Strike but Hear

Once upon a time there reigned a king who had three sons. His subjects one day came to him and said, "O incarnation of justice! the kingdom is infested with thieves and robbers. Our property is not safe. We pray your majesty to catch hold of these thieves and punish them." The king said to his sons, "O my sons, I am old, but you are all in the prime of manhood. How is it that my kingdom is full of thieves? I look to you to catch hold of these thieves." The three princes then made up their minds to patrol the city every night. With this view they set up a station in the outskirts of the city, where they kept their horses. In the early part of the night the eldest prince rode upon his horse and went through the whole city, but did not see a single thief. He came back to the station. About midnight the second prince got upon his horse and rode through every part of the city, but he did not see or hear of a single thief. He came also back to the station. Some hours after midnight the youngest prince went the rounds, and when he came near the gate of the palace where his father lived, he saw a beautiful woman coming out of the palace. The prince accosted the woman, and asked who she was and where she was going at that hour of the night. The woman answered, "I am Rajlakshmi, [23] the guardian deity of this palace. The king will be killed this night. I am therefore not needed here. I am going away." The prince did not know what to make of this message. After a moment's reflection he said to the goddess, "But suppose the king is not killed to-night, then have you any objection to return to the palace and stay there?" "I have no objection," replied the goddess. The prince then begged the goddess to go in, promising to do his best to prevent the king from being killed. Then the goddess entered the palace again, and in a moment went the prince knew not whither.

むかしむかし、三人の息子を持つ王が治めていた。ある日、臣民が王のもとへ来て言った。「おお正義の化身よ! この国は盗賊と追いはぎに荒らされております。われらの財産は危うい身です。どうかこの盗賊どもを捕らえて罰してくださいますよう。」王は息子たちに言った。「おおわが子らよ、わしは年老いたが、お前たちはみな男ざかりだ。どうしてわしの国が盗賊だらけなのだ。この盗賊どもを捕らえるのは、お前たちに頼むぞ。」そこで三人の王子は、毎晩都を見回ろうと心を決めた。そのつもりで都のはずれに詰所を設け、そこに馬を置いた。夜の初めに長兄の王子が馬に乗って都じゅうを回ったが、盗賊は一人も見なかった。彼は詰所に戻った。真夜中ごろ、次兄の王子が馬に乗って都のあらゆるところを回ったが、盗賊の姿も噂も見聞きしなかった。彼もまた詰所に戻った。真夜中を幾時間か過ぎて末の王子が見回りに出た。そして父の住む宮殿の門の近くまで来たとき、美しい女が宮殿から出てくるのを見た。王子はその女に声をかけ、何者か、こんな夜更けにどこへ行くのかと尋ねた。女は答えた。「わたしはラージラクシュミー[23]、この宮殿を守る神です。王は今夜殺されます。ですからここにわたしは要りません。去るのです。」王子はこの言づけをどう受け取ってよいか分からなかった。しばらく考えてから、女神にこう言った。「けれども、もし王が今夜殺されなければ、宮殿に戻ってそこに留まることに異存はありませんか。」「異存はありません」と女神は答えた。そこで王子は、王が殺されないよう力を尽くすと約束して、どうか中へお入りくださいと女神に乞うた。すると女神はふたたび宮殿に入り、たちまち王子の知らぬどこかへ行ってしまった。

The prince went straight into the bedroom of his royal father. There he lay immersed in deep sleep. His second and young wife, the stepmother of our prince, was sleeping in another bed in the room. A light was burning dimly. What was his surprise when the prince saw a huge cobra going round and round the golden bedstead on which his father was sleeping. The prince with his sword cut the serpent in two. Not satisfied with killing the cobra, he cut it up into a hundred pieces, and put them inside the pan dish [24] which was in the room. While the prince was cutting up the serpent a drop of blood fell on the breast of his stepmother who was sleeping hard by. The prince was in great distress. He said to himself, "I have saved my father but killed my mother." How was the drop of blood to be taken out of his mother's breast? He wrapped round his tongue a piece of cloth sevenfold, and with it licked up the drop of blood. But while he was in the act of doing this, his stepmother woke up, and opening her eyes saw that it was her stepson, the youngest prince. The young prince rushed out of the room. The queen, intending to ruin the youngest prince, whom she hated, called out to her husband, "My lord, my lord, are you awake? are you awake? Rouse yourself up. Here is a nice piece of business." The king on awaking inquired what the matter was. "The matter, my lord? Your worthy son, the youngest prince, of whom you speak so highly, was just here. I caught him in the act of touching my breast. Doubtless he came with a wicked intent. And this is your worthy son!" The king was horror-struck. The prince went to the station to his brothers, but told them nothing.

