Why Dead People are Buried

In the beginning of the world when the Creator had made men and women and the animals, they all lived together in the creation land. The Creator was a big chief, past all men, and being very kind-hearted, was very sorry whenever any one died. So one day he sent for the dog, who was his head messenger, and told him to go out into the world and give his word to all people that for the future whenever any one died the body was to be placed in the compound, and wood ashes were to be thrown over it; that the dead body was to be left on the ground, and in twenty-four hours it would become alive again.

世界の初め、創造主が男と女と獣たちを造ったとき、みなは創造の国で一緒に暮らしていた。創造主はあらゆる人にまさる偉大な首長で、たいそう心やさしかったので、誰かが死ぬたびにたいそう悲しんだ。そこである日、創造主は使いの頭である犬を呼んで、世界へ出ていき、これから先は誰かが死んだらそのなきがらを屋敷の庭に置き、その上に木の灰をまくように、なきがらは地面に置いたままにしておけば、二十四時間でまた生き返るだろうと、すべての人に自分の言葉を伝えよと言いつけた。

When the dog had travelled for half a day he began to get tired; so as he was near an old woman's house he looked in, and seeing a bone with some meat on it he made a meal off it, and then went to sleep, entirely forgetting the message which had been given him to deliver.

犬は半日旅をすると、疲れてきた。そこで、年寄りの女の家の近くにいたので、なかをのぞいてみると、肉のついた骨があったので、それを食べて、それから眠り込んでしまい、伝えるよう言いつけられた言伝をすっかり忘れてしまった。

After a time, when the dog did not return, the Creator called for a sheep, and sent him out with the same message. But the sheep was a very foolish one, and being hungry, began eating the sweet grasses by the wayside. After a time, however, he remembered that he had a message to deliver, but forgot what it was exactly; so as he went about among the people he told them that the message the Creator had given him to tell the people, was that whenever any one died they should be buried underneath the ground.

しばらくたっても犬が戻ってこないので、創造主は羊を呼んで、同じ言伝を持たせて遣わした。けれども羊はたいそう愚かで、腹をすかせていたので、道ばたの甘い草を食べはじめた。けれどもしばらくして、羊は言伝を伝えなければならないことを思い出したが、それが何だったのか正しくは思い出せなかった。そこで人々のあいだを回って、創造主が人々に伝えよと言いつけた言伝は、誰かが死んだらそのなきがらは地の下に埋めるようにということだ、と告げた。

A little time afterwards the dog remembered his message, so he ran into the town and told the people that they were to place wood ashes on the dead bodies and leave them in the compound, and that they would come to life again after twenty-four hours. But the people would not believe him, and said, "We have already received the word from the Creator by the sheep, that all dead bodies should be buried." In consequence of this the dead bodies are now always buried, and the dog is much disliked and not trusted as a messenger, as if he had not found the bone in the old woman's house and forgotten his message, the dead people might still be alive.

少したって、犬は言伝を思い出したので、町へ駆け込んで人々に、なきがらに木の灰をまいて屋敷の庭に置いておけば、二十四時間でまた生き返ると告げた。けれども人々は犬の言うことを信じずに言った。「わたしたちはもう羊から、なきがらはみな埋めるようにという創造主の言葉を受け取っている」そのために、今ではなきがらはいつも埋められるのである。そして犬はたいそう嫌われ、使いとして信用されない。もし犬が年寄りの女の家で骨を見つけて言伝を忘れたりしなかったら、死んだ人々は今も生きていられたかもしれないのだから。