The Gamarala's Cakes

At a village there are a Gamarala (a village headman or elder) and a Gama-Mahage (his wife) and their four sons, it is said.

ある村にガマラーラ(村長または長老)とガマ・マハゲ(その妻)と四人の息子がいたという。

One day while they were there the Gamarala said to his wife, "Bolan, it is in my mind to eat cakes. For the boys and for me fry ample cakes, and give us them," he said.

ある日、そこにいるうちにガマラーラは妻に言った。「ボラン、餅が食いたい。息子たちとわしのために餅をたっぷり揚げて出してくれ」と言った。

The Gamarala was looking out for them for many days; the Gama-Mahage did not cook and give him the cakes.

ガマラーラは何日も待っていたが、ガマ・マハゲは餅をこしらえて出さなかった。

Again one day the Gamarala thought of eating cakes. That day, also, the Gamarala reminded her of the matter of the cakes. On the following day the Gama-Mahage having fried five large cakes, placed them in the corn store. The boys having gone to the chena and come back, after they had asked, "Is there nothing to eat?" the Gama-Mahage said to the boys, "Look there! There are cakes in the corn store. I put them there for father, too; eat ye also," she said. The boys having gone to the corn store, all four ate the cakes.

またある日、ガマラーラは餅を食べたいと思った。その日もガマラーラは餅のことを念を押した。翌日、ガマ・マハゲは大きな餅を五つ揚げて米倉に置いた。息子たちが焼畑から帰ってきて「何か食べるものはないか」と尋ねると、ガマ・マハゲは息子たちに言った。「ほら! 米倉に餅がある。父さんのためにも置いたけれど、おまえたちもお食べ」と言った。息子たちは米倉へ行って、四人ともその餅を食べてしまった。

After they had eaten them, the Gamarala, having gone to the watch-hut, came back. After he came the boys said, "Father, we ate cakes." When the Gamarala asked, "Where are [some] for me?" "Mother puts them in the corn store," they said.

食べてしまってから、ガマラーラが見張り小屋へ行って帰ってきた。帰ってくると息子たちが言った。「父さん、餅を食べたよ」。ガマラーラが「わしの分はどこだ」と尋ねると、「母さんが米倉に置いてる」と言った。

When the Gamarala went to the corn store for the cakes to eat, there were no cakes. "Where, Bolan, are the cakes?" he asked.

ガマラーラが餅を食べに米倉へ行くと、餅はなかった。「ボラン、餅はどこだ」と尋ねた。

Saying, "Why are you asking for them at my hands? If there are none the boys will have eaten them," the Gama-Mahage pushed against the Gamarala.

「なぜわたしに尋ねるのです。なければ息子たちが食べたのでしょう」と言って、ガマ・マハゲはガマラーラに食ってかかった。

Then the Gamarala said, "Now I shall not remind you again. You do not make and give me the food I tell you about." Having said, "It is good," and thinking, "Having pounded and taken about half a quart of rice, and given it at a place outside, and got the cakes fried, I must eat them," pounding the rice he took it away.

そこでガマラーラは言った。「もう二度と念は押さぬ。わしの言う食べ物をおまえはこしらえて出さぬ」。そして「よし」と言い、「米を半クォートほど搗いて持っていって、よそで渡して餅を揚げてもらって食おう」と思い、米を搗いて持っていった。

As he was going he saw a poor house. Having seen it the Gamarala thought, "Should I give it at this house, these persons because they are poor will take the rice, and I shall not be able to eat cakes properly." So having gone to a tiled house near it, and given a little rice, he said, "Make and give me five cakes out of this, please."

行く途中、貧しい家が見えた。それを見てガマラーラは思った。「この家で渡したら、この者たちは貧しいから米を取ってしまって、餅をろくに食えまい」。そこでその近くの瓦屋根の家へ行って、米を少し渡して言った。「これで餅を五つこしらえて渡してくれませんか」

The people of the house replied, "It is good," and taking a little of the rice fried some cakes. The woman who fried them then looked into the account. "For the trouble of pounding the rice and grinding it into flour, I want ten cakes," she said. "Also for the oil and coconuts I want ten cakes, and for going for firewood, and for the trouble of frying the cakes, I want ten cakes." So that on the whole account for cooking the cakes it was made out that the Gamarala must give five cakes.

家の者は「よろしい」と答えて、米を少し取って餅をいくつか揚げた。揚げた女はそれから勘定を立てた。「米を搗いて粉に挽く手間に、餅を十いただきます」と言った。「油と椰子の代に餅を十、薪を取りに行くのと餅を揚げる手間に餅を十いただきます」。そういうわけで餅をこしらえる勘定を締めると、ガマラーラのほうが餅を五つ渡さねばならぬことになった。

Next day the Gamarala, having eaten nothing at home, came to eat the cakes. Having sat down, "Where are the cakes?" he asked.

