The First Monkey

Visayan

ビサヤ

Many years ago at the foot of a forest-covered hill was a small town, and just above the town on the hillside was a little house in which lived an old woman and her grandson.

数多くの年の前、森に覆われた丘の麓に小さな町があり、そしてその町のちょうど上の丘腹に、年老いた女とその孫が住む小さな家があった。

The old woman, who was very industrious, earned their living by removing the seeds from cotton, and she always had near at hand a basket in which were cotton and a long stick that she used for a spindle. The boy was lazy and would not do anything to help his grandmother, but every day went down to the town and gambled.

年老いた女はたいそう勤勉で、綿から種を取り除いて暮らしを立てており、そしていつでも手近に、綿と、糸を紡ぐのに使う長い棒の入った籠を置いていた。この子は怠け者で祖母を助けることを何もせず、毎日町へ下りて博奕をしていた。

One day, when he had been losing money, the boy went home and was cross because his supper was not ready.

ある日、金を失くしたあと、この子は家へ帰り、夕食ができていないので機嫌が悪かった。

"I am hurrying to get the seeds out of this cotton," said the grandmother, "and as soon as I sell it, I will buy us some food."

「この綿から種を出すのを急いでいるのだよ」と祖母は言った。「そしてこれを売ったらすぐに、食べ物を買ってあげよう。」

At this the boy fell into a rage, and he picked up some cocoanut shells and threw them at his grandmother. Then she became angry and began to whip him with her spindle, when suddenly he was changed into an ugly animal, and the cotton became hair which covered his body, while the stick itself became his tail.

これを聞いてこの子は激しく怒り、椰子の殻をいくつか取って祖母に投げつけた。すると祖母は腹を立てて、糸巻きの棒で打ち始めた。すると不意にこの子は醜い獣に変わり、綿はその体を覆う毛になり、一方その棒そのものは尾になった。

As soon as the boy found that he had become an ugly creature he ran down into the town and began whipping his companions, the gamblers, with his tail, and immediately they were turned into animals like himself.

自分が醜い者になったと知るとすぐに、この子は町へ駆け下りて、その連れである博奕打ちたちを尾で打ち始めた。そしてたちまち彼らも自分と同じ獣に変えられた。

Then the people would no longer have them in the town, but drove them out. They went to the forest where they lived in the trees, and ever since they have been known as monkeys. [162]

それから人々はもう彼らを町に置こうとせず、追い出した。彼らは森へ行って木に住み、そしてそれからずっと猿として知られている。[162]