Big Begum and Little Begum

Emily Alexander, Mandeville.

語り手 エミリー・アレグザンダー(マンデヴィル)

There was two sons named Big Begum and Little Begum. Big Begum was very rich and Little Begum was very poor. One day, Little Begum found a bag of money and sent to Big Begum to borrow his quart pan to measure the money. Big Begum was very envious, didn’t like to see Little Begum prosper. So he wondered what Little Begum was doing with the quart pan. He got some grease and greased the bottom of the pan to find out. Little Begum measured the money and, not looking in the pan to see that a coin had fastened in the bottom, sent it back to Big Begum. Big Begum saw the money in the pan and was surprised to know where Little Begum got this money from, so he threatened Little Begum if he did not tell him he would kill him.

大ビーガムと小ビーガムという名の二人の息子がいた。大ビーガムはたいそう金持ちで、小ビーガムはたいそう貧しかった。ある日、小ビーガムは金の袋を見つけ、金を量るために一クォートの升を貸してくれと大ビーガムに使いをやった。大ビーガムはたいそう妬み深く、小ビーガムが栄えるのを見たくなかった。それで小ビーガムが升で何をするのか不思議に思い、脂を手に入れて升の底に塗り、それを突きとめようとした。小ビーガムは金を量り、升のなかを見て硬貨が底にくっついているのに気づかないまま、大ビーガムに返した。大ビーガムは升のなかの金を見て、小ビーガムがどこでこの金を手に入れたのか知りたくなり、話さなければ殺すと脅した。

So Little Begum told him that he had killed three of his horses, carried the meat to the market and hung it up in the market crying out, “Fresh meat for sale, bit a pound!” Big Begum now went home, killed three of his horses and carried the meat to the market and gave the same alarm; but no one came to buy it. So he was so sorry!

そこで小ビーガムは、自分の馬を三頭殺して、その肉を市場へ運び、吊るして「新鮮な肉だよ、一ポンドいくらだ!」と呼ばわったのだと話した。そこで大ビーガムは家へ帰って自分の馬を三頭殺し、その肉を市場へ運んで同じように呼ばわった。だが誰も買いに来なかった。それでたいそう悔しがった!

He went back home, called Little Begum, put him in a bag and tied him on a tree to stay till he came back. While Little Begum was there, he saw a man passing with a herd of sheep and he cried out. The man went up and asked what was the matter. He said that Big Begum wanted him to go to him and he did not want to go. So the man with the herd of sheep said he wanted to go, and Little Begum told him to take him out the bag if he wished to get there. The man took him out and went into the bag; Little Begum tied it as tight as he could, and the man told him to take charge of the herd of sheep. So he went away with the herd of sheep, leaving the man there.

大ビーガムは家へ帰り、小ビーガムを呼んで袋に入れ、自分が帰るまでそこにいろと木に縛りつけた。小ビーガムがそこにいると、羊の群れを連れた男が通りかかるのが見えたので、大声をあげた。男が近寄ってどうしたのかと尋ねた。小ビーガムは、大ビーガムが自分を呼び寄せたいのだが自分は行きたくないのだと言った。すると羊の群れを連れた男は、自分が行きたいと言い、小ビーガムは、行きたければ自分を袋から出してくれと言った。男は小ビーガムを出して、自分が袋に入った。小ビーガムはできるだけきつく縛り、男は羊の群れを預かってくれと言った。そこで小ビーガムは羊の群れを連れて立ち去り、男をそこに残していった。

Big Begum came up now with his cutlass and chopped the bag so fine that he could hardly believe it was a man, and buried it. So when he buried it, he went round the corner whistling and singing beautiful songs, feeling quite happy that he had killed Little Begum. But as he turned the corner, he saw Little Begum with the herd of sheep. He was so surprised! He said, “Is that you, Little Begum? I thought I had chopped you up a while ago and buried you!” Little Begum said, “If you had chopped me up a little finer and buried me a little deeper, I would get a herd of cows instead of a herd of sheep!” So Big Begum told Little Begum to chop him up as fine and bury him as deep, so he might get the cows. So Little Begum chopped him up very fine and buried him. That was the End of Big Begum!

大ビーガムが山刀を持ってやってきて、袋を、これが人間だったとはとても思えないほど細かく切り刻み、埋めた。そして埋めてしまうと、角を曲がりながら口笛を吹き、美しい歌を歌い、小ビーガムを殺したことにすっかり満足していた。ところが角を曲がると、小ビーガムが羊の群れを連れているのが見えた。大ビーガムはたいそう驚いた! そして言った。「小ビーガム、おまえか? さっき切り刻んで埋めたと思ったのに!」 小ビーガムは言った。「もう少し細かく切り刻んで、もう少し深く埋めてくれていたら、羊の群れの代わりに牛の群れが手に入っただろうに!」 そこで大ビーガムは小ビーガムに、自分をそれくらい細かく切り刻んでそれくらい深く埋めてくれ、そうすれば牛が手に入るだろうと言った。そこで小ビーガムは大ビーガムをたいそう細かく切り刻んで埋めた。これが大ビーガムの最期だった!