The Tongue-cut Sparrow

Long, long ago in Japan there lived an old man and his wife. The old man was a good, kind-hearted, hard-working old fellow, but his wife was a regular cross-patch, who spoiled the happiness of her home by her scolding tongue. She was always grumbling about something from morning to night. The old man had for a long time ceased to take any notice of her crossness. He was out most of the day at work in the fields, and as he had no child, for his amusement when he came home, he kept a tame sparrow. He loved the little bird just as much as if she had been his child.

むかしむかし、日本に爺さんと婆さんが住んでいた。爺さんは善良で心優しく、よく働く老人だったが、婆さんは筋金入りの意地悪で、小言ばかり言って家の幸せを台なしにしていた。朝から晩まで、いつも何かしらぶつぶつ言っていた。爺さんはもうずっと前から、婆さんの機嫌の悪さを気にとめるのをやめていた。昼間はたいてい畑に出て働き、子もなかったので、帰ってきたときの慰みに一羽の雀を飼っていた。爺さんはこの小さな鳥を、まるでわが子のように愛していた。

When he came back at night after his hard day’s work in the open air it was his only pleasure to pet the sparrow, to talk to her and to teach her little tricks, which she learned very quickly. The old man would open her cage and let her fly about the room, and they would play together. Then when supper-time came, he always saved some tit-bits from his meal with which to feed his little bird.

外での一日の骨折り仕事を終えて夜帰ってくると、雀をかわいがり、話しかけ、ちょっとした芸を教えることだけが唯一の楽しみだった。雀はそれをたいそう早く覚えた。爺さんは籠を開けて部屋のなかを飛ばせてやり、二人で一緒に遊んだ。そして夕餉の時が来ると、いつも自分の膳からうまいものを少し取り分けて、小さな鳥に食べさせた。

Now one day the old man went out to chop wood in the forest, and the old woman stopped at home to wash clothes. The day before, she had made some starch, and now when she came to look for it, it was all gone; the bowl which she had filled full yesterday was quite empty.

さてある日、爺さんは森へ薪を切りに出かけ、婆さんは家に残って洗濯をした。前の日に糊をこしらえておいたのだが、いざ探してみるとすっかりなくなっていた。きのう鉢いっぱいに満たしておいたのに、からっぽだったのである。

While she was wondering who could have used or stolen the starch, down flew the pet sparrow, and bowing her little feathered head—a trick which she had been taught by her master—the pretty bird chirped and said:

誰が糊を使ったのか、盗んだのかと不思議がっていると、飼い雀が舞い降りてきて、小さな羽毛の頭を下げ——主人に教えられた芸である——かわいらしい鳥はちゅんちゅんと鳴いて言った。

“It is I who have taken the starch. I thought it was some food put out for me in that basin, and I ate it all. If I have made a mistake I beg you to forgive me! tweet, tweet, tweet!”

「糊を取ったのはわたしです。あの鉢に入れておいてくださった餌だと思って、すっかり食べてしまいました。取り違えたのでしたら、どうかお許しください! ちゅん、ちゅん、ちゅん!」

You see from this that the sparrow was a truthful bird, and the old woman ought to have been willing to forgive her at once when she asked her pardon so nicely. But not so.

これでお分かりのとおり、雀は正直な鳥であって、これほど素直に許しを乞うたのだから、婆さんはすぐに許してやるべきだった。ところがそうはならなかった。

The old woman had never loved the sparrow, and had often quarreled with her husband for keeping what she called a dirty bird about the house, saying that it only made extra work for her. Now she was only too delighted to have some cause of complaint against the pet. She scolded and even cursed the poor little bird for her bad behavior, and not content with using these harsh, unfeeling words, in a fit of rage she seized the sparrow—who all this time had spread out her wings and bowed her head before the old woman, to show how sorry she was—and fetched the scissors and cut off the poor little bird’s tongue.

