The Listening King

The Story of the Trouble Which Came to Him

立ち聞き王に降りかかった災いの話

Once upon a time there lived a king who liked to walk in disguise about the streets of the city, listening at people's doors. It was, in fact, his favorite amusement. Other kings of that land had been fond of war or hunting or fishing or games, but there had never before been one who liked to listen at doors. For this reason he was called "the listening king."

むかしむかし、変装して町の通りを歩きまわり、人々の家の戸口で立ち聞きするのが好きな王がいた。それは実のところ、王のいちばんの楽しみだった。その国のほかの王たちは、戦や狩りや釣りや遊びを好んだが、戸口で立ち聞きするのを好む王はそれまで一人もいなかった。そのため、この王は「立ち聞き王」と呼ばれていた。

"It is the greatest fun I have," he often said to his counsellors. "Being a king would be a stupid life if one didn't have some diversion."

「これがわしのいちばんの楽しみなのだ」と王はたびたび顧問たちに言った。「何か気晴らしがなければ、王などというのはつまらない暮らしだろうよ」

"Be careful that it does not get you into trouble," said the wise men. "We have often heard that listening to other people's secrets is a dangerous practice."

「それが災いのもとにならないようお気をつけください」と賢者たちは言った。「他人の秘密を立ち聞きするのは危ない習いだと、たびたび聞いておりますから」

"I've had nothing but pleasure from it, anyway," the king would reply. Then he would add, "So far, at least."

「ともかく、わしは楽しい思いしかしておらんよ」と王は答えた。それからつけ加えた。「少なくとも、今のところはな」

Sometimes he would take a friend or two with him, and sometimes he would go alone. The habit of listening at doors became more and more a favorite one to him as the months and years passed.

王はときには友だちを一人か二人連れていき、ときには一人で出かけた。戸口で立ち聞きする癖は、月日がたつにつれてますます王のお気に入りになった。

Now in that city there lived a man of humble station who had three pretty daughters. One evening the king passed his house and stopped at the door to listen.

さて、その町に、かわいい娘を三人持つ身分の低い男が住んでいた。ある晩、王はその家のそばを通りかかって、戸口で立ち止まって耳を澄ました。

"Whom would you like to marry?" one of the girls was asking. It happened to be the youngest one.

「誰と結婚したい?」と娘の一人が尋ねていた。それはたまたま末の娘だった。

"I'd like to marry the royal baker," the eldest sister replied.

「王室のパン焼き係と結婚したいわ」といちばん上の姉が答えた。

"Why?" asked the youngest one.

「どうして?」と末の娘が尋ねた。

"So that I might always eat fresh bread," was the reply.

「いつでも焼きたてのパンが食べられるように」という答えだった。

"Whom would you like to marry?" the youngest sister asked the middle one.

「誰と結婚したい?」と末の娘は真ん中の姉に尋ねた。

"I'd like to marry the royal meat cook so that I might always eat meat roasted just to a turn," was her answer.

「王室の肉焼き係と結婚したいわ。いつでもちょうどよく焼けた肉が食べられるように」というのが真ん中の姉の答えだった。

"Whom would you like to marry?" asked the eldest and the middle sister together.

「あなたは誰と結婚したいの?」と上の姉と真ん中の姉が声をそろえて尋ねた。

"I'd like to marry the listening king himself," was the reply which their youngest sister made.

「わたしは立ち聞き王さまその人と結婚したいわ」というのが末の妹の答えだった。

"Silly! Silly!" cried her two sisters. "We have perhaps a chance of getting our wishes, but what chance have you?"

「ばかね! ばかね!」と二人の姉は叫んだ。「わたしたちの望みならかなうかもしれないけれど、あなたにどんな見込みがあるっていうの」

"If one wishes for nothing splendid one never gets anything splendid," replied the youngest sister with a blush which made her look very charming to the king as he peeped through the keyhole.

「すばらしいことを何も望まなければ、すばらしいものは何も手に入らないわ」と末の妹は、頬を赤らめながら答えた。鍵穴からのぞいていた王には、その赤らんだ顔がたいそう魅力的に見えた。

The king went away with a shrewd smile upon his face. The next day he sent for the three sisters to come to the palace. They were very much frightened.

王は抜け目のない笑みを浮かべて立ち去った。次の日、王は三人の姉妹を宮殿に呼び寄せた。姉妹はたいそうおびえた。

"Well," said the king to the eldest girl, "do you want to marry the royal baker?"

