Bushy Bride

Once on a time there was a widower, who had a son and a daughter by his first marriage. Both were good children, and loved each other dearly. Some time after the man married a widow, who had a daughter by her first husband, and she was both ugly and bad, like her mother. So from the day the new wife came into the house there was no peace for her stepchildren in any corner; and at last the lad thought he’d best go out into the world, and try to earn his own bread. And when he had wandered a while he came to a king’s palace, and got a place under the coachman, and quick and willing he was, and the horses he looked after were so sleek and clean that their coats shone again.

むかしむかし、ひとりの男やもめがいて、先の妻とのあいだに息子と娘があった。二人ともよい子で、たがいをたいそう慕い合っていた。しばらくして男は寡婦を後添えに迎えたが、その女には先の夫とのあいだにできた娘があり、母親に似て醜くも性悪でもあった。そうして新しい妻が家に入った日から、継子たちにはどこにも安らぎがなくなった。ついに息子は、世の中へ出て自分のパンを稼ぐのがいちばんだと思った。しばらくさまよったのち、彼は王さまの宮殿に着いて馭者の下働きの口を得た。彼は機敏でよく働き、世話をする馬はつやつやと清らかで、毛並みが光るほどだった。

But the sister who stayed at home was treated worse than badly; both her stepmother and stepsister were always at her, and wherever she went, and whatever she did, they scolded and snarled so, the poor lassie hadn’t an hour’s peace. All the hard work she was forced to do, and early and late she got nothing but bad words, and little food besides.

だが家に残った妹は、ひどいどころではない扱いを受けた。継母も継姉もいつも彼女につらく当たり、どこへ行こうと何をしようと叱りつけ噛みついてくるので、哀れな娘には一時の安らぎもなかった。つらい仕事はみな押しつけられ、朝も晩も悪口ばかり、おまけに食べものもわずかだった。

So one day they had sent her to the burn to fetch water: and what do you think? up popped an ugly, ugly head out of the pool, and said:

さてある日、二人は娘に小川へ水を汲みに行かせた。すると、どうだろう。淵から醜い醜い頭がひょいと現れて言った。

“Wash me, you lassie.”

「わたしを洗っておくれ、娘さん」

“Yes, with all my heart I’ll wash you”, said the lassie. So she began to wash and scrub the ugly head; but truth to say, she thought it nasty work.

「はい、喜んで洗ってあげましょう」と娘は言った。そうして醜い頭を洗って擦りはじめた。だが正直なところ、いやな仕事だと思った。

Well, as soon as she had done washing it, up popped another head out of the pool, and this was uglier still.

さて洗い終えるやいなや、淵からもう一つ頭がひょいと現れた。こちらはもっと醜かった。

“Brush me, you lassie”, said the head.

「わたしの髪を梳いておくれ、娘さん」と頭は言った。

“Yes, with all my heart I’ll brush you.”

「はい、喜んで梳いてあげましょう」

And with that she took in hand the matted locks, and you may fancy she hadn’t very pleasant work with them. But when she had got over that, if a third head didn’t pop up out of the pool, and this was far more ugly and loathsome than both the others put together.

そう言って彼女はもつれた髪に手をかけたが、愉快な仕事でなかったことは察しがつくだろう。だがそれを終えると、なんと三つめの頭が淵からひょいと現れた。こちらは前の二つを合わせたよりもはるかに醜く、おぞましかった。

“Kiss me, you lassie!”

「わたしに口づけしておくれ、娘さん」

“Yes, I’ll kiss you”, said the lassie, and she did it too, though she thought it the worst work she had ever had to do in her life.

「はい、口づけしてあげましょう」と娘は言い、そのとおりにもした。生まれてこのかたいちばんいやな仕事だと思いながら。

Then the heads began to chatter together, and each asked what they should do for the lassie who was so kind and gentle.

すると三つの頭はたがいに語らいはじめ、これほど親切でやさしい娘に何をしてやろうかと言い合った。

“That she be the prettiest lassie in the world, and as fair as the bright day”, said the first head.

「この娘が世界でいちばん美しい娘になり、明るい日の光のように輝きますように」と一つめの頭が言った。

“That gold shall drop from her hair, every time she brushes it”, said the second head.

「髪を梳くたびに、その髪から金がこぼれ落ちますように」と二つめの頭が言った。

“That gold shall fall from her mouth every time she speaks”, said the third head.

