The Singing-Tree and the Speaking-Bird

Once upon a time there was a very inquisitive King who spent all his time eavesdropping at the window. There was also a merchant, who had three daughters, and one day they were talking to their father, and one said: “If only the King’s bread-bearer would marry me!” The second one said: “If only the King’s valet would cast his eyes upon me!” But the third said: “I want the King himself: I would bear him two sons and one daughter.”

むかしむかし、たいそう詮索好きな王がいて、いつも窓の下で立ち聞きをして日を過ごしていた。また一人の商人がいて、三人の娘があった。ある日、娘たちが父と話していて、一人が言った。「王さまのパン係が結婚してくれたらいいのに!」。二人めが言った。「王さまの侍従がわたしに目を留めてくれたらいいのに!」。だが三人めは言った。「わたしは王さまご自身がほしい。二人の息子と一人の娘を産んであげるわ」

Now the King was listening to all this conversation; and after a few days he did exactly as they had wished: the eldest married the King’s bread-bearer, the middle one the King’s valet, but the youngest married the King himself.

さて王はこの話をすっかり聞いていた。そして数日後、まさに娘たちの望みどおりにした。いちばん上は王のパン係と、真ん中は王の侍従と、そして末の娘は王その人と結婚した。

The King married very happily, and after some time his Queen was about to bear him a child. He was sending for the midwife of the town, but the elder sisters asked him why he should; they would act as midwives. As soon as the Queen had born him a son, the midwives took him away and told the King his wife had born a pup; and they put the new-born babe into a box and threw it into a big pond in the King’s garden.

王はたいそう幸せに結婚し、しばらくすると妃が子を産もうとしていた。王は町の産婆を呼びにやろうとしたが、姉たちがなぜそんなことをするのかと尋ね、自分たちが産婆を務めると言った。妃が息子を産むやいなや、産婆役の姉たちはそれを取り上げ、王には妻が仔犬を産んだと告げた。そして生まれたばかりの赤子を箱に入れ、王の庭の大きな池へ投げ込んだ。

At this the King was very angry, and wanted to have his wife blown to bits at the cannon’s mouth; but—it so happened—some other princes were on a visit, and persuaded him to forgive a first offence. So the King pardoned her for the nonce, and gave her a second chance.

これに王はひどく怒り、妻を大砲の口にくくって吹き飛ばそうとした。だが——たまたま——ほかの国の公たちが訪ねてきていて、最初の過ちは許すようにと説き伏せた。そこで王はさしあたり許して、二度めの機会を与えた。

One year went by, and the Queen bore him another son, and the sisters again took it away, and told him she had born a kitten. The King was angry at first, this time he was sore enraged, and was agog to punish his wife, but once more he was won over.

一年が過ぎ、妃はまた息子を産んだ。そして姉たちがまたそれを取り上げ、妃は仔猫を産んだと王に告げた。王ははじめの時も怒ったが、今度は激怒し、妻を罰したくてたまらなかった。だがまたしても説き伏せられた。

So he gave her a third chance. This time the Queen bore a very beautiful daughter, and the sisters took it and told the King she had born an unheard-of monster. Oh! there were no bounds to his fury now; he ordered the hangman in and bade him hang his wife on the spot; but once more some visiting princes overruled him and said: “Would it not be better to put an oratory up near the church and put her into it, and let every one who goes to Mass spit into her eyes?” So he did; but, so far from being spat upon by every passer-by, every one brought her fine loaves and pasties.

