The Brahmin and the Wild Geese

There was once a Brahmin who had a large family, and was very poor. Every day he went out into the Bazaar to beg, but whether he begged for only an hour, or for the whole day, he seldom succeeded in getting a seer of atta (two pounds of flour).

むかし、大家族を抱えたたいそう貧しいバラモンがいた。バラモンは毎日バザール(市場)へ物乞いに出かけたが、一時間だけ乞うても一日じゅう乞うても、アーター(小麦粉)一セール(二ポンドの粉)を手に入れられることはめったになかった。

Now this made his wife very angry, for she thought that the longer he begged, the more he should gain. She suspected that he sold what he was given, instead of bringing it home for his family, so she accused him and beat him soundly.

さて、これにバラモンの妻はたいそう腹を立てた。長く乞えばそれだけ多くもらえるはずだと思ったのである。妻は、夫がもらった物を家族のために持ち帰らずに売ってしまっているのではないかと疑って、夫を責め、さんざんに打ちすえた。

The Brahmin was deeply vexed at her treatment, and determined to go to the river and there drown himself; yet when he tried to do so, his courage failed, so he alternately threw himself into the water and then changed his mind and came out again.

バラモンはこの仕打ちにひどく心を痛め、川へ行って身を投げようと決めた。ところがいざそうしようとすると勇気がくじけ、水に身を投げては思い直して上がってくるのを、かわるがわる繰り返した。

His conduct attracted the attention of a couple of wild geese, who had their nest near by.

そのふるまいが、近くに巣を構えていた野生のガンの夫婦の目を引いた。

"I wonder what that man is doing; I think I will go and see," said the gander; but his wife advised him not, "for who knows the ways of human beings."

「あの男は何をしているんだろう。行って見てこよう」と雄のガンが言ったが、妻はやめなさいと忠告した。「人間のやり方なんて、誰にわかるものですか」

Yet he would not listen, and going up to the Brahmin, asked him the reason of his strange conduct.

それでも雄は耳を貸さず、バラモンのところへ行って、その妙なふるまいのわけを尋ねた。

The Brahmin told him everything, and when he had done the goose said: "Shut your eyes till I tell you to open them."

バラモンが何もかも話すと、話し終えたところでガンは言った。「わたしが開けろと言うまで目を閉じていなさい」

The Brahmin did as he was told, and on opening his eyes, the goose held out to him in its beak, a most valuable and beautiful ruby.

バラモンが言われたとおりにして目を開けると、ガンはくちばしに、この上なく値打ちのある美しいルビーをくわえて差し出していた。

"Take this, my friend, and sell it to a Rajah, and then your troubles will be all over."

「友よ、これを取って藩王に売りなさい。そうすればあなたの苦労はすっかりおしまいです」

The Brahmin thanked him warmly, and went off with his treasure to the nearest State; there the Rajah looked at the ruby, but said he could not afford to buy so valuable a gem unless the Brahmin would accept for it seven mule loads of money. This the Brahmin gladly consented to do, and returned to his home a rich man.

バラモンは心から礼を言って、宝を持っていちばん近い藩王国へ出かけた。そこで藩王はルビーを見て、これほど値打ちのある宝石は買えない、バラモンがラバ七頭分の荷の金で承知してくれるなら別だが、と言った。バラモンは喜んで承知し、金持ちになって家へ帰った。

Some time after this, the poor Rajah who had bought the ruby got leprosy, and called all the physicians he could find to cure him. One of these said he would be cured if he ate the flesh of a wild goose, and applied its fat to his hands.

しばらくして、ルビーを買ったかわいそうな藩王が癩病にかかり、見つけられるかぎりの医者を呼んで治させようとした。医者の一人が、野生のガンの肉を食べ、その脂を両手に塗れば治ると言った。

That very day the Rajah sent for the Brahmin, and told him to go without delay and fetch him a wild goose, when he would reward him greatly. Now, the Brahmin loved money, and for his greed of gold, forgot all the kindness of the wild goose, and made up his mind to secure it; so he went to the river as before, and began to try and drown himself.

その日のうちに藩王はバラモンを呼び寄せ、ぐずぐずせずに行って野生のガンを取ってこい、そうすればたっぷり褒美を取らせると言った。さて、バラモンは金が好きで、黄金欲しさに野生のガンの親切をすっかり忘れ、ガンを手に入れようと心に決めた。そこで前のように川へ行って、身を投げようとしはじめた。

The geese watched him with much concern, for they wondered what had caused this fresh trouble, after all that had been done for him. Perhaps a thief had stolen the ruby. The old gander ran to enquire, but his wife warned him not to go.

