The Master of Magic

The Story of a Boy who Learned His Lessons in School

学校で勉強をした男の子の話

Once upon a time there lived a man who had three sons. The two older ones worked in the fields, but the youngest one went to school. He learned how to read and write and do sums and make drawings. At last he even learned magic.

むかしむかし、三人の息子を持つ男がいた。上の二人は畑で働いたが、末の息子は学校へ通った。末の息子は読み書きと計算と絵を描くことを覚えた。とうとう魔法まで覚えた。

The two elder brothers complained to their father about him one day. Their hearts were bitter against him.

ある日、上の二人の兄は、末の弟のことで父親に文句を言った。二人の心は弟に対する恨みでいっぱいだった。

"It is not fair, father," they said. "We work hard every day in the fields and bring home money to enrich the family. Why shouldn't our brother work, too? He does nothing except study."

「不公平だよ、父さん」と兄たちは言った。「おれたちは毎日畑で懸命に働いて、家を豊かにするために金を持って帰ってくる。どうして弟も働かないんだ。あいつは勉強のほかに何もしないじゃないか」

The youngest son heard their words of complaint.

末の息子は兄たちの不満の言葉を聞いた。

"Will you go hunting with me to-morrow, father?" he asked. "I have learned much magic. In fact, I have become a master of magic. I will turn myself into a hunting dog if you will go into the fields with me."

「父さん、明日ぼくと一緒に狩りに行きませんか」と末の息子は尋ねた。「ぼくはたくさん魔法を覚えました。実のところ、魔法の名人になったんです。一緒に野原へ行ってくれるなら、ぼくは猟犬に化けますよ」

The next day the young man changed himself by magic into a hunting dog, and his father went into the fields with him. He bagged many rabbits that day. As they returned home, he met one of his friends.

次の日、若者は魔法で猟犬に姿を変え、父親はそれを連れて野原へ出かけた。その日、父親はウサギをたくさん仕留めた。家へ帰る途中、父親は友だちの一人に出会った。

"What luck to-day?" asked his friend.

「今日の獲物はどうだい」と友だちは尋ねた。

The hunter proudly displayed the rabbits he had in his bag. "I have them, thanks to my dog," he said.

狩人は得意げに、袋のなかのウサギを見せた。「犬のおかげでこれだけ獲れたよ」と狩人は言った。

"I'd like to buy that dog of yours," said his friend. "What will you take for him?"

「その犬を買いたいな」と友だちは言った。「いくらで売ってくれる?」

The father named an enormous price, and to his great surprise his friend accepted it. The money was passed over at once, and the hunting dog went home with his new master.

父親はとんでもない値を言ったが、たいそう驚いたことに、友だちはそれを承知した。金はすぐに手渡され、猟犬は新しい主人と一緒に帰っていった。

The next day they went on a hunting expedition into the deep forest. Suddenly the dog disappeared. His master called and whistled to him in vain. Finally he was obliged to return home without him. He had lost both the dog and the money he had paid for him.

次の日、二人は深い森へ狩りに出かけた。突然、犬が姿を消した。主人は呼んだり口笛を吹いたりしたが、無駄だった。とうとう主人は犬なしで家へ帰るほかなかった。犬も、犬に払った金も失ってしまったのである。

"Have you seen my hunting dog?" were his words for many weeks to every one he met.

「わたしの猟犬を見なかったか」と、主人は何週間も、会う人ごとに尋ねた。

His hunting dog had fled into a deep forest and once more resumed his original form. He returned home and told his two brothers that in a single day he had earned for his father more than their combined efforts for many weeks. Indeed it was quite true.

猟犬は深い森へ逃げ込んで、もとの姿に戻っていた。若者は家へ帰り、二人の兄に、自分はたった一日で、兄さんたちが何週間も力を合わせて稼ぐより多くを父さんのために稼いだと言った。まったくそのとおりだった。

The next day the young man said to his father: "Will you buy a saddle and bridle for me if I turn myself into a horse?"

次の日、若者は父親に言った。「ぼくが馬に化けたら、鞍と手綱を買ってくれますか」

His father made the purchase, and then the young man changed into a handsome black horse. His father rode him up and down the streets very proudly. The Great Magician noticed the beautiful beast.

父親がそれを買うと、若者は立派な黒い馬に姿を変えた。父親はたいそう得意になって、その馬に乗って通りを行ったり来たりした。大魔法使いがその美しい馬に目を留めた。

He called the man to him and said: "That is a very good horse you are riding. What will you sell him for?"

大魔法使いは男を呼び寄せて言った。「あんたが乗っているのはたいそうよい馬だ。いくらで売ってくれる?」

The father named an enormous price, but he at once paid it cheerfully. He ordered the horse placed in his stables.

父親はとんでもない値を言ったが、大魔法使いはすぐに快くそれを払った。大魔法使いは馬を自分の馬屋に入れるよう命じた。

Now this Great Magician had a beautiful daughter who was very fond of horses. She went out to inspect his new purchase as soon as it was brought home. She noticed that the horse ate nothing.

さて、この大魔法使いには、馬の大好きな美しい娘がいた。娘は新しく買った馬が連れてこられるとすぐに見に出てきた。娘は、馬が何も食べないのに気づいた。

"What a beauty!" she cried as she stroked his glossy black coat. "You are the handsomest horse in the stable. Why don't you eat? I believe your bridle is hurting you. I'm going to take it off."

「なんてきれいなんでしょう!」と娘はつやつやした黒い毛並みをなでながら叫んだ。「お前は馬屋でいちばん立派な馬ね。どうして食べないの。きっと手綱が痛いのね。外してあげる」

As soon as the bridle was removed it was changed into a bird and flew out the window. The Great Magician at that moment changed himself into a hawk and killed the bird, never dreaming that it was the bridle of the new horse he had purchased.

手綱が外されたとたん、それは鳥に変わって窓から飛んでいった。大魔法使いはその瞬間に鷹に姿を変えて、その鳥を殺してしまった。それが新しく買った馬の手綱だとは夢にも思わなかったのである。

The next morning when the Great Magician went to mount his beautiful black steed there was no new horse to be found in the stable. The horse had changed into a kernel of corn.

次の朝、大魔法使いが美しい黒い馬に乗ろうとすると、新しい馬は馬屋のどこにも見当たらなかった。馬はトウモロコシのひと粒に姿を変えていた。

The Great Magician transformed himself into a hen to eat up the corn, but the youth was too quick for him. He changed into a dog and seized the hen between his teeth and gave it a good shaking. Then he returned to his own form and explained the whole affair to the Great Magician.

大魔法使いはそのトウモロコシを食べてしまおうと雌鶏に姿を変えたが、若者のほうがすばやかった。若者は犬に姿を変えて、雌鶏を歯のあいだにくわえ、したたかに揺さぶった。それからもとの姿に戻って、大魔法使いにことの次第をすっかり説明した。

"You are surely a master of magic," was the comment of the magician.

「お前はまちがいなく魔法の名人だ」と魔法使いは言った。

When the Great Magician had forgiven him for the shaking he had received when he was in the form of a hen, he gladly gave his consent to his daughter's marriage to the master of magic.

雌鶏の姿のときに揺さぶられたのを許すと、大魔法使いは喜んで、娘を魔法の名人と結婚させることを承知した。