How a Man got the better of two Foxes

A man went into the mountains to get bark to make rope with, and found a hole. To this hole there came a fox, who spoke as follows, though he was a fox, in human language: "I know of something from which great profit may be derived. Let us go to the place to-morrow!" To which the fox inside the hole replied as follows: "What profitable thing do you allude to? After hearing about it, I will go with you if it sounds likely to be profitable; and if not, not." The fox outside spoke thus: "The profitable thing to be done is this. I will come here to-morrow about the time of the mid-day meal. You must be waiting for me then, and we will go off together. If you take the shape of a horse, and we go off together, I taking the shape of a man and riding on your back, we can go down to the shore, where dwell human beings possessed of plenty of food and all sorts of other things. As there is sure to be among the people some one who wants a horse, I will sell you to him who thus wants a horse. I can then buy a quantity of precious things and of food. Then I shall run away; and you, having the appearance of a horse, will be led out to eat grass, and be tied up somewhere on the hillside. Then, if I come and help you to escape, and we divide the food and the precious things equally between us, it will be profitable for both of us." Thus spoke the fox outside the hole; and the fox inside the hole was very glad, and said: "Come and fetch me early to-morrow, and we will go off together."

ある男が縄をなう樹皮を取りに山へ入り、一つの穴を見つけた。この穴へ一匹の狐がやって来て、狐なのに人間の言葉でこう言った。「大きな得になるものを知っているんだ。明日そこへ行こう」すると穴のなかの狐がこう答えた。「どんな得になるものの話をしているんだい。聞いてみて、得になりそうなら一緒に行くし、そうでなければ行かないよ」外の狐はこう言った。「得になるのはこういうことだ。明日、昼飯どきにここへ来る。お前はそのとき待っていて、一緒に出かけよう。お前が馬の姿になり、わしが人の姿になってお前の背に乗って一緒に行けば、浜へ下りていける。そこには食べ物やあらゆる品をたっぷり持った人間が住んでいる。人々のなかにはきっと馬を欲しがる者がいるから、わしはお前をその馬の欲しい者に売る。そうすれば宝物や食べ物をたくさん買える。それからわしは逃げる。馬の姿のお前は草を食べに引き出されて、どこかの丘の斜面につながれるだろう。そこでわしが来てお前が逃げるのを手伝い、食べ物と宝物を二人で山分けすれば、どちらも得をするというわけだ」穴の外の狐はこう言い、穴のなかの狐はたいそう喜んで言った。「明日早く迎えに来てくれ。一緒に行こう」

The man was hidden in the shade of the tree, and had been listening. Then the fox who had been standing outside went away, and the man, too, went home for the night. But he came back next day to the mouth of the hole, and spoke thus, imitating the voice of the fox whom he had heard speaking outside the hole the day before: "Here I am. Come out at once! If you will turn into a horse, we will go down to the shore." The fox came out. It was a big fox. The man said: "I have come already turned into a man. If you turn into a horse, it will not matter even if we are seen by other people." The fox shook itself, and became a large chestnut [lit. red] horse. Then the two went off together, and came to a very rich village, plentifully provided with everything. The man said: "I will sell this horse to anybody who wants one." As the horse was a very fine one, every one wanted to buy it. So the man bartered it for a quantity of food and precious things, and then went away.

男は木の陰に隠れて聞いていた。それから外に立っていた狐は去っていき、男もその夜は家へ帰った。けれども翌日、男は穴の口へ戻ってきて、前の日に穴の外で話していた狐の声をまねてこう言った。「来たぞ。すぐに出てこい。馬に化けてくれたら、浜へ下りていこう」狐が出てきた。大きな狐だった。男は言った。「わしはもう人に化けて来た。お前が馬に化ければ、ほかの人に見られてもかまわない」狐は身をぶるっと震わせて、大きな栗毛[直訳は「赤い」]の馬になった。それから二人は一緒に出かけ、あらゆるものがたっぷりそろった、たいそう豊かな村に着いた。男は言った。「馬が欲しい人がいれば、この馬を売ろう」たいそう見事な馬だったので、みなが買いたがった。そこで男は馬をたくさんの食べ物や宝物と取り替え、それから去っていった。

Now the horse was such a peculiarly fine one that its new owner did not like to leave it out-of-doors, but always kept it in the house. He shut the door, and he shut the window, and cut grass to feed it with. But though he fed it, it could not (being really a fox) eat grass at all. All it wanted to eat was fish. After about four days it was like to die. At last it made its escape through the window and ran home; and, arriving at the place where the other fox lived, wanted to kill it. But it discovered that the trick had been played, not by its companion fox, but by the man. So both the foxes were very angry, and consulted about going to find the man and kill him.

さて、その馬はとりわけ見事だったので、新しい持ち主は外に置いておく気になれず、いつも家のなかに入れていた。戸を閉め、窓を閉め、草を刈って食べさせた。けれども食べさせても、馬は(本当は狐なので)草をまったく食べられなかった。食べたいのは魚ばかりだった。四日ほどたつと死にそうになった。とうとう窓から逃げ出して家へ走って帰り、もう一匹の狐の住むところに着くと、それを殺そうとした。けれども、いたずらをしたのは仲間の狐ではなく、あの男だとわかった。そこで二匹の狐はたいそう腹を立て、男を探し出して殺そうと相談した。

But though the two foxes had decided thus, the man came and made humble excuses, saying: "I came the other day, because I had overheard you two foxes plotting; and then I cheated you. For this I humbly beg your pardon. Even if you do kill me, it will do no good. So henceforward I will brew rice-beer for you, and set up the divine symbols for you, and worship you,--worship you for ever. In this way you will derive greater profit than you would derive from killing me. Fish, too, whenever I make a good catch, I will offer to you as an act of worship. This being so, the creatures called men shall worship you for ever."

けれども二匹の狐がそう決めたのに、男がやって来てへりくだって詫びて言った。「先日来たのは、お二人の狐さまが相談しているのを漏れ聞いたからで、それでだましてしまいました。これはどうかお許しください。わたしを殺しても何の得にもなりません。ですからこれからは、あなたがたのために酒を醸し、イナウ(神に捧げる削り掛け)を立ててお祀りします——いつまでもお祀りします。そのほうが、わたしを殺すより大きな得になるでしょう。魚も、たくさん捕れたときにはいつでも、お祀りとしてお供えします。そうすれば、人間と呼ばれる生きものは、いつまでもあなたがたを拝むでしょう」

The foxes, hearing this, said: "That is capital, we think. That will do very well." Thus spake the foxes. Thus does it come about that all men, both Japanese and Aino, worship the fox. So it is said.--(Translated literally. Told by Ishanashte, 15th July, 1886.)

狐たちはこれを聞いて言った。「それは結構だと思う。それでたいそうよかろう」狐たちはこう言った。こうして、和人もアイヌも、人はみな狐を拝むようになったのである。そう言われている。——(逐語訳。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年7月15日)