The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat

At the time of the great famine all the animals were very thin and weak from want of food; but there was one exception, and that was the tortoise and all his family, who were quite fat, and did not seem to suffer at all. Even the leopard was very thin, in spite of the arrangement he had made with the animals to bring him their old grandmothers and mothers for food.

大飢饉のとき、獣たちはみな食べ物がなくてたいそう痩せて弱っていた。けれども一つだけ例外があって、それは亀とその一族だった。亀たちはまるまると太っていて、少しも苦しんでいるようには見えなかった。豹でさえたいそう痩せていた。獣たちに、食べ物として年老いた祖母や母親を連れてこさせる取り決めをしていたのにである。

In the early days of the famine (as you will remember) the leopard had killed the mother of the tortoise, in consequence of which the tortoise was very angry with the leopard, and determined if possible to be revenged upon him. The tortoise, who was very clever, had discovered a shallow lake full of fish in the middle of the forest, and every morning he used to go to the lake and, without much trouble, bring back enough food for himself and his family. One day the leopard met the tortoise and noticed how fat he was. As he was very thin himself he decided to watch the tortoise, so the next morning he hid himself in the long grass near the tortoise's house and waited very patiently, until at last the tortoise came along quite slowly, carrying a basket which appeared to be very heavy. Then the leopard sprang out, and said to the tortoise:

飢饉の初めのころ(覚えているだろうが)、豹は亀の母親を殺していた。そのために亀は豹をたいそう恨んで、できれば仕返ししてやろうと決めていた。たいそう賢い亀は、森のまんなかに魚のいっぱいいる浅い湖を見つけていて、毎朝その湖へ行っては、たいした苦労もなく自分と家族に十分な食べ物を持ち帰っていた。ある日、豹は亀に出会って、亀がどんなに太っているかに気づいた。自分はたいそう痩せていたので、豹は亀を見張ることにした。そこで次の朝、豹は亀の家の近くの長い草に隠れて、たいそう辛抱強く待った。とうとう亀が、たいそう重そうな籠を持って、ゆっくりやって来た。すると豹は飛び出して、亀に言った。

"What have you got in that basket?"

「その籠に何が入っている」

The tortoise, as he did not want to lose his breakfast, replied that he was carrying firewood back to his home. Unfortunately for the tortoise the leopard had a very acute sense of smell, and knew at once that there was fish in the basket, so he said:

亀は朝食を失いたくなかったので、家へ薪を持ち帰るところだと答えた。けれども亀には運の悪いことに、豹はたいそう鋭い嗅覚を持っていて、籠のなかに魚が入っているとすぐにわかった。そこで豹は言った。

"I know there is fish in there, and I am going to eat it."

「そのなかに魚が入っているのはわかっている。それはわしが食べるぞ」

The tortoise, not being in a position to refuse, as he was such a poor creature, said:

亀は、たいそう弱い者なので断れる立場になく、こう言った。

"Very well. Let us sit down under this shady tree, and if you will make a fire I will go to my house and get pepper, oil, and salt, and then we will feed together."

「わかりました。この木陰に座りましょう。あなたが火をおこしてくださるなら、わたしは家へ行って唐辛子と油と塩を持ってきます。それから一緒に食べましょう」

To this the leopard agreed, and began to search about for dry wood, and started the fire. In the meantime the tortoise waddled off to his house, and very soon returned with the pepper, salt, and oil; he also brought a long piece of cane tie-tie, which is very strong. This he put on the ground, and began boiling the fish. Then he said to the leopard:

これに豹は承知して、乾いた薪を探しはじめ、火をおこした。そのあいだに亀はよたよたと家へ帰り、まもなく唐辛子と塩と油を持って戻ってきた。亀はまた、たいそう丈夫な長い籐のタイタイ(蔓の綱)も持ってきた。亀はそれを地面に置いて、魚を煮はじめた。それから豹に言った。

"While we are waiting for the fish to cook, let us play at tying one another up to a tree. You may tie me up first, and when I say 'Tighten,' you must loose the rope, and when I say 'Loosen,' you must tighten the rope."

「魚が煮えるのを待つあいだ、互いを木に縛りつける遊びをしましょう。まずあなたがわたしを縛ってください。わたしが『きつく』と言ったら綱を緩め、『緩めて』と言ったら綱をきつくするのです」

The leopard, who was very hungry, thought that this game would make the time pass more quickly until the fish was cooked, so he said he would play. The tortoise then stood with his back to the tree and said, "Loosen the rope," and the leopard, in accordance with the rules of the game, began to tie up the tortoise. Very soon the tortoise shouted out, "Tighten!" and the leopard at once unfastened the tie-tie, and the tortoise was free. The tortoise then said, "Now, leopard, it is your turn;" so the leopard stood up against the tree and called out to the tortoise to loosen the rope, and the tortoise at once very quickly passed the rope several times round the leopard and got him fast to the tree. Then the leopard said, "Tighten the rope;" but instead of playing the game in accordance with the rules he had laid down, the tortoise ran faster and faster with the rope round the leopard, taking great care, however, to keep out of reach of the leopard's claws, and very soon had the leopard so securely fastened that it was quite impossible for him to free himself.