婆さんは雀をかわいいと思ったことなど一度もなく、こんな汚い鳥を家に置くなんて、わたしの手間が増えるばかりだと言って、幾度も夫と言い争っていた。だから今、この飼い鳥に文句をつける口実ができたのがうれしくてたまらなかった。婆さんは哀れな小鳥を悪い行いだと叱り、呪いさえした。そしてこの手厳しい、思いやりのない言葉だけでは足りず、怒りに任せて雀をつかみ——雀はこのあいだじゅう、申し訳なさを示そうと翼を広げて婆さんの前に頭を下げていた——鋏を持ってきて、哀れな小鳥の舌を切ってしまった。

“I suppose you took my starch with that tongue! Now you may see what it is like to go without it!” And with these dreadful words she drove the bird away, not caring in the least what might happen to it and without the smallest pity for its suffering, so unkind was she!

「その舌でわたしの糊を取ったんだろう! さあ、舌なしでいるのがどんなものか思い知るがいい!」この恐ろしい言葉とともに、婆さんは鳥を追い払った。その身に何が起ころうとまるで構わず、その苦しみにほんの少しの憐れみも持たなかった。それほど情け知らずだったのである。

The old woman, after she had driven the sparrow away, made some more rice-paste, grumbling all the time at the trouble, and after starching all her clothes, spread the things on boards to dry in the sun, instead of ironing them as they do in England.

婆さんは雀を追い払ってから、面倒だとぶつぶつ言いながら米の糊をもう少しこしらえ、着物にみな糊をつけると、イギリスでするように鏝を当てる代わりに、板に張って日に干した。

In the evening the old man came home. As usual, on the way back he looked forward to the time when he should reach his gate and see his pet come flying and chirping to meet him, ruffling out her feathers to show her joy, and at last coming to rest on his shoulder. But to-night the old man was very disappointed, for not even the shadow of his dear sparrow was to be seen.

夕方、爺さんが帰ってきた。いつものように帰り道、門にたどり着いて、飼い鳥が飛んで鳴きながら迎えに来て、喜びを示すように羽をふくらませ、とうとう肩にとまるときのことを楽しみにしていた。けれどもその晩、爺さんはひどく落胆した。いとしい雀の影さえ見えなかったからである。

He quickened his steps, hastily drew off his straw sandals, and stepped on to the veranda. Still no sparrow was to be seen. He now felt sure that his wife, in one of her cross tempers, had shut the sparrow up in its cage. So he called her and said anxiously:

爺さんは足を速め、急いで草鞋を脱いで縁側に上がった。それでも雀は見えない。きっと婆さんが、いつもの不機嫌の折に雀を籠に閉じ込めたのだろうと思った。そこで婆さんを呼んで、心配そうに言った。

“Where is Suzume San (Miss Sparrow) today?”

「きょうは雀さんはどこにいる。」

The old woman pretended not to know at first, and answered:

婆さんははじめ知らないふりをして答えた。

“Your sparrow? I am sure I don’t know. Now I come to think of it, I haven’t seen her all the afternoon. I shouldn’t wonder if the ungrateful bird had flown away and left you after all your petting!”

「おまえさんの雀かい。さあ、知らないね。そう言えば、午後じゅう見かけなかったよ。あんなにかわいがってやったのに、恩知らずの鳥が飛んで行ってしまったって不思議じゃないさ!」

But at last, when the old man gave her no peace, but asked her again and again, insisting that she must know what had happened to his pet, she confessed all. She told him crossly how the sparrow had eaten the rice-paste she had specially made for starching her clothes, and how when the sparrow had confessed to what she had done, in great anger she had taken her scissors and cut out her tongue, and how finally she had driven the bird away and forbidden her to return to the house again.

けれどもとうとう、爺さんが少しも引き下がらず、何度も何度も尋ね、飼い鳥に何が起きたかおまえは知っているはずだと言い張ったので、婆さんはすべて白状した。着物に糊をつけるためにわざわざこしらえた米の糊を雀が食べてしまったこと、雀がそれを認めたときに、腹立ちのあまり鋏を取って舌を切り取ったこと、そしてとうとう鳥を追い払って、二度と家に戻ってはならぬと言い渡したことを、不機嫌な調子で話した。

Then the old woman showed her husband the sparrow’s tongue, saying:

それから婆さんは雀の舌を夫に見せて言った。

“Here is the tongue I cut off! Horrid little bird, why did it eat all my starch?”

