The Quarrelsome Wife

“Father, I should like to marry! Mother, I should like to marry, I should really,” said the youth.

「お父さん、結婚したいんだ! お母さん、結婚したい、本当にしたいんだ」と若者は言った。

“Well then, my child—marry.”

「では、おまえ——結婚するがいい」

So he married, and chose a lanky, black, squinting wife. She would have pleased Satan more than the clear-eyed hawk, and it was no good frothing at anybody: he was the only person in the wrong. So he lived with her and wrung his tears out with his fist.

そこで彼は結婚し、ひょろ長くて色黒で藪睨みの女を選んだ。澄んだ目の隼よりもサタンのほうがこの女を気に入っただろうが、誰に向かって泡を吹いても無駄だった。悪いのはただ彼一人だったのである。そうして彼は妻と暮らし、拳で涙を絞った。

One day he went out where audiences were being given, stood there, and came home.

ある日、彼は謁見の行われているところへ出かけ、そこに立って、家へ帰ってきた。

“Wherever have you been sauntering?” asked his squint-eyed wife. “What have you seen?”

「どこをほっつき歩いていたの」と藪睨みの妻が尋ねた。「何を見てきたの」

“Oh, they say that a new Tsar has come on the throne and has issued a new úkaz that wives are to command their husbands!”

「ああ、新しいツァーリが位についたそうで、妻が夫に命令するようにという新しい勅令(ウカーズ)を出したそうだ!」

He only meant to joke, but she sprang up, pulled his whiskers and said, “Go to the stream and wash the shirts, take the broom and sweep the house, then go and sit by the cradle and rock the child, cook the supper and grill and bake the cakes.”

彼は冗談を言ったつもりだったが、妻は跳び上がって彼の頬髭を引っぱり、こう言った。「川へ行って肌着を洗っておいで。箒を取って家を掃いて、それから揺りかごのそばに坐って子をあやして、夕餉をこしらえて、焼き物をして菓子を焼くのよ」

The man wanted to answer, “What are you talking about, woman? That is not a man’s work.” Then he looked at her, and he froze cold and his tongue clave to his throat.

男は「何を言っているのだ、おい。それは男の仕事ではない」と答えようとした。だが妻を見ると、体が凍りつき、舌が喉に張りついた。

So he got the washing together, baked the cakes, swept the cottage, and was no good for anything.

そこで彼は洗濯をまとめ、菓子を焼き、小屋を掃き、何の役にも立たなくなった。

One year went by, and a second, and the good youth got rather weary of the yoke. But what on earth was he to do? He had married and he had tied himself for all eternity, and, may-be, his entire life would go by in this misery. From sheer wretchedness he contrived himself this contrivance. In the forest there was a deep pit of which neither end nor bottom could be seen. So he took and closed it up on the top with stakes, and strewed it over with straw. Then he came up to his wife: “My dear wife, you don’t know that there is a treasure in the forest. It simply moans and groans with gold, and will not give itself up to me. It said, ‘Send for your wife.’”

一年が過ぎ、二年が過ぎ、善き若者はこの軛にいささか疲れてきた。だがいったいどうすればよいのか。結婚してしまい、永劫に自分を縛ってしまったのだ。もしかすると一生がこのみじめさのうちに過ぎてしまうのかもしれない。まったくのみじめさから、彼はこんな工夫を思いついた。森には、端も底も見えぬ深い穴があった。そこでその上を杭で塞ぎ、藁を撒き散らした。それから妻のところへ来た。「なあおまえ、知らないだろうが、森に宝がある。ただもう金がうめいて呻いているのだが、わたしには渡そうとしない。『女房を寄越せ』と言うのだ」

“Ha, ha! let us go: I will take it, and you say nothing about it.”

「はは! 行きましょう。わたしが取ってくるから、あんたは何も言うんじゃないよ」

So they went into the wood. “Sssh, woman, that is hollow ground out of which the treasure comes forth.”

そこで二人は森へ行った。「しっ、おい、そこが宝の出てくる空洞の地面だ」

“Oh, what a fool you are of a peasant, frightened of everything! This is how I run up to it.” So she ran up to the straw and was precipitated into the pit.

「なんて臆病な百姓だろう、何もかも怖がって! こうやって走っていけばいいんだよ」。そう言って妻は藁へ駆け寄り、穴へ真っ逆さまに落ちた。

“Now, off you go,” said the peasant; “I am now going to have a rest.”

