To Lose an Elephant for the Sake of a Wren Is a Very Foolish Thing to Do

In the olden times there stood in the King’s town a very great tree. This tree was so huge that it began to overshadow the neighbouring fields. The King decided to have it cut down. He caused his servants to proclaim throughout the country that any one who succeeded in cutting down the tree with a wooden axe should have an elephant in payment.

昔、王の町にたいそう大きな木が一本立っていた。この木はあまりに大きかったので、まわりの畑に影を落としはじめた。王はこの木を切り倒させようと決めた。王は召使いたちに命じて国じゅうにお触れを出させ、木の斧でこの木を切り倒せた者には、ほうびに象を一頭やると告げさせた。

People thought it would be impossible to cut down such a great tree with an axe of wood. Spider, however, decided to try by cunning to gain the elephant. He accordingly presented himself before the King and expressed his readiness to get rid of the tree.

人々は、そんな大きな木を木の斧で切り倒すのはとてもできないと思った。けれども蜘蛛は、ずる賢さで象を手に入れてやろうと決めた。そこで蜘蛛は王の前に出て、木を片づける用意があると申し出た。

A servant was sent with him to keep watch and to see that he only used the wooden axe given him. Spider, however, had taken care to have another, made of steel, hidden in his bag.

召使いが一人蜘蛛と一緒に遣わされ、見張って、蜘蛛が与えられた木の斧だけを使うよう確かめることになった。けれども蜘蛛は、鋼でできたもう一本の斧を袋に隠しておくよう手を打っていた。

He now began to fell the tree. In a very few minutes, he said to the servant, “See, yonder is a fine antelope. If you are quick, you will be able to hit it with a stone. Run!” The lad did as he was bid, and ran a long way—but could see no sign of the antelope. In his absence, Spider seized the sharp axe and hastened to cut as much of the tree as he could, carefully hiding the axe in his bag before the servant’s return.

さて蜘蛛は木を切りはじめた。ほんの数分で、蜘蛛は召使いに言った。「ほら、あそこに立派な羚羊がいる。急げば石で仕留められるぞ。走れ!」若者は言われたとおりにして、遠くまで走っていった——けれども羚羊の姿はどこにも見えなかった。その留守のあいだに、蜘蛛は鋭い斧をつかんで急いでできるだけ木を切り、召使いが戻る前に斧を袋に念入りに隠した。

This trick he repeated several times, till finally the tree was cut down. Spider went to the King to get the elephant, and took the servant to prove that he had used only the wooden axe. He got his promised reward, and started for home in great glee. On the way, however, he began to think over the matter. “Shall I take this animal home?” thought he. “That would be foolish, for then I would be obliged to share it with my family. No! I will hide it in the forest, and eat it at my leisure. In that way I can have the whole of it for myself. Now what can I take home for the children’s dinner?”

蜘蛛はこのたくらみを何度も繰り返し、とうとう木は切り倒された。蜘蛛は象をもらいに王のところへ行き、木の斧しか使わなかったことを証明させるために召使いを連れていった。蜘蛛は約束のほうびをもらって、大喜びで家へ向かった。けれども道々、蜘蛛はこのことをよく考えはじめた。「この獣を家へ連れて帰ろうか」と蜘蛛は思った。「それはばかげている。そうしたら家族と分けなければならない。いや! 森に隠しておいて、好きなときにゆっくり食べよう。そうすれば一頭まるごと自分のものにできる。さて、子どもたちの夕食には何を持って帰ろうか」

Thereupon he looked around, and, a little distance away, saw a tiny wren sitting on a tree. “Exactly what I want,” he said to himself. “That will be quite sufficient for them. I will tie my elephant to this tree while I catch the bird.”

そこで蜘蛛はあたりを見まわし、少し離れた木に小さなミソサザイがとまっているのを見つけた。「ちょうどいい」と蜘蛛は独りごとを言った。「あれで子どもたちには十分だ。鳥を捕まえるあいだ、象はこの木につないでおこう」

This he did, but when he tried to seize the latter, it flew off. He chased it for some time, without success. “Well! well!” said he. “My family will just have to go without dinner. I will now go back and get my elephant.” He returned to the spot where he had left the animal, but to his dismay the latter had escaped. Spider was obliged to go home empty-handed, and he, as well as his family, went dinnerless that day.

蜘蛛はそのとおりにしたが、鳥をつかまえようとすると、鳥は飛び去った。蜘蛛はしばらく追いかけたが、うまくいかなかった。「やれやれ!」と蜘蛛は言った。「家族には夕食なしで我慢してもらうしかない。さあ戻って象を連れていこう」象を置いてきた場所へ戻ってみると、困ったことに象は逃げてしまっていた。蜘蛛は手ぶらで家へ帰るほかなく、蜘蛛もその家族も、その日は夕食抜きだった。