「口をきくたびに、その口から金が落ちますように」と三つめの頭が言った。

So when the lassie came home looking so lovely, and beaming as the bright day itself, her stepmother and her stepsister got more and more cross, and they got worse still when she began to talk, and they saw how golden guineas fell from her mouth. As for the stepmother, she got so mad with rage, she chased the lassie into the pigsty. That was the right place for all her gold stuff, but as for coming into the house, she wouldn’t hear of it.

そうして娘が、明るい日そのもののように輝いて美しい姿で帰ってくると、継母と継姉はますます不機嫌になった。そして娘が口をきき、その口から金のギニー貨がこぼれ落ちるのを見て、なおさら不機嫌になった。継母は怒りのあまり気が狂わんばかりになり、娘を豚小屋へ追い込んだ。金だの何だのを出すにはそこがふさわしい、家に入ることなど聞く耳を持たぬ、というのだ。

Well, it wasn’t long before the stepmother wished her own daughter to go to the burn to fetch water. So when she came to the water’s edge with her buckets, up popped the first head.

さてまもなく、継母は自分の娘に小川へ水を汲みに行かせたくなった。そこで娘が手桶を持って水際に来ると、一つめの頭がひょいと現れた。

“Wash me, you lassie”, it said.

「わたしを洗っておくれ、娘さん」と頭は言った。

“The Deil wash you”, said the stepdaughter.

「悪魔にでも洗ってもらえ」と継母の娘は言った。

So the second head popped up.

そこで二つめの頭がひょいと現れた。

“Brush me, you lassie”, it said.

「わたしの髪を梳いておくれ、娘さん」と頭は言った。

“The Deil brush you”, said the stepdaughter.

「悪魔にでも梳いてもらえ」と継母の娘は言った。

So down it went to the bottom, and the third head popped up.

そこでそれは底へ沈み、三つめの頭がひょいと現れた。

“Kiss me, you lassie”, said the head.

「わたしに口づけしておくれ、娘さん」と頭は言った。

“The Deil kiss you, you pig’s-snout”, said the girl.

「悪魔にでも口づけしてもらえ、この豚づらめ」と娘は言った。

Then the heads chattered together again, and asked what they should do to the girl who was so spiteful and cross-grained; and they all agreed she should have a nose four ells long, and a snout three ells long, and a pine bush right in the midst of her forehead, and every time she spoke, ashes were to fall out of her mouth.

すると頭たちはまたたがいに語らい、これほど意地悪でひねくれた娘に何をしてやろうかと言い合った。そして三つとも、この娘には長さ四エルの鼻と長さ三エルの口づらをつけ、額のまんなかに松の茂みを生やし、口をきくたびに灰が口からこぼれ落ちるようにしようと決めた。

So when she got home with her buckets, she bawled out to her mother:

そこで娘が手桶を持って帰ると、母親にわめいた。

“Open the door.”

「戸を開けて」

“Open it yourself, my darling child”, said the mother.

「自分でお開け、かわいい子や」と母親は言った。

“I can’t reach it because of my nose”, said the daughter.

「鼻がつかえて手が届かないの」と娘は言った。

So, when the mother came out and saw her, you may fancy what a way she was in, and how she screamed and groaned; but, for all that, there were the nose and the snout and the pine bush, and they got no smaller for all her grief.

そこで母親が出てきてその姿を見たときの様子は察しがつくだろう。どれほど叫び、どれほど嘆いたことか。だがそれでも鼻も口づらも松の茂みもそこにあり、どれほど嘆いても小さくはならなかった。

Now the brother, who had got the place in the King’s stable, had taken a little sketch of his sister, which he carried away with him, and every morning and every evening he knelt down before the picture and prayed to Our Lord for his sister, whom he loved so dearly. The other grooms had heard him praying, so they peeped through the key-hole of his room, and there they saw him on his knees before the picture. So they went about saying how the lad every morning and every evening knelt down and prayed to an idol which he had, and at last they went to the king himself and begged him only to peep through the key-hole, and then His Majesty would see the lad, and what things he did. At first the King wouldn’t believe it, but at last they talked him over, and he crept on tiptoe to the door and peeped in. Yes, there was the lad on his knees before the picture, which hung on the wall, praying with clasped hands.

