Tit for Tat

There had been a great famine in the land for many months. Meat had become so scarce that only the rich chiefs had money enough to buy it. The poor people were starving. Anansi and his family were in a miserable state.

国じゅうに何か月も大飢饉が続いていた。肉はあまりに乏しくなって、金持ちの首長たちしか買う金を持っていなかった。貧しい人々は飢えていた。アナンシとその家族はみじめな有様だった。

One day, Anansi’s eldest son—Kweku Tsin—to his great joy, discovered a place in the forest where there were still many animals. Knowing his father’s wicked ways, Kweku told him nothing of the matter. Anansi, however, speedily discovered that Kweku was returning loaded, day after day, to the village. There he was able to sell the meat at a good price to the hungry villagers. Anansi immediately wanted to know the secret—but his son wisely refused to tell him. The old man determined to find out by a trick.

ある日、アナンシの長男——クウェク・ツィン——は、森のなかにまだ獣がたくさんいる場所を見つけて大喜びした。父親の悪い癖を知っていたので、クウェクはそのことを父親に何も話さなかった。けれどもアナンシは、クウェクが来る日も来る日も荷をどっさり背負って村へ戻ってくるのにすぐ気づいた。クウェクは村で、飢えた村人たちに肉をよい値で売ることができた。アナンシはすぐに秘密を知りたがった——けれども息子は賢くも教えるのを断った。年寄りは計略を使って突き止めてやろうと決めた。

Slipping into his son’s room one night, when he was fast asleep, he cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag which Kweku always carried into the forest. Anansi then put a quantity of ashes into the bag and replaced it where he had found it.

ある晩、息子がぐっすり眠っているあいだに部屋に忍び込み、クウェクがいつも森へ持っていく袋の隅に小さな穴をあけた。それからアナンシは袋に灰をどっさり入れて、見つけたところへ戻しておいた。

Next morning, as Kweku set out for the forest, he threw the bag, as usual, over his shoulder. Unknown to him, at each step, the ashes were sprinkled on the ground. Consequently, when Anansi set out an hour later he was easily able to follow his son by means of the trail of ashes. He, too, arrived at the animals’ home in the forest, and found Kweku there before him. He immediately drove his son away, saying that, by the law of the land, the place belonged to him. Kweku saw how he had been tricked, and determined to have the meat back.

次の朝、クウェクは森へ出かけるとき、いつものように袋を肩にかけた。本人の知らないうちに、一歩ごとに灰が地面にこぼれた。そのため、一時間後にアナンシが出かけたとき、灰の跡をたどってたやすく息子のあとをつけることができた。アナンシも森の獣たちのすみかに着き、クウェクが先に来ているのを見つけた。アナンシはすぐに、国の掟によってこの場所はわしのものだと言って、息子を追い払った。クウェクはどうしてだまされたのかを悟り、肉を取り戻してやろうと決めた。

He accordingly went home—made a tiny image and hung little bells round its neck. He then tied a long thread to its head and returned toward the hunting-place.

そこでクウェクは家へ帰り、小さな人形をこしらえて、その首のまわりに小さな鈴をいくつも下げた。それから人形の頭に長い糸を結びつけて、狩り場のほうへ引き返した。

When about half-way there, he hung the image to a branch of a tree in the path, and hid himself in the bushes near by—holding the other end of the thread in his hand.

半分ほど来たところで、道の上に張り出した木の枝に人形を吊るし、糸のもう一方の端を手に持って、近くの茂みに隠れた。

The greedy father, in the meantime, had killed as many animals as he could find, being determined to become rich as speedily as possible. He then skinned them and prepared the flesh—to carry it to the neighbouring villages to sell. Taking the first load, he set off for his own village. Half-way there, he came to the place where the image hung in the way. Thinking this was one of the gods, he stopped. As he approached, the image began to shake its head vigorously at him. He felt that this meant that the gods were angry. To please them, he said to the image, “May I give you a little of this meat?” Again the image shook its head. “May I give you half of this meat?” he then inquired. The head shook once more. “Do you want the whole of this meat?” he shouted fiercely. This time the head nodded, as if the image were well pleased. “I will not give you all my meat,” Anansi cried. At this the image shook in every limb as if in a terrible temper. Anansi was so frightened that he threw the whole load on the ground and ran away. As he ran, he called back, “To-morrow I shall go to Ekubon—you will not be able to take my meat from me there, you thief.”

欲の深い父親は、そのあいだに、できるだけ早く金持ちになろうと決めて、見つかるかぎりの獣を殺していた。それから皮をはいで肉をこしらえ——近くの村々へ売りに持っていこうとした。最初の荷を背負って、自分の村へ向かった。半分ほど来たところで、人形が道に吊るしてある場所に来た。これを神々の一人だと思って、アナンシは立ち止まった。近づくと、人形がアナンシに向かって激しく首を振りはじめた。アナンシは、これは神々が怒っているしるしだと感じた。神々をなだめようと、人形に言った。「この肉を少しさしあげましょうか」また人形は首を振った。「この肉を半分さしあげましょうか」とアナンシは尋ねた。首はまた振られた。「この肉をまるごと欲しいのか」とアナンシは荒々しく叫んだ。今度は首がうなずき、人形はいかにも満足したようだった。「肉をまるごとなんてやるものか」とアナンシは叫んだ。すると人形は、ひどく腹を立てたように手足をぶるぶる震わせた。アナンシはあまりにおびえて、荷をまるごと地面に放り出して逃げ出した。逃げながら、振り返って叫んだ。「明日はエクボンへ行くぞ——そこならわしの肉を取れまい、この泥棒め」

But Kweku had heard where his father intended to go next day—and set the image in his path as before. Again Anansi was obliged to leave his whole load—and again he called out the name of the place where he would go the following day.

けれどもクウェクは、父親が明日どこへ行くつもりかを聞いていた——そして前と同じように、その道に人形を仕掛けた。またしてもアナンシは荷をまるごと置いていくはめになった——そしてまたしても、明日行く場所の名を叫んだ。

The same thing occurred, day after day, till all the animals in the wood were killed. By this time, Kweku Tsin had become very rich—but his father Anansi was still very poor. He was obliged to go to Kweku’s house every day for food.

同じことが毎日毎日起こって、とうとう森の獣はみな殺されてしまった。そのころにはクウェク・ツィンはたいそう金持ちになっていた——けれども父親のアナンシはまだたいそう貧しかった。アナンシは毎日クウェクの家へ食べ物をもらいに行かねばならなかった。

When the famine was over, Kweku gave a great feast and invited the entire village. While all were gathered together, Kweku told the story of his father’s cunning and how it had been overcome. This caused great merriment among the villagers. Anansi was so ashamed that he readily promised Kweku to refrain from his evil tricks for the future. This promise, however, he did not long keep.

飢饉が終わると、クウェクは大宴会を開いて村じゅうを招いた。みなが集まっているところで、クウェクは父親のずる賢さと、それをどうやって負かしたかを話した。これに村人たちは大笑いした。アナンシはたいそう恥じ入って、これから先は悪いたくらみをやめるとクウェクにたやすく約束した。けれどもこの約束を、アナンシは長くは守らなかった。