Of the Fat Woman who Melted Away

There was once a very fat woman who was made of oil. She was very beautiful, and many young men applied to the parents for permission to marry their daughter, and offered dowry, but the mother always refused, as she said it was impossible for her daughter to work on a farm, as she would melt in the sun. At last a stranger came from a far-distant country and fell in love with the fat woman, and he promised if her mother would hand her to him that he would keep her in the shade. At last the mother agreed, and he took his wife away.

むかし、油でできたたいそう太った女がいた。女はたいそう美しく、たくさんの若者が娘と結婚する許しを両親に求め、結納を差し出した。けれども母親はいつも断った。娘は日に当たると溶けてしまうから、畑で働くことはできないと言うのである。とうとう、はるか遠い国から一人のよそ者がやって来て、太った女に恋をした。よそ者は、母親が娘を渡してくれるなら、日陰に置いておくと約束した。とうとう母親は承知して、よそ者は妻を連れていった。

When he arrived at his house, his other wife immediately became very jealous, because when there was work to be done, firewood to be collected, or water to be carried, the fat woman stayed at home and never helped, as she was frightened of the heat.

よそ者が家に着くと、もう一人の妻はたちまちひどく嫉妬した。仕事があるとき、薪を集めたり水を運んだりするとき、太った女は暑さを怖がって家に残り、決して手伝わなかったからである。

One day when the husband was absent, the jealous wife abused the fat woman so much that she finally agreed to go and work on the farm, although her little sister, whom she had brought from home with her, implored her not to go, reminding her that their mother had always told them ever since they were born that she would melt away if she went into the sun. All the way to the farm the fat woman managed to keep in the shade, and when they arrived at the farm the sun was very hot, so the fat woman remained in the shade of a big tree. When the jealous wife saw this she again began abusing her, and asked her why she did not do her share of the work. At last she could stand the nagging no longer, and although her little sister tried very hard to prevent her, the fat woman went out into the sun to work, and immediately began to melt away. There was very soon nothing left of her but one big toe, which had been covered by a leaf. This her little sister observed, and with tears in her eyes she picked up the toe, which was all that remained of the fat woman, and having covered it carefully with leaves, placed it in the bottom of her basket. When she arrived at the house the little sister placed the toe in an earthen pot, filled it with water, and covered the top up with clay.

ある日、夫が留守のとき、嫉妬深い妻があまりに太った女をののしったので、太った女はとうとう畑へ働きに行くことを承知した。一緒に家から連れてきた妹は行かないでと頼み、生まれてからずっと、日に当たったら溶けてしまうと母さんに言われていたじゃないの、と思い出させたけれども。畑までの道すがら、太った女はなんとか日陰にいるようにしていた。畑に着くと日がたいそう強かったので、太った女は大きな木の陰にとどまっていた。嫉妬深い妻はこれを見ると、また太った女をののしりはじめて、どうして自分の分の仕事をしないのかと問い詰めた。とうとう太った女は、そのうるさい小言に耐えられなくなり、妹が懸命に止めたのに、日なたへ出て働きはじめ、たちまち溶けはじめた。まもなく、葉に覆われていた大きな足の親指のほかは、何も残らなかった。妹はそれを見つけて、目に涙を浮かべながら、太った女の残りのすべてであるその親指を拾い上げ、念入りに葉で包んで籠の底に入れた。家に着くと、妹はその親指を土の壺に入れ、水を満たして、口を粘土でふさいだ。

When the husband returned, he said, "Where is my fat wife?" and the little sister, crying bitterly, told him that the jealous woman had made her go out into the sun, and that she had melted away. She then showed him the pot with the remains of her sister, and told him that her sister would come to life again in three months' time quite complete, but he must send away the jealous wife, so that there should be no more trouble; if he refused to do this, the little girl said she would take the pot back to their mother, and when her sister became complete again they would remain at home.

夫が帰ってくると、夫は言った。「わたしの太った妻はどこだ」すると妹は激しく泣きながら、嫉妬深い女が姉さんを日なたに出させて、姉さんは溶けてしまったのだと話した。それから妹は姉の名残の入った壺を見せて、姉さんは三か月たてばすっかりもとどおりに生き返ります、けれども嫉妬深い妻を追い出してください、もう面倒が起きないように、と言った。もしそうしてくれないなら、自分は壺を母のところへ持ち帰り、姉さんがもとどおりになったら二人で家にとどまります、と妹は言った。

The husband then took the jealous wife back to her parents, who sold her as a slave and paid the dowry back to the husband, so that he could get another wife. When he received the money, the husband took it home and kept it until the three months had elapsed, when the little sister opened the pot and the fat woman emerged, quite as fat and beautiful as she had been before. The husband was so delighted that he gave a feast to all his friends and neighbours, and told them the whole story of the bad behaviour of his jealous wife.

そこで夫は嫉妬深い妻をその両親のもとへ連れ帰った。両親はその女を奴隷として売り、結納を夫に返した。夫が別の妻を迎えられるようにするためである。金を受け取ると、夫はそれを家へ持ち帰って、三か月が過ぎるまでしまっておいた。三か月たつと、妹が壺を開けて、太った女が出てきた。前とまったく同じように太って美しかった。夫はたいそう喜んで、友人や隣人をみな招いて宴を開き、嫉妬深い妻のひどいふるまいの話をすっかり語った。

Ever since that time, whenever a wife behaves very badly the husband returns her to the parents, who sell the woman as a slave, and out of the proceeds of the sale reimburse the husband the amount of dowry which he paid when he married the girl.

そのとき以来、妻がひどいふるまいをすると、夫は妻を両親のもとへ返し、両親はその女を奴隷として売って、その売り上げから、娘と結婚したときに夫が払った結納の額を夫に返すのである。