「これが切り取った舌だよ! いまいましい小鳥め、どうしてわたしの糊をみんな食べたんだろうね!」

“How could you be so cruel? Oh! how could you so cruel?” was all that the old man could answer. He was too kind-hearted to punish his be shrew of a wife, but he was terribly distressed at what had happened to his poor little sparrow.

「どうしてそんなむごいことができたのだ。ああ! どうしてそんなむごいことが」と言うほかに、爺さんには答えようがなかった。爺さんは気立てが優しすぎて、口やかましい妻を罰することもできなかったが、哀れな小さい雀の身に起きたことに、ひどく心を痛めた。

“What a dreadful misfortune for my poor Suzume San to lose her tongue!” he said to himself. “She won’t be able to chirp any more, and surely the pain of the cutting of it out in that rough way must have made her ill! Is there nothing to be done?”

「かわいそうな雀さんが舌を失うとは、なんという災難だ」と爺さんは独りごちた。「もう鳴くこともできまい。あんな手荒なやり方で切られた痛みで、きっと具合を悪くしているにちがいない! 何かしてやれることはないのか。」

The old man shed many tears after his cross wife had gone to sleep. While he wiped away the tears with the sleeve of his cotton robe, a bright thought comforted him: he would go and look for the sparrow on the morrow. Having decided this he was able to go to sleep at last.

意地の悪い婆さんが寝入ってしまってから、爺さんは幾度も涙を流した。木綿の着物の袖で涙をぬぐううちに、ひとつの明るい考えが慰めとなった。あす雀を探しに行こう、というのである。そう心を決めて、ようやく眠ることができた。

The next morning he rose early, as soon as ever the day broke, and snatching a hasty breakfast, started out over the hills and through the woods, stopping at every clump of bamboos to cry:

翌朝、爺さんは夜が明けるやいなや早く起き、慌ただしく朝飯をかき込んで、丘を越え森を抜けて出かけていき、竹やぶのひとかたまりごとに立ち止まっては呼ばわった。

“Where, oh where does my tongue-cut sparrow stay? Where, oh where, does my tongue-cut sparrow stay!”

「舌切り雀のお宿はどこだ。舌切り雀のお宿はどこだ!」

He never stopped to rest for his noonday meal, and it was far on in the afternoon when he found himself near a large bamboo wood. Bamboo groves are the favorite haunts of sparrows, and there sure enough at the edge of the wood he saw his own dear sparrow waiting to welcome him. He could hardly believe his eyes for joy, and ran forward quickly to greet her. She bowed her little head and went through a number of the tricks her master had taught her, to show her pleasure at seeing her old friend again, and, wonderful to relate, she could talk as of old. The old man told her how sorry he was for all that had happened, and inquired after her tongue, wondering how she could speak so well without it. Then the sparrow opened her beak and showed him that a new tongue had grown in place of the old one, and begged him not to think any more about the past, for she was quite well now. Then the old man knew that his sparrow was a fairy, and no common bird. It would be difficult to exaggerate the old man’s rejoicing now. He forgot all his troubles, he forgot even how tired he was, for he had found his lost sparrow, and instead of being ill and without a tongue as he had feared and expected to find her, she was well and happy and with a new tongue, and without a sign of the ill-treatment she had received from his wife. And above all she was a fairy.

