The Omanhene who Liked Riddles

The Omanhene is the chief of a village. A certain Omanhene had three sons, who were very anxious to see the world. They went to their father and asked permission to travel. This permission he readily gave.

オマンヘネとは村の首長のことである。あるオマンヘネに三人の息子がいて、みな世の中を見たくてたまらなかった。息子たちは父親のところへ行って、旅に出る許しを求めた。父親はたやすく許した。

It was the turn of the eldest to go first. He was provided with a servant and with all he could possibly require for the journey.

まず長男が行く番だった。長男には召使いが一人と、旅に要りそうなものが何もかも与えられた。

After travelling for some time he came to a town where lived an Omanhene who loved riddles. Being a stranger the traveller was, according to custom, brought by the people before the chief.

しばらく旅をしたあと、長男は謎かけの好きなオマンヘネの住む町に来た。よそ者だったので、旅人はしきたりに従って人々に首長の前へ連れていかれた。

The latter explained to him that they had certain laws in their village. One law was that every stranger must beat the Omanhene in answering riddles or he would be beheaded. He must be prepared to begin the contest the following morning.

首長は、この村には決まった掟があると説明した。掟の一つは、よそ者はみな謎かけでオマンヘネに勝たなければならず、さもなければ首をはねられるというものだった。翌朝から勝負を始める覚悟をしておかなければならない。

Next day he came to the Assembly Place, and found the Omanhene there with all his attendants. The Omanhene asked many riddles. As the young man was unable to answer any of them, he was judged to have failed and was beheaded.

次の日、長男が集会の場に来ると、オマンヘネが家来をみな従えてそこにいた。オマンヘネは謎をたくさん出した。若者はひとつも答えられなかったので、負けと判じられて首をはねられた。

After some time the second son of the Omanhene started on his travels. By a strange chance he arrived at the same town where his brother had died. He also was asked many riddles, and failed to answer them. Accordingly he too was put to death.

しばらくして、オマンヘネの次男が旅に出た。不思議な巡り合わせで、次男は兄が死んだのと同じ町に着いた。次男もまた謎をたくさん出され、答えられなかった。そういうわけで、次男もまた殺された。

By and by the third brother announced his intention of travelling. His mother did all in her power to persuade him to stay at home. It was quite in vain.

やがて三男が旅に出るつもりだと言い出した。母親は家にとどまるよう、あらゆる手を尽くして説き伏せようとした。まったく無駄だった。

She was sure that if he also reached the town where his brothers had died, the same thing would happen to him. Rather than allow this, she thought she would prefer him to die on the way.

母親は、もしこの子も兄たちが死んだ町に着いたら、同じことがこの子にも起こると確信していた。そうさせるくらいなら、いっそ途中で死んでくれたほうがいいと思った。

She prepared for him a food called cankey—which she filled with poison. Having packed it away in his bag, he set off. Very soon he began to feel hungry. Knowing, however, that his mother had not wished him to leave home, and therefore might have put some poison in the food, he thought he would test it before eating it himself. Seeing a vulture near by, he threw it half the cake.

母親は息子のためにカンキーという食べ物をこしらえ、それに毒を仕込んだ。それを袋にしまって、息子は出かけた。まもなく息子は腹がすいてきた。けれども、母親が自分を家から出したがらなかったのだから、食べ物に毒を入れたかもしれないと思い、自分で食べる前に試してみようと考えた。近くに禿鷲がいるのを見て、菓子を半分投げてやった。

The bird ate the cankey, and immediately fell dead by the roadside. Three panthers came along and began to eat the vulture. They also fell dead.

鳥はカンキーを食べて、たちまち道ばたに倒れて死んだ。三頭の豹がやって来て、禿鷲を食べはじめた。豹たちもまた倒れて死んだ。

The young man cut off some of the flesh of the panthers and roasted it. He then packed it carefully away in his bundle.

若者は豹の肉をいくらか切り取って焼いた。それからそれを念入りに包みにしまった。

A little farther on he was attacked by seven highway robbers. They wanted to kill him at once. He told them that he had some good roast meat in his bundle and invited them to eat with him first. They agreed and divided up the food into eight parts.

