The Fourth Wife Is the Wisest

There was a Bunniah who had an only son, who had married four wives; of these, three were fools, and only one was wise.

あるバニヤ(商人)にひとり息子がいて、その息子は四人の妻をめとっていた。そのうち三人は愚か者で、賢いのは一人だけだった。

For some reason the Rajah of that country got angry with the Bunniah, and said that he and all his family were to go away, for he would not permit them to remain in his kingdom any longer; also, they were not to take away any of their jewels or possessions with them, except such things as they were wearing at the time.

どういうわけか、その国の藩王がバニヤに腹を立てて、バニヤとその家族はみな出ていけ、もうこれ以上わが王国にとどまることは許さぬ、と言った。しかも、宝石や持ち物は、そのとき身につけている物のほかは何ひとつ持ち出してはならぬ、とのことだった。

Hearing this, the youngest of the four wives asked if she might be allowed to bake some bread, to take for them to eat on the journey.

これを聞くと、四人の妻のうちいちばん若い妻が、旅のあいだに食べるパンを焼いて持っていってもよいかと尋ねた。

This was permitted, and, in kneading the flour, she dropped four very valuable and beautiful rubies into it, and then having cooked the bread, showed it to the people as she left, and said: "See, I take nothing with me except this bread."

これは許された。妻は粉をこねながら、たいそう値打ちのある美しいルビーを四つそのなかに落とし込み、パンを焼き上げると、出ていくときにそれを人々に見せて言った。「ごらんなさい、わたしはこのパンのほかは何も持っていきません」

They journeyed far away into another country, and were very poor. Then the Bunniah said to his youngest daughter-in-law: "Daughter, what are we to do to live? We have no money and no clothes."

一家は遠く別の国へ旅をして、たいそう貧しかった。そこでバニヤはいちばん若い嫁に言った。「娘よ、暮らしていくにはどうしたらよかろう。金もなければ着る物もない」

She was silent for a long time, and then said: "We must sell our jewels, but in the meantime take this"--giving him one of the rubies--"and sell it."

嫁は長いこと黙っていたが、やがて言った。「宝石を売らなければなりません。でもさしあたってはこれを持っていって」——と、ルビーをひとつ渡して——「売ってください」

Now this ruby was worth a very great deal of money, and the Bunniah took it gratefully, thinking all the time what a wise girl his daughter-in-law was, to think of bringing it as she had done.

さて、このルビーはたいそうな大金に値するもので、バニヤはありがたく受け取りながら、こんなふうにこれを持ってくることを思いつくとは、うちの嫁は何と賢い娘だろうとずっと思っていた。

He then went to a rich merchant, who in reality was not a merchant at all, but a clever thief, and who, as soon as he set eyes on the ruby, knew it to be a valuable one, and determined to have it.

それからバニヤは金持ちの商人のところへ行った。ところがその商人は実はまるで商人などではなく、抜け目のない泥棒で、ルビーをひと目見るなり値打ち物だとわかって、手に入れてやろうと決めた。

"Go," said he to one of his servants, "and bring me a basket full of money that I may pay for this valuable stone;" and as the servant left, he turned to the Bunniah, offering him a chair, and said: "Sit down, friend."

「行って」と泥棒は召使いの一人に言った。「この値打ちのある石の代金を払えるように、籠いっぱいの金を持ってこい」そして召使いが出ていくと、泥棒はバニヤのほうを向いて椅子を勧めて言った。「おかけなさい、友よ」

Now this chair was a specially prepared one, being kept by the thief as a trap for the unwary. The seat was of raw cotton, under which was a great hole into which anybody who sat on the chair would fall. It was carefully covered over with a piece of clean white cloth, so that nothing was noticed.

さて、この椅子は特別にこしらえたもので、泥棒が油断した者をはめる罠として置いていたものだった。座面は生綿でできていて、その下に大きな穴があり、椅子に座った者はそこに落ちるのだった。上にはきれいな白い布が丁寧にかぶせてあったので、何ひとつ気づかれなかった。

On it the poor Bunniah sat, and as the soft cotton gave way under him, he found himself in the hole, over which the thief carefully placed a great stone and left him, while he quietly pocketed the ruby.

かわいそうなバニヤがそれに座ると、柔らかい綿が体の下で崩れて、バニヤは穴のなかにいた。泥棒はその上に大きな石を注意深く載せてバニヤをそのままにし、そっとルビーをポケットにしまった。

As the Bunniah did not return to his home for many days, his daughter-in-law called her husband, and gave him the second ruby. "Go, seek thy father," said she; "and if you find him, bring me back this ruby, and buy food and clothes with one you will find with him."

何日たってもバニヤが家に戻らないので、嫁は夫を呼んで二つ目のルビーを渡した。「行って、お義父さまを探して」と嫁は言った。「見つかったら、このルビーは持って帰ってきて、お義父さまが持っているルビーで食べ物と着る物を買ってちょうだい」

The young man searched high and low for his father, but, not finding him, he decided to sell his ruby, and by ill chance went to the same merchant who had robbed the Bunniah.

