The Story of Prince Sobur

Once upon a time there lived a certain merchant who had seven daughters. One day the merchant put to his daughters the question: "By whose fortune do you get your living?" The eldest daughter answered--"Papa, I get my living by your fortune." The same answer was given by the second daughter, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth; but his youngest daughter said--"I get my living by my own fortune." The merchant got very angry with the youngest daughter, and said to her--"As you are so ungrateful as to say that you get your living by your own fortune, let me see how you fare alone. This very day you shall leave my house without a pice in your pocket." He forthwith called his palki-bearers, and ordered them to take away the girl and leave her in the midst of a forest. The girl begged hard to be allowed to take with her her work-box containing her needles and threads. She was allowed to do so. She then got into the palki, which the bearers lifted on their shoulders. The bearers had not gone many hundred yards to the tune of "Hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon! hoon!" when an old woman bawled out to them and bid them stop. On coming up to the palki, she said, "Where are you taking away my daughter?" for she was the nurse of the merchant's youngest child. The bearers replied, "The merchant has ordered us to take her away and leave her in the midst of a forest; and we are going to do his bidding." "I must go with her," said the old woman. "How will you be able to keep pace with us, as we must needs run?" said the bearers. "Anyhow I must go where my daughter goes," rejoined the old woman. The upshot was that, at the entreaty of the merchant's youngest daughter, the old woman was put inside the palki along with her. In the afternoon the palki-bearers reached a dense forest. They went far into it; and towards sunset they put down the girl and the old woman at the foot of a large tree, and retraced their steps homewards.

むかしむかし、七人の娘を持つある商人がいた。ある日、商人は娘たちにこう問うた。「お前たちは誰の運で暮らしを立てているのか。」長女は答えた。「お父さま、わたしはあなたの運で暮らしを立てております。」二女も三女も四女も五女も六女も、同じ答えをした。けれども末の娘は言った。「わたしは自分の運で暮らしを立てております。」商人は末娘にたいそう腹を立てて言った。「自分の運で暮らしているなどと恩知らずなことを言うのなら、一人でどうやっていくか見せてもらおう。今日このまま、懐に小銭一枚持たずにこの家を出ていけ。」そしてただちにパルキ(駕籠)の担ぎ手を呼び、この娘を連れていって森のただなかに置いてこいと命じた。娘は、針と糸の入った裁縫箱だけは持っていかせてくださいと懸命に乞うた。それは許された。そこで娘はパルキに乗り、担ぎ手たちはそれを肩に担ぎ上げた。担ぎ手たちが「フーン! フーン! フーン! フーン! フーン! フーン!」という掛け声とともに幾百ヤードも行かぬうちに、一人の老女が呼ばわって止まれと言った。パルキのところまで来ると、彼女は言った。「わたしの娘をどこへ連れていくのです。」この老女は商人の末娘の乳母だったからである。担ぎ手たちは答えた。「商人さまが、この娘を連れていって森のただなかに置いてこいとお命じになったのだ。われらはその言いつけどおりにする。」「わたしも一緒に行かねばなりません」と老女は言った。「われらは走らねばならぬのに、どうやってついてこられる」と担ぎ手たちは言った。「何としても、娘の行くところへ行きます」と老女は言い返した。その結末はというと、商人の末娘の願いによって、老女も娘と一緒にパルキに乗せられた。午後、パルキの担ぎ手たちは深い森に着いた。奥へ奥へと進み、日暮れどきに大きな木の根方に娘と老女を下ろして、家路を引き返していった。

