The Prince who Did Not Go to School

In a certain country there is a King, it is said, and there are two Princes of the King. The two Princes are sent to school, and as they are going from the palace the two go along together. After they have walked a little way, the younger brother goes along the path to the school, and having arrived at the school, learns his letters and returns home. The elder brother, after playing and playing in the water of the river, puts the school aside, it is said; and having come round that way and joined the younger brother, again comes to the palace with him.

ある国に王がいて、その王に二人の王子がいたという。二人の王子は学校へやられ、宮殿から出るときは二人いっしょに歩いていく。少し歩くと、弟は学校への道を行き、学校に着いて文字を学んで家に帰る。兄は川の水で遊びに遊んで、学校は放っておくのだという。そして回り道をして弟と落ち合い、いっしょにまた宮殿へ帰るのだった。

After many days had gone by in that manner, the King one day told the two Princes, "To-day I must look at your lessons."

そうやって多くの日がたったころ、王はある日、二人の王子に言った。「今日はおまえたちの学びを見ねばならぬ」

The younger brother said, "Father-King, I indeed go to the school, and having said my lessons return. Elder brother and I having met here, and set off together, after we have gone part of the way, where elder brother goes I do not know. Having gone somewhere or other, when I have left the school and am returning, elder brother meets me on the road, and we two come again to the palace. I can say my lessons; elder brother indeed cannot."

弟は言った。「父なる王よ、わたしはまことに学校へ行って、学んだことを言ってから帰ります。兄さんとわたしはここで落ち合っていっしょに出かけますが、途中まで行くと、兄さんがどこへ行くのかわたしは知りません。どこかへ行ってしまって、わたしが学校を出て帰るころに、兄さんが道で落ち合って、二人でまた宮殿へ帰るのです。わたしは学んだことを言えます。兄さんはまことに言えません」

After that, the King looked into the lessons of the two Princes. When he looked, the younger Prince's lessons were good. When he asked the elder Prince, he knew nothing. So the King settled to behead the elder Prince.

そのあと王は二人の王子の学びを調べた。調べてみると、弟の王子の学びはよかった。兄の王子に尋ねると、何も知らなかった。そこで王は兄の王子の首を刎ねると決めた。

The King had, besides, a Prince older than that Prince. He said to that elder Prince, "Behead this one."

王にはさらに、その王子より年上の王子がいた。王はその兄の王子に言った。「この者の首を刎ねよ」

Then the Prince having taken a sword to the chena jungle, and killed a "Blood-sucker" lizard (Calotes sp.), returned after rubbing the blood on the sword, and showed it to the King. "Behold! Father-King, I cut younger brother," he said. Afterwards their mother having cooked a bundle of rice, and given it, and also a sword, to the Prince who was ordered to be beheaded, said, "Go to any place you like."

すると王子は剣を持って焼畑の藪へ行き、「血吸い」蜥蜴(カロテス)を殺して、その血を剣に塗って帰り、王に見せた。「ごらんください、父なる王よ、弟を斬りました」と言った。そのあと母は炊いた飯をひと包みこしらえ、それと剣を、首を刎ねよと命じられた王子に渡して言った。「どこへでも好きなところへお行きなさい」

As the Prince was going away taking the bundle of cooked rice and the sword, he met with a man. The man having uprooted Palmira trees and Coconut trees, was taking them away and tying a fence. Having seen this, the Prince said to that man, "Come thou and go with me."

王子が炊いた飯の包みと剣を持って歩いていくと、ある男に出会った。男は棕櫚の木と椰子の木を根こそぎ引き抜いて、それを運んで垣を結っていた。それを見て王子はその男に言った。「おまえ、わたしといっしょに来い」

The man having said "Ha," as the two persons were going along together, another man was cutting the earthen ridges in a rice field. The blade of the man's digging hoe was as large as a liyadda (one of the squares into which the rice field was divided). Having seen that, the Prince said to that man who was cutting the ridge in the field, "Come thou and go with me."

男は「よし」と言い、二人がいっしょに歩いていくと、別の男が田の土の畦を刻んでいた。その男の鍬の刃は、リヤッダ(田を区切った一区画)ほどの大きさだった。それを見て王子は、その田の畦を刻んでいる男に言った。「おまえ、わたしといっしょに来い」

The man having said "Ha," and laid down his digging hoe at that very place, came away with those two persons. As the three were going along together, they saw yet a man ploughing. Having seen that the man ploughed a liyadda at one ploughing (furrow), the Prince said, "Come thou and go with me." The man said "Ha," and laying down his plough at that very place, went with the three persons. The three persons whom the Prince had met with on the way were three giants.

