The Man who lost his Wife

A man had lost his wife, and was searching for her everywhere, over hill and dale, forest and sea-shore. At last he came to a wide plain, on which stood an oak-tree. Going up to it he found it to be not so much an oak-tree as a house, in which dwelt a kind-looking old man. Said the old man: "I am the god of the oak-tree. I know of your loss, and have seen your faithful search. Rest here awhile, and refresh yourself by eating and smoking. After that, if you hope to find your wife again, you must obey my orders, which are as follows: Take this golden horse, get on his back, fly up on him to the sky, and, when you get there, ride about the streets, constantly singing."

ある男が妻を失い、丘も谷も森も浜辺も、あらゆるところを探しまわっていた。とうとう広い平原に来ると、そこに樫の木が一本立っていた。近寄ってみると、それは樫の木というより家で、そこには優しそうな老人が住んでいた。老人は言った。「わしは樫の木の神だ。お前が失ったものを知っているし、お前の誠実な探しぶりも見てきた。しばらくここで休み、食べたり煙草を吸ったりして元気を取り戻すがよい。そのあと、もう一度妻を見つけたいなら、わしの言いつけに従わねばならぬ。言いつけはこうだ。この金の馬を取って背に乗り、それに乗って空へ飛んでいき、着いたら、ずっと歌いながら通りを乗りまわせ」

So the man mounted the horse, which was of pure gold. The saddle and all the trappings were of gold also. As soon as he was in the saddle, the horse flew up to the sky. There the man found a world like ours, but more beautiful. There was an immense city in it; and up and down the streets of that city, day after day, he rode, singing all the while. Every one in the sky stared at him, and all the people put their hands to their noses, saying: "How that creature from the lower world stinks!" At last the stench became so intolerable to them that the chief god of the sky came and told him that he should be made to find his wife if only he would go away. Thereupon the man flew back to earth on his golden horse. Alighting at the foot of the oak-tree, he said to the oak-god: "Here am I. I did as you bade me. But I did not find my wife." "Wait a moment," said the oak-god; "you do not know what a tumult has been caused by your visit to the sky, neither have I yet told you that it was a demon who stole your wife. This demon, looking up from hell below, was so much astonished to see and hear you riding up and down the streets of heaven singing, that his gaze is still fixed in that direction. I will profit hereby to go round quietly, while his attention is absorbed, and let your wife out of the box in which he keeps her shut up."

そこで男は馬にまたがった。馬は純金でできていた。鞍もあらゆる馬具もやはり金だった。鞍に座るやいなや、馬は空へ飛び上がった。そこで男は、わたしたちの世界に似ているがもっと美しい世界を見つけた。そこには巨大な都があった。そしてその都の通りを、男は来る日も来る日も、ずっと歌いながら乗りまわした。空にいるだれもが男をじろじろ見て、人々はみな鼻に手を当てて言った。「あの下の世界の生きものは、なんと臭いのだろう」とうとうその悪臭が耐えがたくなったので、空のいちばん偉い神がやって来て、去ってくれさえすれば妻を見つけさせてやると告げた。そこで男は金の馬に乗って地上へ飛び戻った。樫の木のふもとに降り立つと、男は樫の神に言った。「戻りました。言われたとおりにしました。けれども妻は見つかりませんでした」「ちょっと待て」と樫の神は言った。「お前の空への訪問がどんな騒ぎを引き起こしたか、お前は知らない。それに、お前の妻を盗んだのが悪魔だということも、わしはまだ話していなかった。この悪魔は、下の地獄から見上げて、お前が歌いながら天の通りを乗りまわしているのを見聞きしてたいそう驚き、今もそちらをじっと見つめたままでいる。そのすきに、あいつが気を取られているあいだに、わしがそっと回っていって、あいつがお前の妻を閉じ込めている箱から出してやろう」

The oak-god did as he had promised. He brought back the woman, and handed over both her and the gold horse to the man, saying: "Do not use this horse to make any more journeys to the sky. Stay on earth, and breed from it." The couple obeyed his commands, and became very rich. The gold horse gave birth to two horses, and these two bred likewise, till at last horses filled all the land of the Ainos.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 21st July, 1886.)

樫の神は約束したとおりにした。女を連れ戻し、女と金の馬を男に渡して言った。「もうこの馬で空へ旅してはならぬ。地上にとどまって、この馬から子を殖やせ」夫婦は言いつけに従い、たいそう裕福になった。金の馬は二頭の馬を産み、その二頭も同じように子を産み、とうとうアイヌの国じゅうに馬が満ちた。——(記憶から書き留めた。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年7月21日)