王子はまっすぐ王である父の寝間へ入った。父はそこで深い眠りに沈んでいた。父の二番目の若い妻、われらの王子の継母は、部屋の別の寝台で眠っていた。灯りがほのかに燃えていた。父が眠る黄金の寝台のまわりを、巨大なコブラがぐるぐると回っているのを見たときの王子の驚きようといったらなかった。王子は剣でこの蛇を二つに切った。コブラを殺しただけでは満足せず、百の切れに刻んで、部屋にあったパンの器[24] に入れた。王子が蛇を刻んでいるあいだに、血の一滴がすぐそばで眠っていた継母の胸に落ちた。王子はたいそう困り果てた。そして独りごちた。「わたしは父を救ったが、母を殺してしまった。」どうすれば母の胸からその血の一滴を取り除けよう。彼は舌に布を七重に巻きつけ、それで血の一滴を舐め取った。けれどもそうしている最中に継母が目を覚まし、目を開けて、それが継子である末の王子だと知った。若い王子は部屋から駆け出した。妃は、憎んでいる末の王子を陥れようとして、夫に呼びかけた。「殿、殿、お目覚めですか。お目覚めですか。起きてくださいませ。とんでもないことでございます。」王は目を覚まして何事かと尋ねた。「何事かですって、殿。あなたがあれほどおほめになる立派なご子息、末の王子が、たった今ここにおいででした。わたしの胸に触れているところを捕らえたのです。邪な心で来たに決まっています。これがあなたの立派なご子息ですよ!」王は慄然とした。王子は詰所の兄たちのもとへ行ったが、何も話さなかった。

Early in the morning the king called his eldest son to him and said, "If a man to whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, how should he be punished?" The eldest prince replied, "Doubtless such a man's head should be cut off; but before you kill, you should see whether the man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired the king. "Let your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince.

朝早く、王は長男を呼んで言った。「わしが名誉と命を託した者が不忠であったなら、どのように罰すべきか。」長兄の王子は答えた。「そのような者は首を刎ねるべきです。けれども殺す前に、その者がまことに不忠であったかどうかを確かめねばなりません。」「どういう意味だ」と王は尋ねた。「どうかお聞きくださいませ」と王子は答えた。