男は「よし」と言って、鍬をその場に置いて、二人といっしょに来た。三人がいっしょに歩いていくと、また別の男が鋤いているのを見た。その男がひと鋤き(ひと畝)でリヤッダを鋤くのを見て、王子は言った。「おまえ、わたしといっしょに来い」。男は「よし」と言って、鋤をその場に置いて、三人といっしょに行った。王子が道で出会った三人は、三人の巨人だった。

The four persons having gone on and on, went near the house of a Rakshasi at a city. Sitting down there, the Prince said to one of the giants, "There! Go to that house and bring thou cooking pots and fire." So that giant went to the house of the Rakshasi.

四人は行きに行って、ある都のラクシャシーの家の近くへ行った。そこに腰を下ろして、王子は巨人の一人に言った。「それ! あの家へ行って、煮炊きの鍋と火を持ってこい」。そこでその巨人はラクシャシーの家へ行った。

As he arrived there, the Rakshasi was pouring water over (i.e. bathing) a child. The giant went near the Rakshasi, and said, "Ane! Give me fire and cooking pots." The Rakshasi told him the way to the house in which she ate human flesh, and said, "There! They are in that house; take them." After that, at the time when the giant was going into the house, the Rakshasi went running and shut the door, so that the giant could not come out.

着くと、ラクシャシーは子に水をかけて(つまり行水させて)いた。巨人はラクシャシーのそばへ行って言った。「アネ! 火と煮炊きの鍋をください」。ラクシャシーは、人の肉を食べる家への道を教えて言った。「それ! あの家にあります。お取りなさい」。そのあと巨人がその家に入ろうとすると、ラクシャシーは駆けていって戸を閉め、巨人は出られなくなった。

Those two giants and the Prince remained a long time looking out; the giant did not come. Afterwards the Prince again told a giant to go. The giant having gone, asked the Rakshasi, "Didn't a man come here?"

二人の巨人と王子は長いこと外を見ていたが、巨人は来なかった。そのあと王子はまた別の巨人に行けと言った。巨人は行って、ラクシャシーに尋ねた。「ここへ男が来なかったか」

The Rakshasi said, "He did not come here."

ラクシャシーは言った。「ここへは来ませんでした」

Then the giant said, "If so, give me cooking pots and fire." Then the Rakshasi, in the same manner in which she told that giant, showed him the way to the house in which she ate human flesh. As the giant was going into the house, the Rakshasi, having gone running, shut the door.

すると巨人は言った。「それなら煮炊きの鍋と火をください」。するとラクシャシーは、あの巨人に告げたのと同じように、人の肉を食べる家への道を教えた。巨人がその家に入ろうとすると、ラクシャシーは駆けていって戸を閉めた。

That Prince and the third giant having been there a long time, neither of the giants came. Afterwards the Prince told the other giant to go. The giant went, and asked the Rakshasi, "Didn't two men come here?"

その王子と三人めの巨人が長いこといても、どちらの巨人も来なかった。そのあと王子はもう一人の巨人に行けと言った。巨人は行って、ラクシャシーに尋ねた。「ここへ男が二人来なかったか」

The Rakshasi said, "They did not come here."

ラクシャシーは言った。「ここへは来ませんでした」

So the giant said, "If so, give me cooking pots and fire." The Rakshasi, in that very way having told him the path to the house in which she ate human flesh, at the time when the giant was going into it shut the door.

そこで巨人は言った。「それなら煮炊きの鍋と火をください」。ラクシャシーはまさに同じように、人の肉を食べる家への道を教え、巨人がそこへ入ろうとすると戸を閉めた。

The Prince remained looking out for a long time; the three giants did not come. Afterwards the Prince, taking his sword, came near the Rakshasi, and asked, "Didn't three men come here?"

王子は長いこと外を見ていたが、三人の巨人は来なかった。そのあと王子は剣を取ってラクシャシーのそばへ来て尋ねた。「ここへ男が三人来なかったか」

The Rakshasi said, "They did not come here."

ラクシャシーは言った。「ここへは来ませんでした」

Then the Prince, seizing the Rakshasi's hair knot, prepared to chop at her with the sword. "Give me quickly my three men; if not, I shall chop thy head off," he said.

すると王子はラクシャシーの髷をつかんで、剣で斬りつけようとした。「早くわたしの三人を返せ。でなければ首を斬り落とすぞ」と言った。

Then the Rakshasi, saying, "Ane! Do not kill me. At any place where you want it I will assist you," gave him the three men.

するとラクシャシーは「アネ! 殺さないでください。お望みのところでお力添えをいたします」と言って、三人を返した。

After that, the Prince and the three giants having gone away without killing the Rakshasi, the Prince caused the three giants to stay at a city; and having given into their hands a Blue-lotus flower, said, "Should I not be alive, this Blue-lotus flower will fade, and the lime trees at your house will die." So saying, the Prince, taking his sword, went quite alone.

