Prince Evstáfi

In a certain kingdom once there lived a Tsar who had a young son—Tsarévich Evstáfi—who did not love visiting or dances, nor promenades, but only liked going in the streets and walking among the poor, the simple folk, and the beggars, and bestowing alms on them. And the Tsar was very angry with him for this, and commanded him to be taken up to the gallows and to be delivered to a cruel death.

あるところの王国に、むかし一人のツァーリが住んでいて、エフスターフィ・ツァレーヴィチという若い息子があった。この王子は訪問も舞踏も散策も好まず、ただ街へ出て貧しい者、素朴な人々、乞う者のあいだを歩き、施しを与えることだけを好んだ。そしてツァーリはそれをひどく怒り、王子を絞首台へ引き立てて、むごい死に渡せと命じた。

So the attendants took the Tsarévich, and were on the point of hanging him, when the Tsarévich fell on his knees before his father and began to ask for three hours’ interval. And the Tsar agreed, and gave him the three hours’ respite.

そこで従者たちはツァレーヴィチを捕らえ、まさに吊るそうとした。するとツァレーヴィチは父の前に跪いて、三時間の猶予を願いはじめた。そしてツァーリは承知して、三時間の猶予を与えた。

And the Tsarévich went to the silversmith’s and ordered him to make three chests—one of gold, one of silver, and for the third he was simply to divide a stump into two, to mortise out a trough, and to attach a lock. So the smith made the three cases, and took them up to the gallows.

そこでツァレーヴィチは銀細工師のところへ行き、箱を三つ作らせた。一つは黄金、一つは銀、そして三つめはただ切り株を二つに割って、槽をくり抜き、錠を付けるだけでよいと言った。そこで細工師は三つの箱を作り、絞首台まで運んだ。

The Tsar with all his boyárs looked on to see what was going to happen. And the Tsarévich opened the cases and showed them. On the gold one, very much gold had been poured, on the silver, very much silver had been poured, and the wooden one was buried in dirt. He showed them, and once more opened the cases, and then banged them tight.

ツァーリはボヤーレをみな連れて、何が起こるのかと見守った。そしてツァレーヴィチは箱を開けて見せた。黄金の箱にはたいそう多くの黄金が注がれ、銀の箱にはたいそう多くの銀が注がれ、木の箱は泥に埋もれていた。王子はそれを見せ、もういちど箱を開けてから、ぴしゃりと閉めた。

And the Tsar was even more angry, and he asked Prince Evstáfi: “What is this new insolence of yours?”

するとツァーリはいっそう怒って、エフスターフィ公に尋ねた。「この新たな無礼はいったい何だ」

“My king and my father,” said the Tsarévich Evstáfi, “you are here with the boyárs to value these cases, what they are worth.”

「わが王、わが父よ」とエフスターフィ・ツァレーヴィチは言った。「あなたはボヤーレとともにここにおいでです。この箱の値を、どれほどの値打ちがあるかを測ってください」

Then the boyárs valued the silver case at a high price, and the golden one at a higher price still, and did not deign to look at the wooden one.

そこでボヤーレたちは銀の箱を高く値踏みし、黄金の箱をさらに高く値踏みして、木の箱には目もくれようとしなかった。

And Evstáfi Tsarévich said: “Now open the cases and see what is in them.”

するとエフスターフィ・ツァレーヴィチは言った。「では箱を開けて、なかに何があるか見てください」

And they opened the golden case and there were snakes and frogs and all sorts of dirt in it; and looked into the silver one, and they saw the same; and looked into the wooden one, and there trees with leaves and fruit were growing, which emitted sweet odours, and in the middle there was a church and an orchard.

そこで一同が黄金の箱を開けると、なかには蛇と蛙とありとあらゆる汚物があった。銀の箱をのぞいても同じものが見えた。そして木の箱をのぞくと、葉と実をつけた木々が生い茂って甘い香りを放ち、その真ん中には教会と果樹園があった。

And the Tsar was humbled; and did not bid Evstáfi be punished.

そしてツァーリは謙り、エフスターフィを罰せよとは命じなかった。