"Once on a time there lived a goldsmith who had a grown-up son. And this son had a wife who had the rare faculty of understanding the language of beasts; but neither her husband nor any one else knew that she had this uncommon gift. One night she was lying in bed beside her husband in their house, which was close to a river, when she heard a jackal howl out, 'There goes a carcase floating on the river; is there any one who will take off the diamond ring from the finger of the dead man and give me the corpse to eat?' The woman understood the jackal's language, got up from bed and went to the river-side. The husband, who was not asleep, followed his wife at some distance so as not to be observed by her. The woman went into the water, tugged the floating corpse towards the shore, and saw the diamond ring on the finger. Unable to loosen it with her hand, as the fingers of the dead body had swelled, she bit it off with her teeth, and put the dead body upon land. She then went to her bed, whither she had been preceded by her husband. The young goldsmith lay beside his wife almost petrified with fear, for he concluded after what he saw that his wife was not a human being but a Rakshasi. He spent the rest of the night in tossing in his bed, and early in the morning spoke to his father in the following manner: 'Father, the woman whom thou hast given me to wife is not a real woman but a Rakshasi. Last night as I was lying in bed with her, I heard outside the house, towards the river-side, a jackal set up a fearful howl. On this she, thinking that I was asleep, got up from bed, opened the door, and went out to the river-side. Surprised to see her go out alone at the dead hour of night, I suspected evil and followed her, but so that she could not see me. What did she do, do you think? O horror of horrors! She went into the stream, dragged towards the shore the dead body of a man which was floating by, and began to eat it! I saw this with mine own eyes. I then returned home while she was feasting upon the carcase, and jumped into bed. In a few minutes she also returned, bolted the door, and lay beside me. O my father, how can I live with a Rakshasi? She will certainly kill me and eat me up one night.' The old goldsmith was not a little shocked to hear this account. Both father and son agreed that the woman should be taken into the forest and there left to be devoured by wild beasts. Accordingly the young goldsmith spoke to his wife thus: 'My dear love, you had better not cook much this morning; only boil rice and burn a brinjal, for I must take you to-day to see your father and mother, who are dying to see you.' At the mention of her father's house she became full of joy, and finished the cooking in no time. The husband and wife snatched a hasty breakfast and started on their journey. The way lay through a dense jungle, in which the goldsmith bethought himself of leaving his wife alone to be eaten up by wild beasts. But while they were passing through this jungle the woman heard a serpent hiss, the meaning of which hissing, as understood by her, was as follows: 'O passer-by, how thankful should I be to you if you would catch hold of that croaking frog in yonder hole, which is full of gold and precious stones, and give me the frog to swallow, and you take the gold and precious stones.' The woman forthwith made for the frog, and began digging the hole with a stick. The young goldsmith was now quaking with fear, thinking his Rakshasi-wife was about to kill him. She called out to him and said, 'Husband, take up all this large quantity of gold and these precious stones.' The goldsmith, not knowing what to make of it, timidly went to the place, and to his infinite surprise saw the gold and the precious stones. They took up as much as they could. On the husband's asking his wife how she came to know of the existence of all this riches, she said that she understood the language of animals, and that the snake coiled up hard by had informed her of it. The goldsmith, on finding out what an accomplished wife he was blessed with, said to her, 'My love, it has got very late to-day; it would be impossible to reach your father's house before nightfall, and we may be devoured by wild beasts in the jungle; I propose therefore that we both return home.' It took them a long time to reach home, for they were laden with a large quantity of gold and precious stones. On coming near the house, the goldsmith said to his wife, 'My dear, you go by the back door, while I go by the front door and see my father in his shop and show him all this gold and these precious stones.' So she entered the house by the back door, and the moment she entered she was met by the old goldsmith, who had come that minute into the house for some purpose with a hammer in his hand. The old goldsmith, when he saw his Rakshasi daughter-in-law, concluded in his mind that she had killed and swallowed up his son. He therefore struck her on the head with the hammer, and she immediately died. That moment the son came into the house, but it was too late. Hence it is that I told your majesty that before you cut off a man's head you should inquire whether the man is really guilty."

