The Monkey and the Turtle

Ilocano

イロカノ

A monkey, looking very sad and dejected, was walking along the bank of the river one day when he met a turtle.

ある日、たいそう悲しく落ち込んだ様子の猿が川の岸を歩いていると、亀に出会った。

"How are you?" asked the turtle, noticing that he looked sad.

「調子はどうだ」と亀は、猿が悲しそうに見えるのに気づいて尋ねた。

The monkey replied, "Oh, my friend, I am very hungry. The squash of Mr. Farmer were all taken by the other monkeys, and now I am about to die from want of food."

猿は答えた。「ああ友よ、わたしはたいそう腹が空いている。お百姓さんの南瓜はほかの猿にみな取られてしまって、そしていまわたしは食べ物がなくて死にかけているのだ。」

"Do not be discouraged," said the turtle; "take a bolo and follow me and we will steal some banana plants."

「気を落とすな」と亀は言った。「刃物を持ってわたしについて来い。そしてバナナの株を少し盗もう。」

So they walked along together until they found some nice plants which they dug up, and then they looked for a place to set them. Finally the monkey climbed a tree and planted his in it, but as the turtle could not climb he dug a hole in the ground and set his there.

そこで二匹はともに歩いていき、そしてとうとうよい株をいくつか見つけて掘り出し、そしてそれから植える場所を探した。とうとう猿は木に登ってそこに自分のを植えた。けれども亀は登れなかったので、地面に穴を掘ってそこに自分のを植えた。

When their work was finished they went away, planning what they should do with their crop. The monkey said:

仕事が終わると二匹は去り、その作物をどうしようかと思い巡らした。猿は言った。

"When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and have a great deal of money."

「わたしの木が実をつけたら、それを売って大金を得よう。」

And the turtle said: "When my tree bears fruit, I shall sell it and buy three varas of cloth to wear in place of this cracked shell."

そして亀は言った。「わたしの木が実をつけたら、それを売って、この割れた甲羅の代わりに身につける布を三バラ買おう。」

A few weeks later they went back to the place to see their plants and found that that of the monkey was dead, for its roots had had no soil in the tree, but that of the turtle was tall and bearing fruit.

何週かのちに二匹はその場所へ株を見に戻り、そして猿のは死んでいるのを見つけた。その根は木の上で土がなかったからである。けれども亀のは背高く育って実をつけていた。

"I will climb to the top so that we can get the fruit," said the monkey. And he sprang up the tree, leaving the poor turtle on the ground alone.

「実を取れるように、わたしが上まで登ろう」と猿は言った。そして木に跳び上がり、哀れな亀を地面にひとり残していった。

"Please give me some to eat," called the turtle, but the monkey threw him only a green one and ate all the ripe ones himself.

「どうかわたしに食べるのを少しくれ」と亀は呼んだ。けれども猿は青いのを一本だけ投げてやって、熟したのは自分でみな食べてしまった。

When he had eaten all the good bananas, the monkey stretched his arms around the tree and went to sleep. The turtle, seeing this, was very angry and considered how he might punish the thief. Having decided on a scheme, he gathered some sharp bamboo which he stuck all around under the tree, and then he exclaimed:

うまいバナナをみな食べてしまうと、猿は木に腕を回して眠り込んだ。これを見た亀はたいそう腹を立てて、この盗人をどう罰したものかと考えた。企みを決めると、鋭い竹を集めてそれを木の下のあたり一帯に刺し、そしてそれからこう叫んだ。

"Crocodile is coming! Crocodile is coming!"

「鰐が来る! 鰐が来る!」

The monkey was so startled at the cry that he fell upon the sharp bamboo and was killed.

猿はこの叫びにあまりに驚いて、その鋭い竹の上に落ちて死んだ。

Then the turtle cut the dead monkey into pieces, put salt on it, and dried it in the sun. The next day, he went to the mountains and sold his meat to other monkeys who gladly gave him squash in return. As he was leaving them he called back:

それから亀はこの死んだ猿を切り分け、塩をつけて日に干した。次の日、山へ行ってその肉をほかの猿に売り、猿たちは喜んで代わりに南瓜をくれた。猿たちのもとを去るとき、亀はこう呼び返した。

"Lazy fellows, you are now eating your own body; you are now eating your own body."

「怠け者たちよ、おまえたちはいま自分の体を食べているのだ。おまえたちはいま自分の体を食べているのだ。」

Then the monkeys ran and caught him and carried him to their own home.

それから猿たちは走って亀を捕らえ、自分たちの家へ運んだ。

"Let us take a hatchet," said one old monkey, "and cut him into very small pieces."

「手斧を取ってきて」と年老いた猿の一匹が言った。「これをたいそう小さな片に切り刻もう。」

But the turtle laughed and said: "That is just what I like, I have been struck with a hatchet many times. Do you not see the black scars on my shell?"

けれども亀は笑ってこう言った。「それはまさにわたしが好むことだ。わたしは何度も手斧で打たれてきた。わたしの甲羅の黒い筋が見えないのか。」

Then one of the other monkeys said: "Let us throw him into the water,"

それからほかの猿の一匹が言った。「これを水に投げ込もう。」

At this the turtle cried and begged them to spare his life, but they paid no heed to his pleadings and threw him into the water. He sank to the bottom, but very soon came up with a lobster. The monkeys were greatly surprised at this and begged him to tell them how to catch lobsters.

これを聞いて亀は泣いて命を助けてくれと願った。けれども猿たちはその願いに耳を貸さず、水に投げ込んだ。亀は底に沈んだが、ほどなく海老を持って上がってきた。猿たちはこれにたいそう驚き、海老の捕り方を教えてくれと願った。

"I tied one end of a string around my waist," said the turtle. "To the other end of the string I tied a stone so that I would sink."

「わたしは紐の片端を腰に結んだ」と亀は言った。「紐のもう片端には、沈めるように石を結んだ。」

The monkeys immediately tied strings around themselves as the turtle said, and when all was ready they plunged into the water never to come up again.

猿たちはすぐに、亀が言ったように自分の身に紐を結び、そして支度ができるとみな水へ飛び込んで、二度と上がってこなかった。

And to this day monkeys do not like to eat meat, because they remember the ancient story. [149]

そして今日まで猿は肉を食べるのを好まない。あの古い話を覚えているからである。[149]