ガンたちはたいそう気がかりな思いでバラモンを見守った。あれほどしてやったのに、今度は何が新しい悩みのもとになったのだろうと思ったのである。泥棒がルビーを盗んだのかもしれない。年取った雄のガンが尋ねに駆けていったが、妻はやめなさいと止めた。

"What is the matter, O Brahmin?"

「どうしたのです、おおバラモンよ」

"Nothing, my friend, except that I wish to behold your face again."

「何でもないのだ、友よ。ただもう一度あなたの顔を見たかっただけだ」

"Well, here I am."

「それなら、ほら、ここにいますよ」

"Ah, not so far, my friend; come nearer that I may caress you," cried the Brahmin.

「いや、そんなに遠くではなく、友よ、もっとこっちへおいで。なでてやりたいのだ」とバラモンは叫んだ。

So the foolish bird came nearer, and no sooner had he done so, than the Brahmin seized him and put him in a bag, with only his head out.

そこで愚かな鳥が近づくと、そうするやいなやバラモンはつかまえて、首だけ出して袋に入れてしまった。

As they went along, the poor goose shed bitter tears of reproach, and each tear became a beautiful pearl. The Rajah's son chanced to come that way, saw the pearls, and followed in their track, until he came to the spot where the Brahmin sat.

道々、かわいそうなガンは恨みの苦い涙を流し、そのひと粒ひと粒が美しい真珠になった。藩王の息子がたまたまそこを通りかかって真珠を見て、その跡をたどっていくと、バラモンの座っている場所に来た。

"What is in your bag?" he asked; "and why do pearls fall from it as you walk along?"

「袋に何が入っている」と王子は尋ねた。「それに、歩いていくと、どうしてそこから真珠がこぼれるのだ」

The Brahmin denied that he had anything in his bag, but the Prince would not listen, and accused him of theft; so at length he opened it, and displayed the wild goose.

バラモンは袋には何も入っていないと言い張ったが、王子は聞き入れず、盗みの疑いをかけたので、バラモンはとうとう袋を開けて、野生のガンを見せた。

The poor bird told the Prince of all he had done for the Brahmin, and of the poor return and ingratitude he was having now. This made the Prince very angry, and he at once released the goose, who gladly flew away.

かわいそうな鳥は、バラモンのためにしてやったことのすべてと、今受けているひどい報いと恩知らずのことを王子に話した。これに王子はたいそう怒って、すぐにガンを放してやり、ガンは喜んで飛び去った。

The Brahmin then went to the Rajah, and told him what his son had done, and orders were at once given to banish the Prince from the kingdom.

それからバラモンは藩王のところへ行って王子のしたことを話し、すぐさま王子を王国から追放せよという命令が下された。

Then the Prince went to the river and told the wild goose of his banishment, and, out of gratitude, the goose and his wife brought food and fruit daily, and placed it before him. This went on for some time, and then the geese decided to find a wife for their visitor.

そこで王子は川へ行って、野生のガンに追放されたことを話した。ガンとその妻は恩返しに毎日食べ物や果物を運んで、王子の前に置いた。しばらくそれが続いたあと、ガンたちはこの客人に妻を見つけてやろうと決めた。

Now a lovely Princess lived in a Palace close to that place; and one night, while she slept, the two geese joined wings under her bed, and carried her to the river. In the morning when she awoke she was surprised to find herself in this lonely place.

さて、その場所のすぐ近くの宮殿に美しい姫が住んでいた。ある夜、姫が眠っているあいだに、二羽のガンは姫の寝台の下で翼を組み合わせて、姫を川まで運んできた。朝、目を覚ますと、姫は自分がこんな寂しい場所にいるのに驚いた。

But the Prince met her and told her that he too was banished; and they became great friends and soon afterwards were married. The wild geese gave them many beautiful and valuable gifts, and they went to live in the former home of the Princess.

けれども王子が姫に会って、自分も追放された身だと話した。二人は大の仲よしになり、まもなく結婚した。野生のガンたちは二人に美しく値打ちのある贈り物をたくさん与え、二人は姫のもとの住まいで暮らした。