The Orphan Boy and the Magic Stone

A chief of Inde named Inkita had a son named Ayong Kita, whose mother had died at his birth.

インデのインキタという名の首長に、アヨング・キタという名の息子がいた。その母親は息子を産んだときに死んでいた。

The old chief was a hunter, and used to take his son out with him when he went into the bush. He used to do most of his hunting in the long grass which grows over nearly all the Inde country, and used to kill plenty of bush buck in the dry season.

年老いた首長は狩人で、藪へ入るときには息子を連れていくのが常だった。首長はたいていインデの国のほとんどを覆って生えている長い草のなかで狩りをし、乾季にはブッシュバックをたくさん仕留めていた。

In those days the people had no guns, so the chief had to shoot everything he got with his bow and arrows, which required a lot of skill.

そのころ人々は鉄砲を持っていなかったので、首長は仕留めるものをみな弓矢で射なければならず、それにはたいそうな腕前が要った。

When his little son was old enough, he gave him a small bow and some small arrows, and taught him how to shoot. The little boy was very quick at learning, and by continually practising at lizards and small birds, soon became expert in the use of his little bow, and could hit them almost every time he shot at them.

小さな息子が年ごろになると、首長は小さな弓と小さな矢を何本かやって、射方を教えた。男の子は覚えるのがたいそう早く、トカゲや小鳥を相手に絶えず練習して、まもなく小さな弓を使いこなせるようになり、射ればほとんど毎回当てられるようになった。

When the boy was ten years old his father died, and as he thus became the head of his father's house, and was in authority over all the slaves, they became very discontented, and made plans to kill him, so he ran away into the bush.

男の子が十歳のとき父親が死に、こうして父親の家の頭となって奴隷たちみなの上に立ったので、奴隷たちはたいそう不満を抱いて男の子を殺すたくらみを立てた。そこで男の子は藪へ逃げ込んだ。

Having nothing to eat, he lived for several days on the nuts which fell from the palm trees. He was too young to kill any large animals, and only had his small bow and arrows, with which he killed a few squirrels, bush rats, and small birds, and so managed to live.

食べるものが何もなかったので、男の子は何日も椰子の木から落ちる実を食べて暮らした。大きな獣を仕留めるには幼すぎたし、小さな弓矢しか持っていなかったので、リスや藪ねずみや小鳥を少し仕留めて、なんとか暮らしていた。

Now once at night, when he was sleeping in the hollow of a tree, he had a dream in which his father appeared, and told him where there was plenty of treasure buried in the earth, but, being a small boy, he was frightened, and did not go to the place.

さてあるとき、夜に木のうろで眠っていると、男の子は夢を見た。そのなかに父親が現れて、土のなかに宝がたくさん埋まっている場所を教えた。けれども小さな男の子だったので怖くなって、その場所へは行かなかった。

One day, some time after the dream, having walked far and being very thirsty, he went to a lake, and was just going to drink, when he heard a hissing sound, and heard a voice tell him not to drink. Not seeing any one, he was afraid, and ran away without drinking.

夢を見てからしばらくたったある日、遠くまで歩いてたいそうのどが渇いたので、男の子は湖へ行って水を飲もうとした。するとシューという音が聞こえ、飲むなという声が聞こえた。誰の姿も見えないので、男の子は怖くなって、水を飲まずに逃げ出した。

Early next morning, when he was out with his bow trying to shoot some small animal, he met an old woman with quite long hair. She was so ugly that he thought she must be a witch, so he tried to run, but she told him not to fear, as she wanted to help him and assist him to rule over his late father's house. She also told him that it was she who had called out to him at the lake not to drink, as there was a bad Ju Ju in the water which would have killed him. The old woman then took Ayong to a stream some little distance from the lake, and bending down, took out a small shining stone from the water, which she gave to him, at the same time telling him to go to the place which his father had advised him to visit in his dream. She then said, "When you get there you must dig, and you will find plenty of money; you must then go and buy two strong slaves, and when you have got them, you must take them into the forest, away from the town, and get them to build you a house with several rooms in it. You must then place the stone in one of the rooms, and whenever you want anything, all you have to do is to go into the room and tell the stone what you want, and your wishes will be at once gratified."

次の朝早く、小さな獣を射ようと弓を持って出ていると、男の子はたいそう長い髪の年老いた女に出会った。女はあまりに醜かったので、男の子は魔女にちがいないと思って逃げようとした。けれども女は、怖がらなくてよい、自分はお前を助けて、亡き父の家を治められるようにしてやりたいのだと言った。女はまた、湖でお前に飲むなと呼びかけたのは自分だ、水には悪いジュジュがいてお前を殺しただろうから、と言った。それから年老いた女はアヨングを、湖から少し離れた小川へ連れていき、身をかがめて、水のなかから小さな光る石を取り出して男の子に渡した。そして同時に、夢のなかで父親が行くよう勧めた場所へ行くよう言った。それから女は言った。「そこへ着いたら掘りなさい。そうすればたくさんの金が見つかる。それから行って、力の強い奴隷を二人買いなさい。二人を手に入れたら、町から離れた森へ連れていって、いくつも部屋のある家を建てさせなさい。それから部屋の一つにこの石を置いて、何か欲しいものがあれば、その部屋へ行って石に欲しいものを言うだけでよい。そうすればお前の望みはすぐにかなえられる」

Ayong did as the old woman told him, and after much difficulty and danger bought the two slaves and built a house in the forest, taking great care of the precious stone, which he placed in an inside room. Then for some time, whenever he wanted anything, he used to go into the room and ask for a sufficient number of rods to buy what he wanted, and they were always brought at once.

