Why Tigers Never Attack Men Unless They Are Provoked

A man, hunting one day in the forest, met a tiger. At first each was afraid of the other; but after some talking they became quite friendly. They agreed to live together for a little time. First the man would live with the tiger in his forest home for two weeks. Then the tiger would come and live in the man’s home.

ある日、森で狩りをしていた男が虎に出会った。はじめはどちらも相手を恐れていたが、しばらく話すうちにすっかり仲よくなった。二人はしばらく一緒に暮らそうと取り決めた。まず男が森の虎の住まいで二週間虎と暮らし、それから虎が男の家に来て暮らすことにした。

The tiger behaved so well to the man during his visit that the man felt he had never been so well treated in all his life. Then came the time for the tiger to return home with the man. As they were going the tiger was somewhat afraid. He asked the man if he really thought he would be safe. “What if your friends do not like my face and kill me?” he asked. “You need fear nothing,” said his host; “no one will touch you while I am there.” The tiger therefore came to the man’s house and stayed with him three weeks. He had brought his male cub with him, and the young tiger became very friendly with the man’s son.

虎は男が訪ねているあいだ、あまりによくもてなしたので、男は生まれてこのかたこれほど手厚くもてなされたことはないと思った。それから虎が男と一緒に男の家へ行く番が来た。行く途中、虎はいくらか不安だった。虎は男に、本当に自分は安全だと思うかと尋ねた。「あんたの仲間がわしの顔を気に入らなくて、わしを殺したらどうする」と虎は尋ねた。「何も心配はいらない」ともてなし役の男は言った。「わしがいるかぎり、だれもあんたに手を出さない」そこで虎は男の家に来て、三週間一緒に過ごした。虎は雄の子虎を連れてきていて、子虎は男の息子とたいそう仲よくなった。

Some months later the man’s father died. When Tiger heard of his friend’s great loss, he and his cub set out at once to see and condole with him. They brought a large sum of money to help the man.

何か月かのち、男の父親が死んだ。友の大きな不幸を聞くと、虎は子虎を連れてすぐに男を見舞い、悔やみを言いに出かけた。二匹は男を助けるために大金を持ってきた。

As Tiger was going home again two of the man’s friends lay in hiding for him and shot him. Fortunately he was not killed, but he was very much grieved lest these men had shot him at his friend’s wish. He determined to find out if the man had known anything at all about the shot.

虎がまた家へ帰る途中、男の友だち二人が待ち伏せして虎を撃った。幸い虎は死ななかったが、この男たちが友の望みで自分を撃ったのではないかと、たいそう心を痛めた。虎は、男がこの一発のことを少しでも知っていたかどうか確かめようと決めた。

Accordingly he went to the place in the forest where he had first met his friend. There he lay down as if he were dead, after telling his cub to watch and see what would happen.

そこで虎は、初めて友に出会った森の場所へ行った。そこで子虎に、何が起こるか見張っているよう言いつけてから、死んだように横たわった。

By and by the man came along. When he saw the tiger lying, as he thought, dead, he was terribly troubled. He began to cry and mourn for his friend, and sat there all night long with Tiger’s cub, to watch that no harm should befall the body.

やがて男がやって来た。虎が、男の思うには死んで横たわっているのを見て、男はひどく悲しんだ。男は友のために泣き嘆きはじめ、なきがらに何の害も及ばないよう見守るために、虎の子と一緒に一晩じゅうそこに座っていた。

When morning came and Tiger was quite assured that his friend had had nothing at all to do with the shot, he was very glad. He got up, then, to the man’s great astonishment, and explained why he had pretended to be dead.

朝が来て、友があの一発に何のかかわりもなかったとすっかり確かめると、虎はたいそう喜んだ。そこで、男がたいそう驚いたことに、虎は起き上がって、なぜ死んだふりをしたのかを説明した。

“Go home,” said Tiger, “and remember me always. In future for your sake I will never touch a man unless he first meddles with me.”

「家へお帰り」と虎は言った。「そしていつもわしのことを覚えていてくれ。これから先、あんたに免じて、先に手出しをしてこないかぎり、わしは決して人間に手を出さない」