Never-wash

Once upon a time there was a soldier who had served through three campaigns, but had never earned as much as an addled egg, and was then put on the retired list. Then, as he went on the road marching on and on, he became tired and sat down by a lake. And, as he rested, he began thinking things out: “Where shall I now betake myself, and how shall I feed myself, and how the devil shall I enter into any service?”

むかしむかし、一人の兵隊がいて、三度の戦役を勤め上げたのに、腐った卵一つほどの稼ぎもなく、退役名簿に載せられた。そして道を行進しに行進していくうちに疲れて、湖のほとりに腰を下ろした。そして休みながら、あれこれ考えはじめた。「これからどこへ身を寄せよう。どうやって食っていこう。どうやったら悪魔でも何でも、どこかに雇われられるだろう」

As soon as he had spoken these words a little devil rose up at once in front of him and said, “Hail, soldier, what do you wish? Did you just now not say that you wished to become one of our servants? Why, soldier, come up and be hired: we will pay you well.”

その言葉を言うやいなや、小さな悪魔が目の前に現れて言った。「よう兵隊、何を望む。いまおれたちの下僕になりたいと言わなかったか。なあ兵隊、来て雇われろ。ちゃんと払ってやる」

“What is the work?”

「仕事は何だ」

“Oh, the work is easy enough: for fifteen years you must not shave, you must not have your hair cut, you must not blow your nose, and you must not change your garb. If you serve this service, then we will go to the king, who has three daughters. Two of them are mine, but the third shall be yours.”

「なに、仕事は簡単だ。十五年のあいだ髭を剃らず、髪を切らず、鼻をかまず、着物を替えぬこと。この務めを果たせば、三人の娘を持つ王のところへ行こう。二人はおれのものだが、三人めはおまえのものだ」

“Very well,” said the soldier, “I will undertake the contract; but I require in return to get anything my soul hankers after.”

「よかろう」と兵隊は言った。「その約束を引き受けよう。だがその代わり、おれの魂が求めるものは何でも手に入るようにしてもらう」

“It shall be so; be at peace; we shall not be in default.”

「そうなる。安心しろ。約束を違えはせぬ」

“Well, let it befall at once. Carry me at once into the capital and give me a pile of money; you know yourself how little of these goods a soldier ever gets.”

「では、いますぐやってくれ。おれをすぐに都へ運んで、金の山をよこせ。兵隊がこういう物にどれほど縁がないか、おまえも知っているだろう」

So the little devil dashed into the lake, got out a pile of gold, and instantaneously carried the soldier into the great city, and all at once he was there!

そこで小さな悪魔は湖へ飛び込んで黄金の山を取り出し、たちまち兵隊を大きな町へ運んだ。そしてあっという間に彼はそこにいた!

“What a fool I have been!” said the soldier: “I have not done any service, no work, and I now have the money!” So he took a room, never cut his hair, never shaved, never wiped his nose, never changed his garb, and he lived on and grew wealthy, so wealthy he did not know what to do with his money. What was he to do with his silver and gold? “Oh, very well, I will start helping the poor: possibly they may pray for my soul.” So the soldier began distributing alms to the needy, to the right and to the left, and he still had money over, however much he gave away! His fame spread over the whole kingdom, came to the ears of all.

「なんと馬鹿なことをしていたのだ!」と兵隊は言った。「奉公もせず、仕事もせずに金が手に入った!」。そこで彼は部屋を借り、髪も切らず、髭も剃らず、鼻もかまず、着物も替えずに暮らし、豊かに、金をどうしてよいかわからぬほど豊かになった。この銀と黄金をどうしたものか。「よし、貧しい者を助けよう。おれの魂のために祈ってくれるかもしれん」。そこで兵隊は困っている者たちに右へ左へ施しを配りはじめたが、どれほど配ってもまだ金が残った! その評判は王国じゅうに広まり、みなの耳に届いた。

So the soldier lived for fourteen years, and on the fifteenth year the Tsar’s exchequer gave out. So he summoned the soldier. So the soldier came to him unwashed, unshaved, uncombed, with his nose unwiped and his dress unchanged.