昼の食事に休むことさえせず、午後もずいぶん更けたころ、大きな竹やぶの近くにいることに気づいた。竹やぶは雀の好んですみかとする場所である。そして果たしてその林のはずれに、自分のいとしい雀が待ち受けて迎えてくれるのが見えた。爺さんは喜びのあまりわが目を疑い、急いで駆け寄って挨拶した。雀は小さな頭を下げ、旧い友にまた会えた喜びを示そうと、主人に教わった芸をいくつも見せた。そして驚いたことに、昔のとおりに話すことができた。爺さんは起きたことのすべてをどれほどすまなく思っているかを語り、舌のことを尋ねて、舌もないのにどうしてこんなに上手に話せるのかと不思議がった。すると雀はくちばしを開けて、古い舌の代わりに新しい舌が生えているのを見せ、もう自分はすっかり達者なのだから、過ぎたことはもう考えないでくださいと願った。そこで爺さんは、この雀がただの鳥ではなく、仙の類なのだと知った。このときの爺さんの喜びようは、どれほど言っても言いすぎることはあるまい。苦労もすっかり忘れ、疲れていることさえ忘れた。失った雀を見つけたばかりか、恐れ、そう見つかるだろうと思っていたように病んで舌がないのではなく、達者で幸せに、新しい舌を持ち、妻から受けたむごい仕打ちの跡ひとつなくしていたのである。そして何より、この雀は仙の者であった。

The sparrow asked him to follow her, and flying before him she led him to a beautiful house in the heart of the bamboo grove. The old man was utterly astonished when he entered the house to find what a beautiful place it was. It was built of the whitest wood, the soft cream-colored mats which took the place of carpets were the finest he had ever seen, and the cushions that the sparrow brought out for him to sit on were made of the finest silk and crape. Beautiful vases and lacquer boxes adorned the tokonoma[1] of every room.

雀は爺さんについてくるように言い、前を飛んで、竹やぶの奥の美しい家へ導いた。爺さんは家に入って、そこがどれほど美しい場所かを知り、すっかり驚いた。家はこのうえなく白い木で建てられ、絨毯の代わりの柔らかな生成り色の畳は、今まで見たこともないほど上等で、雀が座るようにと出してくれた座布団は、最上の絹と縮緬でできていた。どの部屋の床の間[1]にも、美しい花瓶と蒔絵の箱が飾られていた。

[1] An alcove where precious objects are displayed.

[1] 貴重な品を飾る床の間のこと。

The sparrow led the old man to the place of honor, and then, taking her place at a humble distance, she thanked him with many polite bows for all the kindness he had shown her for many long years.

雀は爺さんを上座に案内し、それから自分はへりくだって離れた場所に座り、長年のあいだ示してくれた親切のすべてに、幾度も丁重に頭を下げて礼を述べた。

Then the Lady Sparrow, as we will now call her, introduced all her family to the old man. This done, her daughters, robed in dainty crape gowns, brought in on beautiful old-fashioned trays a feast of all kinds of delicious foods, till the old man began to think he must be dreaming. In the middle of the dinner some of the sparrow’s daughters performed a wonderful dance, called the “suzume-odori” or the “Sparrow’s dance,” to amuse the guest.

それから雀の御方——これからはそう呼ぼう——は、一族をみな爺さんに引き合わせた。それが済むと、上品な縮緬の着物をまとった娘たちが、美しい古風な膳にありとあらゆるごちそうを載せて運んできたので、爺さんは夢を見ているのではないかと思いはじめた。食事のなかばには、雀の娘たちが何人か、客を楽しませようと「雀踊り」という見事な舞を舞った。

Never had the old man enjoyed himself so much. The hours flew by too quickly in this lovely spot, with all these fairy sparrows to wait upon him and to feast him and to dance before him.

爺さんはこれほど楽しい思いをしたことがなかった。この美しい場所で、仙の雀たちにかしずかれ、もてなされ、目の前で舞われて、時はあまりに早く過ぎていった。

But the night came on and the darkness reminded him that he had a long way to go and must think about taking his leave and return home. He thanked his kind hostess for her splendid entertainment, and begged her for his sake to forget all she had suffered at the hands of his cross old wife. He told the Lady Sparrow that it was a great comfort and happiness to him to find her in such a beautiful home and to know that she wanted for nothing. It was his anxiety to know how she fared and what had really happened to her that had led him to seek her. Now he knew that all was well he could return home with a light heart. If ever she wanted him for anything she had only to send for him and he would come at once.