そこで王は三度めの機会を与えた。こんど妃はたいそう美しい娘を産んだ。そして姉たちはそれを取り上げ、妃は前代未聞の化け物を産んだと王に告げた。ああ! こんどこそ王の怒りには際限がなかった。王は死刑執行人を呼んで、その場で妻を吊るせと命じた。だがまたしても訪ねてきていた公たちがそれを覆して言った。「教会のそばに祈禱所を建ててそこへ入れ、ミサへ行く者みなにその目に唾を吐かせるほうがよいのではありませんか」。そこで王はそうした。だが通りすがりの者みなに唾を吐かれるどころか、誰もが立派なパンや饅頭を持ってきた。

But, when her three children had been thrown into the pond in the King’s garden, they were not drowned, for the King’s gardener took them home and brought them up. They were fine children; you could see them growing up, not by years, but months, not by days, but by hours. The King’s sons shot up, youths no men could imagine, guess, or draw, or paint; and the Tsarévna was such a beauty! Almost terribly beautiful! One day, when they were older, they asked the gardener to let them build themselves a little home behind the town. The gardener consented, and they erected a big, splendid house, and led a merry life in it. The brothers used to go hunting hares, and one day they went off and left their sister alone at home.

だが三人の子どもたちは王の庭の池に投げ込まれても溺れはしなかった。王の庭師が家へ連れ帰って育てたのである。立派な子どもたちで、年ではなく月で、日ではなく時で育っていくのが目に見えるようだった。王の息子たちは、誰も思い描くことも、推し量ることも、描くことも、絵に写すこともできぬほどの若者に育った。そしてツァレーヴナはそれは美しかった! 恐ろしいほど美しかった! ある日、もう大きくなった三人は、庭師に、町はずれに自分たちの小さな家を建てさせてくれと頼んだ。庭師は承知し、三人は大きく立派な家を建てて、そこで楽しく暮らした。兄たちは兎狩りに出かけるのが常で、ある日、妹を一人家に残して出かけた。

A visitor knocked at the door: the sister opened the door and saw an old hag, who said: “You have a pretty little place here; three things are lacking.”

訪ねてきた者が戸を叩いた。妹が戸を開けると、一人の老婆が立っていて、こう言った。「ここは可愛らしいお住まいだね。三つ足りないものがあるけれど」

“What are they? I always thought we had everything!”

「何ですか。何もかもそろっていると思っていましたが!」

The hag replied: “You still need the Talking-Bird, the Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life.”

老婆は答えた。「まだ物言う鳥と、歌う樹と、生命の水が要るのさ」

And then the sister was left all alone once more; when her brothers came home, she said: “Brothers, we lack nothing save three things.”

そしてまた妹は一人きりになった。兄たちが帰ってくると、妹は言った。「兄さんたち、わたしたちには三つのほか、足りないものは何もないのですって」

“What are they?”

「その三つとは」

“We haven’t a Talking-Bird, a Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life!”

「物言う鳥と、歌う樹と、生命の水がないのよ!」

The elder brother said: “Sister, give me your blessing, and I’ll go and discover you these marvels. If I die, or am killed, you will know by this knife dripping blood. There it is, stuck into the wall.”

上の兄が言った。「妹よ、祝福をくれ。おれが行ってその不思議なものを見つけてきてやる。おれが死んだり殺されたりしたら、この小刀から血が滴るのでわかる。ほら、壁に突き刺しておく」

So he went, and wandered away, far, far away into the forest. At last he came to a gigantic oak-tree; and on the tree there was an old man sitting, whom he asked how he was to procure the “Talking-Bird, a Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life.”

そうして兄は出かけ、遠く、遠く森の奥までさまよっていった。とうとう巨大な樫の木のところへ来た。そしてその木の上には一人の老人が坐っていて、彼は「物言う鳥と歌う樹と生命の水」をどうすれば手に入れられるかと尋ねた。

The old man replied: “Possible it is, but not easy; many go, but few return.”

老人は答えた。「できなくはないが、たやすくはない。多くの者が行くが、帰る者はわずかだ」

But the young man persisted and left the old man. The old man gave him a rolling-pin, and told him to let it roll on in front of him, and follow wherever it went. The pin rolled on, and after it walked the Prince: it rolled up to a steep hill, and was lost. Then the Prince went up the hill, went half-way up; and, as he went along, he heard a voice: “Hold him, seize him, grip him!” He looked round and was turned into stone.

