The Snake and the Frog

A Rajah had two sons. The eldest ascended the throne after his father's death, but fearing lest his brother might interfere with him, he ordered him to be killed.

ある藩王に二人の息子がいた。父の死後、兄が王座についたが、弟に邪魔をされるのを恐れて、弟を殺すよう命じた。

The poor boy, hearing of this order, quietly left the house and escaped into the jungles, where he saw a snake with a frog in its mouth which it was trying to swallow.

かわいそうな若者はこの命令を聞くと、そっと家を出て密林へ逃げ込んだ。そこで若者は、蛙を口にくわえて呑み込もうとしている蛇を見た。

As the young Rajah approached, he heard the frog say: "Oh, if God would only send some one to rescue me from the snake, how thankful I should be."

若い藩王が近づくと、蛙がこう言うのが聞こえた。「ああ、神さまが誰か遣わして、この蛇から救ってくださったら、どんなにありがたいことか」

The Rajah, full of pity, threw a stone at the snake, and it immediately released the frog, which hopped away.

藩王は哀れに思って蛇に石を投げつけ、蛇はすぐに蛙を放し、蛙は跳んで逃げていった。

The snake remained still, dazed by the hurt received by the stone. Now, the Rajah felt sorry for it, and thought to himself: "I have taken away its natural food;" so, quickly cutting off a piece of his own flesh, he threw it to the snake, saying: "Here, take this instead."

蛇は石に当たったせいでぼうっとして、じっとしていた。さて、藩王は蛇が気の毒になって心のなかで思った。「わたしはこの蛇の本来の食べ物を取り上げてしまった」そこですばやく自分の肉をひと切れ切り取って蛇に投げてやり、言った。「さあ、代わりにこれをお取り」

The snake took it home, and when its wife saw it, she said: "This is very good flesh; where did you get it?"

蛇はそれを家へ持ち帰った。妻がそれを見て言った。「これはたいそうよい肉ね。どこで手に入れたの」

The snake told her what had happened, and she said: "Go back to that man and reward him for what he has done."

蛇が起こったことを話すと、妻は言った。「その人のところへ戻って、してくれたことに報いなさい」

Then the snake assumed the form of a man, and, going back to the Rajah, said: "I will be your servant, if you will take me."

そこで蛇は人間の姿になり、藩王のところへ戻って言った。「雇ってくださるなら、あなたの召使いになりましょう」

The Rajah agreed, and his new servant followed him.

藩王は承知し、新しい召使いは藩王についていった。

The frog, meantime, had also gone home and told his wife of the narrow escape he had from the snake, and how a man had saved him from its very jaws.

一方、蛙も家へ帰って、妻に、蛇からあやうく逃れたこと、一人の男が蛇の口から救ってくれたことを話した。

"Go back," said she, "and serve him, to prove your gratitude."

「戻って」と妻は言った。「その人に仕えて、感謝を示しなさい」

So he also took the form of a man and offered himself as a servant to the Rajah. "Come," said he, "and we three will live together."

そこで蛙もまた人間の姿になって、藩王に召使いとして仕えたいと申し出た。「おいで」と藩王は言った。「三人で一緒に暮らそう」

Then they entered a city belonging to a great King, and the three of them offered to work for him.

それから三人は偉大な王の治める町に入り、三人ともその王のもとで働きたいと申し出た。

"But," said the young Rajah, "I will only work on condition that you pay me a thousand rupees a day."

「ただし」と若い藩王は言った。「一日に千ルピー払ってくださるという条件でなければ働きません」

To this the King agreed, and they were employed by him.

王はこれに承知し、三人は雇われた。

The young Rajah gave his own two followers one hundred rupees a day; and, after putting aside one hundred for his own requirements, distributed the rest in charity.

若い藩王は二人の従者に一日百ルピーずつ与え、自分の入り用に百ルピー取っておいて、残りは施しに配った。

One day the King went to take a bath in the tank, or pond, and while bathing, his ring slipped off and fell into the water.

ある日、王が溜め池、つまり池へ水浴びに行き、水浴びをしているうちに指輪が抜けて水に落ちてしまった。

He therefore called the young Rajah and said to him: "Go and get my ring which is in that tank."

そこで王は若い藩王を呼んで言った。「あの溜め池に落ちたわしの指輪を取ってまいれ」

This made the youth very sad, "For," thought he, "how am I to get a ring from the bottom of a tank?"

これに若者はたいそう悲しくなった。「だって」と若者は思った。「どうやって溜め池の底から指輪を取ってこられよう」

But his servant who had once been a frog begged him not to be sad, and said: "I will get it for you."

けれどももとは蛙だった召使いが、悲しまないでくださいと頼んで言った。「わたしが取ってまいります」

So, quickly taking his old form, he dived into the water and restored the ring to his master, who took it to the King.

そこで召使いはすばやくもとの姿になって水に潜り、主人に指輪を返した。主人はそれを王のもとへ持っていった。

Some time after this the King's daughter was bitten by a snake, and in great danger of death. "Make my child well," demanded the King of the young Rajah. But this was hard to do, and the youth became sadder than ever.

しばらくして、王の娘が蛇に噛まれて、死にそうな危ない目にあった。「娘を治せ」と王は若い藩王に命じた。けれどもこれは難しいことで、若者はいっそう悲しくなった。

"Do not despair," said his servant who had once been a snake, "but put me into the room where the child is, for I understand the treatment for snake-bite."

「絶望なさいますな」ともとは蛇だった召使いが言った。「わたしを子どものいる部屋に入れてください。蛇の咬み傷の治し方を心得ておりますから」

As soon as this was done he sucked out all the poison, and the child recovered.

そうされるやいなや、召使いは毒をすっかり吸い出し、子どもは回復した。

This so delighted the King that he called the young Rajah and offered him his daughter in marriage as a reward.

これに王はたいそう喜んで、若い藩王を呼び、褒美に娘を嫁にやろうと申し出た。

So the marriage took place, and they lived happily ever afterwards.

こうして婚礼が挙げられ、二人はそれからずっと幸せに暮らした。