Why Dogs Wag Their Tails

Visayan

ビサヤ

A rich man in a certain town once owned a dog and a cat, both of which were very useful to him. The dog had served his master for many years and had become so old that he had lost his teeth and was unable to fight any more, but he was a good guide and companion to the cat who was strong and cunning.

あるとき、ある町の豊かな男が犬と猫を飼っていて、その双方がたいそう役に立った。犬は数多くの年のあいだ主に仕え、そしてたいそう年老いて歯を失い、もう戦うことができなくなっていた。けれども、強くて狡い猫にとってはよい導き手であり連れであった。

The master had a daughter who was attending school at a convent some distance from home, and very often he sent the dog and the cat with presents to the girl.

主には娘があり、家から少し離れた修道院の学校に通っていた。そしてたいそうたびたび、彼は贈り物を持たせて犬と猫をその娘のもとへ送った。

One day he called the faithful animals and bade them carry a magic ring to his daughter.

ある日、彼はこの忠実な獣たちを呼んで、不思議な指輪を娘のもとへ運ぶよう命じた。

"You are strong and brave," he said to the cat "You may carry the ring, but you must be careful not to drop it"

「おまえは強く勇ましい」と彼は猫に言った。「おまえが指輪を運んでよい。けれども落とさないように気をつけなければならない。」

And to the dog he said: "You must accompany the cat to guide her and keep her from harm."

そして犬にはこう言った。「おまえは猫に伴って導き、災いから守らなければならない。」

They promised to do their best, and started out. All went well until they came to a river. As there was neither bridge nor boat, there was no way to cross but to swim.

二匹は精一杯やると約束して出かけた。川に着くまで何もかもうまくいっていた。橋も舟もなかったので、渡るには泳ぐしかなかった。

"Let me take the magic ring," said the dog as they were about to plunge into the water.

「わたしにその不思議な指輪を持たせてくれ」と、水に飛び込もうとするときに犬が言った。

"Oh, no," replied the cat, "the master gave it to me to carry."

「いや、だめだ」と猫は答えた。「主人はわたしに運べと渡したのだ。」

"But you cannot swim well," argued the dog. "I am strong and can take good care of it."

「だがおまえはうまく泳げない」と犬は言い張った。「わたしは強くて、よく気をつけられる。」

But the cat refused to give up the ring until finally the dog threatened to kill her, and then she reluctantly gave it to him.

けれども猫は指輪を渡すのを断り、そしてとうとう犬が殺すと脅すと、しぶしぶそれを渡した。

The river was wide and the water so swift that they grew very tired, and just before they reached the opposite bank the dog dropped the ring. They searched carefully, but could not find it anywhere, and after a while they turned back to tell their master of the sad loss. Just before reaching the house, however, the dog was so overcome with fear that he turned and ran away and never was seen again.

川は広く水はあまりに速かったので、二匹はたいそう疲れ、そして向こう岸に着くちょうど前に犬が指輪を落としてしまった。二匹は気をつけて探したけれども、どこにも見つけられず、そしてしばらくして、この悲しい失くしものを主に告げるために引き返した。けれども家に着くちょうど前に、犬は恐れに圧されて、向きを変えて走り去り、二度と見られることがなかった。

The cat went on alone, and when the master saw her coming he called out to know why she had returned so soon and what had become of her companion. The poor cat was frightened, but as well as she could she explained how the ring had been lost and how the dog had run away.

猫はひとりで進み、そして主は猫が来るのを見て、なぜこれほど早く帰ったのか、そして連れはどうなったのかを知るために呼びかけた。哀れな猫は怯えていたけれども、できるだけよく、どうして指輪が失われ、どうして犬が走り去ったのかを説いた。

On hearing her story the master was very angry, and commanded that all his people should search for the dog, and that it should be punished by having its tail cut off.

その話を聞いて主はたいそう腹を立て、自分の民がみなその犬を探し、そして尾を切り落とすことで罰されるようにと命じた。

He also ordered that all the dogs in the world should join in the search, and ever since when one dog meets another he says: "Are you the old dog that lost the magic ring? If so, your tail must be cut off." Then immediately each shows his teeth and wags his tail to prove that he is not the guilty one.

彼はまた、世のすべての犬がその探しに加わるよう命じた。そしてそれからずっと、犬が別の犬に出会うとこう言う。「おまえがあの不思議な指輪を失くした年老いた犬か。もしそうなら、おまえの尾は切り落とされなければならない。」するとたちまち、それぞれが自分は咎ある者ではないと示すために歯を見せて尾を振るのである。

Since then, too, cats have been afraid of water and will not swim across a river if they can avoid it.

そのときからまた、猫は水を恐れるようになり、避けられるなら川を泳いで渡ろうとしないのである。