The Two Step-sisters

Once upon a time there was an old widower, who had one daughter; he married again and took for his wife a widow, who also had a daughter. The widow's daughter was ugly, lazy, obstinate and spiteful; yet as she was her mother's own child, the latter was delighted with her and pushed every thing upon her husband's daughter. But the old man's child was beautiful, industrious, obedient and good. God had gifted her with every virtuous and lovable quality, yet she was persecuted by her spiteful sister, as well as by her step-mother; it was fortunate that she possessed endurance and patience, or she would have fared badly. Whenever there was any hard work to be done, it was put upon the old man's daughter--she was obliged to get dry wood from the forest, drag the heavy sacks of grain to the mill; in short, every task always fell to her lot. The whole livelong day she had no rest, but was kept continually going up stairs and down. Still the old woman and her treasure of a daughter were constantly dissatisfied, and always had something to find fault with. The step-daughter was a heavy cross to the second wife, but her own daughter was like the basil plant, which is placed before the images of the saints.

むかし、年とったやもめがいて、娘が一人いた。やもめは再婚して、やはり娘が一人いる後家を妻にした。後家の娘は醜く、怠け者で、強情で意地が悪かった。それでも母の実の子だったので、母はその娘に夢中で、何もかも夫の娘に押しつけた。けれども爺さんの子は美しく、働き者で、素直でやさしかった。神はこの娘に、あらゆる徳と愛らしさを授けておられた。それなのに娘は、意地の悪い義姉にも継母にも責めさいなまれた。辛抱と我慢を持ち合わせていたのは幸いで、そうでなければひどい目にあっていただろう。何か大変な仕事があると、いつも爺さんの娘に押しつけられた。森から乾いた薪を取ってこなければならず、重い穀物の袋を粉ひき小屋まで引いていかなければならなかった。要するに、どんな仕事もいつも娘の役目になった。娘は一日じゅう休む間もなく、たえず二階へ下へと行ったり来たりさせられた。それでも婆さんとその宝物のような娘はいつも不満で、いつも何か文句をつけることがあった。継娘は二番目の妻にとって重い十字架だったが、自分の娘は聖像の前に供えるバジルのようなものだった。

When the step-sisters went to the village in the evening to spin, the old man's daughter did not allow herself to be interrupted in her work, but finished a whole sieve full of spools, while the old woman's daughter with difficulty completed a single one. When they came home late at night, the old woman's daughter jumped nimbly over the fence and asked to hold the sieve till the other had leaped over it too. Meantime the spiteful girl hurried into the house to her parents, and said she had spun all the spools. The step-sister vainly declared that they were the work of her own hands; mother and daughter jeered at her words, and of course gained their cause. When Sunday or Friday came the old woman's daughter was brushed and bedizened as though the calves had licked her. There was no dance, no feather-plucking in the village to which the old woman's daughter did not go, but the step-daughter was sternly denied every pleasure of the kind. Yet when the husband came home, his wife's tongue ran like a mill-wheel--her step-daughter was disobedient, bold, bad-tempered, this, that, and the other; he must send her away from home, put her out at service, whichever he chose; it was impossible to keep her in the house because she might ruin her daughter too.

義姉妹が夕方、糸を紡ぎに村へ行くと、爺さんの娘は仕事の手を休めず、ふるいいっぱいの糸巻きを紡ぎ上げたが、婆さんの娘はやっと一つを仕上げるだけだった。夜遅く帰ってくると、婆さんの娘は身軽に垣根を跳び越えて、自分も跳び越えるあいだふるいを持っていてくれと義妹に頼んだ。そのあいだに意地の悪い娘は家へ駆け込んで両親のところへ行き、糸巻きは全部自分が紡いだと言った。義妹が、それは自分の手でこしらえたものだといくら言ってもむだだった。母と娘はその言葉をあざ笑い、もちろん自分たちの言い分を通した。日曜や金曜になると、婆さんの娘は、子牛になめられたかのようにきれいに髪をとかされ飾りたてられた。婆さんの娘が行かない踊りも羽根むしりの集まりも村にはなかったが、継娘はそういう楽しみをいっさい厳しく禁じられた。それなのに夫が帰ってくると、妻の舌は水車の輪のように回った——継娘は言うことを聞かない、ずうずうしい、意地が悪い、あれもこれもと。家から追い出すなり、奉公に出すなり、好きにしてくれ、自分の娘までだめにされかねないから、家に置いておくわけにはいかない、と。