さて王さまの厩に口を得た兄は、妹の小さな絵姿を描いて持っていて、毎朝毎晩その絵の前にひざまずき、たいそう慕っている妹のために主に祈っていた。ほかの馬丁たちは彼が祈っているのを耳にし、部屋の鍵穴から覗いてみると、彼が絵の前にひざまずいているのが見えた。そこで彼らは、あの若者は毎朝毎晩ひざまずいて自分の持っている偶像を拝んでいると言いふらし、ついには王さま自身のところへ行って、どうか鍵穴から覗いてみてください、そうすれば陛下もあの若者が何をしているかご覧になれます、と申し上げた。はじめ王さまは信じようとしなかったが、ついには言いくるめられて、爪先立ちで戸口に忍び寄り、なかを覗いた。なるほど、若者は壁に掛かった絵の前にひざまずき、手を組んで祈っていた。

“Open the door!” called out the King; but the lad didn’t hear him.

「戸を開けよ」と王さまは呼ばわった。だが若者には聞こえなかった。

So the King called out in a louder voice, but the lad was so deep in his prayers he couldn’t hear him this time either. “OPEN THE DOOR, I SAY!” roared out the King; “It’s I, the King, who want to come in.”

そこで王さまはもっと大きな声で呼ばわったが、若者は祈りに深く沈んでいて、今度も聞こえなかった。「戸を開けよと言うのだ」と王さまは大声でどなった。「入りたいのはわし、王であるぞ」

Well, up jumped the lad and ran to the door, and unlocked it, but in his hurry he forgot to hide the picture. But when the King came in and saw the picture, he stood there as if he were fettered, and couldn’t stir from the spot, so lovely he thought the picture.

そこで若者は飛び上がって戸口へ走り、鍵を開けた。だが慌てていて絵を隠すのを忘れた。そして王さまが入って絵を見ると、その場に縛りつけられたように立ちつくし、一歩も動けなかった。それほど美しい絵だと思ったのだ。

“So lovely a woman there isn’t in all the wide world”, said the King.

「これほど美しい女は、広い世界のどこにもおらぬ」と王さまは言った。

But the lad told him she was his sister whom he had drawn, and if she wasn’t prettier than that, at least she wasn’t uglier.

だが若者は、これは自分が描いた妹で、これより美しくはないにしても、少なくともこれより醜くはないと申し上げた。

“Well, if she’s so lovely”, said the King, “I’ll have her for my queen”; and then he ordered the lad to set off home that minute, and not be long on the road either. So the lad promised to make as much haste as he could, and started off from the King’s palace.

「それほど美しいのなら」と王さまは言った。「わしの后に迎えよう」そして若者に、今すぐ家へ発て、道草も食うなと命じた。そこで若者はできるかぎり急ぎますと約束し、王さまの宮殿を出発した。

When the brother came home to fetch his sister, the step-mother and stepsister said they must go too. So they all set out, and the good lassie had a casket in which she kept her gold, and a little dog, whose name was “Little Flo”; those two things were all her mother left her. And when they had gone a while, they came to a lake which they had to cross; so the brother sat down at the helm, and the stepmother and the two girls sat in the bow foreward, and so they sailed a long, long way.

兄が妹を迎えに家へ帰ると、継母と継姉も一緒に行くと言い張った。そこで一同は出発した。気立てのよい娘は金を入れた小箱と、「ちびのフロー」という名の小さな犬を連れていた。この二つは母親が遺してくれたもののすべてだった。しばらく行くと、渡らねばならない湖に出た。そこで兄は舵のところに座り、継母と二人の娘は舳先のほうに座って、長い長いあいだ漕ぎ渡った。

At last they caught sight of land.

しまいに陸地が見えてきた。

“There”, said the brother, “where you see the white strand yonder, there’s where we’re to land”; and as he said this he pointed across the water.

「ほら」と兄は言った。「向こうに白い渚が見えるだろう。あそこに上がるのだ」そう言いながら水の向こうを指さした。

“What is it my brother says?” asked the good lassie.

「兄さんは何と言っているの」と気立てのよい娘が尋ねた。

“He says you must throw your casket overboard”, said the stepmother.

「小箱を海へ投げ捨てろと言っているのさ」と継母は言った。

“Well, when my brother says it, I must do it”, said the lassie, and overboard went the casket.

「兄さんがそう言うのなら、そうしなければ」と娘は言い、小箱は水のなかへ消えた。

When they had sailed a bit farther, the brother pointed again across the lake.

もう少し漕ぎ進んだところで、兄はまた湖の向こうを指さした。

“There you see the castle we’re going to.”

「ほら、あれが行く先の城だ」

“What is it my brother says?” asked the lassie.

