The Story of the Black Cow

There was a certain Brahmin whose wife died leaving him one little son. For some time the two lived happily together, but at last the Brahmin married for a second time, and the woman, who had a daughter of her own, was very unkind to her little stepson.

あるバラモンがいて、妻が小さな息子を一人残して死んだ。しばらく二人は幸せに暮らしていたが、とうとうバラモンは後妻をめとった。その女には自分の娘がいて、小さな継子にたいそうつらく当たった。

Each day the two children went out together to attend to the cattle, and at night they returned home to eat their food. But the cakes made by the Brahmin's wife for her stepson were of ashes, with just a little flour mixed in to give them the appearance of food, that the Brahmin might not notice; and the child ate in silence, for he was afraid to complain, yet, when he was alone in the forest he wept from hunger, and a black cow, one of the herd, saw this, and asked him what was the matter.

毎日二人の子どもは一緒に牛の世話に出かけ、夜になると家に帰って食事をした。けれどもバラモンの妻が継子のためにこしらえる菓子は灰でできていて、食べ物に見えるようにほんの少し粉を混ぜてあるだけだった。バラモンに気づかれないようにである。子どもは文句を言うのが怖くて黙って食べたが、森で一人になると空腹で泣いた。群れのなかの一頭の黒い雌牛がそれを見て、どうしたのかと尋ねた。

The boy told her everything, and presently she beat her hoofs upon the ground. As she did so, sweets of all kinds appeared, which the child ate greedily, and shared with his little sister, warning her the while not to mention at home what the black cow had done, lest the stepmother should be angry.

男の子が何もかも話すと、やがて雌牛はひづめで地面を打った。すると、あらゆる種類の菓子が現れたので、子どもはむさぼるように食べ、小さな妹にも分けてやった。そのあいだ妹に、継母が怒るといけないから、黒い雌牛のしたことは家で言わないでと言い聞かせた。

The stepmother meanwhile wondered to see how well the boy looked, and she resolved to keep watch, for she suspected that he drank the milk while tending her cows; so she told her little daughter to keep a good look-out on all his doings, and to let her know. At last the girl confessed that they ate sweets every day, and the black cow provided the feast.

一方、継母は男の子がずいぶん元気そうなのを不思議に思って、見張ってやろうと決めた。牛の世話をしながら乳を飲んでいるのだろうと疑ったのである。そこで小さな娘に、あの子のすることをよく見張って知らせるよう言いつけた。とうとう娘は、二人が毎日お菓子を食べていて、黒い雌牛がそのごちそうを出してくれるのだと白状した。

That day when the Brahmin came home his wife begged him to sell the black cow, and said she would neither sleep nor eat until this was done.

その日、バラモンが家に帰ると、妻は黒い雌牛を売ってくれとせがみ、そうしてくれるまで眠りも食べもしないと言った。

The poor boy was sad indeed when he heard this, and went at once to his favourite, where, throwing himself on the black cow's neck, he wept bitterly.

かわいそうな男の子はこれを聞いてほんとうに悲しくなり、すぐにお気に入りの雌牛のところへ行って、その首に身を投げかけて激しく泣いた。

"Do not weep, my child, but get up on my back, and I will carry you to a place of safety where we can still be together."

「泣くのはおよし、坊や。わたしの背にお乗り。二人がずっと一緒にいられる安全な場所へ運んであげるから」

So they escaped to a forest, and there lived in peace and security for many days.

そこで二人は森へ逃げて、そこで何日も平和に安心して暮らした。

Now, in the forest was a hole, which led to the home of the Great Snake, which, together with a bull, holds up the universe. Into this hole the black cow poured five seers of milk daily to feed the snake. This pleased the snake so much that he said one day: "I must go up into the world and see for myself the creature who is so good to me and who sends me such good milk to drink."

さて、森には穴があって、それは牡牛と一緒に宇宙を支えている大蛇の住まいに通じていた。この穴に、黒い雌牛は毎日五セールの乳を注いで大蛇を養った。大蛇はこれにたいそう喜んで、ある日言った。「世の中へ上がっていって、こんなに親切にしてくれて、こんなにおいしい乳を飲ませてくれる者を、この目で見なくては」

When he came he saw the black cow grazing with the boy beside her.

大蛇が来てみると、黒い雌牛が草を食んでいて、そのそばに男の子がいた。

The cow asked no favours for herself, but when the snake asked what she would like, she said she would like her son, as she called the Brahmin's son, to be clothed in gold from head to foot, and that all his body might shine as gold.