The old man was a jackanapes, or, as the saying goes, under petticoat government. Every thing his wife said was sacred. Had he obeyed the voice of his heart the poor old man might perhaps have said something, but now the hen had begun to crow in the house, and the rooster was of no consequence; yet, if he had thought of opposing them, his wife and her daughter would have soon made him repent it. One day, when he was unusually angry about what his wife had told him, he called the young girl, and said:--

爺さんは腑抜けで、いわゆる女房の尻に敷かれていた。妻の言うことは何でも神聖だった。もし心の声に従っていたら、かわいそうな爺さんも何か言えたかもしれない。けれども今では家では雌鶏が時をつくり、雄鶏は何の値打ちもなかった。それに、もし逆らおうものなら、妻とその娘はすぐに後悔させただろう。ある日、妻に言われたことでいつになく腹を立てて、爺さんは若い娘を呼んで言った——

"My dear child, your mother is always saying that you are disobedient to her, have a spiteful tongue, and are wicked, so that it is not possible for you to stay any longer in my house; therefore go wherever the Lord may guide you, that there may no longer be so much quarreling here on your account. But I advise you as a father, wherever you may go, to be obedient, humble, and industrious, for here with me all your faults have been overlooked, parental affection has aided, but among strangers nobody knows what sort of people you may meet, and they will not indulge you as we have done."

「いとしい娘よ、おまえの母さんはいつも、おまえが自分に逆らって、口が悪くて、性根が悪いと言っている。だからもうわしの家に置いておくわけにはいかない。主の導かれるところへどこへなりと行きなさい。おまえのことでこれ以上ここで喧嘩が絶えないように。だが父として言っておくが、どこへ行っても、素直に、へりくだって、よく働きなさい。ここではわしがおまえの落ち度をみな見逃してきたし、親の情も助けになった。だがよその人のあいだでは、どんな人に出会うか誰にもわからないし、わしらのように甘やかしてはくれないのだから。」

When the poor girl saw that her step-mother and her daughter wanted to drive her out of the house at any cost, she kissed her father's hand with tears in her eyes, and went out into the wide world without any hope of ever returning home. She walked along the road till she chanced to meet a little sick dog, so thin that one could count its ribs.

かわいそうな娘は、継母とその娘が何としても自分を家から追い出したいのだとわかると、目に涙を浮かべて父の手に口づけし、二度と家に帰れる望みもなく広い世界へ出ていった。娘が道を歩いていくと、たまたま小さな病気の犬に出会った。あばら骨が数えられるほどやせていた。

When the dog saw her, it said: "You beautiful, industrious girl, have pity on me and take care of me, I will reward you some day."

犬は娘を見ると言った。「美しい働き者のお嬢さん、どうかわたしを憐れんで世話をしてください。いつかお礼をしますから。」

The girl did pity the poor animal, and, taking it in her arms, washed and cleaned it thoroughly. Then she left it and went on, glad that she had been able to do a good action. She had not walked far when she came to a fine pear-tree in full bloom, but it was completely covered with caterpillars.

娘はかわいそうな獣を憐れんで、腕に抱き上げ、すっかり洗ってきれいにしてやった。それから犬を残して先へ進み、よい行いができたのを喜んだ。たいして歩かないうちに、花を満開につけたりっぱな梨の木のところに来たが、その木は毛虫にすっかり覆われていた。

When the pear-tree saw the girl, it said: "You beautiful, industrious girl, take care of me and rid me of these caterpillars, I will repay you for it some day."

梨の木は娘を見ると言った。「美しい働き者のお嬢さん、わたしの世話をして、この毛虫を取り除いてください。いつかお礼をしますから。」

The girl, with her usual diligence, cleared the pear-tree from its dry branches and most carefully removed the caterpillars; then she walked quietly on to seek some place where she might enter into service.