翌日、ガマラーラは家で何も食べずに、餅を食べに来た。腰を下ろして「餅はどこだ」と尋ねた。

Then the woman who fried the cakes said, "Gamarala, from the whole of the rice I fried twenty-five cakes. For pounding the rice and grinding it into flour I took ten cakes. For the oil and coconuts I took ten cakes. For going for firewood, and for the trouble of frying the cakes ten more having gone, still the Gamarala must bring and give me five cakes."

すると餅を揚げた女は言った。「ガマラーラどの、米をすっかり使って餅を二十五揚げました。米を搗いて粉に挽くのに餅を十いただきました。油と椰子の代に餅を十いただきました。薪を取りに行くのと餅を揚げる手間にさらに十かかりましたから、ガマラーラどののほうが餅を五つ持ってきてくださらねばなりません」

Then the Gamarala thought, "Ada! What a cake eating is this that has happened to me!"

そこでガマラーラは思った。「アダ! なんという餅食いに出くわしたものだ!」

After thinking thus, having gone outside and walked along, and come to that poor house, he sat down. As he was thinking about it that poor man asked, "What is it, Gamarala, that you are thinking about in that way?"

そう思ってから、外へ出て歩き、あの貧しい家に来て腰を下ろした。考え込んでいると、その貧しい男が尋ねた。「ガマラーラどの、そうやって何を考えておいでです」

The Gamarala said, "The manner in which they fried and gave me cakes at that house," and he told him about it.

ガマラーラは言った。「あの家で餅を揚げて渡してくれたそのやり方だ」と言って、そのことを話した。

Then the man of that poor house said to the Gamarala, "Since we are poor you did not give the rice to us. If he had given it to us wouldn't the Gamarala have been well able to eat cakes? The Gamarala having given us the rice would have had cakes to eat, and still five cakes to give for that debt.

するとその貧しい家の男はガマラーラに言った。「われらが貧しいから、あなたは米をくださらなかった。くださっていたら、ガマラーラどのは餅をたっぷり食べられたでしょうに。われらに米をくだされば、ガマラーラどのは餅を食べられたうえ、その借りに払う餅も五つ残ったでしょう。

"For those cakes I will teach the Gamarala a trick," that poor man said to the Gamarala. "The husband of the woman who fried the cakes has gone to his village. The woman is now connected with another man. Every day the man having come at night taps at the door when he comes. After she has asked from inside the house, 'Who is it?' he makes a grunt, 'Hum.' Then having opened the door he is given by her to eat and drink. To-day she will give the cakes made for the Gamarala.

「その餅のために、ガマラーラどのに一つ策を教えましょう」とその貧しい男はガマラーラに言った。「餅を揚げたあの女の亭主は、自分の村へ行っている。あの女はいま別の男と通じている。毎日、夜に男が来ると戸を叩く。家のなかから『どなたです』と尋ねると、男は『フム』と唸る。すると女は戸を開けて、飲み食いさせる。今日はガマラーラどののためにこしらえた餅を出すでしょう。

"After the Gamarala has gone at night in that manner, and tapped at the door, she will ask, 'Who is it?' Then say, 'Hum.' Then she will open the door. Having gone into the house without speaking, she will give to eat and drink. Having eaten and drunk, and been there a little time, open the door and come away." Thus the poor man taught his lesson to the Gamarala.

「ガマラーラどのが夜にそのように行って戸を叩くと、女は『どなたです』と尋ねる。そのとき『フム』と言いなさい。すると女は戸を開ける。口をきかずに家に入れば、女は飲み食いさせてくれる。飲み食いして少しそこにいてから、戸を開けて帰ってくればよい」。こう貧しい男はガマラーラに教えた。

In that manner, the Gamarala having gone after it became night, tapped at the house door. [82] "Who is it?" she asked. "Hum," he said. Then having opened the door and taken the Gamarala into the house, she gave him cakes and sweetmeats to eat.

そのとおりに、ガマラーラは夜になってから行って、家の戸を叩いた。 [82]「どなたです」と女が尋ねた。「フム」とガマラーラは言った。すると女は戸を開けてガマラーラを家に入れ、餅や菓子を食べさせた。

As he was eating them, some one else having come taps at the door. The Gamarala became afraid. "Don't be afraid," she said, and sent the Gamarala to the corn loft [under the roof of the house, at the level of the top of the side walls].

食べていると、また誰かが来て戸を叩いた。ガマラーラは怖くなった。「怖がらなくていいですよ」と女は言い、ガマラーラを〔家の屋根の下、側壁の上の高さにある〕穀物の屋根裏へやった。

Having sent him there she asked, "Who tapped at the door?" "Hum," he said. Then she opened the door, and after she had looked it was the Tambi-elder-brother, [83] who was trading in the village. She got him also into the house, and gave him sweetmeats to eat.

