The Woman with Two Skins

Eyamba I. of Calabar was a very powerful king. He fought and conquered all the surrounding countries, killing all the old men and women, but the able-bodied men and girls he caught and brought back as slaves, and they worked on the farms until they died.

カラバルのエヤンバ一世は、たいそう力のある王だった。まわりの国々をみな攻めて征服し、年老いた男も女もみな殺したが、丈夫な男や娘たちは捕らえて奴隷として連れ帰り、その者たちは死ぬまで畑で働かされた。

This king had two hundred wives, but none of them had borne a son to him. His subjects, seeing that he was becoming an old man, begged him to marry one of the spider's daughters, as they always had plenty of children. But when the king saw the spider's daughter he did not like her, as she was ugly, and the people said it was because her mother had had so many children at the same time. However, in order to please his people he married the ugly girl, and placed her among his other wives, but they all complained because she was so ugly, and said she could not live with them. The king, therefore, built her a separate house for herself, where she was given food and drink the same as the other wives. Every one jeered at her on account of her ugliness; but she was not really ugly, but beautiful, as she was born with two skins, and at her birth her mother was made to promise that she should never remove the ugly skin until a certain time arrived save only during the night, and that she must put it on again before dawn. Now the king's head wife knew this, and was very fearful lest the king should find it out and fall in love with the spider's daughter; so she went to a Ju Ju man and offered him two hundred rods to make a potion that would make the king forget altogether that the spider's daughter was his wife. This the Ju Ju man finally consented to do, after much haggling over the price, for three hundred and fifty rods; and he made up some "medicine," which the head wife mixed with the king's food. For some months this had the effect of making the king forget the spider's daughter, and he used to pass quite close to her without recognising her in any way. When four months had elapsed and the king had not once sent for Adiaha (for that was the name of the spider's daughter), she began to get tired, and went back to her parents. Her father, the spider, then took her to another Ju Ju man, who, by making spells and casting lots, very soon discovered that it was the king's head wife who had made the Ju Ju and had enchanted the king so that he would not look at Adiaha. He therefore told the spider that Adiaha should give the king some medicine which he would prepare, which would make the king remember her. He prepared the medicine, for which the spider had to pay a large sum of money; and that very day Adiaha made a small dish of food, into which she had placed the medicine, and presented it to the king. Directly he had eaten the dish his eyes were opened and he recognised his wife, and told her to come to him that very evening. So in the afternoon, being very joyful, she went down to the river and washed, and when she returned she put on her best cloth and went to the king's palace.

この王には二百人の妻がいたが、誰一人息子を産まなかった。臣下たちは、王が年老いてきたのを見て、蜘蛛の娘の一人と結婚するよう勧めた。蜘蛛の一族はいつもたくさん子どもを産んだからである。けれども王は蜘蛛の娘を見ると、醜いので気に入らなかった。人々は、それは母親が一度にあまりに多くの子を産んだからだと言った。けれども王は民を喜ばせるために、その醜い娘と結婚してほかの妻たちのなかに置いた。けれども妻たちはみな、あの娘は醜すぎて一緒には暮らせないと文句を言った。そこで王は娘のために別の家を建ててやり、ほかの妻たちと同じように食べ物と飲み物を与えた。誰もが娘の醜さをあざけった。けれども娘はほんとうは醜くなく、美しかったのである。娘は二枚の皮を持って生まれ、生まれたときに母親は、ある時が来るまでは醜い皮を決して脱がせないと約束させられていた。ただし夜のあいだだけは脱いでもよいが、夜が明ける前にまた着なければならなかった。さて、王の正妃はこれを知っていて、王がそれを知って蜘蛛の娘に恋をするのではないかとたいそう恐れた。そこで正妃はジュジュ使いのところへ行って、蜘蛛の娘が自分の妻であることを王がすっかり忘れてしまう薬をこしらえてくれたら二百ロッド払うと申し出た。ジュジュ使いは値段をさんざん渋ったあげく、三百五十ロッドでとうとう承知して、「薬」をこしらえ、正妃はそれを王の食べ物に混ぜた。何か月かのあいだ、これは王に蜘蛛の娘を忘れさせる効き目があって、王は娘のすぐそばを通ってもまったく気づかなかった。四か月たっても王が一度もアディアハ(それが蜘蛛の娘の名だった)を呼ばないので、娘は疲れ果てて両親のもとへ帰った。それから父親の蜘蛛は娘を別のジュジュ使いのところへ連れていった。ジュジュ使いは呪文をかけ籤を投げて、王の正妃がジュジュをこしらえて王に魔法をかけ、アディアハを見ないようにしたのだとまもなく突き止めた。そこでジュジュ使いは蜘蛛に、自分がこしらえる薬をアディアハが王に飲ませれば、王は娘を思い出すだろうと告げた。ジュジュ使いは薬をこしらえ、蜘蛛はそれにたいそうな金を払わねばならなかった。そしてその日のうちにアディアハは小皿の食べ物をこしらえ、そこに薬を入れて王に差し出した。王がそれを食べたとたん、目が開いて妻だとわかり、その晩に来るようにと娘に告げた。そこでその日の午後、娘はたいそう喜んで川へ行って身を洗い、戻るといちばんよい布をまとって王の宮殿へ行った。

