Maku Mawu and Maku Fia

OR

または

‘I will die God’s death’ and ‘I will die the King’s death’

「わたしは神の死を死ぬ」と「わたしは王の死を死ぬ」

Once upon a time there were two men who were such great friends that they were almost always together. If one was seen the other was sure to be near. They had given one another special names, which were to be used only by themselves. One name, Maku Mawu, meant, ‘I will die God’s death,’ and the other, Maku Fia, ‘I will die the King’s death.’

昔、二人の男がいて、あまりに仲がよかったので、ほとんどいつも一緒にいた。一人を見かければ、もう一人もきっと近くにいた。二人は互いに特別な名をつけていて、それは二人のあいだだけで使うことになっていた。一つの名、マク・マウは「わたしは神の死を死ぬ」という意味で、もう一つのマク・フィアは「わたしは王の死を死ぬ」という意味だった。

By and by, however, the other villagers heard these names and gradually every one got into the habit of calling the two friends by the nicknames in preference to the real ones. Finally, the King of the country heard of them and wished to see the men who had chosen such strange titles. He sent for them to Court, and they came together. He was much pleased with the one who had chosen the name of ‘Maku Fia,’ but he was annoyed at the other man’s choice and sought a chance of punishing him.

けれどもやがて、ほかの村人たちがこの名を聞きつけ、だんだんとだれもが二人の友を本当の名よりもあだ名で呼ぶ癖がついた。とうとう国の王がそれを耳にして、そんな奇妙な呼び名を選んだ男たちに会ってみたいと思った。王は二人を宮廷に呼び寄せ、二人は連れ立ってやって来た。王は「マク・フィア」という名を選んだ男をたいそう気に入ったが、もう一人の男の選んだ名には腹を立て、懲らしめる機会をうかがった。

When he had talked to them a little while, he invited both to a great feast which he was to give in three days’ time. As they went away he gave a fine large yam to Maku Mawu and only a small round stone to his own favourite. The latter felt somewhat aggrieved at getting only a stone, while his friend got such a fine yam. Very soon he said, “Oh, dear! I do not think it is any use carrying this stone home. How I wish it were a yam! Then I could cook it for dinner.” Maku Mawu—being very generous—immediately replied, “Then change with me, for I am quite tired of carrying my great yam.” They exchanged, and each went off to his own home. Maku Fia cut up his yam and cooked it. Maku Mawu broke his stone in half and found inside some beautiful ornaments which the King had hidden there. He thought that he would play a trick on the King, so told nobody what had been in the stone.

しばらく二人と話したあと、王は三日後に催す大宴会に二人を招いた。二人が去るとき、王はマク・マウには立派な大きいヤムイモを与え、自分のお気に入りには小さな丸い石を一つ与えただけだった。お気に入りのほうは、友がこんな立派なヤムイモをもらったのに、自分は石しかもらえなかったので、いささか不満だった。まもなく男は言った。「ああ、やれやれ! この石を家まで運んでいっても何の役にも立たないと思うよ。これがヤムイモだったらなあ! そうすれば夕食に煮られるのに」マク・マウは——たいそう気前がよかったので——すぐに答えた。「それならわたしと取り替えよう。この大きなヤムイモを運ぶのにすっかりくたびれたから」二人は取り替えて、それぞれ自分の家へ帰った。マク・フィアはヤムイモを切って煮た。マク・マウは石を二つに割ってみると、なかに王が隠しておいた美しい装身具が入っていた。マク・マウは王をからかってやろうと思って、石のなかに何が入っていたかをだれにも話さなかった。

On the third day they dressed to go to the King’s feast. Maku Mawu put on all the beautiful ornaments out of the stone. Maku Fia dressed himself just as usual.

三日目、二人は王の宴会に行くために身支度をした。マク・マウは石から出てきた美しい装身具をみな身につけた。マク・フィアはいつもどおりの身なりをした。

When they reached the palace the King was amazed to see the wrong man wearing his ornaments, and determined to punish him more effectually next time. He asked Maku Fia what he had done with the stone, and the man told him he had exchanged it for his friend’s yam.

二人が宮殿に着くと、王は自分の装身具を身につけているのがちがうほうの男なので仰天し、次はもっと確かに懲らしめてやろうと決めた。王がマク・フィアに石をどうしたのかと尋ねると、男は友のヤムイモと取り替えたのだと答えた。

At first the King could not think of any way to punish Maku Mawu, as, of course, the latter had not done anything wrong. He soon had an idea, however. He pretended to be very pleased with the poor man and presented him with a beautiful ring from his own finger. He then made him promise to come back in seven days and show the ring to the King again, to let the latter see that it was not lost. If by any chance he could not produce the ring—he would lose his head. This the King did, meaning to get hold of the ring in some way and so get the young man killed.

はじめ王は、マク・マウを懲らしめる手立てを何も思いつけなかった。もちろんマク・マウは何も悪いことをしていなかったからである。けれどもまもなく、一つの考えが浮かんだ。王はかわいそうな男をたいそう気に入ったふりをして、自分の指から美しい指輪を抜いて贈った。それから、七日後にまた来て、指輪をなくしていないことを王に見せるため、もう一度指輪を見せるよう約束させた。もし万が一指輪を出せなかったら——首を失うことになる。王がこうしたのは、何とかして指輪を手に入れ、それで若者を殺させるつもりだったのである。

Maku Mawu saw what the King’s design was, so determined to hide the ring. He made a small hole in the wall of his room, put the ring in it, and carefully plastered over the place again. No one could see that the wall had been touched.