けれども夜が来て、その闇は、帰る道のりが長いこと、そろそろ暇を告げて家へ帰ることを考えねばならぬことを思い出させた。爺さんは心優しい女主人に、この立派なもてなしの礼を述べ、どうか自分に免じて、意地の悪い妻の手で受けた苦しみをみな忘れてほしいと頼んだ。そして、雀の御方がこれほど美しい住まいにいて、何ひとつ不自由していないと知ったことが、大きな慰めであり喜びなのだと告げた。どうしているか、本当は何があったのかを知りたいという気がかりこそ、自分をここまで探しに来させたのだ。今はすべてが無事だと分かったのだから、軽い心で帰れる。もし何か用があるときには、使いをよこしてくれさえすれば、すぐに来よう、と。

The Lady Sparrow begged him to stay and rest several days and enjoy the change, but the old man said he must return to his old wife—who would probably be cross at his not coming home at the usual time—and to his work, and there-fore, much as he wished to do so, he could not accept her kind invitation. But now that he knew where the Lady Sparrow lived he would come to see her whenever he had the time.

雀の御方は、幾日か泊まって休み、気晴らしをしてくださいと乞うたが、爺さんは、いつもの時刻に帰らないときっと機嫌を損ねるであろう老いた妻のもとへ、そして仕事へ戻らねばならないと言った。だから、そうしたいのはやまやまだが、この親切な招きは受けられない。けれども雀の御方の住まいが分かったのだから、暇のあるときにはいつでも会いに来よう、と。

When the Lady Sparrow saw that she could not persuade the old man to stay longer, she gave an order to some of her servants, and they at once brought in two boxes, one large and the other small. These were placed before the old man, and the Lady Sparrow asked him to choose whichever he liked for a present, which she wished to give him.

雀の御方は、これ以上とどまるよう爺さんを説き伏せられないと見ると、家来の何人かに言いつけて、たちまち二つの箱を運ばせた。ひとつは大きく、もうひとつは小さい。それが爺さんの前に置かれ、雀の御方は、贈り物として差し上げたいので、好きなほうを選んでくださいと言った。

The old man could not refuse this kind proposal, and he chose the smaller box, saying:

爺さんはこの親切な申し出を断りきれず、小さいほうの箱を選んで言った。

“I am now too old and feeble to carry the big and heavy box. As you are so kind as to say that I may take whichever I like, I will choose the small one, which will be easier for me to carry.”

「わたしはもう年を取って弱っているので、大きくて重い箱は運べません。好きなほうを取ってよいとおっしゃるご親切に甘えて、運びやすい小さいほうをいただきましょう。」

Then the sparrows all helped him put it on his back and went to the gate to see him off, bidding him good-by with many bows and entreating him to come again whenever he had the time. Thus the old man and his pet sparrow separated quite happily, the sparrow showing not the least ill-will for all the unkindness she had suffered at the hands of the old wife. Indeed, she only felt sorrow for the old man who had to put up with it all his life.

すると雀たちはみなで手を貸して箱を爺さんの背に負わせ、門まで見送りに出て、幾度も頭を下げて別れを告げ、暇があればまたおいでくださいと乞うた。こうして爺さんと飼い雀は、たいそう幸せに別れた。雀は、老いた妻の手で受けた仕打ちのすべてについて、恨みのかけらも見せなかった。それどころか、それを一生我慢してきた爺さんを気の毒に思うばかりであった。

When the old man reached home he found his wife even crosser than usual, for it was late on in the night and she had been waiting up for him for a long time.

爺さんが家に着くと、婆さんはいつにも増して機嫌が悪かった。夜もずいぶん更けていて、長いあいだ寝ずに待っていたからである。

“Where have you been all this time?” she asked in a big voice. “Why do you come back so late?”