Directly it was dark and all the lights were out she pulled off her ugly skin, and the king saw how beautiful she was, and was very pleased with her; but when the cock crowed Adiaha pulled on her ugly skin again, and went back to her own house.

暗くなって明かりがみな消えるやいなや、娘は醜い皮を脱いだ。王は娘がどんなに美しいかを見て、たいそう気に入った。けれども鶏が鳴くと、アディアハはまた醜い皮を着て、自分の家へ帰っていった。

This she did for four nights running, always taking the ugly skin off in the dark, and leaving before daylight in the morning. In course of time, to the great surprise of all the people, and particularly of the king's two hundred wives, she gave birth to a son; but what surprised them most of all was that only one son was born, whereas her mother had always had a great many children at a time, generally about fifty.

娘は四晩続けてこうした。いつも暗がりで醜い皮を脱ぎ、朝、夜が明ける前に立ち去るのである。やがて、すべての人々、とりわけ王の二百人の妻たちがたいそう驚いたことに、娘は息子を産んだ。けれども何より人々を驚かせたのは、生まれたのが一人だけだったことだった。娘の母親はいつも一度にたくさん、たいてい五十人ほども産んでいたからである。

The king's head wife became more jealous than ever when Adiaha had a son; so she went again to the Ju Ju man, and by giving him a large present induced him to give her some medicine which would make the king sick and forget his son. And the medicine would then make the king go to the Ju Ju man, who would tell him that it was his son who had made him sick, as he wanted to reign instead of his father. The Ju Ju man would also tell the king that if he wanted to recover he must throw his son away into the water.

アディアハに息子が生まれると、王の正妃はこれまでになく妬んだ。そこでまたジュジュ使いのところへ行き、たいそうな贈り物をして、王を病気にして息子のことを忘れさせる薬をこしらえさせた。そしてその薬のせいで王はジュジュ使いのところへ行くことになり、ジュジュ使いは王に、あなたを病気にしているのは息子だ、息子が父に代わって国を治めたがっているからだ、と告げることになっていた。ジュジュ使いはまた王に、治りたければ息子を水に投げ捨てねばならないと告げることになっていた。

And the king, when he had taken the medicine, went to the Ju Ju man, who told him everything as had been arranged with the head wife. But at first the king did not want to destroy his son. Then his chief subjects begged him to throw his son away, and said that perhaps in a year's time he might get another son. So the king at last agreed, and threw his son into the river, at which the mother grieved and cried bitterly.

