Tungujuluk and Saunikoq

Tungujuluk and Saunikoq were men from one village. And both were wizards. When they heard a spirit calling, one would change into a bear, and the other into a walrus.

トゥングユルクとサウニコクは同じ村の男だった。そして二人とも魔法使いだった。霊を呼ぶ声を聞くと、一人は熊に、もう一人はセイウチに変わるのだった。

Tungujuluk had a son, but Saunikoq had no children.

トゥングユルクには息子がいたが、サウニコクには子がいなかった。

As soon as his son was old enough, Tungujuluk taught him to paddle a kayak. At this the other, Saunikoq, grew jealous, and began planning evil.

息子が十分大きくなるとすぐ、トゥングユルクは息子にカヤックの漕ぎ方を教えた。これにもう一人のサウニコクは妬んで、悪だくみをはじめた。

One morning when he awoke, he went out hunting seal as usual. He had been out some time, when he went up to an island, and called for his bearskin. When it came, he got into it, and moved off towards Tungujuluk's house. He landed a little way off, and then stole up to kill Tungujuluk's son. And when he came near, he saw him playing with the other children. But he did not know that his father had already come home, and was sitting busily at work on the kayak he was making for his son. He was just about to go up to them, when the boy went weeping home to his father, and when his father looked round, there was a big bear already close to them. He took a knife and ran towards it, and was just about to stab that bear, when it began to laugh. And then suddenly Tungujuluk remembered that his neighbour Saunikoq was able to take the shape of a bear. And he was now so angry that he had nearly stabbed him in spite of all, and it was a hard matter for him to hold back his knife.

ある朝目を覚ますと、サウニコクはいつものようにアザラシ狩りに出かけた。しばらく出ていたあと、サウニコクはある島に上がって、熊の皮を呼んだ。皮が来るとそれに入って、トゥングユルクの家のほうへ向かった。少し離れたところに上陸して、それからトゥングユルクの息子を殺そうと忍び寄った。近くまで来ると、息子がほかの子どもたちと遊んでいるのが見えた。けれどもサウニコクは、その子の父親がもう家に帰ってきていて、息子のためにこしらえているカヤックにせっせと取り組んでいることを知らなかった。サウニコクがまさに子どもたちのほうへ上っていこうとしたとき、男の子が泣きながら父親のもとへ帰ってきた。父親が振り向くと、もう大きな熊がすぐそばまで来ていた。父親は小刀を取ってそのほうへ駆け出し、まさにその熊を刺そうとすると、熊が笑いだした。そしてそのとき突然トゥングユルクは、隣人のサウニコクが熊の姿になれることを思い出した。そしてトゥングユルクはあまりに腹が立ったので、それでもあやうく刺しそうになり、小刀を引っ込めるのに難儀した。

But he did not forget that happening. He waited until a long time had passed, and at last, many days later, when he awoke in the morning, he went out in his kayak. On the way he came to an island. And going up on to that island, he called his other shape to him. When it came, he crawled into it, and became a walrus. And when he had thus become a walrus, he went to that place where it was the custom for kayaks to hunt seal. And when he came near, he looked round, and sighted Saunikoq, who lay there waiting for seal.

けれどもトゥングユルクはそのことを忘れなかった。長い時がたつのを待って、とうとう何日もたったある朝、目を覚ますとカヤックで出かけた。途中である島に来た。そしてその島に上がると、自分のもうひとつの姿を呼び寄せた。それが来るとそのなかに這い込んで、セイウチになった。そしてこうしてセイウチになると、カヤックがいつもアザラシ狩りをする場所へ行った。そして近くまで来てあたりを見まわすと、アザラシを待って浮かんでいるサウニコクが見えた。

Now he rose to the surface quite near him, and when Saunikoq saw him, he came over that way. And Saunikoq lifted his harpoon to throw it, and the stroke could not fail. Therefore he made himself small, and crept over to one side of the skin. And when he was struck, he floundered about a little, but not too violently, lest he should break the line. Then he swam away under water with the bladder float, and folded it up under his arm, and took out the air from it, and swam in towards land, and swam and swam until he came to the land near by where his kayak was lying. Then he went to it, and having taken out the point of the harpoon, he went out hunting.

そこでトゥングユルクはサウニコクのすぐそばに浮かび上がり、サウニコクはそれを見るとそちらへやって来た。そしてサウニコクは銛を投げようと振り上げたが、その一撃ははずれようがなかった。そこでトゥングユルクは自分を小さくして、皮の片側へ這っていった。そして突かれると、綱を切らないように、少しだけ、あまり激しくならないようにもがいた。それから浮き袋を連れて水のなかを泳ぎ去り、それを脇の下に折りたたんで空気を抜き、陸のほうへ泳いで、泳ぎに泳いで、カヤックの置いてある近くの陸に着いた。それからカヤックのところへ行って、銛の先を抜き取ると、狩りに出かけた。

He struck a black seal, and rowed home at once. And when he had come home, he said to his wife:

トゥングユルクはワモンアザラシを一頭仕留めて、すぐに漕いで家に帰った。そして家に着くと、妻に言った。

"Make haste and cook the breast piece."

「急いで胸の肉を煮てくれ。」

And when that breast piece was cooked, and the other kayaks had come home, he made a meat feast, and Saunikoq, thinking nothing of any matter, came in with the others. When he came in, Tungujuluk made no sign of knowing anything, but went and took out the bladder and line from his kayak. And then all sat down to eat together. And they ate and were satisfied. And then each man began telling of his day's hunting.

そして胸の肉が煮えて、ほかのカヤックも帰ってくると、トゥングユルクは肉の宴を開いた。サウニコクは何も気にかけずに、ほかの者たちと一緒に入ってきた。サウニコクが入ってきても、トゥングユルクは何か知っているそぶりは見せず、カヤックから浮き袋と綱を取り出しに行った。それからみなそろって座って食べた。みな食べて満腹した。それから一人ひとりがその日の狩りの話をしはじめた。

At last Saunikoq said:

とうとうサウニコクが言った。

"To-day, when I struck a walrus, I did not think at all that it should cause me to lose my bladder float. Where that came up again is a thing we do not know. That bladder float of mine was lost."

「今日セイウチを突いたとき、それで浮き袋をなくすことになるとは思いもしなかった。あれがどこへ浮かび上がったのかは、わからない。わしの浮き袋はなくなってしまった。」

And when Saunikoq had said this, Tungujuluk took that bladder and line and laid them beside the meat dish, and said:

そしてサウニコクがそう言うと、トゥングユルクはあの浮き袋と綱を取って肉の皿のそばに置いて言った。

"Whose can this bladder be, now, I wonder? Aha, at last I have paid you for the time when you came in the shape of a bear, and mocked us."

「さて、この浮き袋はいったい誰のものだろうな。あっはっは、とうとうお前が熊の姿で来てわしらをからかったときの借りを返したぞ。」

And when these words were said, the many who sat there laughed greatly. But Saunikoq got up and went away. And then next morning very early, he set out and rowed northward in his umiak. And since then he has not been seen.

そしてそう言われると、そこに座っていた大勢の者は大笑いした。けれどもサウニコクは立ち上がって出ていった。そして次の朝早く、サウニコクはウミアクで北へ漕ぎ去った。それからというもの、その姿を見た者はいない。

So great a shame did he feel.

それほど恥ずかしく思ったのである。