「こんな時間までどこにいたんだい」と婆さんは大声で言った。「どうしてこんなに遅く帰ってくるんだい。」

The old man tried to pacify her by showing her the box of presents he had brought back with him, and then he told her of all that had happened to him, and how wonderfully he had been entertained at the sparrow’s house.

爺さんは、持ち帰った贈り物の箱を見せて婆さんをなだめようとし、それから自分の身に起きたことをすべて語り、雀の家でどれほど見事にもてなされたかを話した。

“Now let us see what is in the box,” said the old man, not giving her time to grumble again. “You must help me open it.” And they both sat down before the box and opened it.

「さあ、箱のなかに何があるか見てみよう」と爺さんは、婆さんにまたぶつぶつ言う暇を与えずに言った。「開けるのを手伝っておくれ。」そして二人は箱の前に座り、それを開けた。

To their utter astonishment they found the box filled to the brim with gold and silver coins and many other precious things. The mats of their little cottage fairly glittered as they took out the things one by one and put them down and handled them over and over again. The old man was overjoyed at the sight of the riches that were now his. Beyond his brightest expectations was the sparrow’s gift, which would enable him to give up work and live in ease and comfort the rest of his days.

まったく驚いたことに、箱には金銀の貨幣と、そのほか数々の貴い品が縁までいっぱいに詰まっていた。二人が品をひとつずつ取り出して置き、何度も何度も手に取ってみると、小さな家の畳はまばゆいばかりに輝いた。爺さんは、今や自分のものとなった財宝を見て大いに喜んだ。この雀の贈り物は、どんなに明るい望みをも超えていて、これがあれば仕事をやめて、残りの日々を安楽に暮らせるのであった。

He said: “Thanks to my good little sparrow! Thanks to my good little sparrow!” many times.

爺さんは「ありがたい雀さんのおかげだ! ありがたい雀さんのおかげだ!」と幾度も言った。

But the old woman, after the first moments of surprise and satisfaction at the sight of the gold and silver were over, could not suppress the greed of her wicked nature. She now began to reproach the old man for not having brought home the big box of presents, for in the innocence of his heart he had told her how he had refused the large box of presents which the sparrows had offered him, preferring the smaller one because it was light and easy to carry home.

けれども婆さんは、金銀を見て驚き満足した最初のひとときが過ぎると、その邪な性の欲を抑えきれなくなった。そして、なぜ大きな箱のほうを持ち帰らなかったのかと爺さんを責めはじめた。爺さんは心に邪気がないままに、雀たちが差し出した大きな贈り物の箱を断り、軽くて持ち帰りやすいからと小さいほうを選んだのだと話してしまっていたのである。

“You silly old man,” said she, “Why did you not bring the large box? Just think what we have lost. We might have had twice as much silver and gold as this. You are certainly an old fool!” she screamed, and then went to bed as angry as she could be.

「この愚かな爺さんめ」と婆さんは言った。「どうして大きい箱を持ってこなかったんだい。どれだけ損をしたか考えてもごらん。この倍の金銀が手に入ったかもしれないのに。まったくおまえさんは大馬鹿者だよ!」と金切り声をあげ、それからこのうえなく腹を立てたまま床についた。

The old man now wished that he had said nothing about the big box, but it was too late; the greedy old woman, not contented with the good luck which had so unexpectedly befallen them and which she so little deserved, made up her mind, if possible, to get more.

爺さんは、大きな箱のことなど言わなければよかったと思ったが、もう遅かった。欲深い婆さんは、思いがけず転がり込んだ、自分にはとうてい値しない幸運にも満足せず、できることならもっと手に入れようと心を決めた。

Early the next morning she got up and made the old man describe the way to the sparrow’s house. When he saw what was in her mind he tried to keep her from going, but it was useless. She would not listen to one word he said. It is strange that the old woman did not feel ashamed of going to see the sparrow after the cruel way she had treated her in cutting off her tongue in a fit of rage. But her greed to get the big box made her forget everything else. It did not even enter her thoughts that the sparrows might be angry with her—as, indeed, they were—and might punish her for what she had done.