そして王は薬を飲むとジュジュ使いのところへ行き、ジュジュ使いは正妃と取り決めたとおりのことをみな告げた。けれども初め王は息子を殺したがらなかった。そこで主な臣下たちが王に、息子を捨てるよう、一年もすればたぶんまた息子ができるでしょう、と願い出た。そこで王はとうとう承知して、息子を川に投げ込んだ。母親はそれをひどく嘆いて激しく泣いた。

Then the head wife went again to the Ju Ju man and got more medicine, which made the king forget Adiaha for three years, during which time she was in mourning for her son. She then returned to her father, and he got some more medicine from his Ju Ju man, which Adiaha gave to the king. And the king knew her and called her to him again, and she lived with him as before. Now the Ju Ju who had helped Adiaha's father, the spider, was a Water Ju Ju, and he was ready when the king threw his son into the water, and saved his life and took him home and kept him alive. And the boy grew up very strong.

それから正妃はまたジュジュ使いのところへ行ってもっと薬をもらい、それで王は三年のあいだアディアハを忘れた。そのあいだ、娘は息子の喪に服していた。それから娘は父親のもとへ帰り、父親はまたジュジュ使いから薬をもらって、アディアハがそれを王に飲ませた。すると王は娘を思い出してまた呼び寄せ、娘は前と同じように王と暮らした。さて、アディアハの父である蜘蛛を助けたジュジュは水のジュジュで、王が息子を水に投げ込んだとき待ちかまえていて、その子の命を救い、家へ連れ帰って育てていた。そして男の子はたいそう強く育った。

After a time Adiaha gave birth to a daughter, and her the jealous wife also persuaded the king to throw away. It took a longer time to persuade him, but at last he agreed, and threw his daughter into the water too, and forgot Adiaha again. But the Water Ju Ju was ready again, and when he had saved the little girl, he thought the time had arrived to punish the action of the jealous wife; so he went about amongst the head young men and persuaded them to hold a wrestling match in the market-place every week. This was done, and the Water Ju Ju told the king's son, who had become very strong, and was very like to his father in appearance, that he should go and wrestle, and that no one would be able to stand up before him. It was then arranged that there should be a grand wrestling match, to which all the strongest men in the country were invited, and the king promised to attend with his head wife.

しばらくして、アディアハは娘を産んだが、妬み深い妻はこれもまた捨てるよう王を説き伏せた。今度はもっと時間がかかったが、とうとう王は承知して娘も水に投げ込み、またアディアハを忘れた。けれども水のジュジュがまた待ちかまえていて、小さな女の子を救うと、妬み深い妻の行いを罰する時が来たと考えた。そこで水のジュジュは若者たちのあいだをまわって、毎週市場の広場で相撲の大会を開くよう説き伏せた。そのとおりになり、水のジュジュは、たいそう強くなって父親にたいそうよく似た姿になった王の息子に、相撲を取りに行け、誰もお前に立ち向かえはしないと告げた。そこで盛大な相撲の大会が催されることになり、国じゅうのいちばん強い男たちが招かれ、王も正妃を連れて出ると約束した。

On the day of the match the Water Ju Ju told the king's son that he need not be in the least afraid, and that his Ju Ju was so powerful, that even the strongest and best wrestlers in the country would not be able to stand up against him for even a few minutes. All the people of the country came to see the great contest, to the winner of which the king had promised to present prizes of cloth and money, and all the strongest men came. When they saw the king's son, whom nobody knew, they laughed and said, "Who is this small boy? He can have no chance against us." But when they came to wrestle, they very soon found that they were no match for him. The boy was very strong indeed, beautifully made and good to look upon, and all the people were surprised to see how like he was to the king.