The case of the merchant's youngest daughter was truly pitiable. She was scarcely fourteen years old; she had been bred in the lap of luxury; and she was now here at sundown in the heart of what seemed an interminable forest, with not a penny in her pocket, and with no other protection than what could be given her by an old, decrepit, imbecile woman. The very trees of the forest looked upon her with pity. The gigantic tree, at whose foot she was mingling her tears with those of the old woman, said to her (for trees could speak in those days)--"Unhappy girl! I much pity you. In a short time the wild beasts of the forest will come out of their lairs and roam about for their prey; and they are sure to devour you and your companion. But I can help you; I will make an opening for you in my trunk. When you see the opening go into it; I will then close it up; and you will remain safe inside; nor can the wild beasts touch you." In a moment the trunk of the tree was split into two. The merchant's daughter and the old woman went inside the hollow, on which the tree resumed its natural shape. When the shades of night darkened the forest the wild beasts came out of their lairs. The fierce tiger was there; the wild bear was there; the hard-skinned rhinoceros was there; the bushy bear was there; the musty elephant was there; and the horned buffalo was there. They all growled round about the tree, for they got the scent of human blood. The merchant's daughter and the old woman heard from within the tree the growl of the beasts. The beasts came dashing against the tree; they broke its branches; they pierced its trunk with their horns; they scratched its bark with their claws: but in vain. The merchant's daughter and her old nurse were safe within. Towards dawn the wild beasts went away. After sunrise the good tree said to her two inmates, "Unhappy women, the wild beasts have gone into their lairs after greatly tormenting me. The sun is up; you can now come out." So saying the tree split itself into two, and the merchant's daughter and the old woman came out. They saw the extent of the mischief done by the wild beasts to the tree. Many of its branches had been broken down; in many places the trunk had been pierced; and in other places the bark had been stripped off. The merchant's daughter said to the tree, "Good mother, you are truly good to give us shelter at such a fearful cost. You must be in great pain from the torture to which the wild beasts subjected you last night." So saying she went to the tank which was near the tree, and bringing thence a quantity of mud, she besmeared the trunk with it, especially those parts which had been pierced and scratched. After she had done this, the tree said, "Thank you, my good girl, I am now greatly relieved of my pain. I am, however, concerned not so much about myself as about you both. You must be hungry, not having eaten the whole of yesterday. And what can I give you? I have no fruit of my own to give you. Give to the old woman whatever money you have, and let her go into the city hard by and buy some food." They said they had no money. On searching, however, in the work-box she found five cowries. [19] The tree then told the old woman to go with the cowries to the city and buy some khai. [20] The old woman went to the city, which was not far, and said to one confectioner, "Please give me five cowries' worth of khai." The confectioner laughed at her and said, "Be off, you old hag, do you think khai can be had for five cowries?" She tried another shop, and the shopkeeper, thinking the woman to be in great distress, compassionately gave her a large quantity of khai for the five cowries.

