The Monkey, the Tiger, and the Princess

Once upon a time there was a King who had seven sons, and he made up his mind that he would not let them marry unless they married seven sisters, so he sent his Brahmin to seek a Rajah who had seven daughters, and to bring him word. After a time the Brahmin succeeded, and found a Rajah who had seven daughters; so arrangements were speedily made for their marriage.

むかしむかし、七人の息子を持つ王がいて、息子たちが七人の姉妹と結婚するのでなければ結婚させまいと心に決めていた。そこで王はお抱えのバラモンを遣わして、七人の娘を持つ藩王を探し出して知らせるよう命じた。しばらくしてバラモンは首尾よく七人の娘を持つ藩王を見つけたので、婚礼の支度がすみやかに整えられた。

When the time came for the seven Princes to go and fetch their brides, the youngest said to his father: "If we all go, who is to look after the house, and all your property? Let me remain behind, and when my brothers return with their wives, they can bring my bride also."

七人の王子が花嫁を迎えに行く時が来ると、いちばん下の王子が父に言った。「みんなで行ってしまったら、誰が家と父上の財産を見るのです。わたしを残らせてください。兄たちが妻を連れて帰るとき、わたしの花嫁も連れてきてくれればよいのですから」

His father thought this a very wise suggestion, so they set out, leaving the youngest brother at home.

父はこれをたいそう賢い考えだと思ったので、一行はいちばん下の弟を家に残して出発した。

After the wedding festivities were over, the seven brides were carried along in doolies, with the six Princes for an escort, and they halted for the night near a tank or pond in the forest, but did not know that the place was full of tigers. At night the tigers formed a ring round the camp, and said they would eat every one in it unless one of the Princesses was given up to them.

婚礼の祝いが終わると、七人の花嫁はドゥーリー(輿)に乗せられ、六人の王子を護衛にして運ばれていった。一行は森のなかの溜め池のそばで夜を過ごすことにしたが、そこが虎だらけの場所だとは知らなかった。夜になると虎たちが野営のまわりを輪になって取り囲み、王女を一人差し出さなければ、ここにいる者をみな食べてしまうと言った。

None of the six Princes would give up his wife. At last they decided to leave the seventh Princess to the tigers.

六人の王子のうち誰も自分の妻を差し出そうとしなかった。とうとう一行は、七番目の王女を虎たちに残していくことに決めた。

When the procession arrived at the Rajah's Palace, the youngest Prince wondered why only six doolies had come, and asked what had become of his bride; but nobody would give him an answer.

行列が藩王の宮殿に着くと、いちばん下の王子は、どうして輿が六つしか来ないのかと不思議に思って、自分の花嫁はどうしたのかと尋ねたが、誰も答えようとしなかった。

At last an old man told him what had happened, and the young Prince, who was very angry and disappointed with his brothers, at once set out to seek his bride.

とうとう一人の老人が何があったかを話した。若い王子は兄たちにひどく腹を立て失望して、すぐに花嫁を探しに出かけた。

On the way he met a rat and a jackal, and they said: "May we go with you?" The Prince consented, and the three set out together, and walked or rode till evening, when they were overcome with fatigue and sat down to rest.

途中で王子はネズミと豺(ジャッカル)に出会い、二匹は言った。「一緒に行ってもいいですか」王子は承知して、三者は連れ立って出発し、夕方まで歩いたり馬に乗ったりしたが、疲れ果てて腰を下ろして休んだ。

The Prince fell asleep, but the jackal said to the rat: "I am very hungry, what shall we do for food? Do you eat the Prince's clothes, and I will eat his horse."

王子は眠ってしまったが、豺はネズミに言った。「ひどく腹が減った。食べ物はどうしよう。お前は王子の着物を食べろ、おれは馬を食べる」

No sooner did they agree than they carried out their plan. The rat ate all the clothes worn by the Prince, and the jackal ate his horse, so that when he awoke it was to find himself alone in the forest, without either horse or clothes.

二匹は話がまとまるやいなや、その計画を実行した。ネズミは王子の着ていた着物をすっかり食べ、豺は馬を食べてしまった。そのため王子が目を覚ますと、森のなかに一人きりで、馬も着物もなかった。

Just then a monkey came down from the tree, and asked him what was the matter.

ちょうどそのとき、一匹の猿が木から降りてきて、どうしたのかと尋ねた。

"I have told my troubles to two animals before, and do not wish to be betrayed by a third," said the Prince; to which the monkey replied: "A rat is a rat, and a jackal is a jackal, but I am a monkey; come with me and I will help you out of your troubles."

「わたしは前に二匹の獣に悩みを打ち明けたが、三匹目にまで裏切られたくはない」と王子が言うと、猿は答えた。「ネズミはネズミ、豺は豺、でもわたしは猿です。一緒においでなさい。困りごとから助け出してあげますよ」

Then they went to the Bazaar, where the monkey gave his friend the Prince some money, and told him to buy himself clothes. When he had bought the clothes, he gave him some more money and said to buy himself a sword and ornaments, and lastly to buy himself a horse, and the monkey advised that it should be a thin horse, fleet of limb.