少し先で、若者は七人の追いはぎに襲われた。追いはぎたちはすぐに若者を殺そうとした。若者は、包みにうまい焼き肉があるから、まず一緒に食べようと誘った。追いはぎたちは承知して、食べ物を八つに分けた。

While they were eating the young man carefully hid his portion. Soon all the seven robbers fell ill and died. The young man then went on his way.

みなが食べているあいだ、若者は自分の分をこっそり隠した。まもなく七人の追いはぎはみな具合が悪くなって死んだ。それから若者は旅を続けた。

At last he reached the town where his brothers had died. Like them, he was summoned to the Assembly Place to answer the riddles of the Omanhene. For two days the contest proved equal. At the end of that time, the young man said, “I have only one riddle left. If you are able to answer that, you may put me to death.” He then gave this riddle to the Omanhene:

とうとう若者は兄たちが死んだ町に着いた。兄たちと同じように、若者は集会の場へ呼び出されてオマンヘネの謎に答えることになった。二日のあいだ、勝負は互角だった。その終わりに、若者は言った。「わたしには謎があと一つしか残っていません。それに答えられたら、わたしを殺してかまいません」それから若者はオマンヘネにこの謎を出した。

Half kills one— One kills three— Three kills seven.

半分が一つを殺す—— 一つが三つを殺す—— 三つが七つを殺す。

The ruler failed to answer it that evening, so it was postponed till the next day.

支配者はその晩それに答えられなかったので、答えは翌日まで延ばされた。

During the night the Omanhene disguised himself and went to the house where the stranger was staying. There he found the young man asleep in the hall.

夜のあいだに、オマンヘネは姿を変えて、よそ者の泊まっている家へ行った。そこで、若者が広間で眠っているのを見つけた。

Imagining that the man before him was the stranger’s servant, and never dreaming that it was the stranger himself, he roused the sleeper and promised him a large reward if he would give him the solution to the riddle.

目の前の男はよそ者の召使いだと思い込み、それがよそ者その人だとは夢にも思わず、オマンヘネは眠っている者を起こして、謎の答えを教えてくれたらたっぷりほうびをやると約束した。

The young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene would bring him the costume which he always wore at the Assembly.

若者は、オマンヘネがいつも集会で着ている衣装を持ってきてくれたら、答えを教えると答えた。

The ruler was only too pleased to go and fetch it for him. When the young man had the garments quite safely, he explained the riddle fully to the crafty Omanhene. He said that as they were leaving home, the mother of his master made him cankey. In order to find out if the cankey were good, they gave half to a vulture. The latter died. Three panthers which tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers’ roasted flesh killed seven robbers.

支配者は喜んでそれを取りに行った。若者は衣装をしっかり手に入れると、ずる賢いオマンヘネに謎をすっかり説き明かした。家を出るとき、主人の母親が主人にカンキーをこしらえた。カンキーがよいかどうか確かめるために、半分を禿鷲にやった。禿鷲は死んだ。その禿鷲を食べた三頭の豹も死んだ。豹の焼き肉が少しで七人の追いはぎを殺した、というのである。

The Omanhene was delighted to have found out the answer. He warned the supposed servant not to tell his master what had happened.

オマンヘネは答えがわかって大喜びした。オマンヘネは、召使いだと思っている男に、起こったことを主人に話すなと言い含めた。

In the morning all the villagers assembled together again. The Omanhene proudly gave the answer to the riddle as if he himself had found it out. But the young man asked him to produce his ceremonial dress, which he ought to be wearing in Assembly. This, of course, he was unable to do, as the young man had hidden it carefully away.

朝になると、村人たちがみなまた集まった。オマンヘネは、まるで自分で見つけたかのように、得意げに謎の答えを言った。けれども若者は、集会で着ているはずの儀式の衣装を見せてくれと求めた。これはもちろん、オマンヘネにはできなかった。若者が念入りに隠してしまっていたからである。

The stranger then told what had happened in the night, and how the ruler had got the answer to the riddle by cheating.

そこでよそ者は、夜のあいだに起こったことと、支配者がずるをして謎の答えを手に入れたことを話した。

The Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to find out the riddle and must die. Accordingly he was beheaded—and the young man was appointed Omanhene in his place.

集会は、オマンヘネは謎を解けなかったのだから死なねばならないと言い渡した。そういうわけでオマンヘネは首をはねられ——若者がその代わりにオマンヘネに任じられた。