商人の末娘の身の上は、まことに哀れであった。年はやっと十四、贅沢に包まれて育ち、それが今、果てしなく見える森のただなかで日が暮れ、懐には一銭もなく、守ってくれるものといえば、老いて弱った耄碌した女のほかになかった。森の木々さえ憐れみをもって彼女を見た。彼女が老女とともに涙を混ぜ合わせている、その根方の巨大な木が彼女に言った(あのころ木はものを言えたのである)。「不幸な娘よ、たいそう気の毒に思う。まもなく森の獣たちが巣から出てきて、獲物を求めて歩き回る。そしてきっとお前とお前の連れを食らうだろう。だがわたしが助けてやれる。わたしの幹に口を開けてやろう。その口が見えたら、なかへお入り。それからわたしがそれを閉じれば、お前たちはなかで無事でいられる。獣たちも触れることはできない。」たちまち木の幹は二つに割れた。商人の娘と老女はその空洞に入り、木はもとの姿に戻った。夜の影が森を暗くすると、獣たちが巣から出てきた。獰猛な虎がいた。野の熊がいた。硬い皮の犀がいた。毛深い熊がいた。発情した象がいた。角のある水牛がいた。獣たちはみな木のまわりでうなった。人の血の匂いを嗅ぎつけたからである。商人の娘と老女は、木のなかから獣たちのうなり声を聞いた。獣たちは木に体当たりし、枝を折り、角で幹を突き、爪で樹皮を引っかいた。けれどもむだであった。商人の娘と老いた乳母はなかで無事であった。夜明けごろ、獣たちは去っていった。日が昇ると、よい木は二人の住人に言った。「不幸な女たちよ、獣たちはわたしをさんざん苦しめてから巣へ帰った。日が昇った。もう出てきてよい。」そう言って木は二つに割れ、商人の娘と老女は出てきた。二人は、獣たちが木にもたらした害の大きさを見た。枝の多くは折られ、幹はあちこち突き破られ、ほかの場所では樹皮が剥がれていた。商人の娘は木に言った。「よき母上、これほど恐ろしい代償を払ってわたしたちに宿を与えてくださるとは、まことにお優しいことです。昨夜、獣たちに責めさいなまれて、さぞお痛みでしょう。」そう言って、木の近くの池へ行き、泥をたくさん運んできて、幹に、とりわけ突かれ引っかかれた場所に塗りつけた。それが済むと、木は言った。「ありがとう、よい娘よ。おかげで痛みがずいぶん和らいだ。だがわたしは自分のことよりも、お前たち二人のことが気がかりだ。昨日から何も食べていないのだから、腹がすいているだろう。だがわたしに何を与えられよう。お前たちに与えられる実もない。持っている金をみな老女に渡して、すぐそこの町へ行って食べ物を買わせなさい。」二人は金などないと言った。けれども裁縫箱を探すと、カウリ(子安貝)が五つ[19] 見つかった。そこで木は老女に、そのカウリを持って町へ行き、カイ[20] を買ってこいと言った。老女は遠くない町へ行き、ある菓子屋にこう言った。「カウリ五つ分のカイをください。」菓子屋は彼女を笑って言った。「あっちへ行け、老いぼれめ。カウリ五つでカイが買えると思うのか。」彼女は別の店を試した。すると店の主は、この女はたいそう困っているのだろうと憐れんで、カウリ五つでカイをどっさりと与えてくれた。

When the old woman returned with the khai, the tree said to the merchant's daughter, "Each of you eat a little of the khai, lay by more than half, and strew the rest on the embankments of the tank all round." They did as they were bidden, though they did not understand the reason why they were told to scatter the khai on the sides of the tank. They spent the day in bewailing their fate, and at night they were housed inside the trunk of the tree as on the previous night. The wild beasts came as before, further mutilated the tree, and tortured it as in the preceding night. But during the night a scene was being enacted on the embankments of the tank of which the two women saw the outcome only on the following morning. Hundreds of peacocks of gorgeous plumes came to the embankments to eat the khai which had been strewed on them; and as they strove with each other for the tempting food many of their plumes fell off their bodies. Early in the morning the tree told the two women to gather the plumes together, out of which the merchant's daughter made a beautiful fan. This fan was taken into the city to the palace, where the son of the king admired it greatly and paid for it a large sum of money. As each morning a quantity of plumes was collected, every day one fan was made and sold. So that in a short time the two women got rich. The tree then advised them to employ men in building a house for them to live in. Accordingly bricks were burnt, trees were cut down for beams and rafters, bricks were reduced to powder, lime was manufactured, and in a few months a stately, palace-like house was built for the merchant's daughter and her old nurse. It was thought advisable to lay out the adjoining grounds as a garden, and to dig a tank for supplying them with water.

