Doll I’ the Grass

Once on a time there was a King who had twelve sons. When they were grown big he told them they must go out into the world and win themselves wives, but these wives must each be able to spin, and weave, and sew a shirt in one day, else he wouldn’t have them for daughters-in-law.

むかしむかし、十二人の息子を持つ王がいた。息子たちが大きくなると、王は、世に出て自分の妻を勝ち得てこい、だがその妻はめいめい、一日で紡いで織って肌着を縫えねばならぬ、さもなくば嫁とは認めぬと言った。

To each he gave a horse and a new suit of mail, and they went out into the world to look after their brides; but when they had gone a bit of the way, they said they wouldn’t have Boots, their youngest brother, with them—he wasn’t fit for anything.

王はそれぞれに馬と新しい鎧一式を与え、息子たちは花嫁を探しに世へ出ていった。ところが道を少し行くと、末の弟のボーツはいっしょに連れていかないと言った。何の役にも立たぬというのである。

Well, Boots had to stay behind, and he didn’t know what to do or whither to turn; and so he grew so downcast, he got off his horse, and sat down in the tall grass to weep. But when he had sat a little while, one of the tufts in the grass began to stir and move, and out of it came a little white thing, and when it came nearer, Boots saw it was a charming little lassie, only such a tiny bit of a thing. So the lassie went up to him, and asked if he would come down below and see “Doll i’ the Grass”.

さて、ボーツは残らねばならなくなり、どうしてよいか、どちらを向いてよいかもわからなかった。そこですっかり気落ちして、馬から下りて丈の高い草のなかに坐り込んで泣いた。ところがしばらく坐っていると、草の茂みの一つが動きはじめ、そこから小さな白いものが出てきた。そして近づいてくると、ボーツにはそれが愛らしい小さな娘だとわかった。ただ、ほんの小さな小さな娘だった。そこで娘は彼のところへ来て、下へ来て「草のなかの人形」に会ってくれるかと尋ねた。

Yes, he’d be very happy, and so he went.

はい、喜んでと彼は言い、ついていった。

Now, when he got down; there sat Doll i’ the Grass on a chair; she was so lovely and so smart, and she asked Boots whither he was going, and what was his business.

さて下りていくと、草のなかの人形が椅子に坐っていた。それは愛らしく、垢抜けていて、ボーツにどこへ行くのか、用向きは何かと尋ねた。

So he told her how there were twelve brothers of them, and how the King had given them horses and mail, and said they must each go out into the world and find them a wife who could spin, and weave, and sew a shirt in a day.

そこで彼は、自分たちは十二人の兄弟で、王が馬と鎧を与えて、めいめい世に出て一日で紡いで織って肌着を縫える妻を見つけてこいと言ったことを話した。

“But if you’ll only say at once you’ll be my wife, I’ll not go a step further”, said Boots to Doll i’ the Grass.

「でも、すぐにわたしの妻になると言ってくれさえすれば、一歩も先へは行かない」とボーツは草のなかの人形に言った。

Well, she was willing enough, and so she made haste and span, and wove, and sewed the shirt, but it was so tiny, tiny little. It wasn’t longer than so————long.

さて、娘は喜んで承知し、急いで紡ぎ、織り、肌着を縫った。だがそれはほんの小さな小さなものだった。長さはこれ——ほどしかなかった。

So Boots set off home with it, but when he brought it out he was almost ashamed, it was so small. Still the King said he should have her, and so Boots set off, glad and happy to fetch his little sweetheart. So when he got to Doll i’ the Grass, he wished to take her up before him on his horse; but she wouldn’t have that, for she said she would sit and drive along in a silver spoon, and that she had two small white horses to draw her. So off they set, he on his horse and she on her silver spoon, and the two horses that drew her were two tiny white mice; but Boots always kept the other side of the road, he was so afraid lest he should ride over her, she was so little. So, when they had gone a bit of the way, they came to a great piece of water. Here Boots’ horse got frightened, and shied across the road and upset the spoon, and Doll i’ the Grass tumbled into the water. Then Boots got so sorrowful because he didn’t know how to get her out again; but in a little while up came a merman with her, and now she was as well and full grown as other men and women, and far lovelier than she had been before. So he took her up before him on his horse, and rode home.

そこでボーツはそれを持って家へ帰ったが、取り出すとあまりに小さいので恥ずかしくなるほどだった。それでも王は娘を得てよいと言った。そこでボーツは喜んで幸せに、小さないとしい人を迎えに出かけた。そして草のなかの人形のところへ着くと、馬の前に乗せようとした。ところが娘はそれを嫌がって、自分は銀の匙に坐って進む、それを引く小さな白い馬が二頭いると言った。そこで二人は出発した。彼は馬に、娘は銀の匙に乗って。そして娘を引く二頭の馬は、二匹の小さな白い鼠だった。だがボーツはいつも道の反対側を行った。娘があまりに小さいので、踏みつぶしてしまわないかと恐れたのである。そうして道を少し行くと、大きな水のところへ来た。ここでボーツの馬が驚いて道の向こうへ跳びのき、匙を引っくり返して、草のなかの人形は水に落ちてしまった。そこでボーツは、どうすれば娘を引き上げられるかわからず、たいそう嘆いた。ところがしばらくすると人魚が娘を連れて上がってきた。そしていまや娘はほかの人と同じように達者で大きく育っていて、前よりはるかに美しくなっていた。そこで彼は娘を馬の前に乗せて家へ帰った。

When Boots got home all his brothers had come back each with his sweetheart, but these were all so ugly, and foul, and wicked, that they had done nothing but fight with one another on the way home, and on their heads they had a kind of hat that was daubed over with tar and soot, and so the rain had run down off the hats on to their faces, till they got far uglier and nastier than they had been before. When his brothers saw Boots and his sweetheart, they were all as jealous as jealous could be of her; but the King was so overjoyed with them both, that he drove all the others away, and so Boots held his wedding-feast with Doll i’ the Grass, and after that they lived well and happily together a long long time, and if they’re not dead, why they’re alive still.

ボーツが家に着くと、兄たちはみなそれぞれ恋人を連れて帰っていた。だがその恋人たちはみなたいそう醜く汚らしく意地が悪くて、帰り道でたがいに喧嘩をするほかは何もしなかった。そして頭には瀝青と煤を塗りたくった一種の帽子をかぶっていたので、雨がその帽子から顔へ流れ落ちて、前よりはるかに醜く汚らしくなっていた。兄たちはボーツとそのいとしい人を見ると、みなこれ以上ないほど妬んだ。だが王は二人にたいそう喜んで、ほかの者をみな追い払った。そうしてボーツは草のなかの人形と婚礼の宴を開き、そのあと二人は長い長いあいだ仲よく幸せに暮らした。そして死んでいないなら、いまでも生きている。