だが若者は引かず、老人のもとを去った。老人は麵棒を一本与えて、自分の前に転がしてやり、それが行くところへどこまでもついていけと言った。麵棒は転がり、そのあとを王子が歩いた。麵棒は急な丘まで転がって、消えた。そこで王子は丘を登り、半ばまで登った。そして進んでいくと、こんな声が聞こえた。「捕まえろ、押さえろ、つかまえろ!」。彼は振り返って、石に変えられた。

That very same hour blood began to drip from the knife in the cottage, and the sister told the younger brother that the elder was dead.

まさにその時刻、小屋の小刀から血が滴りはじめ、妹は下の兄に、上の兄が死んだと告げた。

So he answered: “Now I will go, sister mine, and capture the Talking-Bird, the Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life!”

そこで下の兄は答えた。「では今度はおれが行こう、妹よ。そして物言う鳥と歌う樹と生命の水を取ってこよう!」

So she blessed him, and he went on and on for very many weary miles, and met the old man on the tree, who gave him another rolling-pin: and the pin rolled up to the mountain; and both were lost, pin and Prince!

そこで妹は兄を祝福し、兄はたいそう遠くの道のりを歩きに歩いて、木の上の老人に出会った。老人はもう一本の麵棒をくれた。そして麵棒は山まで転がり、麵棒も王子も、どちらも消えてしまった!

The sister waited for many years, but he never came back, and she thought he, too, must have died. So she set out to find the Talking-Bird, Singing-Tree, and Water of Life. She arrived at last at that same oak-tree, saw the old man sitting on it, greeted him, and shaved his head and brows, as she brought scissors and a mirror with her.

妹は何年も待ったが、兄は帰ってこなかった。そこで兄も死んだに違いないと思った。そこで自分で物言う鳥と歌う樹と生命の水を探しに出かけた。とうとう同じ樫の木に着き、その上に坐っている老人を見て挨拶し、鋏と鏡を持ってきていたので、老人の頭と眉を剃ってやった。

“Look,” she said, “what a change it makes in you!” He looked into the mirror: “Yes,” he said; “I am quite a fine man now. I’ve sat here thirty years: never a soul cut my hair, you guessed my need.”

「ごらんなさい」と妹は言った。「ずいぶんお変わりになりましたよ!」。老人は鏡をのぞいた。「そうだな」と老人は言った。「これでわしもすっかり立派な男だ。わしはここに三十年坐っていたが、誰一人わしの髪を切ってくれなかった。おまえはわしの望みを言い当てたな」

Then she asked him: “Grandfather, how can I get the Talking-Bird, the Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life?”

そこで妹は尋ねた。「お爺さん、どうすれば物言う鳥と歌う樹と生命の水を手に入れられますか」

He answered: “How can you get them? Cleverer folk than you have been after them, and they have all been lost.”

老人は答えた。「どうやって手に入れるだと。おまえより賢い者たちがそれを求めて出かけたが、みな失われてしまった」

But she persisted: “Please tell me!”

だが妹は引かなかった。「どうか教えてください!」

So he gave her another rolling-pin, and told her to follow it: she would hear cries of “Catch her: scotch her,” but she must not look round, for fear of being turned into stone. “At the top you will see a well and the Talking-Bird. As you come back, you will see lofty stones standing upright; sprinkle them all with the Water of Life.”

そこで老人はもう一本の麵棒を与えて、それについていけと言った。「捕まえろ、引き裂け」という叫びが聞こえるだろうが、決して振り返ってはならぬ。石に変えられるからだ、と。「頂上には井戸と物言う鳥がある。帰ってくるとき、高い石が立っているのが見える。それにみな生命の水を振りかけなさい」

So on she went: the pin rolled on, far or near, long or short, it reached a steep mountain; and the girl climbed up and heard cries: “Where are you going? We shall kill you! We shall eat you up!”

そこで妹は進んだ。麵棒は遠くか近くか、長くか短くか転がって、急な山に着いた。そして娘は登り、叫び声を聞いた。「どこへ行く。殺してやる! 食ってやる!」

But still she went on and on, reached the summit, and there she found a well and the Talking-Bird. She took it and asked it: “Tell me how to get the Singing-Tree and the Water of Life.”

