The Black Storks' Girl

In a certain country there are a woman and a man, it is said. The man cuts jungle at a chena clearing; the woman is weaving a bag. After the man comes home, the woman asks, "Is the jungle cut yet?" The man says, "A couple of bushes are cut; is the bag woven?" The woman says, "A couple of rows are woven."

ある国に女と男がいたという。男は焼畑を開くために藪を切る。女は袋を編んでいる。男が家に帰ると、女は尋ねる。「藪はもう切れましたか」。男は言う。「茂みを二つ三つ切った。袋は編めたか」。女は言う。「二列か三列編みました」

Continuing in that way, after the end of two or three days the man, while returning from cutting jungle, saw a Kaekiri creeper at a threshing-floor, and having come near, and seen that there was a fruit on it, plucked and ate it. A Kaekiri seed remained fixed in his beard.

そうしているうちに、二、三日たったころ、男は藪を切って帰る途中、脱穀場でカエキリの蔓を見て、近寄って実がなっているのを見て、もいで食べた。カエキリの種が一つ、髭に挟まって残った。

After he came home, the woman, seeing it, asked, "Where did you eat Kaekiri?"

家に帰ってから、女がそれを見て尋ねた。「どこでカエキリを食べたのですか」

The man said, "When I was coming home there was a Kaekiri creeper at a threshing-floor on the way; on it there was a fruit. I ate it."

男は言った。「帰ってくるとき、道の脱穀場にカエキリの蔓があった。実が一つなっていた。それを食べた」

Then the woman said, "There will be more on that creeper. After I have woven the bag let us go there."

すると女は言った。「その蔓にはもっとあるでしょう。袋を編んでしまってから、そこへ行きましょう」

Afterwards, having gone with him to the threshing-floor, she saw that the Kaekiri creeper had spread completely over the floor, and that there were as many fruits as leaves. While plucking them, she bore a girl there.

そのあと、いっしょに脱穀場へ行ってみると、カエキリの蔓は場いっぱいに広がり、葉の数ほど実がなっていた。それをもいでいるうちに、女はそこで女の子を産んだ。

Afterwards, the man having plucked Kaekiri, and filled and tied up the bag, said to the woman, "Shall I take the girl, or shall I take the bag?"

そのあと男はカエキリをもいで袋に詰めて口を縛り、女に言った。「娘を持っていくか、袋を持っていくか」

The woman told him to take the bag, leaving the girl there. So the girl was left at the threshing-floor, and the man and woman went home, taking the bag of fruit with them.

女は娘をそこに残して袋を持っていけと言った。そこで娘は脱穀場に残され、男と女は実の袋を持って家へ帰った。

While a Black Stork (Mana) and a female Black Stork (Mani) were going about seeking food, the female Stork saw that a girl was at the threshing-floor, and having gone near it, cried out, "Ade! A thing for me! Ade! A thing for me!" When the male Stork heard this he came running to the spot. Having looked at the girl, the two Black Storks took her to their house, and reared her there.

黒鸛(マナ)と雌の黒鸛(マニ)が餌を探して歩いていると、雌の鸛が脱穀場に娘がいるのを見つけ、そばへ行って叫んだ。「アデ! わたしのものだ! アデ! わたしのものだ!」 雄の鸛はそれを聞いてその場へ駆けてきた。娘を見て、二羽の黒鸛はその子を自分たちの家へ連れていって、そこで育てた。

After a time, the girl having become big, the female Black Stork and the male Black Stork said, "Daughter, we must go for golden bracelets and golden anklets for you."

やがて娘が大きくなると、雌の黒鸛と雄の黒鸛は言った。「娘や、おまえのために金の腕輪と金の足輪を取りに行かねばならぬ」

At that house there were a Parrot, a Dog, and a Cat, which were reared there. The two Storks told the girl, "Daughter, after we have gone, do not reduce the food of either the Parrot, or the Dog, or the Cat. Until we return, be careful not to put out the fire on the hearth, and not to go anywhere whatever." After saying this, they went to bring the golden bracelets and golden anklets.