たいそう腹をすかせていた豹は、この遊びをすれば魚が煮えるまでの時間が早く過ぎるだろうと思って、遊ぼうと言った。そこで亀は木を背にして立って「綱を緩めて」と言い、豹は遊びの決まりに従って亀を縛りはじめた。まもなく亀は「きつく!」と叫び、豹はすぐにタイタイをほどいて、亀は自由になった。それから亀は言った。「さあ豹さん、あなたの番です」そこで豹は木に背を向けて立ち、亀に綱を緩めるよう呼びかけた。すると亀はすぐさま、たいそうすばやく綱を何重にも豹に巻きつけて、木にしっかり縛りつけた。それから豹は「綱をきつくしろ」と言った。けれども亀は自分で定めた決まりどおりに遊ぶ代わりに、綱を持って豹のまわりをますます速く走りまわった。もっとも、豹の爪の届かないところにいるようたいそう気をつけていた。そしてまもなく、豹は自分ではとても抜け出せないほどしっかり縛りつけられてしまった。

All this time the leopard was calling out to the tortoise to let him go, as he was tired of the game; but the tortoise only laughed, and sat down at the fireside and commenced his meal. When he had finished he packed up the remainder of the fish for his family, and prepared to go, but before he started he said to the leopard:

そのあいだじゅう豹は、この遊びには飽きたから放してくれと亀に叫んでいた。けれども亀は笑うばかりで、火のそばに座って食事を始めた。食べ終わると、亀は残りの魚を家族のために包んで、行こうとした。けれども出発する前に、亀は豹に言った。

"You killed my mother and now you want to take my fish. It is not likely that I am going to the lake to get fish for you, so I shall leave you here to starve."

「お前はわたしの母を殺し、今度はわたしの魚を取ろうとした。わたしがお前のために湖へ魚を取りに行くはずがない。だからお前をここに置いて、飢えさせてやる」

He then threw the remains of the pepper and salt into the leopard's eyes and quietly went on his way, leaving the leopard roaring with pain.

それから亀は残りの唐辛子と塩を豹の目に投げつけ、静かに去っていった。豹は痛みでほえていた。

All that day and throughout the night the leopard was calling out for some one to release him, and vowing all sorts of vengeance on the tortoise; but no one came, as the people and animals of the forest do not like to hear the leopard's voice.

その日じゅうも夜のあいだも、豹は誰か放してくれと叫び、亀にあらゆる仕返しをしてやると誓っていた。けれども誰も来なかった。森の人々も獣も、豹の声を聞くのが好きではないからである。

In the morning, when the animals began to go about to get their food, the leopard called out to every one he saw to come and untie him, but they all refused, as they knew that if they did so the leopard would most likely kill them at once and eat them. At last a bush rat came near and saw the leopard tied up to the tree and asked him what was the matter, so the leopard told him that he had been playing a game of "tight" and "loose" with the tortoise, and that he had tied him up and left him there to starve. The leopard then implored the bush rat to cut the ropes with his sharp teeth. The bush rat was very sorry for the leopard; but at the same time he knew that, if he let the leopard go, he would most likely be killed and eaten, so he hesitated, and said that he did not quite see his way to cutting the ropes. But this bush rat, being rather kind-hearted, and having had some experience of traps himself, could sympathise with the leopard in his uncomfortable position. He therefore thought for a time, and then hit upon a plan. He first started to dig a hole under the tree, quite regardless of the leopard's cries. When he had finished the hole he came out and cut one of the ropes, and immediately ran into his hole, and waited there to see what would happen; but although the leopard struggled frantically, he could not get loose, as the tortoise had tied him up so fast. After a time, when he saw that there was no danger, the bush rat crept out again and very carefully bit through another rope, and then retired to his hole as before. Again nothing happened, and he began to feel more confidence, so he bit several strands through one after the other until at last the leopard was free. The leopard, who was ravenous with hunger, instead of being grateful to the bush rat, directly he was free, made a dash at the bush rat with his big paw, but just missed him, as the bush rat had dived for his hole; but he was not quite quick enough to escape altogether, and the leopard's sharp claws scored his back and left marks which he carried to his grave.

朝になって、獣たちが食べ物を探しに出歩きはじめると、豹は見かける者みなに、来て縄を解いてくれと呼びかけた。けれどもみな断った。そんなことをしたら、豹はきっと自分たちをすぐに殺して食べてしまうと知っていたからである。とうとう藪ねずみが近くにやって来て、豹が木に縛りつけられているのを見て、どうしたのかと尋ねた。そこで豹は、亀と「きつく」「緩めて」の遊びをしていたら、亀が自分を縛って飢え死にさせようとここに置いていったのだと話した。それから豹は、鋭い歯で綱を噛み切ってくれと藪ねずみに懇願した。藪ねずみは豹をたいそう気の毒に思ったが、同時に、豹を放したら自分はきっと殺されて食べられるだろうと知っていた。そこでためらって、綱を噛み切るのは気が進まないと言った。けれどもこの藪ねずみはかなり心やさしく、自分も罠にかかった覚えがあったので、豹の居心地の悪い有様に同情できた。そこでしばらく考えて、一つの手を思いついた。藪ねずみはまず、豹の叫び声など気にもかけずに、木の下に穴を掘りはじめた。穴を掘り終えると出てきて綱を一本噛み切り、すぐに穴に駆け込んで、そこで何が起こるか待った。けれども豹は必死にもがいたが、亀があまりにしっかり縛っていたので抜け出せなかった。しばらくして、危なくないとわかると、藪ねずみはまた這い出して、たいそう用心深くもう一本の綱を噛み切り、前と同じように穴に引っ込んだ。またしても何も起こらなかったので、藪ねずみはだんだん安心してきて、何本も次々に噛み切っていき、とうとう豹は自由になった。飢えに苦しんでいた豹は、藪ねずみに感謝するどころか、自由になったとたん、大きな前足で藪ねずみに飛びかかった。けれども藪ねずみが穴に飛び込んだので、あと少しのところではずれた。それでもすっかり逃れるほど速くはなかったので、豹の鋭い爪が背中をひっかいて、藪ねずみは墓まで持っていく跡を残されたのである。

Ever since then the bush rats have had white spots on their skins, which represent the marks of the leopard's claws.

それ以来、藪ねずみの毛皮には白い斑点がある。それが豹の爪の跡なのである。