そのあと王子と三人の巨人は、ラクシャシーを殺さずに去り、王子は三人の巨人をある都に留めて、その手に青蓮の花を渡して言った。「わたしが生きていなければ、この青蓮の花は萎み、おまえたちの家のライムの木は枯れる」。そう言って、王子は剣を取って、たった一人で行った。

After going a long way he came to a city, and having gone to the house of a Rakshasa, when he looked, the Rakshasa had gone for human flesh as food and only a girl was there. The Prince asked the girl for a resting-place.

長い道のりを行ってある都に着き、ラクシャサの家へ行って見ると、ラクシャサは食べ物の人肉を取りに行っていて、娘が一人いるだけだった。王子は娘に宿を乞うた。

The girl said, "Ane! What have you come here for? A Rakshasa lives at this house. The Rakshasa having eaten the men of this city they are now finished."

娘は言った。「アネ! 何をしにここへおいでになったのです。この家にはラクシャサが住んでおります。ラクシャサはこの都の人々を食べつくしてしまいました」

The Prince said, "I will kill him. Are there dried coconuts and meneri [52] here?" The girl said there were. The Prince told her to bring them, and the girl brought them.

王子は言った。「わたしが殺そう。ここに干した椰子とメネリ [52] はあるか」。娘はあると言った。王子は持ってこいと言い、娘は持ってきた。

Then the Prince asked, "How does he come to eat men?"

そこで王子は尋ねた。「あれはどうやって人を食いに来るのだ」

The girl said, "Having come twelve miles--(three gawwas)--away, he cries, 'Hu'; having come eight miles away, he cries, 'Hu'; and having come four miles away, he cries, 'Hu'; and then he comes to this house."

娘は言った。「十二マイル——(三ガッワ)——離れたところで『フー』と叫び、八マイル離れたところで『フー』と叫び、四マイル離れたところで『フー』と叫んで、それからこの家へ来ます」

After that, the Prince having spread out, from the stile at the fence, the meneri seed and the dried coconuts, over the whole of the open ground near the front of the house, went to sleep in the veranda, placing the sword near him, and laying his head on the waist pocket of the girl.

そのあと王子は、垣の踏み越し段から家の前の開けた地面じゅうに、メネリの種と干した椰子を撒き広げ、剣をそばに置いて、娘の腰布の懐に頭を載せて縁側で眠った。

Then the Rakshasa, when twelve miles away, cried, "Hu." Tears fell from the girl's eyes, and dropped on the Prince's head. The Prince arose, and said to the girl, "What are you weeping for?"

するとラクシャサは十二マイル離れたところで「フー」と叫んだ。娘の目から涙がこぼれて、王子の頭に落ちた。王子は起き上がって娘に言った。「なぜ泣いているのだ」

Then the Rakshasa cried, "Hu," eight miles away. The girl said, "There! The Rakshasa cried, 'Hu,' eight miles away." Continuing to say, "He will cry, 'Hu,' the next time, and then come here," the girl wept.

するとラクシャサが八マイル離れたところで「フー」と叫んだ。娘は言った。「それ! ラクシャサが八マイル離れたところで『フー』と叫びました」。「次に『フー』と叫んだら、ここへ来ます」と言いつづけながら、娘は泣いた。

The Prince, having told the girl not to weep, took the sword in his hand, and while he was there the Rakshasa, crying "Hu," came into the open space near the house.

王子は娘に泣くなと言って、剣を手に取った。そこにいると、ラクシャサが「フー」と叫びながら、家のそばの開けた場所へ来た。

Then the Prince chopped at the Rakshasa with his sword, and the Rakshasa went backward. Thereupon the Prince said, "Will not even the Rakshasi whom I set free that day without killing her, render assistance in this?"

すると王子は剣でラクシャサに斬りつけ、ラクシャサはうしろへ退いた。そこで王子は言った。「あの日、殺さずに放してやったあのラクシャシーは、これに力を貸してくれぬのか」

The Rakshasi came immediately, and struck a thorn into the crown of the Rakshasa's head, and at that very instant the Rakshasa died. After that, the Prince buried the body, and marrying the girl remained there.

ラクシャシーはたちまち来て、ラクシャサの頭のてっぺんに棘を突き刺し、まさにその瞬間ラクシャサは死んだ。そのあと王子は死骸を葬り、娘を娶ってそこで暮らした。

When he had been there a long time, a widow-mother came and said to the Prince and the girl, "Children, I will come and live with you, as you are alone." Both of them said "Ha," so the woman stayed there.

長いことそこにいると、寡婦が来て王子と娘に言った。「子どもたちよ、二人きりなのだから、わたしがいっしょに住みましょう」。二人は「よし」と言い、その女はそこに住んだ。

After she had lived there a long time, the woman said to the girl, "Daughter, ask in what place is the life of the Prince."