「兄さんは何と言っているの」と娘が尋ねた。

“He says now you must throw your little dog overboard”, said the stepmother.

「今度は小さな犬を投げ捨てろと言っているのさ」と継母は言った。

Then the lassie wept and was sore grieved, for Little Flo was the dearest thing she had in the world, but at last she threw him overboard.

すると娘は泣いてひどく嘆いた。ちびのフローは世界でいちばん大切なものだったからだ。だがついには犬を水のなかへ投げた。

“When my brother says it, I must do it, but heaven knows how it hurts me to throw you over, Little Flo”, she said.

「兄さんがそう言うのなら、そうしなければならない。でも、おまえを投げるのがどれほどつらいか、天だけが知っている、ちびのフロー」と娘は言った。

So they sailed on a good bit still.

そうして一同はなお少し漕ぎ進んだ。

“There you see the King coming down to meet us”, said the brother, and pointed towards the strand.

「ほら、王さまが迎えに下りてこられるのが見えるだろう」と兄は言い、渚のほうを指さした。

“What is it my brother says”, asked the lassie.

「兄さんは何と言っているの」と娘が尋ねた。

“Now he says you must make haste and throw yourself overboard”, said the stepmother.

「今は、急いで自分から水へ飛び込めと言っているのさ」と継母は言った。

Well, the lassie wept and moaned; but when her brother told her to do that, she thought she ought to do it, and so she leapt down into the lake.

さて娘は泣いて嘆いた。だが兄がそうしろと言うのなら、そうするのが道理だと思い、湖のなかへ身を躍らせた。

But when they came to the palace, and the King saw the loathly bride, with a nose four ells long, and a snout three ells long, and a pine-bush in the midst of her forehead, he was quite scared out of his wits; but the wedding was all ready, both in brewing and baking, and there sat all the wedding guests, waiting for the bride; and so the King couldn’t help himself, but was forced to take her for better for worse. But angry he was, that any one can forgive him, and so he had the brother thrown into a pit full of snakes.

だが一同が宮殿に着き、長さ四エルの鼻と長さ三エルの口づらと額のまんなかの松の茂みをそなえたおぞましい花嫁を王さまが見たとき、王さまは肝をつぶした。だが婚礼の支度は醸すのも焼くのもすっかりととのっていて、招かれた客はみな席について花嫁を待っていた。だから王さまはどうすることもできず、よかれあしかれこの花嫁を迎えるほかなかった。だが王さまが怒ったのは、誰にでも許してもらえることだろう。そこで王さまは兄を蛇でいっぱいの穴に投げ込んだ。

Well, the first Thursday evening after the wedding, about midnight, in came a lovely lady into the palace-kitchen, and begged the kitchen-maid, who slept there, so prettily, to lend her a brush. That she got, and then she brushed her hair, and as she brushed, down dropped gold, A little dog was at her heel, and to him she said:

さて婚礼のあと最初の木曜の晩、真夜中ごろ、美しい女が宮殿の台所に入ってきて、そこで寝ていた台所女中に、たいそうやさしく櫛を貸してくださいと頼んだ。櫛を借りると彼女は髪を梳き、梳くにつれて金がこぼれ落ちた。かかとのそばには小さな犬がいて、彼女はその犬に言った。

“Run out, Little Flo, and see if it will soon be day.”

「お行き、ちびのフロー、もうじき夜が明けるか見ておいで」

This she said three times, and the third time she sent the dog it was just about the time the dawn begins to peep. Then she had to go, but as she went she sung:

これを三度言った。三度目に犬をやったのは、ちょうど夜明けが覗きはじめるころだった。そこで彼女は行かねばならなくなったが、去りぎわにこう歌った。

Out on you, ugly Bushy Bride, Lying so warm by the King’s left side; While I on sand and gravel sleep, And over my brother adders creep, And all without a tear.

出ておゆき、醜い藪の花嫁よ、王さまの左の脇であたたかく寝ている花嫁よ。わたしは砂と砂利のうえに眠り、兄のうえを蝮が這い、それでも涙ひとつこぼれない。

“Now I come twice more, and then never again.”