「むかしむかし、大きくなった息子を持つ金細工師がいました。この息子には妻があり、この妻は獣の言葉を解するという稀な力を持っていました。けれども夫もほかの誰も、彼女がこの並はずれた賜物を持っているとは知りませんでした。ある夜、彼女は川のすぐそばにある家で、夫のかたわらの寝床に横になっていました。すると一匹のジャッカルがこう吠えるのが聞こえました。『川に死骸が流れていくぞ。その死人の指から金剛石の指輪を外して、死骸を食わせてくれる者はいないか。』女はジャッカルの言葉を解し、寝床から起き上がって川辺へ行きました。眠っていなかった夫は、気づかれぬよう少し離れて妻のあとをつけました。女は水に入り、流れる死骸を岸のほうへ引き寄せ、指に金剛石の指輪があるのを見ました。死骸の指がふくれていて手では外せなかったので、歯で噛み切り、死骸を陸へ上げました。それから寝床へ戻りましたが、夫はひと足先に戻っていました。若い金細工師は妻のかたわらに横たわったまま、恐ろしさにほとんど石になっていました。見たことから、妻は人間ではなくラークシャシーだと結論したからです。彼は残りの夜を寝床で輾転として過ごし、朝早く父にこう話しました。『父上、あなたがわたしに妻として与えた女は、本当の女ではなくラークシャシーです。昨夜、彼女と寝床に横になっていると、家の外の川辺のほうで、ジャッカルが恐ろしい声で吠えるのが聞こえました。すると彼女は、わたしが眠っていると思って寝床から起き上がり、戸を開けて川辺へ出ていきました。夜更けに一人で出ていくのを見て怪しみ、悪事ではないかと疑って、見つからぬようにあとをつけました。彼女が何をしたと思われますか。ああ恐ろしい! 彼女は流れに入り、流れてくる男の死骸を岸へ引き寄せ、それを食べはじめたのです! わたしはこの目で見ました。それで彼女が死骸を食らっているあいだに家へ戻り、寝床に跳び込みました。数分後に彼女も戻ってきて、戸を閉め、わたしのかたわらに横になりました。おお父上、ラークシャシーとどうして暮らせましょう。きっといつかの夜、わたしを殺して食べてしまいます。』老いた金細工師はこの話を聞いて少なからず驚きました。父も息子も、この女を森へ連れていって、野の獣に食われるまま置き去りにしようと決めました。そこで若い金細工師は妻にこう言いました。『いとしい人よ、けさはあまり料理をしないほうがいい。米を炊いて茄子を焼くだけでよい。きょうはお前を、会いたくてたまらないという父上と母上に会わせに連れていくのだから。』実家のことを聞いて彼女は喜びでいっぱいになり、たちまち料理を済ませました。夫と妻は急いで朝食をかき込んで旅に出ました。道は深い密林を抜けていて、金細工師はこの密林で妻を一人置き去りにし、野の獣に食わせようと思いました。ところがこの密林を通っているとき、女は蛇のしゅうしゅういう音を聞きました。彼女の解したところでは、その意味はこうでした。『おお通りすがりの人よ、あそこの穴で鳴いている蛙を捕まえて、わたしに呑ませてくださるなら、どれほどありがたいことか。あの穴は黄金と宝石でいっぱいです。黄金と宝石はあなたが取ってください。』女はただちに蛙のほうへ向かい、棒で穴を掘りはじめました。若い金細工師はこのとき恐ろしさに震えていました。ラークシャシーの妻が自分を殺そうとしているのだと思ったからです。すると彼女は夫を呼んで言いました。『あなた、この大量の黄金とこの宝石をみな取ってくださいな。』金細工師はわけが分からぬまま、おずおずとその場所へ行き、このうえない驚きとともに黄金と宝石を見ました。二人は運べるだけ運びました。夫が妻に、どうしてこの富があることを知ったのかと尋ねると、彼女は自分が獣の言葉を解すること、すぐそばでとぐろを巻いていた蛇がそれを教えてくれたことを話しました。金細工師は、自分がどれほど優れた妻に恵まれたかを知って、こう言いました。『いとしい人よ、きょうはずいぶん遅くなった。日暮れまでにお前の父上の家に着くのは無理だし、密林で野の獣に食われるかもしれない。だから二人とも家へ帰ろうと思う。』二人は大量の黄金と宝石を負っていたので、家に着くまで長くかかりました。家の近くまで来ると、金細工師は妻に言いました。『お前は裏口から入ってくれ。わたしは表から入って、店にいる父上に会い、この黄金と宝石をみな見せよう。』そこで彼女は裏口から家に入りました。すると入った瞬間、ちょうど何かの用で金槌を手に家へ入ってきた老いた金細工師と出くわしました。老いた金細工師は、ラークシャシーである嫁を見て、息子を殺して呑み込んだのだと心のなかで結論しました。そこで金槌でその頭を打ち、彼女はたちまち死にました。その瞬間、息子が家に入ってきましたが、もう手遅れでした。ですからわたしは陛下に、人の首を刎ねる前に、その者がまことに罪を犯したかどうかをお調べくださいと申し上げたのです。」

The king then called his second son to him, and said, "If a man to whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, how should he be punished?" The second prince replied, "Doubtless such a man's head should be cut off, but before you kill you should see whether the man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired the king. "Let your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince.

それから王は次男を呼んで言った。「わしが名誉と命を託した者が不忠であったなら、どのように罰すべきか。」次兄の王子は答えた。「そのような者は首を刎ねるべきです。けれども殺す前に、その者がまことに不忠であったかどうかを確かめねばなりません。」「どういう意味だ」と王は尋ねた。「どうかお聞きくださいませ」と王子は答えた。

"Once on a time there reigned a king who was very fond of going out a-hunting. Once while he was out hunting his horse took him into a dense forest far from his followers. He rode on and on, and did not see either villages or towns. He became very thirsty, but he could see neither pond, lake, nor stream. At last he found something dripping from the top of a tree. Concluding it to be rain-water which had rested in some cavity of the tree, he stood on horseback under the tree and caught the dripping contents in a small cup. It was, however, no rain-water. A huge cobra, which was on the top of the tree, was dashing in rage its fangs against the tree; and its poison was coming out and was falling in drops. The king, however, thought it was rain-water; though his horse knew better. When the cup was nearly filled with the liquid snake-poison, and the king was about to drink it off, the horse, to save the life of his royal master, so moved about that the cup fell from the king's hand and all the liquid spilled about. The king became very angry with his horse, and with his sword gave a cut to the horse's neck, and the horse died immediately. Hence it is that I told your majesty that before you cut off a man's head you should inquire whether the man is really guilty."

