Three Wise Men and the King's Daughter

A King had a very beautiful daughter, and was anxious that she should marry some one who had made himself famous in some particular way.

ある王にたいそう美しい娘がいて、王は、何か特別なことで名を上げた者と娘を結婚させたいと強く願っていた。

Three men in the city came forward and begged the King for her hand in marriage.

町の三人の男が進み出て、娘との結婚を王に願い出た。

"But what can you do?" asked the King.

「だが、そなたたちには何ができるのだ」と王は尋ねた。

"I can tell if a thing is lost, where to find it," said the first, "and produce it if required."

「なくしたものがあれば、どこにあるか言い当て、求められればそれを出してみせます」と一人目が言った。

The second said: "I can make such wonderful horses out of wood, that they can rise to any height and go anywhere."

二人目は言った。「わたしは木で不思議な馬をこしらえられます。その馬はどんな高さにも昇り、どこへでも行けます」

The third said: "I can shoot with my bow any living thing."

三人目は言った。「わたしは弓で、生きているものなら何でも射止められます」

The King was pleased, and went and told his daughter, asking her to choose which she would have as a husband.

王は喜んで、娘のところへ行ってそのことを話し、どの男を夫にするか選ぶよう言った。

"I will tell you to-morrow," said the girl.

「明日お答えします」と娘は言った。

The King agreed, but on the morrow she was nowhere to be found, and her father, much distressed, went to the three wise men.

王は承知したが、翌日、娘はどこにも見当たらなかった。父親はたいそう悩んで、三人の賢い男のところへ行った。

"Now," said he to the first, "tell me where my daughter is."

「さあ」と王は一人目に言った。「娘がどこにいるか教えてくれ」

"She is with the fairies," he replied, "and unless the one in charge of her is killed, she cannot return."

「姫は妖精たちのところにいます」と男は答えた。「姫を見張っている者を殺さないかぎり、帰ってはこられません」

Then the King turned to the other two men. To the horse-maker he said: "Go and make me a horse," and to the other: "Take your bow and arrow, mount the horse, and go and shoot the fairy: bring my daughter back with you."

そこで王はほかの二人のほうを向いた。馬作りには「行って馬をこしらえよ」と言い、もう一人には「弓矢を持って馬に乗り、行って妖精を射よ。娘を連れて帰るのだ」と言った。

Forthwith the men prepared: the horse was made, and mounted by the man with his bow and arrows, then they all disappeared into the skies. There they found the King's daughter guarded by a fairy.

ただちに男たちは支度をした。馬がこしらえられ、弓矢を持った男がそれにまたがり、それからみな空へ消えていった。そこで一行は、妖精に見張られている王の娘を見つけた。

The third man soon shot the fairy with his bow and arrow, and, lifting the Princess upon his horse, returned with her to her father.

三人目の男はたちまち弓矢で妖精を射止め、姫を馬に乗せて父親のもとへ連れて帰った。

Now each man felt that he had an equal claim upon her, and had earned her as his wife; so the King asked her to decide.

さて、どの男も、自分には姫を妻にする同じ権利があり、姫を妻に得るだけの働きをしたと思った。そこで王は娘に決めるよう言った。

"I will marry the man who shot the fairy," said she, "and no other."

「妖精を射た人と結婚します」と姫は言った。「ほかの人とはしません」

This decision being final, they had a grand feast in celebration of her marriage.

これで決まりとなり、姫の結婚を祝う盛大な宴が催された。

Moral.--Those who think they have the best claim, do not always attain their desires!

教訓——いちばん権利があると思っている者が、いつも望みを遂げるとはかぎらない!