娘はいつもの熱心さで、梨の木から枯れ枝を払い落とし、細心の注意で毛虫を取り除いた。それから、どこか奉公できるところを探そうと静かに歩いていった。

On her way she came to a ruined, neglected fountain, which said to her: "You beautiful, industrious girl, take care of me, I will reward you some day."

道の途中で、娘は荒れ果てて打ち捨てられた泉のところに来た。泉は娘に言った。「美しい働き者のお嬢さん、わたしの世話をしてください。いつかお礼をしますから。」

The little maid cleared the fountain, cleaned it thoroughly, and then went on again. As she walked she came to a dilapidated oven, which had become almost entirely useless.

娘は泉をさらってすっかりきれいにし、それからまた歩いていった。歩いていくと、ほとんど使いものにならなくなった、崩れかけたかまどのところに来た。

As soon as the oven saw her, it said: "You beautiful, industrious girl, line me with stones and clean me, I will repay you some day!"

かまどは娘を見るやいなや言った。「美しい働き者のお嬢さん、わたしに石を張って、きれいにしてください。いつかお礼をしますから!」

The young girl knew that work harms no one, so she rolled up her sleeves, moistened some clay, stopped the holes in the stove, greased it and cleaned it till it was a pleasure to see it. Then she washed her hands and continued her journey. As she walked on, day and night, it happened, I don't know how--that she missed her way; yet she did not lose her trust in God, but walked on and on until early one morning, after passing through a dark forest, she reached a beautiful meadow. In the meadow she saw a little house, completely overgrown with vines, and when she approached it an old woman came out kindly to meet her, and said: "What are you seeking here, child, and who are you?"

若い娘は、仕事は誰の害にもならないと知っていたので、袖をまくり、粘土を練って、かまどの穴をふさぎ、油を塗って、見て気持ちがいいほどきれいにした。それから手を洗って旅を続けた。昼も夜も歩いていくうちに、どういうわけかわからないが——娘は道に迷ってしまった。それでも神への信頼を失わず、どこまでも歩いていった。そしてある朝早く、暗い森を抜けて美しい牧草地に出た。牧草地には、蔓がすっかりからみついた小さな家があって、近づいていくと年とった女がやさしく迎えに出てきて言った。「ここで何を探しているの、お嬢さん、そしてあなたは誰なの。」

"Who should I be, good dame! A poor girl, motherless, and I may say fatherless, too, for God alone knows what I have suffered since my own mother's hands were folded on her breast. I am seeking service, and as I know nobody and am wandering from place to place I have lost my way. But the Lord guided me, so that I have reached your house and I beg you to give me a shelter."

「誰でもありません、おばさま! 母のないかわいそうな娘です。父もないも同然です。実の母の手が胸の上で組まれてから、わたしがどんなに苦しんできたかは神さまだけがご存じです。奉公先を探しているのですが、知り合いもなく、あちこちさまよっているうちに道に迷ってしまいました。けれども主が導いてくださって、あなたの家にたどり着きました。どうか泊めてくださいませんか。」

"Poor child!" replied the old dame. "Surely God himself has led you to me and saved you from danger. I am the goddess of Sunday. Serve me to-day, and I promise that you shall not leave my house empty-handed to-morrow."

「かわいそうに!」と年とった女は答えた。「きっと神さまご自身があなたをわたしのところへ導いて、危ないところを救ってくださったのですよ。わたしは日曜の女神です。今日わたしに仕えなさい。そうすれば明日、手ぶらでわたしの家を出ることはないと約束しましょう。」

"Very well, but I don't know what I have to do."

「かしこまりました。でも、何をすればいいのかわかりません。」

"You must wash and feed my little children, who are now asleep, and then cook my dinner; when I come home from church I want to find it neither hot nor cold, but just right to eat."