「あと二度来て、それきり二度と来ない」

So next morning the kitchen-maid told what she had seen and heard, and the King said he’d watch himself next Thursday night in the kitchen, and see if it were true, and as soon as it got dark, out he went into the kitchen to the kitchen-maid. But all he could do, and however much he rubbed his eyes and tried to keep himself awake, it was no good; for the Bushy Bride chaunted and sang till his eyes closed, and so when the lovely lady came, there he slept and snored. This time, too, as before, she borrowed a brush, and brushed her hair till the gold dropped, and sent her dog out three times, and as soon as it was gray dawn, away she went singing the same words, and adding:

そこで翌朝、台所女中は見聞きしたことを話した。すると王さまは、次の木曜の晩には自分で台所で見張って、それがほんとうかどうか確かめようと言った。そして暗くなるやいなや台所の女中のところへ出ていった。だが何をしても、どれほど目をこすって起きていようとしても無駄だった。藪の花嫁が口ずさみ歌うので目が閉じてしまい、美しい女が来たときには彼は眠っていびきをかいていた。今度も前と同じように、女は櫛を借りて髪を梳き、金がこぼれ落ちるまで梳き、犬を三度外へやった。そして白々と夜が明けるやいなや、同じ言葉を歌いながら去っていった。ただし、こう付け加えた。

“Now I come once more, and then never again.”

「あと一度来て、それきり二度と来ない」

The third Thursday evening the King said he would watch again; and he set two men to hold him, one under each arm, who were to shake and jog him every time he wanted to fall asleep; and two men he set to watch his Bushy Bride. But when the night wore on, the Bushy Bride began to chaunt and sing, so that his eyes began to wink, and his head hung down on his shoulders. Then in came the lovely lady, and got the brush and brushed her hair, till the gold dropped from it; after that she sent Little Flo out again to see if it would soon be day, and this she did three times. The third time it began, to get gray in the east; then she sang,

三度目の木曜の晩、王さまはまた見張ると言った。そして両脇から支える男を二人つけ、眠りかけるたびに揺すって起こすようにさせた。さらに藪の花嫁を見張る男を二人つけた。だが夜が更けると、藪の花嫁が口ずさみ歌いはじめ、王さまの目はしばたたき、首は肩に垂れた。そこへ美しい女が入ってきて、櫛を取って髪を梳き、金がこぼれ落ちるまで梳いた。そのあとまたちびのフローを外へやって、もうじき夜が明けるか見させ、これを三度した。三度目に東の空が白みはじめた。すると彼女は歌った。

Out on you, ugly Bushy Bride, Lying so warm by the King’s left side; While I on sand and gravel sleep, And over my brother adders creep, And all without a tear.

出ておゆき、醜い藪の花嫁よ、王さまの左の脇であたたかく寝ている花嫁よ。わたしは砂と砂利のうえに眠り、兄のうえを蝮が這い、それでも涙ひとつこぼれない。

“Now I come back never more”, she said, and went towards the door. But the two men who held the King under the arms, clenched his hands together, and put a knife into his grasp; and so, somehow or other, they got him to cut her in her little finger, and drew blood. Then the true bride was freed, and the King woke up, and she told him now the whole story, and how her stepmother and sister had deceived her. So the King sent at once and took her brother out of the pit of snakes, and the adders hadn’t done him the least harm, but the stepmother and her daughter were thrown into it in his stead.

「もう二度と来ない」と彼女は言い、戸口のほうへ歩いた。だが王さまを両脇から支えていた二人の男は、王さまの手を握りしめさせ、その手に小刀を持たせた。そうして何とかして女の小指を切らせ、血を流させた。すると本当の花嫁は呪いを解かれ、王さまは目を覚ました。彼女は今度こそ一部始終を、継母と継姉がどうやって自分を欺いたかを王さまに話した。そこで王さまはすぐに人をやって兄を蛇の穴から出させた。蝮は彼を少しも傷つけていなかった。そして代わりに継母とその娘が穴に投げ込まれた。

And now no one can tell how glad the King was to be rid of that ugly Bushy Bride, and to get a Queen who was as lovely and bright as the day itself. So the true wedding was held, and every one talked of it over seven kingdoms; and then the King and Queen drove to church in their coach, and Little Flo went inside with them too, and when the blessing was given they drove back again, and after that I saw nothing more of them.

そして王さまが、あの醜い藪の花嫁から解き放たれ、日そのもののように美しく輝く后を得て、どれほど喜んだかは誰にも語れない。そうして本当の婚礼が行われ、七つの国じゅうでその話がされた。それから王さまと后は馬車で教会へ行き、ちびのフローも一緒になかへ入った。祝福を受けると二人はまた馬車で帰り、そのあと私は二人を見かけていない。