The Grateful Jackal

In a certain village there was a boy who looked after cattle. One day, in the morning having taken the cattle [to graze], as they were going to water, that boy, when a python seizing a Jackal was going to eat it, went and beat the python, saying, "Ane! This python is going to eat the Jackal, isn't it?"

ある村に牛の番をする少年がいた。ある日の朝、牛を〔草を食ませに〕連れ出し、水を飲ませに行く途中、蟒蛇が豺をつかまえて食おうとしているのを見て、その少年は蟒蛇を打って言った。「アネ! この蟒蛇は豺を食おうとしているじゃないか」

Then the python having let the Jackal go seized the boy. So the boy cried out, "Anda! Anda! O my father! The python has seized me!" he cried.

すると蟒蛇は豺を放して少年をつかまえた。そこで少年は叫んだ。「アンダ! アンダ! ああ父さん! 蟒蛇におれがつかまった!」と叫んだ。

Then the Jackal having come running, when he looked [saw that] the python had caught the boy, and thinking "Ada! Because of me this one seized the boy," the Jackal looking and looking backwards, ran off [to fetch assistance]. After he had looked [to see] if there was any one, there was no one. The Jackal heard several people in the distance. The Jackal went running there. When he was going near the men, the men said, "A mad Jackal has come," they said.

すると豺は駆けてきて、見ると蟒蛇が少年をつかまえている。「アダ! おれのせいでこいつが少年をつかまえたのだ」と思って、豺は振り返り振り返り、〔助けを呼びに〕駆け出した。誰かいないかと見まわしても、誰もいない。豺は遠くに人声をいくつか聞きつけた。豺はそこへ駆けていった。男たちのそばへ寄っていくと、男たちは「気の触れた豺が来たぞ」と言った。

Then again the Jackal came running to the place where the python was. Again he came running to the place where the men were. Having come [there], after the Jackal looked [he saw that] the clothes of men who were bathing were under a tree. The Jackal having gone to the place where the clothes were, taking a waist cloth in his mouth ran off. Having run off, and having put down the cloth at the place where the python, holding the boy, was staying, the Jackal ran into the jungle.

そこで豺はまた蟒蛇のいる場所へ駆け戻った。またすぐ男たちのいる場所へ駆けていった。〔そこへ〕来て見ると、水浴びをしている男たちの着物が木の下にあった。豺は着物のある場所へ行き、腰布を一枚くわえて駆け出した。駆け出して、蟒蛇が少年をつかまえている場所にその布を置くと、豺は藪へ駆け込んだ。

Then those men having seen that the Jackal which had taken the cloth in its mouth was running away, saying, "Ada! The mad Jackal taking our cloth in its mouth is running away," followed the Jackal. When they looked, having seen that the python had seized the boy, they said, "Ada! The python has caught such and such a one's boy and encircled him."

すると男たちは、布をくわえた豺が逃げていくのを見て、「アダ! 気の触れた豺がおれたちの布をくわえて逃げていくぞ」と言って、豺を追った。そして見ると、蟒蛇が少年をつかまえているので、「アダ! 蟒蛇がどこそこの家の子をつかまえて巻きついているぞ」と言った。

Then those men who were ploughing and ploughing having all come running, and having beaten and thrown down the python, saved the boy. [Afterwards] those men asked at the hand of the boy, "What did the python seize thee for?"

すると田を鋤いていた男たちがみな駆けつけてきて、蟒蛇を打ち倒し、少年を助けた。〔そのあと〕男たちは少年に尋ねた。「なぜ蟒蛇はおまえをつかまえたのだ」

Then the boy said, "As I was coming the python had seized the Jackal, and I was sorry. At that time I tried to save the Jackal, and that one having let the Jackal go, seized me."

そこで少年は言った。「歩いてくると蟒蛇が豺をつかまえていて、かわいそうになったんだ。それで豺を助けようとしたら、あいつが豺を放しておれをつかまえたんだ」