The Roll of Cotton

In a certain country there is a city. In the city there are two persons, an elder sister and a younger sister. There are two female children of the two persons.

ある国に都がある。その都に姉と妹の二人がいる。二人にはそれぞれ女の子が一人ずついる。

The younger sister took to spinning cotton. At that time her daughter also came there. A roll of cotton was driven away in the wind out of the daughter's hand. Then her mother beat the daughter. "Wherever it should go do thou bring back the roll of cotton," she said. This girl, weeping and weeping, follows the roll of cotton.

妹が綿を紡ぎはじめた。そのときその娘もそこへ来た。娘の手から綿の巻きが風に飛ばされていった。すると母は娘を打った。「どこへ行こうとも、その綿の巻きを持って帰れ」と言った。この娘は泣きながら泣きながら、綿の巻きを追っていく。

She came to a betel plot which a lame man had made. To this girl who was following the roll of cotton the lame man says, "Ane! Pour water on this betel plot and go, please," he said. Afterwards, having poured it she went on. "The betel has been plucked," she said.

娘は、足の不自由な男がこしらえた檳榔畑にやってきた。綿の巻きを追うこの娘に、足の不自由な男が言う。「アネ! どうかこの檳榔畑に水をやってから行っておくれ」と言った。そこで娘は水をやってから進んだ。「檳榔は摘み取られた」と娘は言った。

As she was going [she came to a place where] a dog was tied. "Ane! Younger sister, tie me in the shade and go, please," he said. "While you are going home to-morrow there will be a haunch of a bull tied up [for you]," he said. So having tied the dog in the shade she went on.

進んでいくと〔犬がつながれている場所に来た〕。「アネ! 妹よ、どうかわたしを日陰につないでから行っておくれ」と犬は言った。「明日おまえが家へ帰るとき、牛の腿肉を吊るしておいてやろう」と言った。そこで娘は犬を日陰につないでから進んだ。

Then the roll of cotton having gone on, stopped in a cane-brake. At that time a King came there. That girl was tying hooked sticks in order to get the roll of cotton. So the King said, "I will bring the roll of cotton. Go thou to the royal palace and cook," he said.

すると綿の巻きは進んでいって、籐の茂みで止まった。ちょうどそのとき王がそこへ来た。娘は綿の巻きを取ろうと鉤のついた棒を結び合わせていた。そこで王は言った。「わたしが綿の巻きを取ってきてやろう。おまえは王宮へ行って飯を炊け」と言った。

The girl went and cooked. The King got the roll of cotton. The King having gone, gave the roll of cotton to the girl.

娘は行って飯を炊いた。王は綿の巻きを取った。王は行って、綿の巻きを娘に渡した。

After he had given it, both of them ate the cooked rice. After they had eaten it the King called the girl to the house. Having called her, he said to the girl, "Please take from these boxes any box thou wantest," he said.

渡してから、二人は炊いた飯を食べた。食べてから、王は娘を家へ呼んだ。呼んでから、娘に言った。「この箱のなかから、どれでも好きな箱を取りなさい」と言った。

Then the girl, having looked at them, took a small sandalwood box.

すると娘は眺めてから、小さな白檀の箱を取った。

Afterwards the King said, "This will provide a livelihood for the persons who are rearing thee, also," he said.

そのあと王は言った。「これはおまえを育てている者たちの暮らしの糧にもなろう」と言った。

Taking the box, she came near the dog that was tied up. There the dog had tied up the haunch of a bull. Having taken the haunch of the bull from there, she came near the lame man. Having got betel from there, she came near her mother at the girl's house.

箱を持って、娘はつながれていた犬のそばへ来た。そこには犬が牛の腿肉を吊るしてあった。そこから牛の腿肉を取って、足の不自由な男のそばへ来た。そこから檳榔をもらって、娘の家の母のそばへ来た。

Having come there she opened that box. Having opened it, after she looked [in it she found that] the box was full of silver and gold; the box had been filled. Then that other elder sister and the elder sister's daughter saw these articles [and heard how the girl obtained them].

そこへ来てその箱を開けた。開けて見ると、箱は銀と金でいっぱいだった。箱は満たされていたのである。すると、あのもう一人の姉と姉の娘がこの品々を見た〔そして娘がどうやって手に入れたかを聞いた〕。

On the following day that mother and daughter took to spinning cotton. Afterwards, from the mother's hand by force a roll of cotton was carried away [by the wind]; having been carried away she beat the daughter, and told her to bring the roll of cotton. So this daughter, weeping and weeping, goes after the roll of cotton.

翌日、その母と娘は綿を紡ぎはじめた。そのあと母の手から綿の巻きが〔風に〕無理やり持ち去られた。持ち去られると、母は娘を打って、綿の巻きを持って帰れと言った。そこでこの娘は泣きながら泣きながら、綿の巻きを追っていく。

She goes near the lame man who is making the betel plot. Then the lame man said, "Please pour water [on these plants]." Having said, "I will not," she went by the place where the dog was. The dog said, "Ane! Elder sister, tie me in the shade and go. As you go [home] I will place a haunch of a bull for you," he said. Having said she would not she went away.

娘は檳榔畑をこしらえている足の不自由な男のそばへ行く。すると足の不自由な男は言った。「どうか〔この苗に〕水をやっておくれ」。娘は「いやよ」と言って、犬のいる場所を通り過ぎた。犬は言った。「アネ! 姉さん、わたしを日陰につないでから行っておくれ。〔家へ〕帰るとき、牛の腿肉を置いておいてやろう」と言った。娘はいやだと言って去っていった。

The roll of cotton having gone into the very cane-brake, that also stopped there. Then this girl was tying hooked sticks in order to get the roll of cotton. Then the King [came there, and] said, "I will bring the roll of cotton. Go thou to the palace and cook," he said.

綿の巻きはまさにあの籐の茂みへ入って、そこで止まった。するとこの娘も、綿の巻きを取ろうと鉤のついた棒を結び合わせていた。すると王が〔そこへ来て〕言った。「わたしが綿の巻きを取ってきてやろう。おまえは宮殿へ行って飯を炊け」と言った。

The girl having gone, without any deficiency cooked rice and vegetables. The King having taken the roll of cotton [there], both of them went to eat the rice. Having gone and looked [at it in order] to eat it, they could not eat it; it had the taste of water.

娘は行って、不足なく飯と野菜を炊いた。王が綿の巻きを〔そこへ〕持ってきて、二人は飯を食べに行った。行って食べようと見たが、食べられなかった。水の味がしたのである。

Having called the girl he said, "From these please take for thyself any box thou wantest," he said.

王は娘を呼んで言った。「このなかから、どれでも好きな箱を取りなさい」と言った。

This one having searched and searched, took in her arms a great chest. Afterwards the King said, "Go thou; please open the box at the place where thy mother and father are," he said.

この娘は探しに探して、大きな櫃を抱え込んだ。そのあと王は言った。「行きなさい。その箱は、母と父のいるところで開けるがよい」と言った。

The girl, after it became night, having summoned every one, [143] opened the box. All [the things] in the box were cobras and polangas. The cobras and polangas having bitten the people of the village, destroyed them. They made all the village desolate.

娘は夜になってから、みなを呼び集めて [143]、箱を開けた。箱のなかのものはみな眼鏡蛇とポランガ(蝮の類)だった。眼鏡蛇とポランガは村の者たちに噛みついて、みな滅ぼしてしまった。そして村じゅうを荒れ果てさせた。