The Realm of Stone

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, once there lived a soldier who had served long and faithfully and knew all about the Tsar’s service, the reviews, and always came up to parade looking clean and smart. The last year of his service came along, and, to his ill-luck, his superior officers, great and small, did not like him, and as a result he was soundly thrashed. This grieved the soldier, and he thought of deserting. So, with his wallet on his back and his gun on his shoulder, he began to bid farewell to his comrades, who asked him, “Where are you going? Do you want to enter a battalion?”

あるところの王国、あるところの国に、むかし一人の兵隊がいて、長く忠実に勤め、ツァーリの軍務も観兵式も心得ていて、いつも清潔できびきびした身なりで閲兵に出ていた。勤めの最後の年が来たが、運の悪いことに、上官たちは大も小も彼を好かず、その結果さんざんに打ちすえられた。これに傷ついた兵隊は脱走しようと考えた。そこで袋を背負い、銃を肩に担いで、仲間たちに別れを告げはじめた。仲間たちは尋ねた。「どこへ行く。大隊にでも入るのか」

“Do not ask me, my brothers; just buckle my wallet firmly on, and do not think evil of me.”

「尋ねてくれるな、兄弟たち。ただ袋をしっかり留めてくれ。そしてわたしを悪く思わないでくれ」

Then the good youth set forth whither his eyes gazed. May be far, may be near, he went on and on, and arrived at another kingdom, saw the sentry-guard and asked “May I rest here?”

そうして善き若者は目の向くほうへ旅立った。遠かったか近かったか、歩きに歩いて別の王国に着き、歩哨を見て尋ねた。「ここで休ませてもらえるか」

So the sentry-guard told the Corporal, the Corporal told the Officer, and the Officer told the General, and the General told the King himself. And the King ordered the soldier to be brought before him in order that he might see him with his own eyes. And the soldier appeared before him in his proper regimentals, with musket on his shoulder, as though he were rooted to the ground.

そこで歩哨は伍長に告げ、伍長は士官に告げ、士官は将軍に告げ、将軍は王その人に告げた。そして王は、自分の目で見たいから兵隊を連れてこいと命じた。そして兵隊は正規の軍装で、銃を肩に担ぎ、地に根が生えたように王の前に立った。

Then the King asked him, “Tell me on your faith and oath, whence are you and where are you going?”

すると王は尋ねた。「信と誓いにかけて言え、おまえはどこから来て、どこへ行く」

“Your kingly Majesty, do not have me punished! Bid the word be not spoken.” And he told the whole story to the King, and asked to be admitted to the service.

「王陛下、どうかわたしを罰しないでください! 言葉を咎めぬとお命じください」。そして王に一部始終を話し、軍務に加えてくださいと願った。

“Very well,” said the King; “come and serve me as sentry in my garden. All is not well in my garden: somebody is breaking my best-loved trees, and you must endeavour to preserve them; and, as to the reward for your labour, you shall not fare ill.”

「よかろう」と王は言った。「わしの庭の番人として仕えよ。わしの庭は具合が悪い。誰かがわしのいちばん好きな木々を折るのだ。それを守ってくれ。労に対する褒美については、悪いようにはせぬ」

So the sentry agreed and stood as sentry in the garden. For a year, for two years, he served on, and all went well. But in the third year, as he went out, he went to look in the garden, and saw that half of the best trees had been shattered. “My goodness!” he thought to himself, “what a fearful misfortune! If the King observes this he will instantly have me pinioned and hanged.” So he took his gun in his hand, went to a tree, and began pondering very hard. Then he heard a crackling and a rumbling. So the good youth glimpsed down, and he saw a fearful, huge bird flying into the garden and overthrowing the trees. The soldier fired at the bird, but could not kill it; and could only wing it on the right wing, and three feathers fell out of the wing, but the bird took to flight. After him the soldier dashed. The bird’s wings were swift, and very speedily it flew into a pit and vanished from sight. But the soldier was not afraid and dived down after him into the pit, fell into the deep crevasse, fell down flat and lay for whole days unconscious.

そこで兵隊は承知して、庭の番人として立った。一年、二年と勤め、すべてうまくいった。だが三年めに出てみると、庭を見回して、いちばんよい木の半分が砕かれているのに気づいた。「ああ!」と彼はひとりごちた。「なんという恐ろしい不運だ! 王がこれをご覧になったら、たちまち縛り上げて吊るされてしまう」。そこで銃を手に取って木のところへ行き、深く思案しはじめた。すると、ばりばりという音と轟きが聞こえた。善き若者が見上げると、恐ろしく巨大な鳥が庭へ飛び込んできて木々を倒しているのが見えた。兵隊はその鳥を撃ったが、殺すことはできず、右の翼を傷つけただけで、翼から羽根が三枚落ちた。だが鳥は飛び去った。兵隊はそのあとを追って駆けた。鳥の翼は速く、たちまち穴のなかへ飛び込んで視界から消えた。だが兵隊は恐れず、あとを追って穴へ跳び込み、深い裂け目へ落ちて、べったり倒れ、何日も気を失って横たわっていた。

When he came to himself he got up and he looked, and he found himself in the subterranean world, where there was the same light as was here. “I suppose there are people here as well,” he thought. So he went on and on, and saw a great city and a sentry-box in front of it, and in it a sentry. He began to ask him questions, but never an answer, never a movement! So he took him by the hand, and found that he was all stone. Then the soldier went into the sentry-box: and there were many people, and they stood or sat, only they had all been turned to stone. He then set to wandering in the streets, and everywhere it was the same—not a single live soul to be seen! Soon he came to a decorated, raised, clean-cut palace, marched in there, and looked. Rich rooms; and food and drink of all sorts were on the table; and all was silent and empty. So the soldier ate and drank; sat down to have a rest. Suddenly it seemed to him as though some one had come up the steps. So he shouldered his musket and went to the door.