アヨングは年老いた女に言われたとおりにして、さんざん苦労し危ない目にもあったあげく、奴隷を二人買って森に家を建てた。そして尊い石をたいそう大事にして、奥の部屋に置いた。それからしばらくのあいだ、何か欲しいものがあると、アヨングはその部屋へ行って、欲しいものを買うのに十分な数のロッドを求め、それはいつもすぐに運ばれてきた。

This went on for many years, and Ayong grew up to be a man, and became very rich, and bought many slaves, having made friends with the Aro men, who in those days used to do a big traffic in slaves. After ten years had passed Ayong had quite a large town and many slaves, but one night the old woman appeared to him in a dream and told him that she thought that he was sufficiently wealthy, and that it was time for him to return the magic stone to the small stream from whence it came. But Ayong, although he was rich, wanted to rule his father's house and be a head chief for all the Inde country, so he sent for all the Ju Ju men in the country and two witch men, and marched with all his slaves to his father's town. Before he started he held a big palaver, and told them to point out any slave who had a bad heart, and who might kill him when he came to rule the country. Then the Ju Ju men consulted together, and pointed out fifty of the slaves who, they said, were witches, and would try to kill Ayong. He at once had them made prisoners, and tried them by the ordeal of Esere bean[10] to see whether they were witches or not. As none of them could vomit the beans they all died, and were declared to be witches. He then had them buried at once. When the remainder of his slaves saw what had happened, they all came to him and begged his pardon, and promised to serve him faithfully. Although the fifty men were buried they could not rest, and troubled Ayong very much, and after a time he became very sick himself, so he sent again for the Ju Ju men, who told him that it was the witch men who, although they were dead and buried, had power to come out at night and used to suck Ayong's blood, which was the cause of his sickness. They then said, "We are only three Ju Ju men; you must get seven more of us, making the magic number of ten." When they came they dug up the bodies of the fifty witches, and found they were quite fresh. Then Ayong had big fires made, and burned them one after the other, and gave the Ju Ju men a big present. He soon after became quite well again, and took possession of his father's property, and ruled over all the country.

これが何年も続いて、アヨングは大人になり、たいそう豊かになって、奴隷をたくさん買った。そのころ奴隷の商いを盛んにしていたアロの者たちとも親しくなった。十年たつと、アヨングはかなり大きな町と大勢の奴隷を持つようになった。けれどもある夜、年老いた女が夢に現れて、お前はもう十分に豊かになったと思う、魔法の石をもとの小さな流れに返す時だ、と告げた。けれどもアヨングは、豊かにはなったものの、父の家を治めてインデの国じゅうの大首長になりたいと思った。そこで国じゅうのジュジュ使いと魔女使い二人を呼び寄せ、奴隷をみな率いて父の町へ進んでいった。出発する前にアヨングは大きな評議を開いて、心の悪い奴隷、自分が国を治めるようになったときに自分を殺しかねない者を指し示すよう言った。するとジュジュ使いたちは相談して、五十人の奴隷を指し示し、この者たちは魔女であり、アヨングを殺そうとするだろうと言った。アヨングはすぐにその者たちを捕らえ、魔女かどうかを見るためにエセレ豆[10]の試練で裁いた。誰一人豆を吐き出せなかったので、みな死に、魔女であると宣告された。アヨングはすぐにその者たちを埋めさせた。残りの奴隷たちは何が起こったかを見ると、みなアヨングのもとへ来て許しを乞い、忠実に仕えると約束した。けれども五十人は埋められても安らげず、アヨングをたいそう悩ませた。しばらくするとアヨング自身がひどく病気になったので、またジュジュ使いを呼び寄せた。ジュジュ使いたちは、死んで埋められていても夜に出てきてアヨングの血を吸うことのできる魔女たちが、病のもとなのだと言った。それから言った。「わたしたちは三人のジュジュ使いにすぎません。あと七人呼び集めて、魔法の数である十人にしなければなりません」十人がそろうと、五十人の魔女のなきがらを掘り出したが、みなまったく新しいままだった。そこでアヨングは大きな火を焚かせて、一人ずつ焼き、ジュジュ使いたちにたっぷり贈り物をした。アヨングはまもなくすっかり元気になり、父の財産を手に入れて、国じゅうを治めたのである。

[Footnote 10: The Esere or Calabar bean is a strong poison, and was formerly much used by the natives. These beans are ground up in a stone mortar, and are then swallowed by the accused person. If the man dies he is considered guilty, but if he lives, he is supposed to have proved his innocence of whatever the charge may have been which was brought against him. Death generally ensues about two hours after the poison is administered. If the accused takes a sufficient amount of the ground-up beans to make him vomit it will probably save his life, otherwise he will die in great pain.]

[脚注 10: エセレ豆、つまりカラバル豆は強い毒で、以前は土地の人々によく使われていた。この豆は石の臼ですりつぶされ、告発された者に飲ませる。その者が死ねば有罪とされるが、生き延びれば、どんな告発であれその罪を晴らしたとみなされる。たいてい毒を飲ませてから二時間ほどで死ぬ。もし告発された者がすりつぶした豆を吐くほど十分な量を飲めば、おそらく命は助かるが、そうでなければひどい苦しみのうちに死ぬ。]

Ever since then, whenever any one is accused of being a witch, they are tried by the ordeal of the poisonous Esere bean, and if they can vomit they do not die, and are declared innocent, but if they cannot do so, they die in great pain.

それ以来、誰かが魔女だと告発されると、毒のエセレ豆の試練で裁かれる。そして吐くことができれば死なずに無実と宣告されるが、吐けなければひどい苦しみのうちに死ぬのである。