老女がカイを持って帰ると、木は商人の娘に言った。「二人とも少しカイを食べ、半分より多くを取っておいて、残りは池の土手のまわりじゅうに撒きなさい。」二人は言われたとおりにした。もっとも、なぜ池のほとりにカイを撒けと言われるのか分からなかった。二人はその日を自分たちの運を嘆いて過ごし、夜には前の晩と同じように木の幹のなかに宿った。獣たちは前と同じように来て、木をさらに傷つけ、前の晩と同じように責めさいなんだ。けれどもその夜、池の土手ではひとつの光景が演じられていて、二人の女がその結果を目にしたのは翌朝のことであった。豪奢な羽の孔雀が何百羽も土手へ来て、撒かれたカイを食べた。そしてこのそそる餌を奪い合ううちに、その羽が体から幾枚も落ちた。朝早く、木は二人の女に羽を集めるようにと言い、商人の娘はそれで美しい扇をこしらえた。この扇は町の宮殿へ運ばれ、王の息子がたいそう感嘆して大金を払った。毎朝たくさんの羽が集まるので、毎日ひとつずつ扇が作られて売られた。こうして二人はまもなく富んだ。それから木は、住む家を建てるために人を雇いなさいと勧めた。そこで煉瓦が焼かれ、梁と垂木のために木が切られ、煉瓦が砕かれ、石灰が作られ、数か月のうちに、商人の娘と老いた乳母のために堂々たる宮殿のような家が建てられた。隣の土地を庭にし、水を引くために池を掘るのがよかろうということになった。

In the meantime the merchant himself with his wife and six daughters had been frowned upon by the goddess of wealth. By a sudden stroke of misfortune he lost all his money, his house and property were sold, and he, his wife, and six daughters, were turned adrift penniless into the world. It so happened that they lived in a village not far from the place where the two strange women had built a palace and were digging a tank. As the once rich merchant was now supporting his family by the pittance which he obtained every day for his manual labour, he bethought himself of employing himself as a day labourer in digging the tank of the strange lady on the skirts of the forest. His wife said she would also go to dig the tank with him. So one day while the strange lady was amusing herself from the window of her palace with looking at the labourers digging her tank, to her utter surprise she saw her father and mother coming towards the palace, apparently to engage themselves as day labourers. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at them, for they were clothed in rags. She immediately sent servants to bring them inside the house. The poor man and woman were frightened beyond measure. They saw that the tank was all ready; and as it was customary in those days to offer a human sacrifice when the digging was over, they thought that they were called inside in order to be sacrificed. Their fears increased when they were told to throw away their rags and to put on fine clothes which were given to them. The strange lady of the palace, however, soon dispelled their fears; for she told them that she was their daughter, fell on their necks and wept. The rich daughter related her adventures, and the father felt she was right when she said that she lived upon her own fortune and not on that of her father. She gave her father a large fortune, which enabled him to go to the city in which he formerly lived, and to set himself up again as a merchant.

そのころ商人自身は、妻と六人の娘とともに、富の女神に見放されていた。思いがけぬ不運の一撃で金をすっかり失い、家も財産も売られ、彼と妻と六人の娘は一文なしで世に放り出された。たまたま一家は、あの不思議な二人の女が宮殿を建て池を掘っている場所からさほど遠くない村に住んでいた。かつて富んでいたこの商人は、今や日々の手間賃で家族を養っていたので、森のはずれのあの不思議な婦人の池を掘る日雇いとして働こうと思い立った。妻も一緒に池を掘りに行くと言った。そこである日、不思議な婦人が宮殿の窓から労働者たちが池を掘るのを眺めて楽しんでいると、このうえない驚きとともに、父と母が日雇いとして雇われようと宮殿のほうへ来るのが見えた。二人を見つめる彼女の頬に涙が流れた。二人はぼろをまとっていたからである。彼女はただちに召使いを遣わして二人を家のなかへ連れてこさせた。哀れな男と女はこのうえなく怯えた。池がすっかりできあがっているのを見たし、当時は掘り終えたときに人を生贄に捧げるのが習わしだったので、自分たちは生贄にされるために呼ばれたのだと思ったのである。ぼろを脱いで、与えられた立派な衣を着るようにと言われて、その恐れはいっそう増した。けれども宮殿の不思議な婦人はまもなくその恐れを解いた。自分はあなたがたの娘ですと告げ、二人の首に取りすがって泣いたのである。富める娘は身の上に起きたことを語り、父は、自分は父の運ではなく自分の運で暮らしているのだと言った娘が正しかったと感じた。娘は父に大きな財産を与え、それによって父はかつて住んでいた町へ戻り、ふたたび商人として身を立てることができた。