そうして兵隊は十四年暮らし、十五年めにツァーリの国庫が底をついた。そこでツァーリは兵隊を呼び出した。そこで兵隊は洗いもせず、剃りもせず、髪も梳かず、鼻もかまず、着物も替えずに出向いた。

“Health, your Majesty!”

「ご健勝を、陛下!」

“Listen, soldier. You, they say, are good to all folks: will you lend me some money? I have not enough to pay my troops. If you will I will make you a general at once.”

「聞け、兵隊。そなたはみなに気前がよいというではないか。わしに金を貸してくれぬか。軍に払う金が足りぬのだ。貸してくれるなら、すぐに将軍にしてやろう」

“No, your Majesty, I do not wish to be a general; but if you will do me a favour, give me one of your daughters as my wife, and you shall have as much money as you wish for the Treasury.”

「いいえ陛下、わたしは将軍になりたくはありません。ですがお恵みを賜るなら、姫君のお一人を妻にください。そうすれば国庫にお望みだけの金を差し上げます」

So the king began to think: he was very fond of his daughters, but still he could not do anything whatsoever without money. “Well,” he said, “I agree. Have a portrait taken of yourself; I will show it to my daughters and ask which of them will take you.”

そこで王は考えはじめた。娘たちをたいそう可愛がっていたが、それでも金なしには何ひとつできないのである。「よかろう」と王は言った。「承知した。自分の肖像を描かせよ。娘たちに見せて、誰がそなたを取るか尋ねよう」

So the soldier returned, had the portrait painted, which was feature for feature, unshaved, unwashed, uncombed, his nose unwiped, and in his old garb, and sent it to the Tsar.

そこで兵隊は帰って肖像を描かせた。それは寸分違わず、髭も剃らず、洗いもせず、髪も梳かず、鼻もかまず、古い着物を着たままの姿で、それをツァーリに送った。

Now, the Tsar had three daughters, and the father summoned them and showed them the soldier’s portrait. He said to the eldest, “Will you go and marry him? He will redeem me from very great embarrassment.”

さてツァーリには三人の娘があり、父は娘たちを呼んで兵隊の肖像を見せた。そしていちばん上の娘に言った。「この者に嫁いでくれるか。この者はわしを大きな苦境から救ってくれるのだ」

The Tsarévna saw what a monstrous animal had been painted, with tangled hair, uncut nails and unwiped nose. “I certainly won’t!” she said, “I would sooner go to the Devil.” And from somewhere or other the Devil appeared, stood behind her with pen and paper, heard what she said, and entered her soul on his register.

ツァレーヴナは、髪はもつれ、爪は伸び、鼻もかんでいない、なんという怪物じみた獣が描かれているかを見た。「絶対にいやです!」と娘は言った。「悪魔に嫁ぐほうがまだましです」。するとどこからともなく悪魔が現れ、ペンと紙を持って娘のうしろに立ち、その言葉を聞いて、その魂を帳簿に書き入れた。

Then the father asked the next daughter, “Will you go and marry the soldier?”

それから父は次の娘に尋ねた。「その兵隊に嫁いでくれるか」

“What! I would rather remain a maiden; I would rather tie myself up with the Devil than go with him.” So the Devil went and inscribed her soul as well.

「なんですって! いっそ生涯独りでいます。あんな者に嫁ぐくらいなら、悪魔と契りを結ぶほうがましです」。そこで悪魔はこの娘の魂も書き入れた。

Then the father asked his youngest daughter, and she answered, “Evidently this must be my lot: I will go and marry him and see what God shall give.”

それから父は末の娘に尋ね、娘はこう答えた。「どうやらこれがわたしの定めなのでしょう。参ってその人に嫁ぎ、神が何を下さるか見ることにします」

Then the Tsar was very blithe at this, and he went and told the soldier to make ready for the betrothal, and he sent him twelve carts to carry the money away.

そこでツァーリはたいそう晴れやかになり、兵隊に婚約の支度をせよと伝え、金を運ばせるために荷車を十二台送った。

Then the soldier made use of his devil: “There are twelve carts; pile them all high at once with gold.” So the devil ran into the lake and the unholy ones set to work. Some of them brought up one sack, some two, and they soon filled the carts and sent them to the Tsar, into his palace.