「今眠っているわたしの子どもたちを洗って食べさせ、それからわたしの昼食をこしらえてちょうだい。教会から帰ってきたとき、熱すぎも冷たすぎもせず、ちょうど食べごろになっているようにしてほしいの。」

When she had said this, the old woman set off for church. The young girl rolled up her sleeves and went to work. First of all she prepared the water for the bath, then went out-doors and began to call: "Children, children, children, come to mother and let her wash you."

そう言うと、年とった女は教会へ出かけていった。若い娘は袖をまくって仕事に取りかかった。まず何より先に行水の湯を支度して、それから外に出て呼びはじめた。「子どもたち、子どもたち、子どもたち、母さんのところへおいで、洗ってあげるから。」

When she looked up, what did she behold? The court-yard was filled and the woods were swarming with a host of dragons and all sorts of wild beasts of every size. But, firm in her faith and trust in God, the young girl did not quail, but taking one animal after another washed and cleaned it in the best possible way. Then she set about cooking the dinner, and when Sunday came out of church and saw her children so nicely washed and every thing so well done she was greatly delighted. After she had sat down to the table, she told the young girl that she might go up into the attic, choose whichever chest she wanted, and take it away with her for her wages; but she must not open it until she reached her father's house.

顔を上げると、娘は何を見たと思う? 中庭はいっぱいになり、森は大小さまざまな竜やありとあらゆる野の獣の群れでうごめいていた。けれども信仰と神への信頼に固く立って、娘はひるまず、一頭ずつできるかぎりていねいに洗ってきれいにしてやった。それから昼食をこしらえにかかった。そして日曜が教会から帰ってきて、子どもたちがこんなにきれいに洗われ、何もかもよく整っているのを見て、たいそう喜んだ。食卓に着いてから、日曜は若い娘に、屋根裏へ上がって好きな長持ちを選び、給金の代わりに持っていっていいと言った。ただし、父の家に着くまで開けてはいけない、と。

The maiden went to the garret, where there were a number of chests, some old and ugly, others new and beautiful. But as she was not a bit covetous, she took the oldest and ugliest of them all. When she came down with it, the goddess of Sunday frowned slightly, but there was no help for it, so she blessed the girl, who took her trunk on her back and joyfully returned to her father's house.

娘は屋根裏へ行った。そこにはたくさんの長持ちがあって、古くて醜いものもあれば、新しくて美しいものもあった。けれども娘は少しも欲張りではなかったので、そのなかでいちばん古くていちばん醜いものを取った。それを持って下りてくると、日曜の女神は少し顔をしかめたが、どうしようもなかった。そこで女神は娘を祝福し、娘は長持ちを背負って喜んで父の家へ帰っていった。

On the way, lo and behold! there was the oven full of beautifully risen, nicely browned cakes. The girl ate and ate, as many as she could, then took some with her for her journey and went on. Soon she came to the fountain she had cleaned, and which was now filled to the brim with water as clear as tears and as sweet and cold as ice. On the edge stood two silver goblets, from which she drank the water until she was entirely refreshed. Then, taking one goblet with her, she walked on. As she went, lo and behold! there stood the pear-tree she had cleaned, full of pears as yellow as wax, perfectly ripe, and as sweet as honey. When the pear-tree saw the girl, it bent its branches down to her, and she ate some of the fruit and took more pears to eat on the way, just as many of them as she wanted. From there she journeyed on again, and lo and behold! she next met the little dog, which was now well and handsome; around its neck it wore a collar of ducats which it gave the old man's daughter as a reward for taking care of it in its sickness.

道の途中で、なんと! きれいにしてやったかまどが、みごとにふくらんだこんがり焼けた菓子でいっぱいになっていた。娘は食べられるだけ食べて、それから旅のためにいくつか持って先へ進んだ。まもなく、きれいにしてやった泉のところに来た。泉は今では涙のように澄んだ、氷のように甘く冷たい水で縁までいっぱいになっていた。ふちには銀の杯が二つ置いてあって、娘はすっかり生き返るまでそれで水を飲んだ。それから杯をひとつ持って歩いていった。歩いていくと、なんと! きれいにしてやった梨の木が、蝋のように黄色く、すっかり熟した、蜜のように甘い梨をいっぱいにつけて立っていた。梨の木は娘を見ると枝を下げてくれたので、娘は実をいくつか食べ、道々食べる分も好きなだけ持っていった。そこからまた旅を続けていくと、なんと! 今度はあの小さな犬に出会った。犬は今ではすっかり元気で美しくなっていた。首にはドゥカート金貨の首輪をつけていて、病気のときに世話をしてくれたお礼にと、それを爺さんの娘に与えた。