気がついて起き上がって見ると、自分が地下の世界にいるのがわかった。そこには地上と同じ光があった。「ここにも人がいるだろう」と彼は思った。そこで歩きに歩いて、大きな町とその前の歩哨小屋を見つけ、そこに歩哨がいた。彼は問いかけはじめたが、答えもなければ身動きもしない! そこで手を取ってみると、その者はすっかり石になっていた。そこで兵隊は歩哨小屋に入った。そこには大勢の人がいて、立っていたり坐っていたりしたが、みな石に変えられていた。それから通りをさまよいはじめたが、どこも同じだった——生きた人ひとり見当たらないのである! まもなく飾り立てられ、高く聳え、端正な宮殿に着き、そこへ進み入って見回した。豪華な部屋があり、卓にはあらゆる食べ物と飲み物が並んでいたが、すべては静まり返って空っぽだった。そこで兵隊は飲み食いし、休もうと腰を下ろした。すると突然、誰かが階段を上がってくるように思えた。そこで銃を担いで戸口へ行った。

A fair Tsarévna was coming in with her maids of honour and attendants. The soldier bowed down to her, and she curtsied to him kindly.

美しいツァレーヴナが侍女と従者を連れて入ってくるところだった。兵隊は深く礼をし、姫は親しく会釈を返した。

“Hail, soldier!” she said. “By what ill doom have you fallen down here?”

「よう、兵隊よ!」と姫は言った。「どんな悪い定めでここへ落ちてきたのです」

So the soldier began to tell her. “I was engaged as sentry in the imperial garden, and a big bird came and flew round the trees and shattered them. I watched him, fired at him, and three feathers fell out of his wing. I began to chase after him, and arrived here.”

そこで兵隊は話しはじめた。「わたしは帝の庭の番人として雇われていましたが、大きな鳥が来て木々のまわりを飛び、それを砕いたのです。わたしは見張っていて撃ち、その翼から羽根が三枚落ちました。追いかけはじめて、ここに着いたのです」

Then she answered, “That bird is my own sister: she does much evil of every kind and has set an ill doom on my kingdom, having turned all my people to stone. Listen! here is a book for you. Stand here and read it from evening time until the hour when the cocks crow. Whatever suffering may come over you, do your duty; read the book, keep it close to you that they may not tear it from you, otherwise you will not remain alive. If you can stay here for three nights I will come and marry you.”

すると姫は答えた。「その鳥はわたしの実の姉です。あらゆる悪事を働き、わたしの王国に悪い定めをかけて、民をみな石に変えてしまいました。お聞きなさい! これがあなたに渡す書物です。ここに立って、夕暮れから鶏の鳴く刻限まで読みつづけなさい。どんな苦しみが降りかかろうと、務めを果たすのです。書物を読み、それを離さず持って、奪われぬようにしなさい。でなければ生きてはいられません。三晩ここに留まれたら、わたしが来てあなたと結婚しましょう」

“Very well,” said the soldier.

「よろしい」と兵隊は言った。

Soon it became dark, and he took the book and began reading it. Then there was a knocking and a thundering, and an entire host appeared in the palace. All his former superiors appeared in front of the soldier, scolded him and threatened him with the punishment of death. And they got their guns and were levelling them at him: but the soldier never looked at them, never let the book drop out of his hand, and simply went on reading. Then the cocks crowed, and it all vanished!

まもなく暗くなり、彼は書物を取って読みはじめた。すると叩く音と轟く音がして、宮殿に軍勢がまるごと現れた。かつての上官たちがみな兵隊の前に現れ、罵り、死罪にすると脅した。そして銃を取って彼に狙いをつけた。だが兵隊は彼らを見もせず、書物を手から落とさず、ただ読みつづけた。やがて鶏が鳴くと、すべては消えた!

On the next night it was still more terrible, and on the third night worst of all. All the executioners came up with their saws, axes, clubs, and wanted to break his bones, put him on the rack, burn him at the stake, and were devising any means of getting the book out of his hand. It was fearful torture, and the soldier could hardly endure it. Then the cocks crowed, and the demons vanished!

翌夜はいっそう恐ろしく、三日めの夜が何より恐ろしかった。処刑人という処刑人が鋸や斧や棍棒を持って現れ、彼の骨を砕こうとし、拷問台に載せようとし、火刑にしようとし、どうすれば書物を手から奪えるかとあらゆる手立てを考えた。それは恐ろしい責め苦で、兵隊はほとんど耐えきれぬほどだった。やがて鶏が鳴くと、悪鬼どもは消えた!

At the same time the entire kingdom awoke, and in the streets and in the houses people bestirred themselves, and in the palace the Tsarévna and her generals and her suite appeared, and all began to thank the soldier, and they made him their king.

同時に王国じゅうが目を覚まし、通りでも家々でも人々が動きはじめ、宮殿にはツァレーヴナと将軍たちと供の者が現れ、みなが兵隊に感謝しはじめ、彼を自分たちの王に据えた。

On the next day he married the fair Princess, and lived with her in love and joy.

翌日、彼は美しい姫と結婚し、愛と喜びのうちに暮らした。

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So the soldier, the peasant’s son, became a Tsar, and he still reigns.

こうして兵隊、百姓の息子はツァーリとなり、いまも治めている。

He is a very good king over his subjects, and is very generous to other soldiers.

彼は臣下にとってたいそうよい王であり、ほかの兵隊たちにもたいそう気前がよい。