The Brave Magistrate

In olden times in one of the counties of North Ham-kyong Province, there was an evil-smelling goblin that caused great destruction to life. Successive magistrates appeared, but in ten days or so after arrival, in each case they died in great agony, so that no man wished to have the billet or anything to do with the place. A hundred or more were asked to take the post, but they all refused. At last one brave soldier, who was without any influence socially or politically, accepted. He was a courageous man, strong and fearless. He thought, "Even though there is a devil there, all men will not die, surely. I shall make a trial of him." So he said his farewell, and entered on his office. He found himself alone in the yamen, as all others had taken flight. He constantly carried a long knife at his belt, and went thus armed, for he noticed from the first day a fishy, stinking odour, that grew gradually more and more marked.

昔、咸鏡北道のある郡に、悪臭を放つ化け物がいて、人の命をさんざん奪っていた。次々に郡守が赴任したが、どの郡守も着任して十日ほどすると、ひどく苦しんで死んだので、誰もその役目も、その土地とのかかわりも望まなくなった。百人以上がその職を打診されたが、みな断った。とうとう、世間にも政にも何の後ろ盾もない一人の勇敢な武人が引き受けた。それは強く恐れを知らない勇ましい男だった。男は思った。「たとえそこに悪霊がいても、まさか人がみな死ぬわけではあるまい。ひとつ試してやろう。」そこで男は別れを告げて職についた。ほかの者はみな逃げてしまったので、役所には男一人きりだった。男はいつも腰に長い刀を差し、そうして武装して過ごした。最初の日から、生臭い悪臭に気づき、それがしだいにひどくなっていったからである。

After five or six days he took note, too, that what looked like a mist would frequently make its entry by the outer gate, and from this mist came this stinking smell. Daily it grew more and more annoying, so that he could not stand it longer. In ten days or so, when the time arrived for him to die, the yamen-runners and servants, who had returned, again ran away. The magistrate kept a jar of whisky by his side, from which he drank frequently to fortify his soul. On this day he grew very drunk, and thus waited. At last he saw something coming through the main gateway that seemed wrapped in fog, three or four embraces in waist size, and fifteen feet or so high. There was no head to it, nor were body or arms visible. Only on the top were two dreadful eyes rolling wildly. The magistrate jumped up at once, rushed toward it, gave a great shout and struck it with his sword. When he gave it the blow there was the sound of thunder, and the whole thing dissipated. Also the foul smell that accompanied it disappeared at once.

五、六日たつと、男はまた、霧のようなものがしばしば外門から入ってきて、その霧からこの悪臭が出てくるのに気づいた。日ごとにそれはますます耐えがたくなり、男はもう我慢できなくなった。十日ほどたって、男が死ぬはずの時が来ると、戻ってきていた役所の下役や召し使いたちはまた逃げてしまった。郡守はそばに酒の甕を置いて、魂を奮い立たせるためにたびたび飲んだ。この日、郡守はたいそう酔って、そうして待っていた。とうとう正門から、霧に包まれたような何かが入ってくるのが見えた。胴回りは三、四抱えもあり、高さは十五フィートほどだった。頭はなく、胴も腕も見えなかった。ただてっぺんに恐ろしい目が二つあって、激しくぐるぐる回っていた。郡守はすぐさま跳び起きて、それに向かって突進し、大声をあげて刀で斬りつけた。一撃を加えると雷のような音がして、それはすっかり散り散りになった。それについていた悪臭もたちまち消えた。

The magistrate then, in a fit of intoxication, fell prone. The retainers, all thinking him dead, gathered in the courtyard to prepare for his burial. They saw him fallen to the earth, but they remarked that the bodies of others who had died from this evil had all been left on the verandah, but his was in the lower court. They raised him up in order to prepare him for burial, when suddenly he came to life, looked at them in anger, and asked what they meant. Fear and amazement possessed them. From that time on there was no more smell.

それから郡守は、酔いにまかせてうつぶせに倒れた。家来たちはみな郡守が死んだと思って、葬りの支度をするために中庭に集まった。家来たちは郡守が地面に倒れているのを見たが、この災いで死んだほかの者の亡骸はみな縁側に残されていたのに、郡守の体は下の庭にあることに気づいた。葬りの支度をしようと抱き起こすと、突然郡守が生き返り、怒って家来たちをにらみつけ、何のつもりかと尋ねた。家来たちは恐れと驚きにとらわれた。それからは、もう悪臭はしなくなった。

Im Bang.

任埅(イム・バン)