The Story of a Pearl

A poor workman and his wife were once almost starving. Every day the man gathered sticks and sold them, while the woman remained at home.

むかし、貧しい職人とその妻が、飢え死にしかけていた。毎日、男は薪を集めて売り、女は家にいた。

"Wife," said the man one day, "come, we will both go and gather wood for sale to-day, so that, if we earn enough, we shall not eat rice only, but will buy a small fish, and eat that also."

ある日、男は言った。「なあ、今日は二人で薪を集めて売りに行こう。十分に稼げたら、米だけでなく小さな魚も買って食べられるからな」

The woman agreed, and having sold their stock of firewood, they returned home with a fish for dinner.

女は承知して、二人は薪を売ると、夕食の魚を持って家へ帰った。

On opening it, a small white bead, round and shining, fell upon the floor. The woman was attracted by its brightness, and locked it up in a box.

魚を開いてみると、丸く光る小さな白い玉が床に落ちた。女はその輝きに惹かれて、箱にしまって鍵をかけた。

Many days of poverty and hunger visited that household before the woman remembered the pretty stone found in the fish; but at last she thought of it, and took it to a Bunniah, who, as soon as he set eyes upon it, said: "Give me that, and I will give you as much as you can carry away of ghee and food and oil, not only to-day, but for many days, if you will come to my shop."

その家には貧しさと飢えの日々が幾日も訪れ、女は魚から出てきたきれいな石のことをようやく思い出した。けれどもとうとう思い出して、それをバニヤ(商人)のところへ持っていった。バニヤはひと目見るやいなや言った。「それをよこせば、ギー(澄ましバター)でも食べ物でも油でも、持てるだけやろう。今日だけでなく、店に来るなら何日でもやろう」

The foolish woman parted with her treasure, not knowing that it was a pearl of great value, and returned home laden with good things.

愚かな女は、それがたいそう値打ちのある真珠だとは知らずに宝を手放し、よい品物をどっさり抱えて家へ帰った。

The Bunniah chuckled with delight. He was crafty, like all Bunniahs, and, you may depend, never kept his promise: such was the foolishness of the woman, and such the cunning and greed of the man.

バニヤは大喜びでほくそえんだ。バニヤはどのバニヤとも同じくずる賢く、まちがいなく、約束など決して守らなかった。それほど女は愚かで、それほど男はずる賢く欲深かったのである。