「むかしむかし、狩りに出るのがたいそう好きな王が治めておりました。あるとき狩りに出ていると、馬が王を、従者たちから遠く離れた深い森へ連れ込みました。王は進みに進みましたが、村も町も見えませんでした。たいそう喉が渇きましたが、池も湖も川も見あたりません。とうとう、ある木の梢から何かが滴っているのを見つけました。木のどこかの窪みに溜まった雨水だろうと思って、王は馬上のまま木の下に立ち、小さな杯にその滴を受けました。けれどもそれは雨水ではありませんでした。木の梢にいた巨大なコブラが、怒って牙を木に打ちつけていて、その毒が出て滴り落ちていたのです。けれども王は雨水だと思いました。馬のほうはよく知っていましたが。杯が蛇の毒でほとんど満たされ、王がそれを飲み干そうとしたとき、馬は王である主の命を救おうとして身を動かし、杯は王の手から落ちて中身はすっかりこぼれました。王は馬にたいそう腹を立て、剣で馬の首を斬りつけ、馬はたちまち死にました。ですからわたしは陛下に、人の首を刎ねる前に、その者がまことに罪を犯したかどうかをお調べくださいと申し上げたのです。」

The king then called to him his third and youngest son, and said, "If a man to whom I intrust my honour and my life prove faithless, how should he be punished?" The youngest prince replied, "Doubtless such a man's head should be cut off, but before you kill you should see whether the man is really faithless." "What do you mean?" inquired the king. "Let your majesty be pleased to listen," answered the prince.

それから王は三男である末の子を呼んで言った。「わしが名誉と命を託した者が不忠であったなら、どのように罰すべきか。」末の王子は答えた。「そのような者は首を刎ねるべきです。けれども殺す前に、その者がまことに不忠であったかどうかを確かめねばなりません。」「どういう意味だ」と王は尋ねた。「どうかお聞きくださいませ」と王子は答えた。