The merchant now bethought himself of going in his ship to distant countries for purposes of trade. All was ready. He got on board, ready to start, but, strange to say, the ship would not move. The merchant was at a loss what to make of this. At last the idea occurred to him that he had asked each of his six daughters, who were living with him, what thing she wished he should bring for her; but he had not asked that question of his seventh daughter who had made him rich. He therefore immediately despatched a messenger to his youngest daughter, asking her what she wished her father to bring for her on his return from his mercantile travels. When the messenger arrived she was engaged in her devotions, and hearing that a messenger had arrived from her father she said to him "Sobur," meaning "wait." The messenger understood that she wanted her father to bring for her something called Sobur. He returned to the merchant and told him that she wanted him to bring for her Sobur. The ship now moved of itself, and the merchant started on his travels. He visited many ports, and by selling his goods obtained immense profit. The things his six daughters wanted him to bring for them he easily got, but Sobur, the thing which he understood his youngest daughter wished to have, he could get nowhere. He asked at every port whether Sobur could be had there, but the merchants all told him that they had never heard of such an article of commerce. At the last port he went through the streets bawling out--"Wanted Sobur! wanted Sobur!" The cry attracted the notice of the son of the king of that country whose name was Sobur. The prince, hearing from the merchant that his daughter wanted Sobur, said that he had the article in question, and bringing out a small box of wood containing a magical fan with a looking-glass in it, said--"This is Sobur which your daughter wishes to have." The merchant having obtained the long-wished-for Sobur weighed anchor, and sailed for his native land. On his arrival he sent to his youngest daughter the said wonderful box. The daughter, thinking it to be a common wooden box, laid it aside. Some days after when she was at leisure she bethought herself of opening the box which her father had sent her. When she opened it she saw in it a beautiful fan, and in it a looking-glass. As she shook the fan, in a moment the Prince Sobur stood before her, and said--"You called me, here I am. What's your wish?" The merchant's daughter, astonished at the sudden appearance of a prince of such exquisite beauty, asked who he was, and how he had made his appearance there. The prince told her of the circumstances under which he gave the box to her father, and informed her of the secret that whenever the fan would be shaken he would make his appearance. The prince lived for a day or two in the house of the merchant's daughter, who entertained him hospitably. The upshot was, that they fell in love with each other, and vowed to each other to be husband and wife. The prince returned to his royal father and told him that he had selected a wife for himself. The day for the wedding was fixed. The merchant and his six daughters were invited. The nuptial knot was tied. But there was death in the marriage-bed. The six daughters of the merchant, envying the happy lot of their youngest sister, had determined to put an end to the life of her newly-wedded husband. They broke several bottles, reduced the broken pieces into fine powder, and scattered it profusely on the bed. The prince, suspecting no danger, laid himself down in the bed; but he had scarcely been there two minutes when he felt acute pain through his whole system, for the fine bottle-powder had gone through every pore of his body. As the prince became restless through pain, and was shrieking aloud, his attendants hastily took him away to his own country.

