The Presidente Who Had Horns

Ilocano

イロカノ

Once there was a presidente [151] who was very unjust to his people, and one day he became so angry that he wished he had horns so that he might frighten them. No sooner had he made this rash wish, than horns began to grow on his head.

あるとき、民にたいそう不当な村長 [151] がいた。そしてある日あまりに腹を立てて、民を怯えさせられるように自分に角があればよいと願った。この浅はかな願いを口にするとすぐに、その頭に角が生え始めた。

He sent for a barber who came to his house to cut his hair, and as he worked the presidente asked:

彼は髪を切りに家へ来る床屋を呼んだ。そして床屋が働いているあいだ、村長は尋ねた。

"What do you see on my head?"

「わたしの頭に何が見える。」

"I see nothing," answered the barber; for although he could see the horns plainly, he was afraid to say so.

「何も見えません」と床屋は答えた。角がはっきり見えていたけれども、そう言うのが恐ろしかったからである。

Soon, however, the presidente put up his hands and felt the horns, and then when he inquired again the barber told him that he had two horns.

けれどもほどなく村長は手を上げて角に触れ、そしてそれからまた尋ねると、床屋は角が二本あると告げた。

"If you tell anyone what you have seen, you shall be hanged," said the presidente as the barber started away, and he was greatly frightened.

「見たことを誰かに告げれば、おまえは縛り首になる」と、床屋が去るときに村長は言った。そして床屋はひどく怯えた。

When he reached home, the barber did not intend to tell anyone, for he was afraid; but as he thought of his secret more and more, the desire to tell someone became so strong that he knew he could not keep it. Finally he went to the field and dug a hole under some bamboo, and when the hole was large enough he crawled in and whispered that the presidente had horns. He then climbed out, filled up the hole, and went home.

家に着いても床屋は誰にも告げるつもりはなかった。恐ろしかったからである。けれどもこの秘めごとのことをいよいよ考えるにつれて、誰かに告げたいという望みがあまりに強くなって、抑えておけないと分かった。とうとう彼は野へ行って竹の下に穴を掘り、そして穴が十分に大きくなると、そのなかに這い込んで、村長には角があるとささやいた。それから這い出て穴を埋め、家へ帰った。

By and by some people came along the road on their way to market, and as they passed the bamboo they stopped in amazement, for surely a voice came from the trees, and it said that the presidente had horns. These people hastened to market and told what they had heard, and the people there went to the bamboo to listen to the strange voice. They informed others, and soon the news had spread all over the town. The councilmen were told, and they, too, went to the bamboo. When they had heard the voice, they ran to the house of the presidente. But his wife said that he was ill and they could not see him.

やがて何人かの人が市へ行く道を通り、そしてその竹のかたわらを過ぎると、驚き呆れて足を止めた。確かに木から声が来て、村長には角があると言ったからである。この人々は市へ急いで、聞いたことを告げ、そして市の人々はその奇妙な声を聞くために竹のところへ行った。人々はほかの者に知らせ、そしてほどなくその知らせは町じゅうに広まった。参事たちも告げられ、彼らもまた竹のところへ行った。その声を聞くと、彼らは村長の家へ走った。けれどもその妻は、夫は具合が悪くて会えないと言った。

By this time the horns had grown until they were one foot in length, and the presidente was so ashamed that he bade his wife tell the people that he could not talk. She told this to the councilmen when they came on the following day, but they replied that they must see him, for they had heard that he had horns, and if this were true he had no right to govern the people.

このころには角は一フィートの長さに育っていて、そして村長はあまりに恥ずかしかったので、自分は話せないと人々に告げるよう妻に命じた。妻は次の日に参事たちが来たときにそう告げた。けれども彼らは、会わなければならないと答えた。角があると聞いたのであり、そしてもしこれがまことなら、民を治める権はないからである。

She refused to let them in, so they broke down the door. They saw the horns on the head of the presidente and killed him. For, they said, he was no better than an animal. [152]

妻は中へ入れるのを断ったので、彼らは戸を打ち破った。彼らは村長の頭の角を見て、その者を殺した。この者は獣に優るところがないと言ったのである。[152]