その家には鸚鵡と犬と猫が飼われていた。二羽の鸛は娘に言った。「娘や、われらが行ってしまってから、鸚鵡にも犬にも猫にも餌を減らしてはならぬ。われらが帰るまで、竈の火を消さぬよう、どこへも行かぬよう気をつけよ」。そう言って、金の腕輪と金の足輪を取りに行った。

That girl having been careful for two or three days in the way the female Stork and male Stork told her, lessened the food of the Cat. That night the Cat extinguished the fire on the hearth.

娘は雌の鸛と雄の鸛が言ったとおりに二、三日は気をつけていたが、猫の餌を減らした。その夜、猫は竈の火を消した。

Next morning, the girl having gone to the hearth to cook, when she looked there was no fire on the hearth. So she said to the Parrot, "Younger brother, last night I reduced the food of the Cat a little. For that, the Cat has extinguished the fire on the hearth, and now there is no fire for cooking. You go and look from which house smoke is rising, and come back."

翌朝、娘が煮炊きをしに竈へ行って見ると、竈に火がなかった。そこで鸚鵡に言った。「弟や、ゆうべ猫の餌を少し減らしてしまったの。そのせいで猫が竈の火を消してしまって、いま煮炊きの火がないの。どの家から煙が上がっているか見てきてちょうだい」

Then the Parrot having gone flying, looked and looked. There was not any coming from any other houses; from the house of the Rakshasa, only, there was a smoke. The Parrot having come home, said, "Elder sister, I looked at the whole of the houses. There was not any; only from the house of the Rakshasa the smoke came." Afterwards the girl, having said, "If so, younger brother, you stop at home until I go and bring fire," went for the fire.

そこで鸚鵡は飛んでいって、見に見た。ほかのどの家からも煙は上がっていない。ラクシャサ(羅刹)の家からだけ煙が出ていた。鸚鵡は家に帰って言った。「姉さん、家という家をみな見てきた。どこからも出ていない。ラクシャサの家からだけ煙が出ていた」。そのあと娘は「それなら弟や、わたしが火を取ってくるまで家にいておくれ」と言って、火を取りに行った。

The Rakshasa was not at home; only the Rakshasa's wife was there. The girl having gone to that house, said, "Give me a little fire." Then that woman made the girl boil and dry seven large baskets of paddy (unhusked rice), and pound the paddy in those seven, and bring seven large pots of water, and bring seven bundles of firewood. Then taking a piece of coconut shell with a hole in it, she put ashes at the bottom, and having placed a fire-charcoal on them, gave it to her. While the girl was going home, the ashes fell through the hole all along the path.

ラクシャサは留守で、ラクシャサの妻だけがいた。娘はその家へ行って言った。「火を少しください」。するとその女は娘に、籾(殻つきの米)を大きな籠七つ分煮て干させ、その七つの籾を搗かせ、大きな水壺を七つ運ばせ、薪を七束運ばせた。それから穴の開いた椰子の殻を取って、底に灰を入れ、その上に火の炭を置いて渡した。娘が家へ帰るあいだ、灰はその穴から道じゅうに落ちていった。

Afterwards, when the Rakshasa came home, "What is this, Bolan?" he asked the woman; "there is a smell of a human body, a human body that has been here."

そのあとラクシャサが帰ってくると、「これは何だ、ボラン?」と女に尋ねた。「人の匂いがする、人がここにいた匂いがするぞ」

The woman said, "A girl came for fire. Thinking you would come, I employed that girl, and having made her boil seven baskets of paddy, and dry it, and pound it, and bring seven large pots of water, and seven bundles of firewood, when I looked you were not to be seen. Afterwards, having placed ashes in a piece of coconut shell with a hole in it, I put a fire-charcoal on them, and gave her it. By this time she will have gone home. There will be ashes along the path on which that girl went. Go, looking and looking at the ashes-path," she said.