「さて」と王はいちばん上の娘に言った。「王室のパン焼き係と結婚したいか」

"Yes, your majesty," she replied. "I have no objections."

「はい、陛下」と娘は答えた。「異存はございません」

The king turned to her sister.

王はその妹のほうを向いた。

"How is it with you?" he asked. "What do you say to marrying the royal meatcook?"

「そなたはどうだ」と王は尋ねた。「王室の肉焼き係と結婚するのはどうだ」

"I'll be most happy to marry him, your majesty," she answered.

「喜んでその人と結婚いたします、陛下」と娘は答えた。

The youngest girl was blushing like a rose and her heart was thumping so that she could scarcely breathe. The king smiled as he noticed her fair head bowed upon her breast.

末の娘はバラのように頬を赤らめ、胸がどきどきしてほとんど息もできなかった。王は、娘の美しい頭が胸にうなだれているのに気づいてほほえんだ。

"Would you like to marry the listening king?" he asked her gently.

「立ち聞き王と結婚したいか」と王はやさしく娘に尋ねた。

"Yes, your majesty," she responded, so low that the king could hardly hear her.

「はい、陛下」と娘は、王にもほとんど聞こえないほど小さな声で答えた。

"Very well," said the king. "I'll have all these weddings celebrated at once."

「よろしい」と王は言った。「すぐに婚礼をみな挙げさせよう」

Thus it happened that the two eldest sisters got their wishes and married the royal baker and the royal meatcook, while the youngest one wedded the listening king himself. The others were very angry at her luck and their hearts were filled with envy.

こういうわけで、上の二人の姉は望みがかなって王室のパン焼き係と王室の肉焼き係と結婚し、末の妹は立ち聞き王その人と結婚した。上の二人は末の妹の幸運にひどく腹を立て、心は妬みでいっぱいになった。

"Why didn't we wish to be queens or at least princesses?" one asked the other. "It would have been just as easy to have had our wishes granted!"

「どうしてわたしたち、女王か、せめて王女になりたいって望まなかったのかしら」と一人がもう一人に尋ねた。「そうしたって、同じようにたやすく望みがかなったでしょうに!」

"Why didn't we! Why didn't we! How stupid we were!" cried the other.

「どうしてかしら! どうしてかしら! なんてばかだったんでしょう!」ともう一人が叫んだ。

They passed the time in plotting against their youngest sister, the queen.

二人は、末の妹である女王をおとしいれるたくらみを練って時を過ごした。

A year flew by and twin sons were born to the royal pair. They had gold stars on their foreheads. The whole kingdom was filled with rejoicing. As for the listening king, he was so happy that he forgot to listen at people's doors.

一年が飛ぶように過ぎ、王と女王に双子の息子が生まれた。二人の額には金の星があった。王国じゅうが喜びに満ちた。立ち聞き王はといえば、あまりに幸せで、人々の戸口で立ち聞きするのを忘れてしまった。

The only persons in the whole country who were not happy were the two jealous sisters. They stole the tiny babies out of the palace and threw them into the river.

国じゅうで幸せでないのは、妬み深い二人の姉だけだった。二人は小さな赤ん坊たちを宮殿から盗み出して、川に投げ込んだ。

"Trouble has at last come to our listening king," said the wise men, when the loss was discovered.

「とうとう、われらの立ち聞き王に災いが降りかかった」と、赤ん坊がいなくなったことがわかると賢者たちは言った。

The basket in which the twins had been placed floated away down the stream. It was found by a miller.

双子を入れた籠は流れに乗って漂っていった。それを一人の粉屋が見つけた。

"What have we here?" he asked his wife as together they removed the cover from the basket.

「こりゃあ何だ」と粉屋は、妻と一緒に籠のふたを取りながら尋ねた。

"I guess it is something good to eat," said his wife. "What do you think it is?"

「きっと何かおいしい食べ物ですよ」と妻は言った。「あなたは何だと思います?」

"I guess it is a poor little puppy which some one wanted to drown," replied the miller.

「誰かが溺れさせようとした、かわいそうな子犬だろうよ」と粉屋は答えた。

Then they took the cover off the basket. The two babies opened their eyes and smiled just then. The miller and his wife were the most surprised people in the whole country and also the happiest ones.

それから二人は籠のふたを取った。ちょうどそのとき、二人の赤ん坊は目を開けてほほえんだ。粉屋とその妻は国じゅうでいちばん驚いた人たちで、いちばん幸せな人たちでもあった。

"What beautiful children!" cried the miller.

