The Fox, the Otter, and the Monkey

In very ancient days, at the beginning of the world, there were a fox, an otter, and a monkey, all three of whom lived on the most intimate terms of friendship.

ごく昔、世界の始まりに、狐と川獺と猿がいて、三匹ともこのうえなく仲のよい友だちとして暮らしていた。

One day the fox spoke to the other two as follows: "What do you say to our going off somewhere, and stealing food and treasures from the Japanese?" His two companions having consented, they all went together to a distant place, and stole a bag of beans, a bag of salt, and a mat from the house of a very rich man. When they had come home with their plunder, the fox said: "Otter! you had better take the salt, for it will be useful to you in salting the fish which you catch in the water when you go fishing. Monkey! do you take the mat; it will be very useful for you to make your children dance upon. As for myself, I will take the bag of beans."

ある日、狐がほかの二匹にこう言った。「どこかへ出かけていって、和人から食べ物や宝を盗んでくるというのはどうだい」二匹の仲間が承知したので、三匹はそろって遠いところへ行き、たいそう金持ちの男の家から豆を一袋と塩を一袋とござを一枚盗んだ。盗んだ品を持って家へ帰ると、狐は言った。「川獺よ、お前は塩を取るがいい。漁に出て水のなかで捕った魚を塩漬けにするのに役に立つからね。猿よ、お前はござを取れ。その上で子どもたちを踊らせるのにとても役に立つだろう。わしはといえば、豆の袋をもらうことにしよう」

After this, all three retired to their respective houses; and a little later the otter went to the river to fish. But, as he took his bag of salt with him when he made the plunge, all the salt was melted in a moment, to his great disappointment. The monkey was equally unlucky; for, having taken his mat and spread it on the top of a tree, and made his children dance there, the children fell, and were dashed to pieces on the ground below.

そのあと三匹はそれぞれの家に引き上げた。しばらくして川獺が川へ漁に出かけた。けれども塩の袋を持ったまま水に飛び込んだので、塩はたちまちすっかり溶けてしまい、川獺はたいそうがっかりした。猿も同じく運が悪かった。ござを持っていって木のてっぺんに広げ、そこで子どもたちを踊らせたところ、子どもたちは落ちて、下の地面に叩きつけられて粉々になってしまったのである。

The monkey and the otter, enraged by the misfortunes which the fox's wiles had brought upon them, now joined together in order to fight the fox. So the latter took a lot of beans out of his bag, chewed them to a pulp, smeared all his body with the paste, and lay down pretending to be very ill. And when the otter and the monkey came and made to kill him, he said: "See to what a pitiful plight I am reduced! As a punishment for having deceived you, my whole body is now covered with boils, and I am on the point of death. There is no need for you to kill me. Go away! I am dying fast enough." The monkey looked, and saw that the fox seemed to be speaking the truth. So he went testily away, across the sea to Japan. That is the reason why there are no monkeys in the land of the Ainos.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 11th July, 1886.)

狐の悪だくみのせいで身に降りかかった不運に腹を立てた猿と川獺は、今度は力を合わせて狐と戦おうとした。そこで狐は袋から豆をたくさん取り出し、噛んでどろどろにして、その練り物を体じゅうに塗りつけ、ひどい病気のふりをして横になった。そして川獺と猿がやって来て殺そうとすると、狐は言った。「見てくれ、こんなに哀れな有様になってしまった。お前たちをだました罰で、体じゅうに腫れものができて、もう死にかけているのだ。わしを殺すことはない。帰ってくれ。放っておいてもすぐ死ぬのだから」猿は見て、狐が本当のことを言っているらしいと思った。そこで猿はぷりぷりしながら去っていき、海を渡って日本へ行ってしまった。アイヌの国に猿がいないのはそのためである。——(記憶から書き留めた。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年7月11日)