So the young girl at last reached her father's house. When the old man saw her his eyes filled with tears and his heart throbbed with joy. The girl took out the dog's collar and the silver goblet and gave them to her father; when they opened the chest together, out came countless numbers of horses, cattle, and sheep, till the sight of so much wealth instantly made the old man young again. But his wife stood as if she were dazed, and did not know what to do in her rage. Her daughter, however, plucked up courage and said:--

こうして若い娘はとうとう父の家に着いた。爺さんは娘を見ると目に涙をいっぱいためて、胸が喜びで高鳴った。娘は犬の首輪と銀の杯を取り出して父に渡した。そして二人で長持ちを開けると、なかから数えきれないほどの馬や牛や羊が出てきて、これほどの富を見て爺さんはたちまち若返った。けれども妻は呆然と立ちつくし、怒りのあまりどうしていいかわからなかった。ところがその娘は勇気をふるって言った——

"Never mind, mother, the world isn't emptied yet; I'll go and fetch you still greater treasures."

「気にしないで、母さん。世界はまだ空っぽじゃないわ。わたしが行って、もっと大きな宝を持ってきてあげる。」

After saying this she angrily set off at once. She walked and walked along the same path her step-sister had followed. She, too, met the sick, feeble dog, passed the pear-tree covered with caterpillars, the dry, neglected fountain, and the dilapidated oven which had become almost useless; but when dog, tree, fountain and oven begged her to take care of them, she answered rudely and scornfully: "Do you suppose I'll soil my delicate hands! Have you often been tended by people like me?"

そう言うと娘は腹立ちまぎれにすぐ出発した。娘は義妹がたどったのと同じ道を歩きに歩いた。娘もまた、病気の弱った犬に出会い、毛虫に覆われた梨の木のそばを通り、涸れて打ち捨てられた泉と、ほとんど使いものにならなくなった崩れかけたかまどのそばを通った。けれども犬も木も泉もかまども世話をしてくれと頼むと、娘は無礼に見下すように答えた。「わたしのきれいな手を汚せというの! おまえたちは、わたしみたいな者に世話してもらったことがしょっちゅうあるっていうの?」

As they all knew that it is easier to get milk from a dry cow than to make a spoiled, lazy girl obliging, they let her go her way in peace, and no longer asked her for help. As she walked on and on, she too at last reached the Goddess Sunday. But here also she behaved sullenly, saucily, and awkwardly. Instead of cooking the dinner nicely and washing Sunday's children as thoroughly as her step-sister had done, she burned them all till they screamed and ran off as though crazed by the burns and the pain. The food she scorched, charred, and let curdle so that no one could eat it, and when Sunday came home from church she covered her eyes and ears in horror at what she found in her house. Even the gentle, indulgent goddess could not get along with such an obstinate, lazy girl as this one, so she told her to go up into the garret, choose any chest she wanted, and then in God's name continue her journey.

甘やかされた怠け者の娘を親切にさせるより、涸れた牛から乳を搾るほうがたやすいと、みなわかっていたので、娘を放っておいて、それ以上助けを求めなかった。娘はどんどん歩いていって、とうとう娘もまた日曜の女神のところに着いた。けれどもここでも娘は不機嫌に、生意気に、不器用にふるまった。義妹がしたように料理をきちんとこしらえ、日曜の子どもたちをていねいに洗う代わりに、娘は子どもたちをみなやけどさせたので、子どもたちはやけどと痛みに気も狂わんばかりに悲鳴をあげて逃げていった。料理は焦がし、黒こげにし、酸っぱくして、誰も食べられないようにした。そして日曜が教会から帰ってきて家のなかのありさまを見ると、恐ろしさに目と耳をふさいだ。やさしく寛大な女神でさえ、これほど強情で怠け者の娘とはやっていけなかったので、屋根裏へ上がって好きな長持ちを選び、それから神の名において旅を続けるようにと娘に言った。