商人は今や、商いのために船で遠い国々へ行こうと思い立った。支度はすっかり整った。彼は乗り込み、出航しようとしたが、不思議なことに船は動かなかった。商人はどうしたものか途方に暮れた。とうとうひとつの考えが浮かんだ。一緒に暮らしている六人の娘それぞれには、何を持ち帰ってほしいかと尋ねたが、自分を富ませてくれた七人目の娘にはその問いをしていなかったのである。そこでただちに使いを末娘のもとへ送り、商いの旅から帰るときに何を持ち帰ってほしいかと尋ねさせた。使いが着いたとき、彼女は勤行の最中であった。そして父から使いが来たと聞いて、使いに「ソブル」と言った。それは「待て」という意味である。使いは、彼女がソブルという何かを父に持ち帰ってほしいのだと受け取った。使いは商人のもとへ戻り、娘はソブルを持ち帰ってほしいと言っていると告げた。すると船はひとりでに動き出し、商人は旅に出た。多くの港を訪れ、品を売って莫大な利を得た。六人の娘が望んだ品はたやすく手に入ったが、末娘が望んでいると受け取ったソブルだけは、どこでも手に入らなかった。港ごとにソブルは手に入るかと尋ねたが、商人たちはみな、そんな商品は聞いたことがないと答えた。最後の港では、通りを歩きながら「ソブルを求む! ソブルを求む!」と呼ばわった。その叫びは、その国の王の息子の耳にとまった。その名はソブルといった。王子は商人から、あなたの娘がソブルを望んでいると聞いて、その品なら自分が持っていると言い、なかに鏡のついた魔法の扇の入った小さな木の箱を持ち出して言った。「これがあなたの娘の望むソブルです。」商人は長らく待ち望んだソブルを手に入れて錨を上げ、故郷へ向けて船出した。着くとすぐ、その不思議な箱を末娘に送った。娘はそれをありふれた木の箱だと思って脇に置いておいた。何日かのち、手が空いたときに、父が送ってくれた箱を開けてみようと思い立った。開けてみると、なかに美しい扇があり、そこに鏡がついていた。扇を振ると、たちまちソブル王子が目の前に立って言った。「あなたが呼ばれたので、ここにおります。何をお望みですか。」商人の娘は、これほど美しい王子が突然現れたことに驚いて、あなたは誰か、どうやってここに現れたのかと尋ねた。王子は、どういういきさつで父上にあの箱を渡したかを語り、扇を振ればいつでも自分が現れるという秘密を教えた。王子は商人の娘の家に一日二日泊まり、娘は手厚くもてなした。その結末はというと、二人は恋に落ち、夫婦になろうと誓い合った。王子は王である父のもとへ帰り、自分で妻を選んだと告げた。婚礼の日が定められた。商人と六人の娘が招かれた。婚礼の絆が結ばれた。けれども婚礼の床には死が待っていた。商人の六人の娘は、末の妹の幸せな身の上を妬んで、新たに結ばれたその夫の命を絶とうと決めていた。彼女たちは瓶をいくつも割り、その破片を細かい粉にして、寝床にたっぷりと撒いたのである。王子は危難を疑わずにその寝床に身を横たえたが、二分とたたぬうちに全身に鋭い痛みを覚えた。細かい瓶の粉が体じゅうの毛穴に入り込んだからである。王子は痛みに身をよじり、大声で叫んだので、従者たちは急いで彼を自分の国へ連れ帰った。

The king and queen, the parents of Prince Sobur, consulted all the physicians and surgeons of the kingdom; but in vain. The young prince was day and night screaming with pain, and no one could ascertain the disease, far less give him relief. The grief of the merchant's daughter may be imagined. The marriage knot had been scarcely tied when her husband was attacked, as she thought, by a terrible disease and carried away many hundreds of miles off. Though she had never seen her husband's country she determined to go there and nurse him. She put on the garb of a Sannyasi, and with a dagger in her hand set out on her journey. Of tender years, and unaccustomed to make long journeys on foot, she soon got weary and sat under a tree to rest. On the top of the tree was the nest of the divine bird Bihangama and his mate Bihangami. They were not in their nest at the time, but two of their young ones were in it. Suddenly the young ones on the top of the tree gave a scream which roused the half-drowsy merchant's daughter whom we shall now call the young Sannyasi. He saw near him a huge serpent raising its hood and about to climb into the tree. In a moment he cut the serpent into two, on which the young birds left off screaming. Shortly after the Bihangama and Bihangami came sailing through the air; and the latter said to the former--"I suppose our offspring as usual have been devoured by our great enemy the serpent. Ah me! I do not hear the cries of my young ones." On nearing the nest, however, they were agreeably surprised to find their offspring alive. The young ones told their dams how the young Sannyasi under the tree had destroyed the serpent. And sure enough the snake was lying there cut into two.

