The Boiling Pot

Maud Baker, Dry River, Cock-pit country.

語り手 モード・ベイカー(コックピット地方、ドライ・リヴァー)

Once Cinderella and her godmother lived together, and godmother told her there was a certain room in the house that she wasn’t to enter at all. One day while godmother was out, Cinderella said she must see what was in that room. After going there, she was extra frightened to meet up a large pot boiling with blood and no fire underneath. When godmother came back, she found out that Cinderella had gone into the room. Calling her to her, she told her that she must tell her the truth now; when she went into the seventh chamber, what did she see? Cinderella replied, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” She asked her the same question again, and Cinderella repeated the same answer. Then she was so annoyed that she took Cinderella into a deep wood about ten miles away and asked again, “Cinderella, when you went into the seventh chamber, what did you see?” The girl again repeated, “Dear Godmother, I saw nothing and nothing shall I talk until my dying day!” The godmother threatened to cut out her tongue if she wouldn’t tell her the truth, but she kept saying the same as before, so then the godmother was so annoyed she cut out her tongue and left her there weeping extra.

むかしシンデレラと名づけ親がいっしょに暮らしていて、名づけ親はシンデレラに、家のなかのある部屋にはけっして入ってはいけないと言い聞かせていた。ある日、名づけ親が出かけているあいだに、シンデレラはあの部屋に何があるのか見なくてはと思った。行ってみると、下に火もないのに血が大釜いっぱいに煮え立っているのに出くわして、ひどく怯えた。名づけ親が帰ってくると、シンデレラが部屋に入ったことを知った。そして呼び寄せて、さあ本当のことを言いなさい、七つめの部屋に入ったとき何を見たのか、と言った。シンデレラは答えた。「名づけ親さま、わたくしは何も見ませんでした。死ぬ日まで何も申しません!」 名づけ親は同じ問いをまた発し、シンデレラは同じ答えを繰り返した。すると名づけ親はひどく腹を立てて、シンデレラを十マイルほど離れた深い森へ連れていき、また尋ねた。「シンデレラ、七つめの部屋に入ったとき何を見た?」 娘はまた繰り返した。「名づけ親さま、わたくしは何も見ませんでした。死ぬ日まで何も申しません!」 名づけ親は、本当のことを言わないなら舌を切り取ると脅したが、娘は前と同じことを言いつづけた。それで名づけ親はひどく腹を立てて舌を切り取り、娘をそこに置き去りにした。娘はひどく泣いていた。

Well, after a day passed, there was a king travelling through the woods and he saw this lovely little girl. And she was stripped naked and still weeping. The king asked her what she was doing there and she couldn’t tell at all, only cry. And the king took his silk handkerchief, wrapped her up and took her home with him. Some time after, the girl had a boy child for the king. The godmother heard of it all right, and when the ninth night came, godmother came in and stole away the baby and put a cat in the bed. When the king got up and saw the cat, and asked what she had done with the baby, she couldn’t tell, only weep all the time. Some time after, she had a girl baby. When the nine nights went round again, the goddie went to the bed, took the baby and put a big block of rotten wood in the bed. And the king was again amazed, asked her what she had done with his baby and she couldn’t tell, only cry. Well, the king threatened to imprison her for his two babies, but seeing her so fretful and pitiful, he gave her a chance. Some time after, she had a boy baby again. After the nine days came round again, they put up soldiers to keep guard in the room and all outside and round about the yard, and at the gate soldiers with guns and bayonets. And godmother came in and took away the baby and plastered up the mother’s mouth and everywhere in the bed with blood. So when the morning awoke now, the king believed that the girl had been eating all his babies, and he advertised around the country that she was to be hung on such a day.

さて一日たって、ある王が森を旅していて、この愛らしい娘を見つけた。娘は裸に剥かれ、なお泣いていた。王がそこで何をしているのかと尋ねても、娘は何も言えず、ただ泣くばかりだった。そこで王は絹の手巾を取って娘をくるみ、家へ連れ帰った。しばらくして、娘は王のために男の子を産んだ。名づけ親はそれを聞きつけ、九日めの夜、忍び込んで赤ん坊を盗み、寝床に猫を置いた。王が起きて猫を見て、赤ん坊をどうしたのかと尋ねても、娘は何も言えず、ただ泣きどおしだった。しばらくして、娘は女の子を産んだ。九日めの夜がめぐってくると、名づけ親はまた寝床へ行き、赤ん坊を取って、朽ちた木の大きな塊を寝床に置いた。王はまた驚いて、赤ん坊をどうしたのかと尋ねたが、娘は何も言えず、ただ泣くばかりだった。さて王は二人の赤ん坊のことで娘を牢に入れると脅したが、あまりに嘆き悲しんで哀れなので、もう一度だけ機会を与えた。しばらくして、娘はまた男の子を産んだ。九日めがめぐってくると、部屋にも外にも庭のまわりにも兵を立たせて見張らせ、門には鉄砲と銃剣を持った兵を置いた。ところが名づけ親が入ってきて赤ん坊を連れ去り、母の口と寝床じゅうに血を塗りたくった。そこで朝が来ると、王は娘が赤ん坊をみな食べたのだと信じて、何月何日に娘を絞首刑にすると国じゅうに触れを出した。

Well, after the day came around, all the high men gathered at the place to see her hung. After the sentence was passed and she was about to receive her death, some one called to them they must stop because some nobleman was coming. And they spied afar off one of the most beautifulest carriages glittering in the sun. So they waited until the carriage came, and it was that old godmother with the three children grown to a big size. And she came in and put the two boys on the king’s leg and the girl in the middle, and put in the girl’s tongue, and she was able to talk for herself now. Also, the godmother got a good sum of money from the king for the good care she had taken of the three children; and instead of sorrow, they had a merry day. And the king went home and married the girl and they lived very happily after that.

さてその日がめぐってくると、お偉方がみな娘の絞首刑を見にその場に集まった。判決が言い渡され、娘がいままさに死を受けようとしたとき、誰かが、身分あるかたが来られるから待てと叫んだ。そして遠くに、日を浴びて輝くたいそう美しい馬車が見えた。そこでみなは馬車が来るのを待った。乗っていたのはあの名づけ親で、三人の子はみな大きく育っていた。そして名づけ親は入ってきて、二人の男の子を王の膝に、女の子をそのあいだに坐らせ、娘の舌を戻してやった。娘はいまや自分で話せるようになった。また名づけ親は、三人の子をよく世話した礼として王から多額の金を受け取った。そして悲しみの代わりに楽しい一日となった。王は家へ帰って娘を娶り、二人はその後たいそう幸せに暮らした。