The Punishment of Curiosity

In very ancient days, when the world had just been made, everything was still unsettled and dangerous. The crust of the earth was thin, and all was burning beneath. For this reason the people did not dare to venture outside of their huts even to obtain food: for they would have scorched their feet. So they were fed by the god Okikurumi, who used to fish for them, and then send round his wife Turesh with what he had caught. But he commanded the people to ask no questions, and never to attempt to look at Turesh's face. But one day an Aino in one of the huts was not content with being fed for nothing, and disobeyed Okikurumi's commands. He wished to see who the woman was that came round every day with food. So he waited till her hand was stretched in at the window, seized hold of it, and pulled her in by main force. She screamed and struggled; and, when she was inside the hut, she turned into a wriggling, writhing dragon. The sky darkened, the thunder crashed, the dragon vanished, and the hut was consumed by lightning. Okikurumi was very angry at what the man had done. So he left off feeding the people, and went away, none, knew whither. That is why the Ainos have been poor and miserable ever since that time.--(Written down from memory. Told by Kuteashguru, July, 1886.)

ごく昔、世界が造られたばかりのころ、何もかもまだ定まらず危なかった。大地の皮は薄く、その下ではすべてが燃えていた。そのため人々は、食べ物を得るためにさえ小屋の外へ出ようとしなかった。足を焦がしてしまうからである。そこで人々はオキクルミの神に養われていた。オキクルミは人々のために魚を捕り、捕ったものを妻のトゥレシに持たせて配らせていた。けれどもオキクルミは、何も尋ねてはならず、トゥレシの顔を決して見ようとしてはならないと人々に命じていた。ところがある日、ある小屋のアイヌの一人が、ただで養われていることに満足せず、オキクルミの命令に背いた。毎日食べ物を持って回ってくる女がだれなのか見たかったのである。そこで女の手が窓から差し入れられるのを待って、その手をつかみ、力ずくでなかへ引き込んだ。女は叫んでもがいた。そして小屋のなかに入ると、身をくねらせのたうつ竜に変わった。空は暗くなり、雷が轟き、竜は消え、小屋は稲妻に焼き尽くされた。オキクルミは男のしたことにたいそう腹を立てた。そこで人々を養うのをやめ、どこへともなく去っていった。それ以来アイヌが貧しく惨めなのは、そのためである。——(記憶から書き留めた。語り手クテアシュグル、1886年7月)