ソブル王子の両親である王と妃は、王国じゅうの医者と外科医に相談したが、むだであった。若い王子は昼も夜も痛みに叫び、誰にもその病を突きとめることができず、まして和らげることもできなかった。商人の娘の悲しみは想像がつくだろう。婚礼の絆が結ばれたばかりだというのに、夫は——彼女が思うには——恐ろしい病に襲われ、何百マイルも離れたところへ運び去られたのである。夫の国を見たこともなかったが、彼女はそこへ行って看病しようと心を決めた。サンニャーシー(遊行者)の身なりをして、短刀を手に旅立った。年若く、長い道のりを歩き慣れていなかったので、まもなく疲れて木の下に座って休んだ。その木の梢には、神なる鳥ビハンガマとその連れ合いビハンガミの巣があった。二羽はそのとき巣にいなかったが、その雛が二羽いた。突然、梢の雛たちが悲鳴をあげ、うとうとしかけていた商人の娘——これからは若いサンニャーシーと呼ぼう——を目覚めさせた。彼は近くに、鎌首をもたげて木に登ろうとしている巨大な蛇を見た。たちまち彼は蛇を二つに切り、それで雛たちは鳴くのをやめた。ほどなくビハンガマとビハンガミが空を渡って帰ってきて、ビハンガミが連れ合いに言った。「うちの子らはいつものように、宿敵の蛇に食われてしまったのでしょう。ああ! 子らの声が聞こえません。」けれども巣に近づくと、二羽は子らが生きているのを見て喜んだ。雛たちは、木の下の若いサンニャーシーが蛇を退治したと親に告げた。そして果たして、蛇は二つに切られてそこに横たわっていた。

The Bihangami then said to her mate--"The young Sannyasi has saved our offspring from death, I wish we could do him some service in return." The Bihangama replied, "We shall presently do her service, for the person under the tree is not a man but a woman. She got married only last night to Prince Sobur, who, a few hours after, when jumping into his bed, had every pore of his body pierced with fine particles of ground bottles which had been spread over his bed by his envious sisters-in-law. He is still suffering pain in his native land, and, indeed, is at the point of death. And his heroic bride taking the garb of a Sannyasi is going to nurse him." "But," asked the Bihangami, "is there no cure for the prince?" "Yes, there is," replied the Bihangama: "if our dung which is lying on the ground round about, and which is hardened, be reduced to powder, and applied by means of a brush to the body of the prince after bathing him seven times with seven jars of water and seven jars of milk, Prince Sobur will undoubtedly get well." "But," asked the Bihangami, "how can the poor daughter of the merchant walk such a distance? It must take her many days, by which time the poor prince will have died." "I can," replied the Bihangama, "take the young lady on my back, and put her in the capital of Prince Sobur, and bring her back, provided she does not take any presents there." The merchant's daughter, in the garb of a Sannyasi, heard this conversation between the two birds, and begged the Bihangama to take her on his back. To this the bird readily consented. Before mounting on her aerial car she gathered a quantity of birds' dung and reduced it to fine powder. Armed with this potent drug she got up on the back of the kind bird, and sailing through the air with the rapidity of lightning, soon reached the capital of Prince Sobur. The young Sannyasi went up to the gate of the palace, and sent word to the king that he was acquainted with potent drugs and would cure the prince in a few hours. The king, who had tried all the best doctors in the kingdom without success, looked upon the Sannyasi as a mere pretender, but on the advice of his councillors agreed to give him a trial. The Sannyasi ordered seven jars of water and seven jars of milk to be brought to him. He poured the contents of all the jars on the body of the prince. He then applied, by means of a feather, the dung-powder he had already prepared to every pore of the prince's body. Thereafter seven jars of water and seven jars of milk were again six times poured upon him. When the prince's body was wiped, he felt perfectly well. The king ordered that the richest treasures he had should be presented to the wonderful doctor; but the Sannyasi refused to take any. He only wanted a ring from the prince's finger to preserve as a memorial. The ring was readily given him. The merchant's daughter hastened to the sea-shore where the Bihangama was awaiting her. In a moment they reached the tree of the divine birds. Hence the young bride walked to her house on the skirts of the forest. The following day she shook the magical fan, and forthwith Prince Sobur appeared before her. When the lady showed him the ring, he learnt with infinite surprise that his own wife was the doctor that cured him. The prince took away his bride to his palace in his far-off kingdom, forgave his sisters-in-law, lived happily for scores of years, and was blessed with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

