Why the Worms live Underneath the Ground

When Eyo III. was ruling over all men and animals, he had a very big palaver house to which he used to invite his subjects at intervals to feast. After the feast had been held and plenty of tombo had been drunk, it was the custom of the people to make speeches. One day after the feast the head driver ant got up and said he and his people were stronger than any one, and that no one, not even the elephant, could stand before him, which was quite true. He was particularly offensive in his allusions to the worms (whom he disliked very much), and said they were poor wriggling things.

エヨ三世がすべての人と獣を治めていたころ、王はたいそう大きな集会所を持っていて、そこへときどき民を招いて宴を開いていた。宴が終わってトンボ(椰子酒)がたっぷり飲まれると、人々が演説をするのが習わしだった。ある日、宴のあとで軍隊アリの頭が立ち上がって、自分と自分の一族は誰よりも強く、象でさえ自分の前には立てないと言った。それはまったく本当のことだった。アリの頭はとりわけ、大嫌いなミミズたちのことをひどく悪く言って、ミミズは身をくねらせるだけの情けないやつらだと言った。

The worms were very angry and complained, so the king said that the best way to decide the question who was the stronger was for both sides to meet on the road and fight the matter out between themselves to a finish. He appointed the third day from the feast for the contest, and all the people turned out to witness the battle.

ミミズたちはたいそう腹を立てて訴えた。そこで王は、どちらが強いかを決めるいちばんよい方法は、両方が道で出会って、決着がつくまで自分たちで戦うことだと言った。王は宴から三日目を勝負の日と定め、人々はみな戦いを見に出てきた。

The driver ants left their nest in the early morning in thousands and millions, and, as is their custom, marched in a line about one inch broad densely packed, so that it was like a dark-brown band moving over the country. In front of the advancing column they had out their scouts, advance guard, and flankers, and the main body followed in their millions close behind.

軍隊アリたちは朝早く巣を出た。何千、何百万という数で、いつもの習いどおり、幅一インチほどの列にびっしり詰まって進んだので、それは国じゅうを動いていく濃い茶色の帯のようだった。進む縦隊の前には斥候と前衛と側衛を出し、本隊が何百万という数ですぐ後ろに続いた。

When they came to the battlefield the moving band spread out, and as the thousands upon thousands of ants rolled up, the whole piece of ground was a moving mass of ants and bunches of struggling worms. The fight was over in a very few minutes, as the worms were bitten in pieces by the sharp pincer-like mouths of the driver ants. The few worms who survived squirmed away and buried themselves out of sight.

戦場に着くと、動く帯は広がった。何千また何千というアリが押し寄せてくると、その一帯はまるごと、動くアリの塊と、もがくミミズのかたまりになった。戦いはほんの数分で終わった。ミミズたちが軍隊アリの鋭いはさみのような口で噛みちぎられてしまったからである。生き残ったわずかなミミズたちは身をくねらせて逃げ、姿が見えなくなるまで地に潜った。

King Eyo decided that the driver ants were easy winners, and ever since the worms have always been afraid and have lived underground; and if they happen to come to the surface after the rain they hide themselves under the ground whenever anything approaches, as they fear all people.

エヨ王は、軍隊アリの楽勝だと判じた。それ以来、ミミズはいつも恐れて地の下に住んでいる。そして雨のあとでたまたま地面に出てきても、何かが近づいてくるといつも地の下に隠れる。ミミズはあらゆる者を恐れているからである。