そこへやってから、女は尋ねた。「戸を叩いたのはどなたです」「フム」と男は言った。そこで戸を開けて見ると、村で商いをしているタンビ兄さん [83] だった。女はこの男も家に入れ、菓子を食べさせた。

When a little time had gone, again some one tapped at the door. Then the Tambi-elder-brother, having become afraid, prepared to run off without eating the sweetmeats. "Don't be afraid," she said, and she put the Tambi also in another part of the corn loft [and he lay down].

しばらくして、また誰かが戸を叩いた。するとタンビ兄さんは怖くなって、菓子も食べずに逃げ出そうとした。「怖がらなくていいですよ」と女は言い、タンビも穀物の屋根裏の別のところに入れた〔そして男は横になった〕。

Having come back, after she had opened the door and looked, it was the man of the house who, having been to the village, had come back. She gave him water to wash his face, hands, and feet. After he had finished washing, she gave him cakes and the like to eat, and water to drink. The man afterwards lay down to sleep.

戻ってきて、戸を開けて見ると、村へ行っていた家の亭主が帰ってきたのだった。女は顔と手と足を洗う水を出した。洗い終わると、餅などを食べさせ、水を飲ませた。男はそのあと横になって眠った。

When a little time had gone, the man who went first to the corn loft, the Gamarala, asked for water, saying, "Water, water." Then the man of the house having opened his eyes, asked, "What is speaking in the corn loft?"

しばらくして、先に穀物の屋根裏へ行った男、ガマラーラが「水、水」と言って水を求めた。すると家の亭主が目を開けて尋ねた。「屋根裏で物を言っているのは何だ」

"When you went to the village, as you were away a long time, I made an offering of a leaf-cup of water to the deity. Perhaps the deity is asking for it now," she said.

「あなたが村へ行って長いこと留守だったので、神さまに葉の器に汲んだ水をお供えしたのです。いま神さまがそれを求めておいでなのでしょう」と女は言った。

Then the man told her to put a coconut in the corn loft. So the woman put a coconut in the corn loft.

すると男は、椰子の実を一つ屋根裏に置けと言った。そこで女は椰子の実を屋根裏に置いた。

The Gamarala, taking the coconut in his hand, sought for a place on which to strike it [in order to break it, so that he might drink the water in it]. As he was going feeling with his hand, the Gamarala's hand touched a lump like a stone in hardness, the head of Tambi-elder-brother. After he touched it, the Tambi-elder-brother [not knowing what it was] through fear trembled and trembled, and did not speak. Then the Gamarala, taking the coconut, struck it very hard on the head of the Tambi-elder-brother, thinking it was a stone.

ガマラーラは椰子の実を手に取り、〔なかの水を飲もうと割るために〕打ちつける場所を探した。手探りで進むと、ガマラーラの手が石のように固い塊、タンビ兄さんの頭に触れた。触れられて、タンビ兄さんは〔何だかわからず〕恐ろしさに震えに震えて、口をきかなかった。するとガマラーラは椰子の実を取って、石だと思ってタンビ兄さんの頭にたいそう強く打ちつけた。

The man of the house thought [before this], "The water in the coconut is insufficient for the deity. He will be ascending [and leaving us]." After he had quickly opened the door, and gone out to get more water to give him, the Tambi-elder-brother sprang from the corn loft, breaking his head, and ran away.

家の亭主は〔その前に〕思っていた。「椰子の実の水では神さまには足りぬ。昇って〔去って〕しまわれる」。そして急いで戸を開け、もっと水を汲みに外へ出ると、タンビ兄さんは頭を割られて屋根裏から跳び下り、逃げ去った。

Then the man who came out to get the water said, "My deity! Here is water, here is water," holding the water kettle in his hand. While he was calling out to him, the woman having opened her eyes said, "What is it, Bolan?" As she was coming outside the man said, "The deity jumped down and ran away."

すると水を汲みに出てきた男は、水差しを手に持ったまま言った。「わが神よ! ここに水がございます、ここに水がございます」。そう呼ばわっていると、女が目を開けて「どうしたのです、ボラン」と言った。外へ出てくると、男は言った。「神さまが跳び下りて走っていかれた」

At that very time, breaking out from the corn loft, the Gamarala also jumped down and ran off. Then the man of the house asks the woman, "Who is that running away?"

まさにそのとき、ガマラーラも屋根裏を破って跳び下り、逃げ去った。すると家の亭主は女に尋ねる。「あれは誰が逃げていくのだ」

The woman says, "Why, Bolan, don't you understand in this way? Didn't the God Saman also run behind him?"

女は言う。「まあボラン、これがわからないのですか。サマン神さまもそのあとから走っていかれたではありませんか」