Kulloo, a Faithful Dog

A certain Bunniah or merchant married a woman of his own caste, and set out to a distant city. On the way he fell ill with a headache, so she sat by the wayside and pressed his head. While doing so a man passed by, and asked for a little fire to light his cheelum for a smoke, but she replied: "I cannot leave my husband, for I am holding his head while he sleeps."

あるバニヤ(商人)が同じカーストの女をめとり、遠い町へ旅立った。途中で男は頭痛で具合が悪くなったので、女は道ばたに座って夫の頭を押さえてやった。そうしていると一人の男が通りかかって、チラム(水ぎせる)に火をつけて一服したいから少し火をくれと頼んだが、女は答えた。「夫のそばを離れられません。眠っているあいだ頭を押さえているのですから」

"Put some clothes under his head, and he will sleep," advised the stranger. This she did, but, while giving the fire to the man, he seized her, and, placing her upon his horse, rode away. When the Bunniah awoke, it was to find himself all alone but for his faithful dog Kulloo.

「頭の下に着物でも敷いておけば眠っていますよ」とよそ者は勧めた。女はそうしたが、男に火を渡していると、男は女をつかまえて馬に乗せ、走り去った。バニヤが目を覚ますと、そばには忠実な犬のクッルーのほか誰もいなかった。

"Master," said Kulloo, "let us become Fakirs, and beg from door to door." So they set out to beg, and one day came to the house of the robber who had stolen the Bunniah's wife; and she, not recognising her husband or his dog, gave them money and food. But the dog knew her, and that evening he spoke to his master, and asked him if he too had seen his wife. The Bunniah had not; and, guided by Kulloo, he set out to find her.

「ご主人さま」とクッルーは言った。「ファキール(行者)になって、戸口から戸口へ物乞いをして回りましょう」そこで二人は物乞いに出かけ、ある日、バニヤの妻を盗んだ盗賊の家に来た。女は夫にも犬にも気づかず、金と食べ物をくれた。けれども犬は女に気づいていて、その晩主人に、あなたも奥さんを見ましたかと尋ねた。バニヤは見ていなかったので、クッルーに案内されて女を探しに出かけた。

When they arrived at the robber's house, and made themselves known, the woman was greatly vexed, for the robber was rich, and gave her a very comfortable home; but she pretended to be friendly and invited her husband to dine there that night, telling him that, afterwards, when he had the chance, he could kill the robber.

盗賊の家に着いて名乗ると、女はひどく困った。盗賊は金持ちで、女にたいそう居心地のよい暮らしをさせていたからである。けれども女は親しげなふりをして、その晩夫を夕食に招き、あとで機会があれば盗賊を殺せばよいと言った。

When the Bunniah had gone, she and the robber arranged a trap for him. It was a hole in the floor, very large and deep, with spikes fixed in the sides of it, so that anybody who fell in might die. Over the hole they set a large brass thalee or plate, so that, while the Bunniah leaned heavily upon it to eat his food, both it and he would fall into the hole.

バニヤが帰ると、女と盗賊はバニヤのために罠をこしらえた。それは床に掘った、たいそう大きく深い穴で、落ちた者が死ぬように、側面に鋭い杭が打ちつけてあった。穴の上には、ターリーという大きな真鍮の皿を置いた。バニヤが食べ物を食べようとそれにぐっと寄りかかると、皿もバニヤも穴に落ちるようにしたのである。

All happened as they anticipated; and when the poor Bunniah found himself in a deep hole, full of spikes, he thought his last hour had come. But faithful Kulloo came to his rescue, and, taking out the spikes with his teeth, soon set his master free.

何もかも二人の思ったとおりになり、かわいそうなバニヤは、杭だらけの深い穴のなかにいるのに気づいて、最期の時が来たと思った。けれども忠実なクッルーが助けに来て、歯で杭を抜き取り、まもなく主人を自由にした。

The Bunniah then lost no time in seeking the robber, and found him lying fast asleep; so he killed him, and cut off his head, then, taking his wife with him, left the place.

それからバニヤはすぐに盗賊を探し、ぐっすり眠っているのを見つけたので、殺して首を切り落とし、妻を連れてその場を去った。

Kulloo followed closely, and licked up each drop of blood which fell from the robber's head, lest it might leave a trace of the deed, and get his master into trouble. He was a wise dog, and knew the woman was wicked, so she hated him, and made up her mind that she would neither eat nor drink until he was dead.

クッルーはすぐあとについていき、盗賊の首から垂れる血を一滴残らずなめ取った。それが行いの跡を残して主人を面倒に巻き込むといけないからである。クッルーは賢い犬で、女が邪悪なことを知っていたので、女はクッルーを憎み、クッルーが死ぬまで何も食べも飲みもしないと心に決めた。

The Bunniah enquired why she would not touch any food, and she told him she would only do so if he killed Kulloo. This the man refused to do; but, after a while, he consented. Poor Kulloo, when he knew his last hour had come, besought his master to bury him carefully, and to see that his head, which the Bunniah meant to cut off, was buried with him, for a time was yet to come when he would again save his master's life.

バニヤがなぜ何も口にしないのかと尋ねると、女は、クッルーを殺してくれたら食べると言った。男は断ったが、しばらくして承知した。かわいそうなクッルーは、最期の時が来たと知ると、自分を丁寧に葬ってくれるよう、そしてバニヤが切り落とすつもりでいる自分の首を一緒に埋めてくれるよう主人に頼んだ。いつかまた主人の命を救う時が来るからである。

After Kulloo was dead and buried the wicked woman was happy, and ate and drank as before; but, after a few days, she went and gave notice at the Court that the Bunniah was a cruel robber, who had killed her husband, and stolen her away. The police seized him, and he was taken up for murder; but, just as the Judge was about to pronounce the sentence of death upon him, he remembered faithful Kulloo; and at the same moment the dog appeared!

クッルーが死んで葬られると、邪悪な女は満足して、前のように食べたり飲んだりした。ところが何日かすると、女は役所へ行って、このバニヤは残酷な盗賊で、自分の夫を殺して自分をさらったのだと訴えた。警吏がバニヤを捕らえ、バニヤは人殺しの罪で引き立てられた。けれども、まさに裁き手がバニヤに死刑を言い渡そうとしたとき、バニヤは忠実なクッルーのことを思い出した。するとその瞬間、犬が現れた!

All were surprised when he stood before the Judge, and asked leave to speak. He then told the whole story of the robber and the wicked woman; and thus, for a second time, saved his master's life, but, having said his say, poor Kulloo disappeared and was never seen again.

犬が裁き手の前に立って話す許しを求めると、みな驚いた。それからクッルーは盗賊と邪悪な女の話をすっかり語り、こうして二度目に主人の命を救った。けれども言うべきことを言い終えると、かわいそうなクッルーは消えて、二度と姿を見せなかった。