The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar

Long, long ago, there lived in the province of Shinshin in Japan, a traveling monkey-man, who earned his living by taking round a monkey and showing off the animal’s tricks.

むかしむかし、日本の信州の国に、猿回しの男が住んでいた。猿を連れて回り、その芸を見せて暮らしを立てていた。

One evening the man came home in a very bad temper and told his wife to send for the butcher the next morning.

ある晩、男はひどく機嫌を損ねて帰ってきて、明日の朝いちばんに肉屋を呼びにやれと妻に言いつけた。

The wife was very bewildered and asked her husband:

妻はすっかり面食らって、夫に尋ねた。

“Why do you wish me to send for the butcher?”

「どうして肉屋を呼びにやれとおっしゃるのです。」

“It’s no use taking that monkey round any longer, he’s too old and forgets his tricks. I beat him with my stick all I know how, but he won’t dance properly. I must now sell him to the butcher and make what money out of him I can. There is nothing else to be done.”

「あの猿を連れて回っても、もう仕方がない。年を取りすぎて芸を忘れてしまった。棒で打てるだけ打ってみたが、ちゃんと踊らん。もう肉屋に売って、取れるだけの金にするしかない。ほかに手はない。」

The woman felt very sorry for the poor little animal, and pleaded for her husband to spare the monkey, but her pleading was all in vain, the man was determined to sell him to the butcher.

妻はその可哀そうな小さな生き物をたいそう不憫に思い、猿を助けてやってくださいと夫に願ったが、その願いはまるで届かなかった。男は肉屋に売ると心を決めていた。

Now the monkey was in the next room and overheard every word of the conversation. He soon understood that he was to be killed, and he said to himself:

さて猿は隣の部屋にいて、この話を一言残らず聞いていた。すぐに自分が殺されるのだと悟り、心の中で言った。

“Barbarous, indeed, is my master! Here I have served him faithfully for years, and instead of allowing me to end my days comfortably and in peace, he is going to let me be cut up by the butcher, and my poor body is to be roasted and stewed and eaten? Woe is me! What am I to do. Ah! a bright thought has struck me! There is, I know, a wild boar living in the forest near by. I have often heard tell of his wisdom. Perhaps if I go to him and tell him the strait I am in he will give me his counsel. I will go and try.”

「なんとむごい主人だろう! 何年ものあいだ忠実に仕えてきたのに、安らかに気楽な余生を送らせてくれるどころか、肉屋に切り刻ませ、この哀れな身は焼かれ煮られて食われるというのか。ああ、情けない! どうすればよいのだ。ああ、いい思いつきが浮かんだぞ! そういえば近くの森に猪が住んでいる。その知恵の高さは、たびたび噂に聞いた。あの方のところへ行ってこの窮地を話せば、知恵を貸してくださるかもしれない。行ってみよう。」

There was no time to lose. The monkey slipped out of the house and ran as quickly as he could to the forest to find the boar. The boar was at home, and the monkey began his tale of woe at once.

ぐずぐずしてはいられなかった。猿は家をこっそり抜け出し、猪を探しに、できるかぎりの速さで森へ走った。猪は家にいて、猿はすぐさま身の上の嘆きを語りはじめた。

“Good Mr. Boar, I have heard of your excellent wisdom. I am in great trouble, you alone can help me. I have grown old in the service of my master, and because I cannot dance properly now he intends to sell me to the butcher. What do you advise me to do? I know how clever you are!”

「猪の旦那、あなたの優れた知恵のことは伺っております。わたしは大変な難儀にあっており、助けられるのはあなただけです。主人に仕えるうちに年をとり、もうちゃんと踊れないというので、肉屋に売られようとしております。どうすればよいでしょうか。あなたの賢さは存じております!」

The boar was pleased at the flattery and determined to help the monkey. He thought for a little while and then said:

猪はおだてられて悪い気はせず、猿を助けてやろうと決めた。しばらく考えてから言った。

“Hasn’t your master a baby?”

「お前の主人には赤ん坊がいないか。」

“Oh, yes,” said the monkey, “he has one infant son.”

「ええ、おります」と猿は言った。「乳飲み子の男の子が一人。」

“Doesn’t it lie by the door in the morning when your mistress begins the work of the day? Well, I will come round early and when I see my opportunity I will seize the child and run off with it.”