The girl went, took the newest and handsomest trunk, for she liked to get as much as possible of the best and finest things, but was not willing to do faithful service. When she came down she did not go to the Goddess Sunday to receive her blessing, but hurried off as if she were quitting an evil house. She nearly ran herself off her feet, in the fear that her mistress might change her mind and follow her to get her trunk back. When she reached the oven there were some nice cakes in it, but when she approached to satisfy her hunger the fire burned her and she could take none. The silver goblets were again at the fountain and the fountain was full of water to the brim, but when the girl tried to seize the cup to drink, the goblets instantly vanished, the water dried up, and the girl almost died of thirst. When she came to the pear tree it stood full of pears, but do you suppose the traveler could taste even one of them? No! The tree had made itself a thousand times as tall as before, so that its boughs touched the clouds! So the old woman's daughter might pick her teeth, she obtained nothing else. Going further on she met the dog, which again had a collar of ducats round its neck; but when the girl tried to take it off the dog bit her so that he tore off her fingers and would not let her touch him. The girl, in rage and shame, sucked her delicate little hands, but it did no good.

娘は行って、いちばん新しくいちばん立派な長持ちを取った。娘はいいもの、きれいなものをできるだけたくさん手に入れたがったが、忠実に働くつもりはなかったのである。下りてくると、娘は日曜の女神のところへ祝福を受けに行きもせず、悪い家を出ていくかのように急いで立ち去った。女主人が気を変えて長持ちを取り返しに追ってくるのではないかと恐れて、足がもつれるほど走った。かまどのところに来ると、なかにおいしそうな菓子があったが、腹を満たそうと近寄ると火に焼かれて、ひとつも取れなかった。銀の杯はまた泉にあり、泉は縁まで水でいっぱいだった。けれども娘が杯をつかんで飲もうとすると、杯はたちまち消え、水は涸れて、娘はのどの渇きで死にそうになった。梨の木のところに来ると、木は梨をいっぱいつけて立っていた。けれども、この旅人がそのひとつでも味わえたと思う? いいや! 木は前の千倍の高さになって、その枝は雲に届いていた! こうして婆さんの娘は歯をせせるばかりで、ほかには何も手に入らなかった。さらに進んでいくと犬に出会った。犬はまた首にドゥカート金貨の首輪をつけていたが、娘がそれを外そうとすると、犬は娘の指を食いちぎるほど噛みついて、触らせようとしなかった。娘は怒りと恥ずかしさで、きれいな小さな手をしゃぶったが、何にもならなかった。

At last, after great difficulty, she reached her mother's house, but even here she did not find herself rolling in money, for when the old man's wife opened the chest, out came a host of dragons, which swallowed her and her daughter as if they had never been in the world. Then dragons, trunk, and all vanished.

とうとう、さんざん苦労して娘は母の家にたどり着いたが、ここでも金の山に埋もれることはなかった。爺さんの妻が長持ちを開けると、なかから竜の群れが出てきて、母と娘を、この世にいなかったかのように呑み込んでしまったのである。それから竜も長持ちも何もかも消えてしまった。

The old man could now live in peace, and possessed countless riches; his daughter he married to a worthy, capable man. The cocks now crowed on the gate-posts, the threshold, and everywhere, but the hens no longer crowed as an evil omen in the house of the old man, who had not many days of life remaining. He was bald and bent, because his wife had quarreled with him too often and looked to see if he didn't need a drubbing.

爺さんはこれで安らかに暮らせるようになり、数えきれないほどの富を手に入れた。娘は立派な有能な男に嫁がせた。今では雄鶏が門柱でも敷居でも、いたるところで時をつくったが、雌鶏はもう、残りの日々の少ない爺さんの家で、悪い前ぶれのように時をつくることはなかった。爺さんの頭がはげて腰が曲がっていたのは、妻があまりにしばしば言い争い、殴ってやろうかと様子をうかがっていたからである。