大会の日、水のジュジュは王の息子に、少しも恐れることはない、自分のジュジュはたいそう強いので、国じゅうのいちばん強く優れた相撲取りでも、ほんの数分と立ち向かえはしないと告げた。国じゅうの人々がこの大きな勝負を見に来た。勝った者には王が布と金の褒美を与えると約束していたので、いちばん強い男たちがみなやって来た。人々は王の息子を見ると、誰も知らない若者なので笑って言った。「この小さな小僧は何者だ。おれたちにかなうものか」けれどもいざ相撲を取ってみると、まもなく自分たちがまるでかなわないとわかった。男の子はほんとうにたいそう強く、体つきは見事で見目もよく、人々はみな、この子が王にどれほど似ているかに驚いた。

After wrestling for the greater part of the day the king's son was declared the winner, having thrown every one who had stood up against him; in fact, some of his opponents had been badly hurt, and had their arms or ribs broken owing to the tremendous strength of the boy. After the match was over the king presented him with cloth and money, and invited him to dine with him in the evening. The boy gladly accepted his father's invitation; and after he had had a good wash in the river, put on his cloth and went up to the palace, where he found the head chiefs of the country and some of the king's most favoured wives. They then sat down to their meal, and the king had his own son, whom he did not know, sitting next to him. On the other side of the boy sat the jealous wife, who had been the cause of all the trouble. All through the dinner this woman did her best to make friends with the boy, with whom she had fallen violently in love on account of his beautiful appearance, his strength, and his being the best wrestler in the country. The woman thought to herself, "I will have this boy as my husband, as my husband is now an old man and will surely soon die." The boy, however, who was as wise as he was strong, was quite aware of everything the jealous woman had done, and although he pretended to be very flattered at the advances of the king's head wife, he did not respond very readily, and went home as soon as he could.

その日の大半を相撲に費やしたあげく、王の息子が勝者と宣せられた。立ち向かった者をみな投げ飛ばしたのである。実際、相手のなかには腕や肋骨を折って、ひどい怪我をした者もいた。それほど男の子の力はすさまじかった。勝負が終わると王は男の子に布と金を与え、その晩、一緒に食事をしようと招いた。男の子は父の招きを喜んで受け、川でよく体を洗ってから布をまとい、宮殿へ上がった。そこには国の主だった首長たちと、王のとりわけ気に入りの妻が何人かいた。それからみなで食事の席についたが、王は自分の息子とは知らずに、その子を隣に座らせた。男の子のもう一方の隣には、この面倒のもとをすべて作った妬み深い妻が座っていた。食事のあいだじゅう、この女は男の子と親しくなろうと精いっぱい努めた。その美しい姿と強さと、国でいちばんの相撲取りであることに、女は激しく恋をしてしまったのである。女は心のなかで思った。「この子を夫にしよう。夫はもう年寄りだから、きっとじきに死ぬだろう」けれども男の子は強いのと同じくらい賢く、妬み深い女がしてきたことをすっかり知っていた。そこで王の正妃の言い寄りにたいそう気をよくしたふりはしたものの、あまり応じようとはせず、できるだけ早く家へ帰った。

When he returned to the Water Ju Ju's house he told him everything that had happened, and the Water Ju Ju said--

水のジュジュの家へ帰ると、男の子は起こったことをすっかり話し、水のジュジュは言った——

"As you are now in high favour with the king, you must go to him to-morrow and beg a favour from him. The favour you will ask is that all the country shall be called together, and that a certain case shall be tried, and that when the case is finished, the man or woman who is found to be in the wrong shall be killed by the Egbos before all the people."

「お前は今や王の覚えがめでたいのだから、明日王のもとへ行って願いごとをせよ。その願いとは、国じゅうの人々を呼び集めて、ある訴えを裁くこと、そしてその裁きが終わったら、非があると認められた男か女を、人々みなの前でエグボに殺させることだ」

So the following morning the boy went to the king, who readily granted his request, and at once sent all round the country appointing a day for all the people to come in and hear the case tried. Then the boy went back to the Water Ju Ju, who told him to go to his mother and tell her who he was, and that when the day of the trial arrived, she was to take off her ugly skin and appear in all her beauty, for the time had come when she need no longer wear it. This the son did.

