Concerning the Hawk and the Owl

In the olden days when Effiong was king of Calabar, it was customary at that time for rulers to give big feasts, to which all the subjects and all the birds of the air and animals of the forest, also the fish and other things that lived in the water, were invited. All the people, birds, animals, and fish, were under the king, and had to obey him. His favourite messenger was the hawk, as he could travel so quickly.

昔、エフィオンがカラバルの王だったころ、そのころは支配者が大きな宴を開くのが習わしで、そこにはすべての臣民と、空のすべての鳥と森のすべての獣、それに魚や水のなかに住むほかのものも招かれた。人も鳥も獣も魚も、みな王の下にあって、王に従わねばならなかった。王のお気に入りの使いは鷹だった。たいそう速く旅ができたからである。

The hawk served the king faithfully for several years, and when he wanted to retire, he asked what the king proposed to do for him, as very soon he would be too old to work any more. So the king told the hawk to bring any living creature, bird or animal, to him, and he would allow the hawk for the future to live on that particular species without any trouble. The hawk then flew over a lot of country, and went from forest to forest, until at last he found a young owl which had tumbled out of its nest. This the hawk brought to the king, who told him that for the future he might eat owls. The hawk then carried the owlet away, and told his friends what the king had said.

鷹は何年も忠実に王に仕え、引退したくなると、王は自分に何をしてくださるつもりかと尋ねた。まもなく年をとって、もう働けなくなるからである。そこで王は鷹に、生きている生きものなら鳥でも獣でも何か一つ連れてこい、そうすればこれから先はその種のものを苦労なく食べて暮らしてよいと言った。そこで鷹はたくさんの土地の上を飛び、森から森へ行き、とうとう巣から落ちた若いフクロウを見つけた。鷹はそれを王のもとへ持っていき、王は鷹に、これから先はフクロウを食べてよいと言った。それから鷹はフクロウの子を運び去り、王が言ったことを友だちに話した。

One of the wisest of them said, "Tell me when you seized the young owlet, what did the parents say?" And the hawk replied that the father and mother owls kept quite quiet, and never said anything. The hawk's friend then advised him to return the owlet to his parents, as he could never tell what the owls would do to him in the night-time, and as they had made no noise, they were no doubt plotting in their minds some deep and cruel revenge.

友だちのなかでいちばん賢い者が言った。「教えてくれ、お前がフクロウの子をつかまえたとき、親は何と言った」鷹は、父さんフクロウも母さんフクロウもまったく黙っていて、何も言わなかったと答えた。すると鷹の友だちは、フクロウの子を親に返してやれと勧めた。フクロウたちが夜のあいだに何をするかわかったものではないし、何の音も立てなかったのだから、きっと心のなかで深くむごい復讐をたくらんでいるにちがいない、というのである。

The next day the hawk carried the owlet back to his parents and left him near the nest. He then flew about, trying to find some other bird which would do as his food; but as all the birds had heard that the hawk had seized the owlet, they hid themselves, and would not come out when the hawk was near. He therefore could not catch any birds.

次の日、鷹はフクロウの子を親のもとへ運んで帰り、巣の近くに置いてきた。それから食べ物になるほかの鳥を見つけようと飛びまわった。けれども鷹がフクロウの子をつかまえたことをどの鳥も聞いていたので、鳥たちはみな身を隠して、鷹が近くにいるあいだは出てこなかった。そういうわけで鷹は鳥を一羽もつかまえられなかった。

As he was flying home he saw a lot of fowls near a house, basking in the sun and scratching in the dust. There were also several small chickens running about and chasing insects, or picking up anything they could find to eat, with the old hen following them and clucking and calling to them from time to time. When the hawk saw the chickens, he made up his mind that he would take one, so he swooped down and caught the smallest in his strong claws. Immediately he had seized the chicken the cocks began to make a great noise, and the hen ran after him and tried to make him drop her child, calling loudly, with her feathers fluffed out and making dashes at him. But he carried it off, and all the fowls and chickens at once ran screaming into the houses, some taking shelter under bushes and others trying to hide themselves in the long grass. He then carried the chicken to the king, telling him that he had returned the owlet to his parents, as he did not want him for food; so the king told the hawk that for the future he could always feed on chickens.

家へ飛んで帰る途中、鷹は一軒の家の近くで、鶏がたくさん日なたぼっこをしながら土をひっかいているのを見た。小さなひよこも何羽か走りまわって虫を追いかけたり、食べられるものは何でもついばんだりしていて、母鶏がそのあとをついて、ときどきコッコッと鳴いて呼んでいた。鷹はひよこを見ると、一羽さらってやろうと決め、舞い降りていちばん小さいのを強い爪でつかまえた。ひよこをつかまえたとたん、雄鶏たちが大騒ぎしはじめ、母鶏は鷹を追いかけて子どもを放させようとし、羽をふくらませて鷹に突っかかりながら大声で鳴いた。けれども鷹はひよこをさらっていき、鶏もひよこもみな悲鳴を上げて家に駆け込み、茂みの下に隠れる者もいれば、長い草のなかに身を隠そうとする者もいた。それから鷹はひよこを王のもとへ運んでいって、フクロウの子は食べ物には欲しくなかったので親に返したと告げた。そこで王は鷹に、これから先はいつでも雛を食べて暮らしてよいと言った。

The hawk then took the chicken home, and his friend who dropped in to see him, asked him what the parents of the chicken had done when they saw their child taken away; so the hawk said--

それから鷹は雛を家へ持ち帰った。すると訪ねてきた友だちが、雛の親は子どもをさらわれたときどうしたかと尋ねた。そこで鷹は言った——

"They all made a lot of noise, and the old hen chased me, but although there was a great disturbance amongst the fowls, nothing happened."

「みんな大騒ぎして、母鶏はわしを追いかけてきた。けれども鶏たちのあいだで大変な騒ぎがあったほかは、何も起こらなかったよ」

His friend then said as the fowls had made much palaver, he was quite safe to kill and eat the chickens, as the people who made plenty of noise in the daytime would go to sleep at night and not disturb him, or do him any injury; the only people to be afraid of were those who when they were injured, kept quite silent; you might be certain then that they were plotting mischief, and would do harm in the night-time.

すると友だちは、鶏たちがさんざん騒いだのなら、雛を殺して食べてもまったく安全だと言った。昼間にさんざん騒ぐ者は夜には眠ってしまい、お前を邪魔したり害を加えたりはしない。恐れるべきなのは、害を受けてもまったく黙っている者だけだ。そういう者は、きっと悪事をたくらんでいて、夜のあいだに害を加えるにちがいない、というのである。