翌朝早く、婆さんは起き出して、雀の家への道を爺さんに詳しく話させた。爺さんは婆さんの腹づもりを知って行かせまいとしたが、むだであった。婆さんは爺さんの言うことをひと言も聞こうとしなかった。腹立ちに任せて舌を切るという、あんなむごい仕打ちをしておきながら、婆さんが雀に会いに行くのを恥じもしないとは、不思議なことである。けれども大きな箱への欲が、ほかのすべてを忘れさせたのだ。雀たちが自分に腹を立てているかもしれないとは——実際そうだったのだが——そしてしたことの報いを受けさせるかもしれないとは、思いもよらなかったのである。

Ever since the Lady Sparrow had returned home in the sad plight in which they had first found her, weeping and bleeding from the mouth, her whole family and relations had done little else but speak of the cruelty of the old woman. “How could she,” they asked each other, “inflict such a heavy punishment for such a trifling offense as that of eating some rice-paste by mistake?” They all loved the old man who was so kind and good and patient under all his troubles, but the old woman they hated, and they determined, if ever they had the chance, to punish her as she deserved. They had not long to wait.

雀の御方が、最初に見つかったときのような、口から血を流して泣いている痛ましい姿で帰ってきてからというもの、その一族と親類はみな、あの婆さんのむごさのことばかり話していた。「どうしてあの人は」と互いに言い合った。「間違って糊を少し食べたくらいの些細な過ちに、あれほど重い罰を与えられたのだろう。」みな、あれほど優しく善良で、あらゆる苦労を辛抱強く耐える爺さんを慕っていたが、婆さんは憎んでいて、もし機会があれば、しかるべき罰を与えようと決めていた。その機会を長く待つことはなかった。

After walking for some hours the old woman had at last found the bamboo grove which she had made her husband carefully describe, and now she stood before it crying out:

何時間か歩いたのち、婆さんはとうとう、夫に念入りに教えさせた竹やぶを見つけ、その前に立って呼ばわった。

“Where is the tongue-cut sparrow’s house? Where is the tongue-cut sparrow’s house?”

「舌切り雀のお宿はどこだ。舌切り雀のお宿はどこだ。」

At last she saw the eaves of the house peeping out from amongst the bamboo foliage. She hastened to the door and knocked loudly.

やがて竹の葉のあいだから家の軒がのぞいているのが見えた。婆さんは急いで戸口へ行き、激しく叩いた。

When the servants told the Lady Sparrow that her old mistress was at the door asking to see her, she was somewhat surprised at the unexpected visit, after all that had taken place, and she wondered not a little at the boldness of the old woman in venturing to come to the house. The Lady Sparrow, however, was a polite bird, and so she went out to greet the old woman, remembering that she had once been her mistress.

家来たちが雀の御方に、昔のご主人が戸口に来てお目にかかりたいと申していますと告げると、御方はあんなことがあったあとの思いがけない訪れにいささか驚き、婆さんが臆面もなくこの家に来る大胆さに、少なからずあきれた。けれども雀の御方は礼儀正しい鳥であったので、かつて自分の主人であったことを思って、婆さんを迎えに出た。

The old woman intended, however, to waste no time in words, she went right to the point, without the least shame, and said:

けれども婆さんは、言葉に時を費やすつもりなどなかった。恥じらいのかけらもなく、いきなり用件を切り出して言った。

“You need not trouble to entertain me as you did my old man. I have come myself to get the box which he so stupidly left behind. I shall soon take my leave if you will give me the big box—that is all I want!”

「うちの爺さんにしたようなもてなしなど、しなくていいよ。あの人が愚かにも置いてきた箱を、自分で取りに来たんだからね。大きい箱をくれさえすれば、すぐにおいとまするよ——欲しいのはそれだけさ!」

The Lady Sparrow at once consented, and told her servants to bring out the big box. The old woman eagerly seized it and hoisted it on her back, and without even stopping to thank the Lady Sparrow began to hurry homewards.