「なんてきれいな子どもたちだ!」と粉屋は叫んだ。

"Let's keep them!" cried his wife.

「うちで育てましょう!」と妻は叫んだ。

"Of course we'll keep them," replied the miller. "The good God himself must have sent them to us in answer to our prayers."

「もちろん育てるとも」と粉屋は答えた。「よき神さまご自身が、わしらの祈りに応えて授けてくださったにちがいない」

Just then the miller's wife noticed the golden stars upon their foreheads.

ちょうどそのとき、粉屋の妻は赤ん坊たちの額の金の星に気づいた。

"What does this mean?" she asked.

「これはどういうことかしら」と妻は尋ねた。

"I don't know," answered her husband as he examined them carefully. "Perhaps it is just a sign that they are truly the gift of God."

「わからないな」と夫はそれをよく調べながら答えた。「たぶん、この子たちがほんとうに神さまの贈り物だというしるしなんだろう」

The miller and his wife cared for the two children as if they had been their own. They lived such a long distance from the palace that they never heard the news that the royal babes were missing.

粉屋とその妻は、二人の子どもを自分の子のように世話した。宮殿からたいそう遠く離れたところに住んでいたので、王の赤ん坊たちがいなくなったという知らせを聞くことはなかった。

As the two boys grew older they became the handsomest, cleverest lads in the whole kingdom. The gold stars shone and twinkled upon their foreheads. At last the miller's wife made little caps for them to wear to hide the stars. They were altogether too conspicuous.

大きくなるにつれて、二人の男の子は王国じゅうでいちばん美しく賢い若者になった。額の金の星はきらきらと輝いた。とうとう粉屋の妻は、星を隠すために二人に小さな帽子をこしらえてかぶらせた。星はあまりに目立ちすぎたのである。

Then one sad summer a pestilence came upon the land and the good miller and his wife died. The two children were left alone in the world. The listening king had decreed all the orphaned children in the kingdom should be brought to the royal city that they might be fed and cared for. The miller's two orphans went with the others, and the king's wicked sister-in-laws saw them. They recognized them at once because of the golden stars upon their foreheads.

それからある悲しい夏、国に疫病がはやり、よき粉屋とその妻は死んでしまった。二人の子どもは世の中にとり残された。立ち聞き王は、王国じゅうのみなしごを王都へ連れてきて、食べさせ世話をするよう命じていた。粉屋の二人のみなしごもほかの子どもたちと一緒にやって来て、王の悪い義理の姉たちがその姿を見た。二人は額の金の星で、すぐにそれとわかった。

"We must make a new plot to destroy the royal children," said one sister to the other. "And we must be quick about it or the king or queen will see them and recognize them, too, by the golden stars."

「王の子どもたちを始末する新しいたくらみを考えなくちゃ」と姉の一人がもう一人に言った。「急がないと、王か女王があの子たちを見て、金の星でやっぱり気づいてしまうわ」

"Are you quite sure these are the two royal babes we threw into the river?" asked the other sister doubtfully. "It is a bit difficult for me to believe that our sister's children can be so handsome."

「あれがほんとうに、わたしたちが川に投げ込んだ王の赤ん坊たちだって確かなの?」ともう一人の姉が疑わしげに尋ねた。「妹の子どもがあんなに美しいなんて、ちょっと信じられないわ」

"I'm entirely certain of it," assured her sister. "There is no one except the royal babes who could have those golden stars."

「まちがいないわ」と姉は請け合った。「あんな金の星を持っているのは、王の赤ん坊のほかにいないもの」

While the wicked sisters plotted, the two children had approached the royal gardens. Inside the garden there was a beautiful parrot with feathers of green and gold.

悪い姉たちがたくらみを練っているあいだに、二人の子どもは王の庭園に近づいていた。庭のなかには、緑と金の羽をした美しいオウムがいた。

"I'm going to catch that bird," said one of the brothers. "Wait here while I go inside the gates."

「あの鳥をつかまえてくる」と兄弟の一人が言った。「ぼくが門のなかへ入るあいだ、ここで待っていて」

He could not catch the parrot and he called his brother to come and help him. Together they succeeded; and, with the beautiful green-and-gold parrot tightly clutched, they tried to slip outside the gate of the royal gardens.

その子はオウムをつかまえられなかったので、兄弟を呼んで手伝ってもらった。二人は力を合わせてつかまえることができた。そして美しい緑と金のオウムをしっかりつかんで、王の庭園の門からそっと抜け出そうとした。

Just as they were almost out, the great gates swiftly closed and caught their garments.