若い男は父をくまなく探したが見つからなかったので、自分のルビーを売ることに決め、運悪く、バニヤから盗んだあの同じ商人のところへ行ってしまった。

The thief treated him in exactly the same way, and, after having stolen the ruby, trapped him into the same hole as his father.

泥棒は息子にもまったく同じ扱いをして、ルビーを盗んだうえで、父と同じ穴に落とし込んだ。

Finding that neither husband nor father returned, the woman sold her jewels, and bought clothes and food for the rest of the family; but for herself she secretly bought the outfit of a policeman, or chowkidar, and resolved to work in that capacity. So she presented herself at the King's Court, and he, taking a fancy to the handsome face of the young man (for she was disguised as such), gave her employment.

夫も義父も帰ってこないので、女は自分の宝石を売って家族のほかの者たちに着る物と食べ物を買ってやった。けれども自分のためには、こっそり警吏、つまりチョウキダール(夜番)の装束をひとそろい買って、その役で働こうと決めた。そこで女は王の宮廷に出向いた。王はこの若者のりりしい顔が気に入って(女は若者に扮していたので)、女を雇った。

Living in the jungles near that place was a terrible "Rakhas," or evil spirit, and that night, while on duty, the new policeman was startled by a roar like that of a tiger; but as soon as the "Rakhas" perceived him, it assumed the form of a woman, and coming up, said weeping: "The Rajah has hanged my husband, and I wish to see him once more, but cannot reach because the gallows are high."

その土地の近くの密林に恐ろしい「ラークシャス」つまり悪霊が住んでいた。その夜、見張りをしていると、新しい警吏は虎のようなうなり声にびくりとした。ところが「ラークシャス」は警吏に気づくとすぐ女の姿になって、近づいてきて泣きながら言った。「藩王さまがわたしの夫を絞首刑になさいました。もう一度夫に会いたいのですが、絞首台が高くて届かないのです」

"Climb upon my back," said the policeman.

「わたしの背中にお乗りなさい」と警吏は言った。

The woman did so, but as soon as she got near enough she began to eat her supposed husband.

女はそうしたが、十分近くまで届くやいなや、夫だというその者を食べはじめた。

On this the young policeman, drawing his sword, cut off the woman's head, and as she fell, being enchanted, she disappeared, but a silver anklet from one of her feet was left behind.

これを見て若い警吏は剣を抜いて女の首を切り落とした。女は倒れると、魔物だったので消えてしまったが、片足にはめていた銀の足輪が残った。

Next morning the policeman carried the anklet to the King, and told him what had happened, and how the strange woman had disappeared as he struck her with his sword.

次の朝、警吏は足輪を王のもとへ持っていって、何があったか、剣で打つと不思議な女が消えたことを話した。

The King was much pleased at the youth's bravery, and also with the silver anklet, which was full of precious stones of great value, and, turning to the policeman, he said: "Ask what you will, and I will give it to you, even if you ask my daughter in marriage."

王は若者の勇敢さにたいそう喜び、また銀の足輪にも喜んだ。足輪にはたいそう値打ちのある宝石がびっしりはめ込まれていたのである。王は警吏のほうを向いて言った。「何でも望みを申せ。わが娘を嫁に欲しいと申しても、かなえてやろう」

The man replied: "O King, I ask nothing; but grant me, I pray you, control over the entire bazaar, that I may kill, banish, hang, or release, and do as I like with the people who dwell there."

警吏は答えた。「おお王よ、わたしは何も望みません。けれどもどうか、バザール(市場)全体を取り仕切る権限をお与えください。そこに住む者を殺すも、追放するも、縛り首にするも、放免するも、思いのままにできるように」

The King granted this request, and having discovered the thief in the supposed merchant, the policeman went to him and boldly demanded the release of his father and son.

王はこの願いを聞き届けた。警吏は商人と見せかけた者が泥棒だと突き止めると、その男のもとへ行って、父と息子を放せと大胆に要求した。

But the thief denied all knowledge of the affair.

けれども泥棒は、そんなことは何も知らないと言い張った。

Then the young man entered the shop, and, lifting up the great stone, beheld the two unfortunate men, who were nearly starved to death.

そこで若者は店に入って大きな石を持ち上げ、ほとんど飢え死にしかけている不運な二人の男を見つけた。

Having released them, he took the thief to the King, and told him what had happened. After they had hanged the wicked thief, the young policeman changed his clothes and appeared as a woman.

二人を助け出すと、若者は泥棒を王のもとへ連れていって、何があったかを話した。邪悪な泥棒を縛り首にしたあと、若い警吏は着物を着替えて女の姿で現れた。

The King was greatly surprised, but so pleased at all she had done, that he called her his "daughter," and gave her husband, father, and other relations money and goods, so that they lived in contentment for the rest of their lives.

王はたいそう驚いたが、女のしたことすべてにすっかり感心して、女を「娘」と呼び、女の夫や義父やほかの親類に金と品物を与えたので、一家は生涯満ち足りて暮らした。