The Affair of the Hippopotamus and the Tortoise; or, Why the Hippopotamus lives in the Water

Many years ago the hippopotamus, whose name was Isantim, was one of the biggest kings on the land; he was second only to the elephant. The hippo had seven large fat wives, of whom he was very fond. Now and then he used to give a big feast to the people, but a curious thing was that, although every one knew the hippo, no one, except his seven wives, knew his name.

何年も昔、イサンティムという名のカバは、陸でいちばん大きな王の一人だった。象に次ぐ二番目だった。カバには太った大きな妻が七人いて、カバは妻たちをたいそうかわいがっていた。カバはときどき人々に大きな宴をふるまったが、不思議なことに、誰もがカバを知っているのに、七人の妻のほかは誰もその名を知らなかった。

At one of the feasts, just as the people were about to sit down, the hippo said, "You have come to feed at my table, but none of you know my name. If you cannot tell my name, you shall all of you go away without your dinner."

ある宴で、人々がちょうど席につこうとしたとき、カバは言った。「お前たちはわしの食卓で食べに来たが、誰もわしの名を知らぬ。わしの名を言えないなら、お前たちはみな夕食なしで帰るがよい」

As they could not guess his name, they had to go away and leave all the good food and tombo behind them. But before they left, the tortoise stood up and asked the hippopotamus what he would do if he told him his name at the next feast? So the hippo replied that he would be so ashamed of himself, that he and his whole family would leave the land, and for the future would dwell in the water.

人々はその名を当てられなかったので、おいしい食べ物とトンボ酒をみな置いて帰るほかなかった。けれども帰る前に、亀が立ち上がって、次の宴で名を言い当てたらどうするのかとカバに尋ねた。するとカバは、自分はたいそう恥じ入って、一族もろとも陸を去り、これから先は水のなかに住むだろうと答えた。

Now it was the custom for the hippo and his seven wives to go down every morning and evening to the river to wash and have a drink. Of this custom the tortoise was aware. The hippo used to walk first, and the seven wives followed. One day when they had gone down to the river to bathe, the tortoise made a small hole in the middle of the path, and then waited. When the hippo and his wives returned, two of the wives were some distance behind, so the tortoise came out from where he had been hiding, and half buried himself in the hole he had dug, leaving the greater part of his shell exposed. When the two hippo wives came along, the first one knocked her foot against the tortoise's shell, and immediately called out to her husband, "Oh! Isantim, my husband, I have hurt my foot." At this the tortoise was very glad, and went joyfully home, as he had found out the hippo's name.

さて、カバと七人の妻は、毎朝毎晩、川へ水浴びと水を飲みに降りていくのが習いだった。このしきたりを亀は知っていた。カバがいつも先に歩き、七人の妻がついていった。ある日、みなが水浴びに川へ降りていくと、亀は道のまんなかに小さな穴を掘って待った。カバと妻たちが戻ってくるとき、二人の妻がいくらか後ろに遅れていた。そこで亀は隠れていた場所から出てきて、掘った穴に半分身を埋め、甲羅の大部分を外に出しておいた。二人のカバの妻がやって来ると、先の一人が亀の甲羅に足をぶつけて、すぐに夫に呼びかけた。「ああ! イサンティム、あなた、足を痛めてしまいました」これに亀はたいそう喜んで、カバの名を突き止めたので、勇んで家へ帰った。

When the next feast was given by the hippo, he made the same condition about his name; so the tortoise got up and said, "You promise you will not kill me if I tell you your name?" and the hippo promised. The tortoise then shouted as loud as he was able, "Your name is Isantim," at which a cheer went up from all the people, and then they sat down to their dinner.

次にカバが宴を催したとき、カバは名前について同じ条件をつけた。そこで亀が立ち上がって言った。「お名前を言い当てても、わたしを殺さないと約束してくださいますか」カバは約束した。すると亀はありったけの大声で叫んだ。「あなたの名はイサンティムです」これに人々はみな歓声を上げ、それからみなで夕食の席についた。

When the feast was over, the hippo, with his seven wives, in accordance with his promise, went down to the river, and they have always lived in the water from that day till now; and although they come on shore to feed at night, you never find a hippo on the land in the daytime.

宴が終わると、カバは七人の妻と一緒に、約束に従って川へ降りていった。そしてその日から今日まで、カバはいつも水のなかに住んでいる。夜には陸に上がって草を食べるけれど、昼間に陸でカバを見かけることは決してないのである。