ちょうど出かかったそのとき、大きな門がさっと閉まって、二人の服をはさんでしまった。

"We're caught! We're caught!" cried the two children. "How can we ever get the gates unfastened!"

「つかまった! つかまった!」と二人の子どもは叫んだ。「どうやったら門を開けられるんだろう!」

At the sound of their cries, the royal gardeners, the courtiers and the listening king himself came to the rescue.

その叫び声を聞いて、王の庭師たちと廷臣たちと、立ち聞き王その人が助けにやって来た。

When the king saw the golden stars upon their foreheads he leaned against the nearest tree for support.

子どもたちの額の金の星を見ると、王はいちばん近くの木に寄りかかって体を支えた。

"What children are these?" he asked in a voice which shook.

「この子たちは何者だ」と王は震える声で尋ねた。

"I never saw them before," replied the head gardener. "I think they are some of the orphan children which the great mercy and clemency of your royal majesty have caused to be rescued from the plague."

「これまで見たことはございません」と庭師頭が答えた。「陛下の大いなるお慈悲とお情けによって疫病から救われた、みなしごの子どもたちでございましょう」

"Who are your parents, my children?" asked one of the courtiers.

「お前たちの親は誰だね」と廷臣の一人が尋ねた。

"We are the children of the good miller and his wife," they replied. "Our kind foster parents are now dead with the plague."

「ぼくたちは、よい粉屋さんとおかみさんの子どもです」と二人は答えた。「やさしい育ての親は、疫病で死んでしまいました」

"Where did this miller and his wife find you?" asked the king eagerly.

「その粉屋とおかみさんは、どこでお前たちを見つけたのだ」と王は熱心に尋ねた。

Then the two children told the story of how the miller had found them in a basket in the river. They knew it well, for it was their favorite story of all the ones which the miller's wife had told them.

すると二人の子どもは、粉屋が川で籠に入った自分たちを見つけた話をした。二人はその話をよく知っていた。粉屋の妻が話してくれたたくさんの話のなかで、いちばん好きな話だったからである。

The courtiers looked at each other in amazement. Every one had noticed the bright stars shining on the children's brows.

廷臣たちは驚いて顔を見合わせた。誰もが、子どもたちの額に輝く明るい星に気づいていた。

"I believe you are the two dear babes lost from this palace!" cried the king as he took them in his arms.

「お前たちは、この宮殿からいなくなったかわいい赤ん坊たちにちがいない!」と王は二人を腕に抱きしめて叫んだ。

"Who put them in that basket?" asked the king's counsellors.

「誰がこの子たちを籠に入れたのでしょう」と王の顧問たちが尋ねた。

"If I knew you may be sure that fitting punishment would be visited upon them!" cried the king.

「わかったなら、必ずやふさわしい罰を下してやるものを!」と王は叫んだ。

The beautiful green-and-gold parrot had escaped from the children's arms and had flown back to a tree near the gates of the royal gardens. Suddenly he was heard to speak.

美しい緑と金のオウムは子どもたちの腕から逃げ出して、王の庭園の門のそばの木に飛んで戻っていた。突然、オウムがしゃべるのが聞こえた。

"Go find the king's sisters-in-law," were the words he said.

「王の義理の姉たちを探せ」とオウムは言った。

The king's sisters-in-law were quickly brought into the garden. A look at their guilty faces convinced every one that they were the ones who had placed the royal babes in the basket and had thrown them into the river.

王の義理の姉たちがすぐに庭へ連れてこられた。そのやましそうな顔をひと目見て、誰もが、王の赤ん坊たちを籠に入れて川に投げ込んだのはこの二人だと確信した。

"You shall now receive the punishment which you have so richly deserved!" cried the king as he frowned upon them sternly.

「さあ、お前たちにふさわしい罰を受けるがよい!」と王は二人をきびしくにらみつけて叫んだ。

"Where is the good queen?" some one asked.

「よき女王さまはどこだ」と誰かが尋ねた。

The queen had been sleeping in her own apartments and had not heard the noise in the garden. When the courtiers brought her there and she saw the two handsome boys with the bright stars shining on their foreheads, she fainted with the joy of it.

女王は自分の部屋で眠っていて、庭の騒ぎを聞いていなかった。廷臣たちが女王を庭へ連れてきて、額に明るい星の輝く二人の美しい男の子を見ると、女王はうれしさのあまり気を失ってしまった。