そこで翌朝、男の子は王のもとへ行き、王は快くその願いを聞き入れて、すぐに国じゅうにお触れを出し、人々がみな来て訴えの裁きを聞く日を定めた。それから男の子は水のジュジュのもとへ戻り、水のジュジュは、母のところへ行って自分が誰かを告げ、裁きの日が来たら醜い皮を脱いでその美しさのままに現れるように、もうそれを着ている必要のない時が来たのだから、と伝えるよう言った。息子はそのとおりにした。

When the day of trial arrived, Adiaha sat in a corner of the square, and nobody recognised the beautiful stranger as the spider's daughter. Her son then sat down next to her, and brought his sister with him. Immediately his mother saw her she said--

裁きの日が来ると、アディアハは広場の隅に座ったが、誰もこの美しい見知らぬ女が蜘蛛の娘だとは気づかなかった。息子はその隣に座り、妹も連れてきた。母親は妹を見るやいなや言った——

"This must be my daughter, whom I have long mourned as dead," and embraced her most affectionately.

「これはきっとわたしの娘です。ずっと死んだものと嘆いていたのに」そしてこのうえなくいとおしそうに抱きしめた。

The king and his head wife then arrived and sat on their stones in the middle of the square, all the people saluting them with the usual greetings. The king then addressed the people, and said that he had called them together to hear a strong palaver at the request of the young man who had been the victor of the wrestling, and who had promised that if the case went against him he would offer up his life to the Egbo. The king also said that if, on the other hand, the case was decided in the boy's favour, then the other party would be killed, even though it were himself or one of his wives; whoever it was would have to take his or her place on the killing-stone and have their heads cut off by the Egbos. To this all the people agreed, and said they would like to hear what the young man had to say. The young man then walked round the square, and bowed to the king and the people, and asked the question, "Am I not worthy to be the son of any chief in the country?" And all the people answered "Yes!"

それから王と正妃が着いて、広場のまんなかの石に座り、人々はみないつもの挨拶で二人を迎えた。それから王は人々に語りかけて、相撲の勝者である若者の願いで、重い訴えを聞くためにみなを集めたのだと言った。そしてその若者は、もし裁きが自分に不利になれば、自分の命をエグボに捧げると約束したのだ、と。王はまた、もし逆に裁きが男の子に有利になれば、相手のほうが、たとえそれが自分自身であれ妻の一人であれ殺される、誰であろうと殺しの石の上に座らされ、エグボに首を切り落とされるのだと言った。これに人々はみな同意し、若者の言い分を聞きたいと言った。それから若者は広場を歩きまわり、王と人々に頭を下げて、こう問うた。「わたしはこの国のどの首長の息子であってもおかしくない者でしょうか」すると人々はみな「そうだ!」と答えた。

The boy then brought his sister out into the middle, leading her by the hand. She was a beautiful girl and well made. When every one had looked at her he said, "Is not my sister worthy to be any chief's daughter?" And the people replied that she was worthy of being any one's daughter, even the king's. Then he called his mother Adiaha, and she came out, looking very beautiful with her best cloth and beads on, and all the people cheered, as they had never seen a finer woman. The boy then asked them, "Is this woman worthy of being the king's wife?" And a shout went up from every one present that she would be a proper wife for the king, and looked as if she would be the mother of plenty of fine healthy sons.

それから男の子は妹の手を引いて広場のまんなかへ連れ出した。妹は美しい娘で、姿も見事だった。みなが見終わると、男の子は言った。「わたしの妹は、どの首長の娘であってもおかしくない者でしょうか」すると人々は、この娘は誰の娘であってもおかしくない、王の娘であっても、と答えた。それから男の子は母のアディアハを呼び、アディアハはいちばんよい布とビーズをつけて、たいそう美しく現れた。人々はみな歓声を上げた。これほど見事な女を見たことがなかったからである。それから男の子はみなに尋ねた。「この女は王の妻であってもおかしくない者でしょうか」すると居合わせた誰からも、この女こそ王にふさわしい妻だ、たくさんの丈夫な息子の母になりそうだ、という叫びが上がった。

Then the boy pointed out the jealous woman who was sitting next to the king, and told the people his story, how that his mother, who had two skins, was the spider's daughter; how she had married the king, and how the head wife was jealous and had made a bad Ju Ju for the king, which made him forget his wife; how she had persuaded the king to throw himself and his sister into the river, which, as they all knew, had been done, but the Water Ju Ju had saved both of them, and had brought them up.

