The Jackal and the Guana

A jackal once made itself a throne of bones near the river-side, and levied toll on all the animals that came there to drink water, making each say in turn these words:

むかし一匹の豺(ジャッカル)が川辺に骨で玉座をこしらえ、水を飲みに来るあらゆる獣から通行料を取り立てた。一匹ずつ順に、こう言わせたのである。

"Golden is your throne, Silver is its plaster, In your ears are golden earrings, And you sit like a Rajah."

「黄金なるはあなたの玉座、白銀なるはその漆喰、耳には黄金の耳飾り、そのお姿はまるで藩王。」

This praise pleased the jackal, and he was puffed up with his own importance.

この褒め言葉が豺の気に入り、豺は自分の偉さにすっかりのぼせ上がった。

One day a guana, or iguana, a very large lizard, called by the natives "Go," came to the river, but when the jackal asked it to repeat the words, it said: "Let me drink first, for I am dying of thirst;" so he let it drink, and when it had finished, it said:

ある日、土地の者が「ゴー」と呼ぶオオトカゲ——たいそう大きな蜥蜴——が川へやってきた。ところが豺があの言葉を唱えよと言うと、トカゲは「まず飲ませてくれ、喉が渇いて死にそうだ」と言った。そこで豺が飲ませてやると、飲み終えたトカゲはこう言った。

"Bones are your throne, With cow dung are they plastered, In your ears are shoes, And you sit like a jackal."

「骨なるはあなたの玉座、牛の糞なるはその漆喰、耳には古草履、そのお姿はまるで豺。」

This made the jackal wild with anger, so he ran after the Go to kill it, and caught its tail in his teeth, just as the Go was getting into a hole. "Hoo hoo," said the jackal.

これに豺は怒り狂い、ゴーを殺そうと追いかけて、ちょうどゴーが穴に入ろうとしたところで、その尻尾を歯でくわえた。「フー、フー」と豺は唸った。

"Don't say Hoo, say Ha," called the Go; so the jackal said "Ha!" and in order to say it, had to open his mouth, so the Go escaped!

「フーと言わずに、ハーとお言い」とゴーが呼びかけた。そこで豺は「ハー!」と言った。そう言うには口を開けねばならない。こうしてゴーは逃げおおせたのである!