"Once on a time there reigned a king who had in his palace a remarkable bird of the Suka species. One day as the Suka went out to the fields for an airing, he saw his dad and dam, who pressed him to come and spend some days with them in their nest in some far-off land. The Suka answered he would be very happy to come, but he could not go without the king's leave; he added that he would speak to the king that very day, and would be ready to go the following morning if his dad and dam would come to that very spot. The Suka spoke to the king, and the king gave leave with reluctance as he was very fond of the bird. So the next morning the Suka met his dad and dam at the place appointed, and went with them to his paternal nest on the top of some high tree in a far-off land. The three birds lived happily together for a fortnight, at the end of which period the Suka said to his dad and dam, 'My beloved parents, the king granted me leave only for a fortnight, and to-day the fortnight is over: to-morrow I must start for the city of the king.' His dad and dam readily agreed to the reasonable proposal, and told him to take a present to the king. After laying their heads together for some time they agreed that the present should be a fruit of the tree of Immortality. So early next morning the Suka plucked a fruit off the tree of Immortality, and carefully catching it in his beak, started on his aerial journey. As he had a heavy weight to carry, the Suka was not able to reach the city of the king that day, and was benighted on the road. He took shelter in a tree, and was at a loss to know where to keep the fruit. If he kept it in his beak it was sure, he thought, to fall out when he fell asleep. Fortunately he saw a hole in the trunk of the tree in which he had taken shelter, and accordingly put the fruit in it. It so happened that in that hole there was a snake; in the course of the night the snake darted its fangs on the fruit, and thus besmeared it with its poison. Early before crow-cawing the Suka, suspecting nothing, took up the fruit of Immortality in its beak, and began his aerial voyage. The Suka reached the palace while the king was sitting with his ministers. The king was delighted to see his pet bird come again, and greatly admired the beautiful fruit which the Suka had brought as a present. The fruit was very fair to look at; it was the loveliest fruit in all the earth; and as its name implies it makes the eater of it immortal. The king was going to eat it, but his courtiers said that it was not advisable for the king to eat it, as it might be a poisonous fruit. He accordingly threw it to a crow which was perched on the wall; the crow ate a part of it; but in a moment the crow fell down and died. The king, imagining that the Suka had intended to take away his life, took hold of the bird and killed it. The king ordered the stone of the deadly fruit, as it was thought to be, to be planted in a garden outside the city. The stone in course of time became a large tree bearing lovely fruit. The king ordered a fence to be put round the tree, and placed a guard lest people should eat of the fruit and die. There lived in that city an old Brahman and his wife, who used to live upon charity. The Brahman one day mourned his hard lot, and told his wife that instead of leading the wretched life of a beggar he would eat the fruit of the poisonous tree in the king's garden and thus end his days. So that very night he got up from his bed in order to get into the king's garden. His wife, suspecting her husband's intention, followed him, resolved also to eat of the fruit and die with her husband. As at that dead hour of night the guard was asleep, the old Brahman plucked a fruit and ate it. The woman said to her husband, 'If you die what is the use of my life? I'll also eat and die.' So saying she plucked a fruit and ate it. Thinking that the poison would take some time to produce its due effect, they both went home and lay in bed, supposing that they would never rise again. To their infinite surprise next morning they found themselves to be not only alive, but young and vigorous. Their neighbours could scarcely recognise them--they had become so changed. The old Brahman had become handsome and vigorous, no grey hairs, no wrinkles on his cheeks; and as for his wife, she had become as beautiful as any lady in the king's household. The king, hearing of this wonderful change, sent for the old Brahman, who told him all the circumstances. The king then greatly lamented the sad fate of his pet bird, and blamed himself for having killed it without fully inquiring into the case.

「むかしむかし、宮殿にシュカという種類の珍しい鳥を飼う王が治めておりました。ある日、このシュカが野へ風に当たりに出ると、父鳥と母鳥に出会い、遠い国の巣で幾日か一緒に過ごそうとせがまれました。シュカは喜んで行きたいけれども、王の許しがなければ行けないと答え、きょうのうちに王に話して、父上と母上がまさにこの場所に来てくださるなら、明朝には発つ支度ができていると言い添えました。シュカが王に話すと、王はこの鳥をたいそう好んでいたので、しぶしぶ許しを与えました。そこで翌朝、シュカは約束の場所で父鳥と母鳥に会い、遠い国の高い木の上にある親の巣へ一緒に行きました。三羽は二週間のあいだ幸せに暮らし、その終わりにシュカは父と母に言いました。『愛する父上母上、王はわたしに二週間だけ許しをくださいました。そしてきょうでその二週間が終わります。明日、王の都へ発たねばなりません。』父と母はこの道理にかなった申し出に快く承知し、王への贈り物を持っていくようにと言いました。しばらく頭を寄せ合って相談した末、贈り物は不死の木の実にしようということになりました。そこで翌朝早く、シュカは不死の木から実をもぎ、注意深くくちばしにくわえて空の旅に出ました。重い荷を運んでいたので、シュカはその日のうちに王の都へ着けず、道中で日が暮れてしまいました。そして一本の木に身を寄せましたが、この実をどこに置いたものか困りました。くちばしにくわえたままでは、眠ったときに落ちてしまうに決まっています。幸い、身を寄せた木の幹に穴があるのを見つけたので、そこに実を入れました。ところがその穴には一匹の蛇がいて、夜のうちにその実に牙を突き立て、毒を塗りつけてしまったのです。烏が鳴く前の早朝、シュカは何も疑わずに不死の実をくちばしにくわえ、空の旅を始めました。シュカは、王が大臣たちと座っているところへ着きました。王は愛鳥がまた来たのを喜び、シュカが贈り物として持ってきた美しい実にたいそう感嘆しました。その実は見た目にもまことに美しく、地上でいちばん愛らしい実で、その名のとおり食べる者を不死にするのです。王はそれを食べようとしましたが、廷臣たちは、毒の実かもしれないので召し上がらぬほうがよいと申しました。そこで王はそれを、壁にとまっていた烏に投げてやりました。烏はその一部を食べましたが、たちまち落ちて死にました。王は、シュカが自分の命を奪おうとしたのだと思い込み、この鳥を捕らえて殺しました。王は、毒の実と思われたその種を都の外の庭に植えよと命じました。その種はやがて大きな木になり、愛らしい実をつけました。王は木のまわりに柵を設け、人々が実を食べて死なぬように番人を置かせました。その都に、施しで暮らす年老いたバラモンとその妻が住んでいました。ある日、バラモンは自分の辛い境遇を嘆き、物乞いのみじめな暮らしを送るくらいなら、王の庭の毒の木の実を食べて生涯を終えようと妻に告げました。そこでその夜、王の庭に入り込もうと寝床から起き出しました。妻は夫の企てを察してあとを追い、自分も実を食べて夫とともに死のうと心を決めました。その夜更けには番人が眠っていたので、老いたバラモンは実をもいで食べました。妻は夫に言いました。『あなたが死ぬのなら、わたしの命が何になりましょう。わたしも食べて死にます。』そう言って実をもいで食べました。毒が効くまでには時がかかるだろうと思って、二人は家へ帰って寝床に横になり、もう二度と起き上がるまいと思っていました。ところが翌朝、このうえない驚きとともに、二人は自分たちが生きているばかりか、若く力にあふれていることに気づきました。隣人たちにはもうそれと分からぬほど、二人はすっかり変わっていました。老いたバラモンは美しく力強くなり、白髪も頬の皺もなくなっていました。妻はといえば、王家のどの女にも劣らぬ美しさになっていました。王はこの不思議な変わりようを聞いて老いたバラモンを呼び、バラモンは一部始終を語りました。すると王は愛鳥の悲しい運命をたいそう嘆き、よく調べもせずに殺してしまったことで自らを責めました。

