The Wicked Stepmother

In ancient days, when men were allowed to have several wives, a certain man had two--one about his own age, the other quite young,--and he loved them both with equal tenderness. But when the younger of the two bore him a daughter, his love for his daughter made him also perhaps a little fonder of the mother of the child than of his other wife, to the latter's great rage. She revolved in her mind what to do, and at last feigned a grave illness, pretending not to be able even to eat, though she did eat when everybody's back was turned. At last, being to all appearance on the point of death, she declared that one thing alone could cure her. She must have the heart of her little step-child to eat.

昔、男が何人も妻を持つことを許されていたころ、ある男に妻が二人いた——一人は自分と同じくらいの年で、もう一人はずっと若かった——そして男は二人を同じくらい優しく愛していた。けれども若いほうの妻が娘を産むと、娘への愛のせいで、男はもう一人の妻よりその子の母親のほうを少しかわいがるようになったらしく、もう一人の妻はひどく怒った。女はどうしたものかと思いめぐらし、とうとう重い病のふりをして、食べることさえできないふりをした。けれどもみなが背を向けているときには食べていた。とうとう見るからに死にかけているようになると、ただ一つのものだけが自分を治せると言い出した。幼い継子の心臓を食べなければならない、というのである。

On hearing this, the man felt very sad, and knew not what to do; for he loved this wicked wife of his and his little daughter equally dearly. But at last he decided that he might more easily get another daughter than another wife whom he would love as much as he did this one. So he commanded two of his servants to carry off the child to the forest while her mother was not looking, to slay her there, and bring back her heart. So they took her. But, being merciful men, they slew, instead of her, a dog that came by that way, and brought the child back secretly to her mother, who was much frightened to hear what had happened, and who fled with the child. Meanwhile the dog's heart was brought to the step-mother, who was so overjoyed at the sight of it, that she declared she required no more. So, without even eating it, she left off pretending to be sick.

これを聞いて男はたいそう悲しみ、どうしてよいかわからなかった。この悪い妻も幼い娘も同じくらい愛していたからである。けれどもとうとう、この妻と同じくらい愛せる別の妻を得るより、別の娘を得るほうがたやすいだろうと決めた。そこで召使いを二人呼んで、母親が見ていないすきに子を森へ連れ去り、そこで殺して心臓を持ち帰るよう命じた。そこで二人は子を連れていった。けれども慈悲深い男たちだったので、子のかわりにたまたま通りかかった犬を殺し、子はこっそり母親のもとへ連れ帰った。母親は起こったことを聞いてひどく怯え、子を連れて逃げていった。そのあいだに犬の心臓が継母のもとへ運ばれた。継母はそれを見るとあまりに喜んで、もう何もいらないと言った。そうして、それを食べもせずに、病気のふりをやめた。

For some time after this, she lived alone with her husband. But at last he was told of what had happened, and he grew very sullen. She, seeing this, wished for a livelier husband. So one day, when her husband was out hunting, a young man, beautifully dressed all in black, came and courted her, and she flirted with him, and showed him her breasts. Then they fled together, and came to a beautiful house with gold mats, where they slept together. But when she woke in the morning it was not a house at all, but a rubble of leaves and branches in the midst of the forest; and her new husband was nothing but a carrion-crow perching overhead, and her own body, too, was turned into a crow's, and she had to eat dung.

そのあとしばらく、女は夫と二人きりで暮らした。けれどもとうとう夫は起こったことを聞かされ、たいそう不機嫌になった。女はそれを見て、もっと陽気な夫が欲しくなった。そこである日、夫が狩りに出ているとき、全身黒ずくめの美しい着物を着た若者がやって来て女に言い寄り、女は若者とたわむれて、乳房を見せた。それから二人は一緒に逃げていき、金の敷物のある美しい家に着いて、そこで一緒に寝た。けれども朝目を覚ますと、そこは家などではなく、森の真ん中の木の葉や枝のがらくたの山で、新しい夫は頭上にとまっている腐肉あさりの鴉にすぎず、女自身の体も鴉の体に変わっていて、糞を食べねばならなかった。

But the former husband was warned in a dream to take back his younger wife and his child, and the three lived happily together ever after. From that time forward most men have left off the bad habit of having more than one wife.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, November, 1886.)

けれども前の夫は、若いほうの妻と子を連れ戻すよう夢で告げられ、三人はそれからずっと幸せに一緒に暮らした。そのとき以来、たいていの男は妻を一人より多く持つという悪い習いをやめたのである。——(記憶から書き留めた。語り手イシャナシテ、1886年11月)