「さあ、行ってしまえ」と百姓は言った。「わたしはこれから休ませてもらう」

So he had a rest for a month, and a second month, but he soon became melancholy without his squint-eyed wife. So he went into the forest, and he went into the field, and he went to the river, and he could only think of her. “Possibly by now she has become quiet. Possibly I will take her out again.” So he took a withy, let it into the ground, and he listened: she was sitting there. He drew it up, looked at it very near, looked very carefully, and in the basket there was a little devil sitting. At this the peasant was frightened, and almost let the cord fall out of his hands.

そうして彼は一か月休み、二か月休んだが、まもなく藪睨みの妻がいないので気が滅入ってきた。そこで森へ行き、野へ行き、川へ行ったが、妻のことしか考えられなかった。「もう大人しくなっているかもしれない。引き上げてやろうか」。そこで柳の枝を取って地中へ下ろし、耳を澄ました。妻はそこに坐っていた。引き上げて、すぐ近くで見て、よくよく見ると、籠のなかには小さな悪魔が坐っていた。これには百姓も怯えて、あやうく綱を手から落とすところだった。

Then the little devil begged him and cried in his ear: “Do let me go, peasant. Your wife has been torturing and oppressing us. Tell me what to do: I will be your faithful servant. I will this very instant run into the boyárs’ palace; I will in an instant cook the grill; by day and night I will knock and drive away the boyárs. You are to declare yourself a doctor to go and to call on me. I will leap up on the spot and vanish. Now, go and dig; shovel up your money.”

すると小さな悪魔は彼に頼み、耳もとで叫んだ。「どうか行かせてくれ、百姓よ。おまえの女房はおれたちを責め、苦しめてきたのだ。何をすればいいか言ってくれ。おまえの忠実な下僕になる。いますぐボヤーレの館へ駆け込んで、たちまち焼き物をこしらえ、昼も夜も叩いてボヤーレを追い立ててやる。おまえは医者と名乗って、おれを呼びに来い。おれはその場で跳び上がって消えてやる。さあ、行って掘れ。おまえの金を掻き出せ」

So the peasant let the devil leap out, shake himself and vanish away. And from that day everything went upside down in the boyárs’ house, and they began looking for some doctor: the good youth dubbed himself a doctor, exorcised the devil, and received good pay. Soon the rumour went forth that in the prince’s palace, in the lofty castle home, familiar spirits were appearing, and never gave the princes rest. They sent for hunters in every part of the earth, and summoned them to assemble doctors. They collected from all the kings: it was no good. The familiar spirits still knocked and groaned.

そこで百姓は悪魔を跳び出させ、悪魔は身震いして消え去った。そしてその日から、ボヤーレの家では何もかもが引っくり返りはじめ、人々は医者を探しはじめた。善き若者は自分を医者と称し、悪魔を祓って、よい報酬を得た。まもなく、公の宮殿、高い城館に使い魔が現れて、公たちに安らぎを与えないという噂が広まった。人々は地の四方から猟師を呼び寄せ、医者を集めさせた。王という王から集めたが、無駄だった。使い魔はなお叩き、うめいた。

At last our doctor arrived, recognised his old acquaintance, called for his little devil, and the little devil never thought of running away, and he would not leave the prince’s palace. “Wait a little, if this is the case,” cried the doctor. “Ho, my squint-eyed wife, just come up here!” Then the little devil could not stand it and took to his heels out of the stove.

とうとうわれらの医者が着き、古い知り合いだと気づいて、小さな悪魔を呼んだ。だが小さな悪魔は逃げようともせず、公の宮殿を出ようとしなかった。「そういうことなら、ちょっと待て」と医者は叫んだ。「おおい、藪睨みの女房よ、こっちへ来い!」。すると小さな悪魔は堪えきれず、竈から脱兎のごとく逃げ出した。

So the doctor received honour and praise, and earned a mine of money. But it is said, not untruly, that, even in Paradise, it is sad to live alone. For the good youth grew melancholy, and he again went to seek his squint-eyed wife. So he let down the basket right away into the pit. There the woman was sitting, and he hauled her to the top. As soon as ever she came near she was breathing out fire and fury, gnashing her teeth and brandishing her fists. The peasant’s hands shook with fear, and the withy broke, and the squint-eyed woman clashed down as before into Hell.

こうして医者は栄誉と称賛を受け、山ほどの金を稼いだ。だが、楽園にあってさえ独りで暮らすのは寂しいと言われるのは、嘘ではない。善き若者は気が滅入ってきて、また藪睨みの妻を探しに行った。そこで籠をまっすぐ穴へ下ろした。そこには女が坐っていて、彼はそれを上まで引き上げた。ところが近くまで来るやいなや、女は火と怒りを吐き、歯を鳴らし、拳を振り回していた。百姓の手は恐ろしさに震え、柳の枝が折れて、藪睨みの女はもとどおり地獄へ落ちていった。