雀の御方はすぐに承知して、家来に大きな箱を運び出させた。婆さんはむさぼるようにそれをつかんで背に負い、雀の御方に礼を言うために立ち止まりもせず、急いで家路につきはじめた。

The box was so heavy that she could not walk fast, much less run, as she would have liked to do, so anxious was she to get home and see what was inside the box, but she had often to sit down and rest herself by the way.

箱はあまりに重かったので、早く歩くことも、まして走ることもできなかった。早く家に着いて箱のなかを見たくてたまらなかったのだが、道々たびたび座って休まねばならなかった。

While she was staggering along under the heavy load, her desire to open the box became too great to be resisted. She could wait no longer, for she supposed this big box to be full of gold and silver and precious jewels like the small one her husband had received.

重い荷を背によろめきながら進むうちに、箱を開けたいという思いは抑えきれないほど大きくなった。もう待てなかった。この大きな箱には、夫がもらった小さいほうと同じく、金銀や貴い宝石がいっぱい詰まっているものと思い込んでいたからである。

At last this greedy and selfish old woman put down the box by the wayside and opened it carefully, expecting to gloat her eyes on a mine of wealth. What she saw, however, so terrified her that she nearly lost her senses. As soon as she lifted the lid, a number of horrible and frightful looking demons bounced out of the box and surrounded her as if they intended to kill her. Not even in nightmares had she ever seen such horrible creatures as her much-coveted box contained. A demon with one huge eye right in the middle of its forehead came and glared at her, monsters with gaping mouths looked as if they would devour her, a huge snake coiled and hissed about her, and a big frog hopped and croaked towards her.

とうとうこの欲深く身勝手な婆さんは、道ばたに箱を下ろし、富の山を目にして舌なめずりするつもりで用心深く開けた。ところが目にしたものにあまりに怯えて、正気を失いかけた。蓋を持ち上げるやいなや、おぞましく恐ろしい姿の魔物がぞろぞろと箱から跳び出してきて、まるで殺そうとするかのように婆さんを取り囲んだ。悪夢のなかでさえ、この念願の箱に入っていたような恐ろしい者たちを見たことはなかった。額のまんなかに大きな目がひとつある魔物が来てにらみつけ、口をぱっくり開けた怪物たちは、今にも食らいつきそうに見え、大きな蛇がとぐろを巻いてしゅうしゅうと鳴り、大きな蛙が跳ねながらこちらへ鳴いてきた。

The old woman had never been so frightened in her life, and ran from the spot as fast as her quaking legs would carry her, glad to escape alive. When she reached home she fell to the floor and told her husband with tears all that had happened to her, and how she had been nearly killed by the demons in the box.

婆さんは生まれてこのかた、これほど怯えたことはなかった。震える足のかぎりの速さでその場から走り去り、生きて逃げられたことを喜んだ。家にたどり着くと、婆さんは床に倒れ込み、泣きながら、身に起きたことのすべてと、箱の魔物たちに危うく殺されかけたことを夫に話した。

Then she began to blame the sparrow, but the old man stopped her at once, saying:

それから雀を責めはじめたが、爺さんはすぐに婆さんを遮って言った。

“Don’t blame the sparrow, it is your wickedness which has at last met with its reward. I only hope this may be a lesson to you in the future!”

「雀を責めるな。おまえの悪い心が、とうとう報いを受けただけのことだ。これがこの先の戒めになればよいがな!」

The old woman said nothing more, and from that day she repented of her cross, unkind ways, and by degrees became a good old woman, so that her husband hardly knew her to be the same person, and they spent their last days together happily, free from want or care, spending carefully the treasure the old man had received from his pet, the tongue-cut sparrow.

婆さんはそれきり何も言わず、その日から意地の悪い情け知らずのやり方を悔い改め、少しずつ善良な婆さんになっていった。夫がまるで同じ人とは思えぬほどであった。二人は爺さんが飼い鳥の舌切り雀から受け取った宝を大切に使いながら、何ひとつ不足も心配もなく、晩年を幸せに過ごしたのである。