「朝、おかみさんが一日の仕事にかかるとき、その子は戸口のそばに寝かされていないか。ならば、わたしが朝早くに回っていって、隙を見つけしだい、その子をさらって逃げよう。」

“What then?” said the monkey.

「それからどうなさるのです」と猿は言った。

“Why the mother will be in a tremendous scare, and before your master and mistress know what to do, you must run after me and rescue the child and take it home safely to its parents, and you will see that when the butcher comes they won’t have the heart to sell you.”

「なに、母親は肝をつぶすだろう。そして主人夫婦がどうしてよいか分からぬうちに、お前がわたしを追いかけて子を取り返し、無事に親のもとへ届けるのだ。そうすれば、肉屋が来ても、お前を売る気にはなれまいよ。」

The monkey thanked the boar many times and then went home. He did not sleep much that night, as you may imagine, for thinking of the morrow. His life depended on whether the boar’s plan succeeded or not. He was the first up, waiting anxiously for what was to happen. It seemed to him a very long time before his master’s wife began to move about and open the shutters to let in the light of day. Then all happened as the boar had planned. The mother placed her child near the porch as usual while she tidied up the house and got her breakfast ready.

猿は猪に何度も礼を言って家へ帰った。ご想像のとおり、その晩はあまり眠れなかった。明日のことを思ってである。自分の命は、猪の企てがうまくいくかどうかにかかっていた。猿は真っ先に起き出し、何が起こるかを不安に待った。主人の妻が動きはじめ、日の光を入れようと雨戸を開けるまでが、たいそう長く感じられた。それから、すべては猪の企てたとおりに運んだ。母親はいつものように子を玄関の近くに置き、家を片づけ、朝餉の支度をした。

The child was crooning happily in the morning sunlight, dabbing on the mats at the play of light and shadow. Suddenly there was a noise in the porch and a loud cry from the child. The mother ran out from the kitchen to the spot, only just in time to see the boar disappearing through the gate with her child in its clutch. She flung out her hands with a loud cry of despair and rushed into the inner room where her husband was still sleeping soundly.

子は朝の日ざしの中で機嫌よく声を出し、畳に落ちる光と影の戯れを手で叩いていた。突然、玄関で物音がして、子の大きな泣き声が上がった。母親は台所からその場へ駆けつけたが、猪が子を抱えて門から消えていくのを見るのがやっとであった。母親は絶望の叫びをあげて両手を突き出し、夫がまだぐっすり眠っている奥の間へ駆け込んだ。

He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes, and crossly demanded what his wife was making all that noise about. By the time that the man was alive to what had happened, and they both got outside the gate, the boar had got well away, but they saw the monkey running after the thief as hard as his legs would carry him.

夫はのろのろと起き上がって目をこすり、何をそんなに騒いでいるのだと不機嫌に問うた。男が何が起きたかを飲み込み、二人して門の外へ出たときには、猪はとうに遠くへ行っていた。しかし、猿が足のかぎりを尽くしてその盗人を追いかけていくのが見えた。

Both the man and wife were moved to admiration at the plucky conduct of the sagacious monkey, and their gratitude knew no bounds when the faithful monkey brought the child safely back to their arms.

夫婦は、賢い猿の勇ましい振る舞いに心を打たれた。そして忠実な猿が子を無事に腕の中へ連れ戻したとき、その感謝には際限がなかった。

“There!” said the wife. “This is the animal you want to kill—if the monkey hadn’t been here we should have lost our child forever.”

「ごらんなさい!」と妻は言った。「これがあなたの殺そうとしていた生き物ですよ——猿がいなかったら、わたしたちは子を永久に失っていたのです。」

“You are right, wife, for once,” said the man as he carried the child into the house. “You may send the butcher back when he comes, and now give us all a good breakfast and the monkey too.”

「お前の言うとおりだ、今度ばかりはな」と男は子を家へ抱き入れながら言った。「肉屋が来たら帰してよい。さあ、みなに旨い朝餉を出してやれ。猿にもだ。」

When the butcher arrived he was sent away with an order for some boar’s meat for the evening dinner, and the monkey was petted and lived the rest of his days in peace, nor did his master ever strike him again.

肉屋が来ると、その晩の夕餉に猪の肉をという注文を持たせて帰された。そして猿は可愛がられ、残りの日々を安らかに過ごした。主人が二度と猿を打つことはなかった。