"Hence it is," continued the youngest prince, "that I told your majesty that before you cut off a man's head you should inquire whether the man is really guilty. I know your majesty thinks that last night I entered your chamber with wicked intent. Be pleased to hear me before you strike. Last night as I was on my rounds I saw a female figure come out of the palace. On challenging her she said that she was Rajlakshmi, the guardian deity of the palace; and that she was leaving the palace as the king would be killed that night. I told her to come in, and that I would prevent the king from being killed. I went straight into your bedroom, and saw a large cobra going round and round your golden bedstead. I killed the cobra, cut it up into a hundred pieces, and put them in the pan dish. But while I was cutting up the snake, a drop of its blood fell on the breast of my mother; and then I thought that while I had saved my father I had killed my mother. I wrapped round my tongue a piece of cloth sevenfold and licked up the drop of blood. While I was licking up the blood, my mother opened her eyes and noticed me. This is what I have done; now cut off my head if your majesty wishes it."

「ですから」と末の王子は続けた。「わたしは陛下に、人の首を刎ねる前に、その者がまことに罪を犯したかどうかをお調べくださいと申し上げたのです。陛下は、昨夜わたしが邪な心であなたの寝間に入ったとお思いでしょう。どうか打たれる前にお聞きください。昨夜、見回りをしていると、女の姿が宮殿から出てくるのを見ました。誰何すると、自分はこの宮殿を守る神ラージラクシュミーであり、王が今夜殺されるので宮殿を去るのだと申しました。わたしは中へお入りください、王が殺されぬようにしますと告げました。そしてまっすぐあなたの寝間へ入り、大きなコブラがあなたの黄金の寝台のまわりをぐるぐる回っているのを見ました。わたしはコブラを殺し、百の切れに刻んでパンの器に入れました。けれども蛇を刻んでいるあいだに、その血の一滴が母上の胸に落ちました。そのときわたしは、父を救ったが母を殺してしまったと思いました。そこで舌に布を七重に巻きつけ、その血の一滴を舐め取りました。血を舐めているあいだに母上が目を開けてわたしを見たのです。わたしがしたのはこれだけです。さあ、陛下がお望みなら、わたしの首を刎ねてください。」

The king filled with joy and gratitude embraced his son, and from that time loved him more even than he had loved him before.

王は喜びと感謝に満たされて息子を抱きしめ、そのときから、以前にも増してこの子を愛した。

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。