雌牛は自分のためには何ひとつ願わなかったが、大蛇が何が欲しいかと尋ねると、息子——雌牛はバラモンの息子をそう呼んでいた——に頭のてっぺんから足の先まで金をまとわせ、体じゅうが金のように輝くようにしてほしいと言った。

This wish the snake readily granted, but both cow and boy afterwards regretted their request, for they feared robbers.

大蛇はこの願いをすぐにかなえてやったが、雌牛も男の子もあとでこの願いを悔やんだ。盗賊が怖かったからである。

One day as the boy had his bath by the river, and combed his long locks of pure gold, some of his golden hair fell into the water, and was swallowed by a fish. This fish was caught by a fisherman, and taken for sale to the King's Palace. When they cut it open all present admired the lovely golden hair, and when the Princess saw it, she said she would never be happy again until she met the owner. The fisherman was asked where he caught the fish, and people were despatched in all directions in boats to search both far and wide.

ある日、男の子が川で水浴びをして、純金の長い髪をとかしていると、金の髪が何本か水に落ちて、魚に呑まれた。その魚は漁師に捕らえられ、王の宮殿へ売りに運ばれた。魚を切り開くと、その場にいた者はみな美しい金の髪に見とれた。王女がそれを見て、この持ち主に会うまでは二度と幸せにはなれないと言った。漁師はどこで魚を捕ったのかと尋ねられ、人々が舟であらゆる方角へ遣わされ、遠く広く探しまわった。

At last a man in one of the boats espied in the distance a beautiful shining object taking a bath by the river-side. Little by little the boat came closer and closer, until it was alongside; then the man called out and asked the bather to come a little nearer. At first the Brahmin's son would not listen, but after a time he came up to the boat, when, to his surprise, he was at once seized, tied up, and carried away.

とうとう一艘の舟に乗っていた男が、遠くの川べりで美しく輝くものが水浴びをしているのを見つけた。舟は少しずつ近づいていき、とうとう横づけになると、男は水浴びしている者に呼びかけて、もう少しこっちへ来てくれと頼んだ。初めバラモンの息子は耳を貸さなかったが、しばらくして舟のそばまで来ると、驚いたことにすぐさまつかまえられて縛られ、連れ去られた。

Arrived at the King's Palace he met the Princess, who was very beautiful; and when he saw her he forgot everything else, and thought only of her.

王の宮殿に着くと、息子はたいそう美しい王女に会い、王女を見るとほかのことはみな忘れて、王女のことばかり考えた。

After a short time they were married, and spent many happy days together; but some one chanced to offer them a sweet-meat made of curds, such as the black cow often gave her boy, and in a frenzy of remorse, the Brahmin's son remembered his faithful friend and hastened to the place in the distant forest where he had last seen her. Arrived there he found only a few bones of dead cattle strewn about.

まもなく二人は結婚して、幸せな日々を一緒に過ごした。ところがあるとき誰かが二人に、凝乳でこしらえた菓子を差し出した。それは黒い雌牛がよく男の子にくれたのと同じ菓子だったので、バラモンの息子は狂おしいほどの悔いに襲われて忠実な友を思い出し、最後に雌牛を見た遠い森の場所へ急いだ。着いてみると、死んだ牛の骨がいくらか散らばっているだけだった。

He was heart-broken at the sight, and gathered all the bones together into a funeral pyre, upon which he declared he would lay down his own life; but just as he was about to do this who should appear but his old friend, the black cow.

息子はそれを見て胸が張り裂けそうになり、骨をみな集めて火葬の薪の山を築き、その上で自分も命を捨てると言った。ところがまさにそうしようとしたとき、現れたのはほかならぬ昔の友、黒い雌牛だった。

They were overjoyed to see each other, and she told him she had only kept the bones there to test his affection; but now that she was satisfied that he had not forgotten her, the meeting was full of happiness and joy, so they held a great feast for many days and then went their separate ways as before.

二人は互いに会えて大喜びした。雌牛は、骨をそこに置いておいたのは息子の愛情を試すためだけだったと言った。けれども息子が自分を忘れていなかったとわかって満足したので、再会は幸せと喜びに満ちあふれ、二人は何日も盛大な宴を開いて、それから前のようにそれぞれの道を行った。