そこでビハンガミは連れ合いに言った。「あの若いサンニャーシーはわたしたちの子を死から救ってくれました。お返しに何かしてやれたらと思います。」ビハンガマは答えた。「すぐに助けてやろう。木の下にいるのは男ではなく女なのだ。あれは昨夜ソブル王子と結ばれたばかりで、王子はその数時間後、寝床に跳び込んだとき、妬み深い義姉たちが撒いた細かい瓶の粉で体じゅうの毛穴を刺された。王子は今も故国で痛みに苦しんでいて、まことに死の淵にある。そしてその気丈な花嫁が、サンニャーシーの身なりをして看病に行こうとしているのだ。」「けれども」とビハンガミは尋ねた。「王子を治す手立てはないのですか。」「ある」とビハンガマは答えた。「あたりの地面に落ちて固まっているわれらの糞を粉にして、七つの壺の水と七つの壺の乳で王子を七度洗ってから、刷毛でその体に塗れば、ソブル王子は必ず治る。」「けれども」とビハンガミは尋ねた。「あの哀れな商人の娘に、どうしてそんな道のりを歩けましょう。何日もかかって、そのころには哀れな王子は死んでしまいます。」「わたしがあの若い婦人を背に乗せて」とビハンガマは答えた。「ソブル王子の都へ運び、また連れ帰ってやれる。ただし、あちらで贈り物を受け取らぬならばだ。」サンニャーシーの身なりの商人の娘は、この二羽の鳥の話を聞いて、どうかわたしを背に乗せてくださいとビハンガマに乞うた。鳥は快く承知した。この空の車に乗る前に、彼女は鳥の糞をたくさん集めて細かい粉にした。この強い薬を携えて親切な鳥の背に乗り、稲妻の速さで空を渡って、まもなくソブル王子の都に着いた。若いサンニャーシーは宮殿の門へ行き、自分は強い薬を心得ていて、数時間のうちに王子を治してみせると王に伝えさせた。王国じゅうの名医をみな試してうまくいかなかった王は、このサンニャーシーをただの騙りと見なしたが、家臣の勧めで試させることに承知した。サンニャーシーは七つの壺の水と七つの壺の乳を持ってこさせた。そして壺の中身をすべて王子の体に注いだ。それから、あらかじめ用意しておいた糞の粉を、羽根を使って王子の体の毛穴という毛穴に塗りつけた。そののち、七つの壺の水と七つの壺の乳がさらに六度注がれた。王子の体が拭かれると、彼はすっかり元気になった。王は、持てる最も豊かな宝をこの不思議な医者に与えよと命じたが、サンニャーシーは何ひとつ受け取ろうとしなかった。ただ形見に取っておくために、王子の指から指輪をひとつ欲しいと言った。指輪はすぐに与えられた。商人の娘はビハンガマの待つ浜辺へ急いだ。たちまち二人は神なる鳥の木に着いた。そこから若い花嫁は、森のはずれの自分の家まで歩いた。翌日、彼女が魔法の扇を振ると、たちまちソブル王子が目の前に現れた。婦人が指輪を見せると、王子はこのうえない驚きとともに、自分を治した医者が自分の妻であったことを知った。王子は花嫁を、遠い国の自分の宮殿へ連れ帰り、義姉たちを許し、何十年も幸せに暮らして、子と孫と曾孫に恵まれた。

Thus my story endeth, The Natiya-thorn withereth, etc.

ここでわたしの話はおしまい。ナティヤの棘は枯れゆく、云々。