The Foundling Prince

Once upon a time there was a Tsar and Tsarítsa who had only one son. The Tsar one day had to leave home, and in his absence a disaster befell them; the Tsarévich disappeared. They searched and searched for the Tsarévich, dragging the ponds. Not a breath nor a sound could be heard of him. So fifteen years went by, until at last the Tsar received news that in a certain village a peasant had found a child who was a wonder for his beauty and his cleverness.

むかしむかし、ツァーリとツァリーツァがいて、息子がひとりだけあった。あるときツァーリは家を離れねばならなくなり、その留守に災いが起こった。ツァレーヴィチが消えてしまったのである。人々はツァレーヴィチを探しに探し、池をさらった。だが息の音ひとつ、物音ひとつ聞こえなかった。こうして十五年が過ぎたころ、とうとうツァーリのもとに知らせが届いた。ある村で、一人の百姓が、美しさと利発さにおいて驚くばかりの子を拾ったというのである。

So the Tsar ordered the peasant to be brought to him as soon as possible: he was brought, and the Tsar began asking him where he had found the boy. The peasant explained that he had found him fifteen years ago in a corn-kiln, with strange and rich clothing on him; and by every sign he was the Tsar’s own son.

そこでツァーリはその百姓をできるだけ早く連れてこいと命じた。百姓が連れてこられると、ツァーリはその子をどこで拾ったのか尋ねはじめた。百姓は、十五年前に穀物を乾かす小屋で見つけたのだと説明した。見慣れぬ高価な着物を着せられており、どの徴を見てもツァーリその人の息子だった。

So the Tsar told the peasant, “Tell your foundling that he is to come to me neither naked nor dressed, nor on foot nor on horseback, neither by day nor by night, neither in the courtyard nor in the street.”

そこでツァーリは百姓に言った。「その拾い子に伝えよ。裸でもなく着物を着てもおらず、歩いてでもなく馬に乗ってでもなく、昼でもなく夜でもなく、庭のなかでもなく通りでもなく、わしのところへ来るようにと」

So the peasant went back home, wept and told the boy. How on earth was it to be done!

そこで百姓は家へ帰り、泣きながらそれを子に告げた。いったいどうすればよいのか!

But the boy replied, “That is easy enough: I can guess this riddle.”

だが子は答えた。「そんなの簡単だよ。この謎なら解ける」

So he took and undressed himself from head to foot, put a net on himself, came on a goat, came up to the Tsar at twilight, and mounted the goat at the gate, leaving the fore-feet of the goat on the courtyard and the hind feet in the street.

そう言って、頭から足まで着物を脱ぎ、網を身にまとい、山羊に乗ってやって来て、黄昏どきにツァーリのもとへ着き、門のところで山羊にまたがった。山羊の前足は庭のなか、うしろ足は通りに置いたままで。

When the Tsar saw this, he became convinced and said, “This must be my son!”

ツァーリはこれを見て得心し、言った。「これこそわしの息子に違いない!」