それから二者はバザール(市場)へ行き、猿は友の王子にお金を渡して、着物を買うように言った。王子が着物を買うと、猿はもっとお金を渡して、剣と飾り物を買うように言い、最後に馬を買うように言った。猿は、痩せていて足の速い馬にするよう勧めた。

Then the two mounted the horse and rode into the forest, where they soon found the Princess sitting tied up in a den, with an old blind tiger in charge of her. The blind tiger held two strings; one was attached to the girl, and the other to a large tiger who had gone out with the rest of the tigers, but who, at the slightest pull of the string, was ready to return to give any assistance required of him.

それから二者は馬に乗って森へ入り、まもなく王女がほら穴のなかで縛られて座っているのを見つけた。年取った目の見えない虎が王女の番をしていた。目の見えない虎は二本の紐を握っていて、一本は娘につながり、もう一本はほかの虎たちと一緒に出かけている大きな虎につながっていた。その虎は、紐をほんの少し引かれただけで、どんな手助けでもしに戻ってくる手はずになっていた。

The monkey whispered to the girl to try and free herself, and meantime, he began to sweep the room, and busy himself, so that the old blind tiger might think the girl was busy at her household work.

猿は娘に、なんとか縄を解くようささやき、そのあいだに自分は部屋を掃きはじめてせわしなく立ち働いた。年取った目の見えない虎に、娘が家の仕事で忙しくしているのだと思わせるためである。

After a time the girl managed to get away, and she fled with the Prince, until the monkey thought they were at a safe distance; then he turned round and dealt several blows to the old blind tiger, who, in her turn, pulled the string. A great big tiger at once came to her assistance, and asked what had happened, but he was enraged to find that the girl had gone, and beat the old tiger soundly, before setting off in hot pursuit.

しばらくして娘はなんとか抜け出して王子と一緒に逃げ、猿はもう十分安全なところまで離れたと思うと、振り向いて年取った目の見えない虎を何度か殴りつけた。すると虎は紐を引いた。すぐに大きな大きな虎が助けに来て、何があったのかと尋ねたが、娘がいなくなっているのを知って激怒し、年取った虎をさんざんに打ちすえてから、猛然と追いかけた。

On the way he saw a man, who was in reality the monkey in disguise, sitting beside a funeral pyre.

途中で虎は、火葬の薪の山のそばに座っている一人の男を見た。実はそれは猿が化けていたのである。

"What is this for?" asked the tiger.

「これは何のためだ」と虎は尋ねた。

"A certain tiger," said the monkey, "has killed his mother to-day, and this is to burn her upon."

「ある虎が」と猿は言った。「今日母親を殺したので、これで母親を焼くのです」

The tiger felt remorse, for he had not meant to kill the old tiger, so he rushed back to the den, and this gave the fugitives time to escape yet further; but when the tiger found his mother alive and well, he was so angry that he dragged her out of the den by her feet and threw her on the ground.

虎は悔いにさいなまれた。年取った虎を殺すつもりなどなかったからである。そこで虎はほら穴へ駆け戻り、そのおかげで逃げる者たちはさらに遠くへ逃げる暇ができた。ところが虎は母親が生きていてぴんぴんしているのを見ると、ひどく腹を立てて、母親の足をつかんでほら穴から引きずり出し、地面に投げつけた。

Then he ran back to where the monkey was sitting and found him still busy with the funeral pyre, for he said that an old woman had been dragged out by her feet that day, and she was even now being carried to be burnt.

それから虎は猿の座っているところへ駆け戻ったが、猿はまだ火葬の薪の山のことでせわしくしていた。今日一人の年寄りの女が足をつかんで引きずり出されたので、その女がまさに今焼かれに運ばれてくるところだ、と猿は言った。

The tiger was filled with remorse at what he had done, and for a second time ran back to the den. By this time both the Prince and the Princess had escaped in safety, and the monkey joined them.

虎は自分のしたことを悔いる思いでいっぱいになって、二度目にほら穴へ駆け戻った。このころには王子も王女も無事に逃げおおせていて、猿も二人に合流した。

They were always good to him, but he pined for the woods and the forests; yet, whenever he asked to be allowed to return, they would not allow it. So one day he determined to make the Princess so angry that she would herself turn him out. He awaited his opportunity, and broke all the thread as she was spinning. The Princess threw something heavy at his head, and he feigned to fall down dead.

二人はいつも猿によくしてやったが、猿は森や林が恋しくてやつれていった。けれども帰らせてくれと頼むたびに、二人は許そうとしなかった。そこである日、猿は王女をうんと怒らせて、王女のほうから自分を追い出させてやろうと決めた。猿は機会をうかがって、王女が糸を紡いでいるときに糸をみな切ってしまった。王女が何か重い物を猿の頭に投げつけると、猿は倒れて死んだふりをした。

Great were the lamentations over the faithful monkey, and he was carried in solemn ceremony to be burnt, just as though he were a Rajah's son; but the moment they laid him upon the fire, up he jumped, and ran off.

忠実な猿のためにたいそうな嘆きがあがり、猿はまるで藩王の息子であるかのように、おごそかな儀式のうちに焼かれに運ばれた。ところが火の上に横たえられたとたん、猿は飛び起きて逃げていった。

The Princess scolded him for causing her such sorrow, but he explained that since there was no other way of getting back into the forest and regaining his liberty, he had thought this the best way. Then they all came home, and let the monkey sport in the forest as before.

王女はこんなに悲しませるなんてと猿を叱ったが、猿は、森へ戻って自由を取り戻すにはほかに手立てがなかったので、これがいちばんよいやり方だと思ったのだと説明した。それからみんなは家に帰り、猿を前のように森で遊ばせてやった。