長いことそこに住んでから、女は娘に言った。「娘や、王子さまの命がどこにあるか尋ねてごらん」

Afterwards the girl said to the Prince, "Mother is asking where your life is."

そのあと娘は王子に言った。「母さんが、あなたの命はどこにあるのかと尋ねています」

The Prince said, "My life is in my neck."

王子は言った。「わたしの命は首にある」

The girl told the woman, "I asked him; he said his life is in his neck."

娘は女に告げた。「尋ねました。命は首にあると言いました」

The woman said, "It is not in the neck. He is speaking falsely. Ask again." So the girl asked again.

女は言った。「首ではありません。嘘を言っています。もう一度お尋ね」。そこで娘はまた尋ねた。

The Prince said, "My life is in my breast."

王子は言った。「わたしの命は胸にある」

The girl told the woman, "He said it is in his breast."

娘は女に告げた。「胸にあると言いました」

The woman said, "It is not in the breast. Tell him to speak the truth."

女は言った。「胸ではありません。本当のことを言うようにお言い」

Afterwards she said again to the Prince, "Mother says it is not in your breast. She said that you are to speak the truth."

そのあと娘はまた王子に言った。「母さんが、胸ではないと言っています。本当のことを言ってくださいと」

Then the Prince said, "My life is in my sword."

すると王子は言った。「わたしの命は剣にある」

So the girl told the widow-mother, "He said it is in his sword."

そこで娘は寡婦に告げた。「剣にあると言いました」

When a long time had gone by, one day the Prince, laying down the sword, went to sleep. After the Prince had gone to sleep, the widow woman and that girl having quietly taken the sword, put it in the fire on the hearth. Then as the sword burnt and burnt away the Prince died.

長い時がたって、ある日、王子は剣を置いて眠った。王子が眠ってから、寡婦とその娘はそっと剣を取って、竈の火に入れた。すると剣が焼けに焼けて減ってゆくにつれ、王子は死んだ。

After that, the widow woman took the girl, and gave her to the King, and the woman also stayed at the palace.

そのあと寡婦は娘を連れていって王に与え、女も宮殿に住んだ。

Then the Blue-lotus flower which the Prince gave to those three giants on going away, faded, and the lime trees died. When the giants saw this they said, "Ade! Our elder brother will have died," and having spoken together, the three giants came to seek the Prince.

すると王子が去るときに三人の巨人に渡した青蓮の花が萎み、ライムの木が枯れた。巨人たちはそれを見て「アデ! 兄さんが死んだにちがいない」と言い、語り合って、三人の巨人は王子を探しに来た。

Having come there, and asked the men of the city at which the Prince stayed, regarding him, they went to the house in which he lived, and searched for him. As they were digging in a heap of rubbish, they found that a little bit of the end of the sword was there, and they took it. Afterwards the giants placed it on a bed, and after they had tended it carefully, the sword little by little became larger. When the sword became completely restored, the Prince was created afresh.

そこへ来て、王子のいた都の人々に王子のことを尋ね、王子の住んでいた家へ行って探した。塵の山を掘っていると、剣の先が少しだけそこにあるのを見つけて、それを取った。そのあと巨人たちはそれを寝台に置いて、丁寧に手当てをすると、剣は少しずつ大きくなった。剣がすっかりもとに戻ると、王子は新たに生じた。

Afterwards, when the Prince looked to see if the girl whom he had taken in marriage was there, neither the girl nor the widow-mother was there. Then the Prince went with the three giants to the King's palace, and on looking there they learnt that the girl was married to the King, and that the widow woman also was there. So the Prince said to the widow woman, "Quickly give me the Princess whom I married."

そのあと王子が、娶った娘がいるか見ると、娘も寡婦もいなかった。そこで王子は三人の巨人とともに王の宮殿へ行き、そこで調べると、娘は王に嫁いでいて、寡婦もそこにいると知った。そこで王子は寡婦に言った。「わたしが娶った姫を早く返せ」

The woman said, "Ane! The Princess whom I knew is not here. She did not come with me."

女は言った。「アネ! わたしの知っている姫はここにおりません。わたしといっしょには来ませんでした」

Then the Prince cut off the woman's head with his sword, and having gone to the King, asked, "Where is my Princess? You must give her to me."

すると王子は剣で女の首を斬り落とし、王のもとへ行って尋ねた。「わたしの姫はどこだ。返してもらおう」

The King said, "No Princess will be here."

王は言った。「姫などここにおらぬ」

Thereupon the Prince cut off the King's head with his sword; and he and the three giants having cut down all the servants who were in the palace, summoning the Princess, remained in that very palace.

そこで王子は剣で王の首を斬り落とし、三人の巨人とともに宮殿にいた召使いをみな斬り倒して、姫を呼び寄せ、まさにその宮殿で暮らした。