そこで兵隊は自分の悪魔を使った。「荷車が十二台ある。いますぐみな黄金で山盛りにしろ」。そこで悪魔は湖へ駆け込み、聖ならぬ者たちが仕事にかかった。ある者は袋を一つ、ある者は二つ運び上げ、たちまち荷車を満たして、ツァーリの宮殿へ送り届けた。

Then the Tsar looked, and now summoned the soldier to him every day, sat with him at one table, and ate and drank with him. When they got ready for the marriage the term of fifteen years was over. So he called the little devil and said, “Now my service is over: turn me into a youth.”

そこでツァーリはそれを見て、それからは毎日兵隊を呼び寄せ、同じ卓につかせて、ともに飲み食いした。婚礼の支度が整ったころ、十五年の期限が終わった。そこで彼は小さな悪魔を呼んで言った。「おれの務めは終わった。おれを若者に変えてくれ」

So the devil cut him up into little bits, threw them into a cauldron, and began to brew him—brewed him, washed him and collected all his bones, one by one, in the proper way, every bone with every bone, every joint with every joint, every nerve with every nerve: then he sprinkled them with the water of life, and the soldier arose, such a fine young man as no tale can tell and no pen can write. He then married the youngest Tsarévna, and they began to live a merry life of good.

そこで悪魔は彼を細切れに切り刻んで釜に投げ込み、煮込みはじめた。煮て、洗って、骨をすべて一本ずつしかるべく集め、骨は骨に、関節は関節に、筋は筋に合わせた。それから生命の水を振りかけると、兵隊は立ち上がった。どんな話も語り尽くせず、どんな筆も書き尽くせぬほどの立派な若者だった。それから彼は末のツァレーヴナと結婚し、二人は善きものに満ちた陽気な暮らしをはじめた。

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I was at the wedding: I drank mead and beer. They also had wine, and I drank it to the very dregs.

わたしもその婚礼にいた。蜂蜜酒とビールを飲んだ。葡萄酒もあって、わたしはそれを最後の澱まで飲み干した。

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But the little devil ran back into the lake, for his elder hauled him over the coals to answer for what he had done with the soldier. “He has served out his period faithfully and honourably: he has never once shaved himself, nor cut his hair, nor wiped his nose, nor changed his clothes.”

だが小さな悪魔は湖へ駆け戻った。長老が、兵隊をどうしたのか申し開きせよと厳しく問い詰めたからである。「あの男は期限を忠実に、立派に勤め上げました。一度も髭を剃らず、髪を切らず、鼻をかまず、着物も替えませんでした」

Then the elder was very angry. He said, “In fifteen years you were not able to corrupt the soldier! Was all the money given in vain? What sort of a devil will you be after this?” And he had him thrown into the burning pitch.

すると長老はひどく怒って言った。「十五年かけて兵隊一人堕落させられなかったのか! あの金はすっかり無駄になったのか。これでどんな悪魔になれるというのだ」。そして彼を燃える瀝青へ投げ込ませようとした。

“Oh no, please, grandfather,” said the grandson, “I have lost the soldier’s soul, but I have gained two others.”

「いえ、どうかお待ちを、お爺さま」と孫悪魔は言った。「兵隊の魂は失いましたが、ほかに二つ手に入れました」

“What?”

「なんだと」

“Look: the soldier thought of marrying a Tsarévna; the two elder daughters both declined and said they would rather marry a devil than the soldier. So there they are, and they belong to us.”

「ご覧ください。あの兵隊はツァレーヴナと結婚しようとしました。上の二人の娘はどちらも断って、あの兵隊に嫁ぐくらいなら悪魔に嫁ぐと言ったのです。ですからあの二人はわれらのものです」

So the grandfather-devil approved what the grandson-imp had done, and set him free. “Yes,” he said, “you know your business very well indeed.”

そこで祖父悪魔は孫の小鬼のしたことを認め、解き放った。「そうとも」と長老は言った。「おまえは自分の商売をまことによく心得ている」