女は言った。「娘が火を取りに来ました。あなたが帰ってくるだろうと思って、あの娘を働かせて、籾を七籠煮させ、干させ、搗かせ、大きな水壺を七つ運ばせ、薪を七束運ばせたのですが、見てもあなたは見えませんでした。そのあと穴の開いた椰子の殻に灰を入れ、その上に火の炭を置いて渡しました。もう家へ帰っているでしょう。あの娘が行った道には灰があるはずです。灰の道を見て見て行きなさい」と言った。

Afterwards the Rakshasa went along the ashes-path. The Parrot having seen him coming in the rice field, said, "Elder sister, the Rakshasa is coming. Shut the door," he said. So the girl, shutting the door and bolting it, stopped in the house.

そのあとラクシャサは灰の道を行った。鸚鵡は田のなかを来るのを見て言った。「姉さん、ラクシャサが来る。戸を閉めて」と言った。そこで娘は戸を閉めて閂をかけ、家にいた。

The Rakshasa having come near the house, said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

ラクシャサは家のそばへ来て言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the Parrot said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

すると鸚鵡が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

Then the Rakshasa ran to catch the Parrot. He could not catch it; the Parrot went into the forest and stayed there.

するとラクシャサは鸚鵡を捕まえようと駆けた。捕まえられなかった。鸚鵡は森へ入ってそこにいた。

Afterwards the Rakshasa having come again near the house said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

そのあとラクシャサはまた家のそばへ来て言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the Dog, which was in the open space at the front of the house, said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

すると家の前の開けた場所にいた犬が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

The Rakshasa having gone running after the Dog, and having caught and killed the Dog, came again near the house, and said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

ラクシャサは犬を追って駆け、犬を捕まえて殺してから、また家のそばへ来て言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the Cat that was in the raised veranda said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

すると高い縁側にいた猫が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

The Rakshasa, having gone running, killed also the Cat, and again having come near the house, said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

ラクシャサは駆けていって猫も殺し、また家のそばへ来て言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the Gam-Murunga [35] tree said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

するとガム・ムルンガ [35] の木が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

Afterwards the Rakshasa, having cut down and broken up the Gam-Murunga tree, again went near the house, and said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

そのあとラクシャサはガム・ムルンガの木を切り倒して砕き、また家のそばへ行って言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the Murunga logs said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

するとムルンガの丸太が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

The Rakshasa, having set fire to the logs, and gone near the house again, said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

ラクシャサは丸太に火をつけて、また家のそばへ行って言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the ashes of the burnt Murunga tree said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

すると焼けたムルンガの木の灰が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

The Rakshasa, having collected the ashes, and taken them to the river and placed them in it, and again having gone to the house, said, "Here are golden bracelets, O daughter. Here are golden anklets, O daughter. Open the door, my daughter."

ラクシャサは灰を集めて川へ運んで入れ、また家へ行って言った。「金の腕輪があるぞ、娘よ。金の足輪があるぞ、娘よ。戸を開けよ、わが娘よ」

Then the water of the river said, "No golden bracelets, O elder sister. No golden anklets, O elder sister. Open not the door, wise elder sister."

すると川の水が言った。「金の腕輪などない、姉さん。金の足輪などない、姉さん。戸を開けてはいけない、賢い姉さん」

Afterwards, the Rakshasa, having gone to the river, and having drunk and drunk, could not finish the water, and at last he burst open and died.

そのあとラクシャサは川へ行って、飲みに飲んだが水を飲みきれず、とうとう腹が裂けて死んだ。

After that, the female Black Stork and the male Black Stork brought the golden bracelets and golden anklets, and having given them to the girl, remained there.

そのあと、雌の黒鸛と雄の黒鸛が金の腕輪と金の足輪を持ってきて娘に渡し、そこで暮らした。