マク・マウは王のたくらみを見抜いたので、指輪を隠そうと決めた。自分の部屋の壁に小さな穴をあけて指輪を入れ、その場所をまた念入りに漆喰で塗りふさいだ。だれにも壁に手が加えられたとはわからなかった。

After two days the King sent for the wife of Maku Mawu and asked her to find the ring. He promised her a large sum of money for it—not telling her, of course, what would happen to her husband if the ring were lost. The woman went home and searched diligently but found nothing. Next day she tried again—with no better success. Then she asked her husband what he had done with it. He innocently told her it was in the wall. Next day, when he was absent, she searched so carefully that at last she found it.

二日後、王はマク・マウの妻を呼び寄せて、指輪を見つけてくれと頼んだ。そのために大金をやると約束した——もちろん、指輪がなくなったら夫がどうなるかは話さなかった。女は家へ帰ってせっせと探したが、何も見つからなかった。次の日もまた探したが——やはりうまくいかなかった。そこで女は夫に、指輪をどうしたのかと尋ねた。夫は何も疑わずに、壁のなかにあると話した。次の日、夫が留守のあいだに、女はたいそう念入りに探して、とうとうそれを見つけた。

Delighted, she ran off to the King’s palace and gave the ring to him. She got the promised money and returned home, never dreaming that she had really sold her husband’s life.

女は大喜びで王の宮殿へ走っていき、指輪を王に渡した。約束の金をもらって家へ帰ったが、実は夫の命を売ったのだとは夢にも思わなかった。

On the sixth day the King sent a message to Maku Mawu, telling him to prepare for the next day. The poor man bethought himself of the ring and went to look if it were still safe. To his despair the hole was empty. He asked his wife and his neighbours. All denied having seen it. He made up his mind that he must die.

六日目、王はマク・マウに、明日の支度をしておけと使いをやった。かわいそうな男は指輪のことを思い出し、まだ無事かどうか見に行った。途方に暮れたことに、穴は空っぽだった。妻にも近所の者にも尋ねた。みな見ていないと言った。男は死ぬほかないと覚悟を決めた。

In the meantime the King had laid the ring in one of the dishes in his palace and promptly forgot about it. When the seventh morning had arrived he sent messengers far and wide, to summon the people to come and see a man punished for disobeying the King’s orders. Then he commanded his servants to set the palace in order, and to take the dishes out of his room and wash them.

そのあいだに、王は指輪を宮殿の皿の一枚に載せて、すぐにそのことを忘れてしまっていた。七日目の朝が来ると、王は四方八方へ使いを出して、王の命令に背いた男が罰せられるのを見に来るよう人々を呼び集めた。それから召使いたちに宮殿を片づけ、自分の部屋から皿を運び出して洗うよう命じた。

The careless servants—never looking to see if the dishes were empty or not—took them all to a pool near by. Among them was the dish containing the ring. Of course, when the dish was being washed, out fell the ring into the water—without being noticed by the servants.

不注意な召使いたちは——皿が空かどうか確かめもせずに——皿をみな近くの池へ運んでいった。そのなかに指輪の載った皿もあった。もちろん、皿を洗っているうちに、指輪は水のなかへ落ちてしまった——召使いたちに気づかれないまま。

The palace being all in readiness, the King went to fetch the ring. It was nowhere to be found and he was obliged to go to the Assembly without it.

宮殿がすっかり整うと、王は指輪を取りに行った。指輪はどこにも見つからず、王は指輪なしで集会へ行くほかなかった。

When every one was ready the poor man, Maku Mawu, was called to come forward and show the ring. He walked boldly up to the king and knelt down before him, saying, “The ring is lost and I am prepared to die. Only grant me a few hours to put my house in order.” At first the king was unwilling to grant even that small favour, but finally he said, “Very well, you may have four hours. Then you must return here and be beheaded before the people.” The innocent man returned to his home and put everything in order. Then, feeling hungry, he thought, “I may as well have some food before I die. I will go and catch a fish in the pool.”

みなの支度ができると、かわいそうな男マク・マウは前へ出て指輪を見せるよう呼ばれた。男は堂々と王の前へ歩み出てひざまずき、言った。「指輪はなくなりました。死ぬ覚悟はできています。ただ、身辺を片づけるために数時間だけお与えください」はじめ王はそのわずかな願いさえ聞き入れたがらなかったが、とうとう言った。「よかろう、四時間やろう。そうしたらここへ戻ってきて、人々の前で首をはねられるのだ」罪のない男は家へ帰って、何もかも片づけた。それから腹がすいてきたので、こう思った。「死ぬ前に何か食べておくのも悪くない。池へ行って魚を捕ってこよう」

He accordingly took his fish-net and bait, and started off to the very pool where the King’s dishes had been washed. Very soon he caught a fine large fish. Cutting it open, to clean it, his delight may be imagined at finding the lost ring inside it.

そういうわけで、男は網と餌を持って、ちょうど王の皿が洗われたその池へ出かけた。まもなく立派な大きい魚が一匹捕れた。はらわたを出そうと腹を切り開いてみると、なくした指輪がなかに入っていたのだから、男の喜びは想像がつくだろう。

At once he ran off to the palace crying: “I have found the ring! I have found the ring!” When the people heard him, they all shouted in joy: “He named himself rightly ‘Maku Mawu,’ for see—the death God has chosen for him, that only will he die.” So the King had no excuse to harm him, and he went free.

すぐに男は宮殿へ駆けていって叫んだ。「指輪が見つかった! 指輪が見つかった!」それを聞くと、人々はみな喜んで叫んだ。「あの人が自分を『マク・マウ』と名乗ったのは正しかった。ほら——神があの人のために選んだ死、その死でしかあの人は死なないのだ」そういうわけで、王にはマク・マウを害する口実がなくなり、マク・マウは放免された。