それから男の子は、王の隣に座っている妬み深い女を指さして、人々に自分の身の上を語った。二枚の皮を持つ自分の母は蜘蛛の娘であること、母が王と結婚したこと、正妃が妬んで王に悪いジュジュをこしらえ、それで王が妻を忘れたこと、正妃が王を説き伏せて自分と妹を川に投げ込ませたこと、それはみなが知っているとおりだが、水のジュジュが二人とも救って育ててくれたこと。

Then the boy said: "I leave the king and all of you people to judge my case. If I have done wrong, let me be killed on the stone by the Egbos; if, on the other hand, the woman has done evil, then let the Egbos deal with her as you may decide."

それから男の子は言った。「わたしの訴えは、王とここにいるみなさんの裁きに委ねます。もしわたしが悪いのなら、エグボに石の上で殺されましょう。もし逆にあの女が悪事をなしたのなら、みなさんの決めるとおりにエグボに処分させてください」

When the king knew that the wrestler was his son he was very glad, and told the Egbos to take the jealous woman away, and punish her in accordance with their laws. The Egbos decided that the woman was a witch; so they took her into the forest and tied her up to a stake, and gave her two hundred lashes with a whip made from hippopotamus hide, and then burnt her alive, so that she should not make any more trouble, and her ashes were thrown into the river. The king then embraced his wife and daughter, and told all the people that she, Adiaha, was his proper wife, and would be the queen for the future.

王はその相撲取りが自分の息子だと知るとたいそう喜び、エグボたちに妬み深い女を連れ去って、掟に従って罰するよう命じた。エグボたちはその女を魔女と判じた。そこで森へ連れていって杭に縛りつけ、カバの皮でこしらえた鞭で二百回打ち、それからもうこれ以上面倒を起こさないよう生きたまま焼いて、その灰を川に投げ捨てた。それから王は妻と娘を抱きしめ、人々みなに、このアディアハこそ自分の正しい妻であり、これから先は王妃となると告げた。

When the palaver was over, Adiaha was dressed in fine clothes and beads, and carried back in state to the palace by the king's servants.

評議が終わると、アディアハは立派な着物とビーズで装われ、王の家来たちに輿に乗せられて宮殿へ運ばれた。

That night the king gave a big feast to all his subjects, and told them how glad he was to get back his beautiful wife whom he had never known properly before, also his son who was stronger than all men, and his fine daughter. The feast continued for a hundred and sixty-six days; and the king made a law that if any woman was found out getting medicine against her husband, she should be killed at once. Then the king built three new compounds, and placed many slaves in them, both men and women. One compound he gave to his wife, another to his son, and the third he gave to his daughter. They all lived together quite happily for some years until the king died, when his son came to the throne and ruled in his stead.

その夜、王は臣下みなに大きな宴をふるまい、これまできちんと知ることのなかった美しい妻と、どんな男より強い息子と、見事な娘を取り戻せてどんなに嬉しいかを語った。宴は百六十六日続いた。そして王は、夫に逆らう薬を手に入れた女が見つかったら、その場で殺されるという法を定めた。それから王は新しい屋敷を三つ建てて、そこに男女たくさんの奴隷を置いた。一つは妻に、もう一つは息子に、三つ目は娘に与えた。一家は王が死ぬまで何年も幸せに一緒に暮らし、王が死ぬと息子が跡を継いで国を治めたのである。