たいそう見事な実のなる木のてっぺんに登った。その実をいくつかもいで、蜂蜜をかけた。王女たちが近づいてくるのが見えると、実を地面に落として待った。娘たちは実がひとりでに落ちたのだと思い、一人が駆け寄って拾った。食べてみると、その甘さに驚いて、姉妹たちを名で呼んだ。アナンシがもう一つ落とすと、二番目の王女が拾い——今度はその王女がほかの二人の名を呼んだ。こうしてアナンシは名前をみな突き止めた。

As soon as the princesses had gone Anansi came down from the tree and hurried into the town. He went to all the great men and summoned them to a meeting at the King’s palace on the morrow.

王女たちが去るとすぐ、アナンシは木から降りて町へ急いだ。偉い人々のところをみな回って、明日、王の宮殿での集まりに来るよう呼びかけた。

He then visited his friend the Lizard, to get him to act as herald at the Court next day. He told Lizard the three names, and the latter was to sound them through his trumpet when the time came.

それからアナンシは友のトカゲを訪ねて、翌日の宮廷で触れ役をつとめてくれるよう頼んだ。トカゲに三つの名を教え、そのときが来たらトカゲがラッパでその名を吹き鳴らすことになった。

Early next morning the King and his Court were assembled as usual. All the great men of the town appeared, as Anansi had requested. Anansi stated his business, reminding the King of his promise to give his three daughters to the man who had found out their names. The King demanded to hear the latter, whereupon Lizard sounded them on his trumpet.

翌朝早く、王と廷臣たちはいつものように集まった。アナンシが頼んだとおり、町の偉い人々もみな姿を見せた。アナンシは用向きを述べ、娘たちの名を突き止めた者に三人の娘を与えるという約束を王に思い出させた。王が名を聞かせよと求めると、トカゲがラッパでその名を吹き鳴らした。

The King and courtiers were much surprised. His Majesty, however, could not break the promise he had made of giving his daughters to the man who named them. He accordingly gave them to Mr Lizard. Anansi was very angry, and explained that he had told the names to Lizard, so that he ought to get at least two of the girls, while Lizard could have the third. The King refused. Anansi then begged hard for even one, but that was also refused. He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he would be revenged on Lizard for stealing his wives away.

王と廷臣たちはたいそう驚いた。けれども陛下は、名を言い当てた者に娘たちを与えるという約束を破るわけにはいかなかった。そこで娘たちをトカゲさんに与えた。アナンシはひどく腹を立て、名前はわしがトカゲに教えたのだから、少なくとも娘のうち二人はわしがもらうべきで、トカゲは三人目をもらえばよいと説いた。王は断った。アナンシはせめて一人だけでもと必死に頼んだが、それも断られた。アナンシはひどく不機嫌で家へ帰り、妻たちを盗み取ったトカゲに仕返ししてやると言い放った。

He thought over the matter very carefully, but could not find a way of punishing Lizard. At last, however, he had an idea.

アナンシはこのことをたいそう念入りに考えたが、トカゲを懲らしめる手立ては見つからなかった。けれどもとうとう、一つの考えが浮かんだ。

He went to the King and explained that he was setting off next morning on a long journey. He wished to start very early, and so begged the King’s help. The King had a fine cock, which always crowed at daybreak to waken the King if he wished to get up early. Anansi begged that the King would command the cock to crow next morning, that Anansi might be sure of getting off in time. This the King readily promised.

アナンシは王のところへ行って、明朝、長い旅に出るのだと説明した。たいそう早く発ちたいので、王の手を借りたいと頼んだ。王は立派な雄鶏を飼っていて、王が早起きしたいときには、いつも夜明けに鬨をつくって王を起こすのだった。アナンシは、自分が遅れずに発てるよう、明朝鬨をつくるよう雄鶏に命じてほしいと頼んだ。王はたやすく約束した。

As soon as night fell Anansi went by a back way to the cock’s sleeping-place, seized the bird quickly, and killed it. He then carried it to Lizard’s house, where all were in bed. There he quietly cooked the cock, placed the feathers under Lizard’s bed, and put some of the flesh on a dish close to Lizard’s hand. The wicked Anansi then took some boiling water and poured it into poor Lizard’s mouth, thus making him dumb.

夜になるとすぐ、アナンシは裏道から雄鶏のねぐらへ行き、すばやく鳥をつかまえて殺した。それからそれをトカゲの家へ運んでいった。家の者はみな寝床に入っていた。そこでアナンシはこっそり雄鶏を料理し、羽をトカゲの寝床の下に置き、肉の一部を皿に載せてトカゲの手のすぐそばに置いた。それから悪いアナンシは煮えたぎる湯を取って、かわいそうなトカゲの口に注ぎ込み、口がきけないようにしてしまった。

When morning came, Anansi went to the King and reproached him for not letting the cock crow. The King was much surprised to hear that it had not obeyed his commands.

朝が来ると、アナンシは王のところへ行って、雄鶏に鬨をつくらせなかったと王をなじった。王は、雄鶏が命令に従わなかったと聞いてたいそう驚いた。

He sent one of his servants to find and bring the cock to him, but, of course, the servant returned empty-handed. The King then ordered them to find the thief. No trace of him could be found anywhere. Anansi then cunningly said to the King: “I know Lizard is a rogue, because he stole my three wives from me. Perhaps he is the thief.” Accordingly, the men went to search Lizard’s house.

王は召使いの一人に雄鶏を探して連れてくるよう命じたが、もちろん召使いは手ぶらで戻ってきた。そこで王は泥棒を見つけるよう命じた。どこにも手がかりは見つからなかった。するとアナンシはずる賢く王に言った。「トカゲはならず者です。わしから三人の妻を盗んだのですから。もしかすると、あいつが泥棒かもしれません」そこで家来たちはトカゲの家を調べに行った。

There, of course, they found the remnants of the cock, cooked ready to eat, and his feathers under the bed. They questioned Lizard, but the poor animal was unable to reply. He could only move his head up and down helplessly. They thought he was refusing to speak, so dragged him before the King. To the King’s questions he could only return the same answer, and his Majesty got very angry. He did not know that Anansi had made the poor animal dumb. Lizard tried very hard to speak, but in vain.

そこで、もちろん、家来たちは料理されてすぐ食べられるばかりになった雄鶏の残りと、寝床の下の羽を見つけた。家来たちはトカゲを問いただしたが、かわいそうな獣は答えることができなかった。ただ力なく首を上下に振ることしかできなかった。家来たちは、トカゲが口をきくのを拒んでいるのだと思って、王の前に引きずっていった。王の問いにもトカゲは同じ答えしか返せず、陛下はたいそう怒った。アナンシがかわいそうな獣の口をきけなくしたことを、王は知らなかったのである。トカゲは懸命に口をきこうとしたが、無駄だった。

He was accordingly judged guilty of theft, and as a punishment his wives were taken away from him and given to Anansi.

そういうわけで、トカゲは盗みの罪ありと裁かれ、罰として妻たちを取り上げられて、アナンシに与えられた。

Since then lizards have always had a way of moving their heads helplessly backward and forward, as if saying, “How can any one be so foolish as to trust Anansi?”

それ以来、トカゲはいつも、まるで「アナンシを信じるなんて、どうしてそんなばかなことができるのか」とでも言うように、力なく首を前後に振る癖があるのである。