The Stolen Charm

A very rich man kept a puppy and a fox-cub. Besides these he possessed a tiny silver model of a ship,--a charm given to him by some god, what god I know not. One day this charm was stolen, and could nowhere be found. The rich man was so violently grieved at this, that he lay down and refused all food, and was like to die. Meanwhile the puppy and the fox-cub played about in his room. But when they saw, after some time, that the man was really going to die, the fox-cub said to the puppy: "If our master dies, we shall die of hunger too; so we had better search for the charm." So they consulted as to the best way to search for it; and at last the fox-cub was struck by the idea that the ogre who lived at the top of the large mountain that stands at the end of the world might have stolen the charm and put it into his box. The fox-cub seemed to see that this had really happened. So the two little animals determined to go and rescue the charm from the ogre. But they knew that they could not accomplish this alone, and resolved to add the rat[-god] to their number. So they invited the rat, and the three went off, dancing merrily.

たいそう金持ちの男が、子犬と子狐を飼っていた。そのほかに、小さな銀の舟の模型を持っていた。どこかの神——どの神かは知らない——から授かったお守りである。ある日このお守りが盗まれて、どこにも見つからなかった。金持ちはこれをひどく嘆いて、横になって食べ物を一切受けつけず、死にそうになった。そのあいだ子犬と子狐は男の部屋で遊びまわっていた。けれどもしばらくして、男が本当に死にそうなのを見ると、子狐は子犬に言った。「ご主人が死んだら、ぼくたちも飢え死にしてしまう。だからお守りを探したほうがいい」そこで二匹はいちばんよい探し方を相談した。とうとう子狐は、世界の果てにそびえる大きな山のてっぺんに住む鬼がお守りを盗んで、自分の箱に入れたのかもしれないと思いついた。子狐には、それが本当に起こったことが見えるようだった。そこで二匹の小さな獣は、鬼からお守りを取り返しに行こうと決めた。けれども自分たちだけではやり遂げられないとわかっていたので、鼠[の神]を仲間に加えることにした。そこで鼠を誘い、三匹は楽しそうに踊りながら出かけていった。

Now the ogre was always looking steadily in the direction of the sick rich man, hoping that he would die. So he did not notice the approach of the fox-cub, the dog, and the rat. So when they reached the ogre's house, the rat, with the help of the fox-cub, scooped out a passage under and into the house, by which all three made their way in. They then decided that it must be left to the rat to get hold of the charm by nibbling a hole in the box in which it was kept. Meanwhile the fox-cub assumed the shape of a little boy, and the puppy that of a little girl,--two beautiful little creatures who danced and went through all sorts of antics, much to the amusement of the ogre. The ogre was, however, suspicious as to how they had come into the house, and whence they had come, for the doors were not open. So he determined just to divert himself awhile by watching their frolics, and then to kill them. Meanwhile the rat had nibbled a hole in the box. Then getting into it, he rescued the charm, and went out again through the passage in the ground. The little boy and girl disappeared too; how, the ogre could not tell. He made to pursue them through the door, when he saw them fleeing. But on second thoughts he came to the conclusion that, having once been taken in by a fox, there was no use in further endeavours. So he did not follow the three animals as they fled away.

さて鬼は、病気の金持ちが死ぬのを願って、いつもそちらのほうをじっと見つめていた。それで子狐と犬と鼠が近づいてくるのに気づかなかった。そこで鬼の家に着くと、鼠が子狐に手伝ってもらって、家の下からなかへ通じる抜け道を掘り、三匹ともそこから入り込んだ。それから三匹は、お守りの入っている箱に穴をかじってお守りを手に入れるのは鼠に任せるしかないと決めた。そのあいだに子狐は小さな男の子の姿を、子犬は小さな女の子の姿をとった——二人のかわいらしい子どもで、踊ったりあらゆるおどけたしぐさをしたりしたので、鬼はたいそう面白がった。けれども戸は開いていなかったので、鬼は二人がどうやって家に入り、どこから来たのか怪しんだ。そこでしばらく二人のはしゃぎぶりを見て楽しんでから、殺してしまおうと決めた。そのあいだに鼠は箱に穴をかじりあけていた。それからなかへ入ってお守りを取り返し、地面の抜け道からまた出ていった。小さな男の子と女の子も姿を消した。どうやって消えたのか、鬼にはわからなかった。二人が逃げていくのが見えたので、鬼は戸口から追いかけようとした。けれども考え直して、一度狐にだまされたからには、これ以上骨を折っても無駄だと結論した。それで逃げていく三匹の獣を追いかけなかった。

They returned to the village; the puppy and the fox-cub to their master's house, the rat to its own place. The puppy and the fox-cub took home with them the charm, and placed it by their master's pillow, playing about near him, and pulling his clothes a little with their teeth. At length he lifted his head and saw the charm. Then he worshipped it with great joy and gratitude. Afterwards the fox-cub and the puppy caused him to see in a dream how the charm had been recovered through the rat's assistance. So he worshipped the rat also.

三匹は村へ帰った。子犬と子狐は主人の家へ、鼠は自分の住みかへ。子犬と子狐はお守りを持ち帰って主人の枕もとに置き、そのそばで遊びまわって、主人の着物を歯で少し引っぱった。とうとう主人は頭を上げてお守りを見た。そしてたいそう喜び感謝してそれを拝んだ。そのあと子狐と子犬は、お守りが鼠の助けでどのように取り戻されたかを夢で主人に見せた。そこで主人は鼠も拝んだ。

For this reason the Ainos do not think so very badly of the rat after all. The fox, too, though often pursued by dogs, will sometimes make friends with them; and even when a dog is pursuing a fox, it will not bite the latter if it turns its face towards the pursuer.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 21st November, 1886.)

そういうわけで、アイヌは鼠をそれほど悪くは思っていない。また狐は、しばしば犬に追われるけれども、ときには犬と仲よくなる。犬が狐を追っているときでも、狐が追っ手のほうに顔を向ければ、犬は狐を噛まないのである。——(記憶から書き留めた。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年11月21日)