だが娘は進みに進んで頂上に着き、そこに井戸と物言う鳥を見つけた。娘はそれを取って尋ねた。「歌う樹と生命の水をどうすれば手に入れられるか教えて」

The Bird replied: “Go straight by this path.”

鳥は答えた。「この小径をまっすぐ行きなさい」

She did, and came upon the Singing-Tree, and in it all sorts of birds were singing. She broke off a sprig, pulled up a water-lily, and put some of the Water of Life into the cup of the flower, and turned back homewards.

娘はそうして、歌う樹に行き当たった。そこにはありとあらゆる鳥がとまってうたっていた。娘は小枝を一本折り、睡蓮を一本引き抜いて、その花の杯に生命の水を少し入れ、家へ引き返した。

As she clomb downhill, she saw boulders standing upright, and sprinkled them with the Water of Life; and her brothers jumped up alive and said: “Oh, what a long sleep we have had!”

丘を下りていくと、大きな岩が立っているのが見えたので、生命の水を振りかけた。すると兄たちが生きて跳ね起きて言った。「ああ、なんと長いこと眠っていたことか!」

“Yes, my brothers, but for me you would have slept on for ever. And look here; I have got you the Talking-Bird, the Singing-Tree, and the Water of Life!”

「そうよ、兄さんたち。わたしがいなければ永久に眠りつづけていたでしょう。それにごらんなさい。物言う鳥と歌う樹と生命の水を取ってきたわ!」

The brothers were overjoyed, went home and planted the Singing-Tree in the garden; it overspread the whole garden, and all kinds of birds began singing.

兄たちは大喜びして家へ帰り、歌う樹を庭に植えた。それは庭じゅうに枝を広げ、ありとあらゆる鳥がうたいはじめた。

One day they were out hunting and the King met them by chance. He fell in love with the gay huntsmen, and invited them home. They said they would ask their sister, and come at once if she consented.

ある日、三人が狩りに出ていると、たまたま王に出会った。王はこの陽気な狩人たちを気に入り、家へ招いた。三人は妹に尋ねて、承知したらすぐに参りますと言った。

So they went back home. The sister met them and greeted them, and the brothers said: “Please, sister, may we go and dine with the King? He has asked us in.”

そこで三人は家へ帰った。妹が出迎えて挨拶すると、兄たちは言った。「なあ妹よ、王さまのところで食事をしてきてもいいか。招いてくださったのだ」

She said “Yes,” and they went. At the banquet, the King gave them the place of honour, and they begged he would honour them with a visit. Some days later the King went. They gave him a rich spread, and showed him the Singing-Tree and the Talking-Bird.

妹が「ええ」と言い、二人は出かけた。宴席で王は二人を上座に据え、二人は、どうかわが家へお越しくださいと願った。数日後、王は出かけた。二人は豪勢なもてなしをし、歌う樹と物言う鳥を見せた。

He was amazed and said: “I am the King, and have nothing as good!”

王は驚いて言った。「わしは王だが、これほどよいものは持っておらぬ!」

Then the King looked at them and said: “Who is your father?”

それから王は二人を見て言った。「そなたらの父は誰だ」

They said: “We do not know.” But the Talking-Bird broke in and said: “They are your children.”

二人は言った。「存じません」。だが物言う鳥が口を挟んで言った。「この者たちはあなたの子です」

Then the King looked at the maiden and wanted to marry her. Again the Talking-Bird said: “You may not; she is your daughter.”

それから王は娘を見て、結婚したくなった。またしても物言う鳥が言った。「なりません。その娘はあなたの娘です」

The King then saw how matters stood; was overjoyed; took them to live with him for ever. As to the two evil sisters, he had them shot; but his wife he released from the chapel, and took her to himself again, and they lived merrily on for many years of happiness.

そこで王は事の次第を悟って大喜びし、三人を引き取って末長くともに暮らした。あの二人の邪な姉は撃ち殺させた。だが妻は礼拝堂から解き放ち、ふたたび自分のもとへ迎えて、二人は長い年月を幸せに陽気に暮らした。