Mad Mehmed

Once upon a time in the old old days when the camel was only a spy, when toads rose in the air on wings, and I myself rode in the air while I walked on the ground, and went up hill and down dale at the same time, in those days, I say, there were two brothers who dwelt together.

むかしむかし、大むかし、らくだがただの物見役にすぎず、ひき蛙が翼で空に舞い上がり、わたし自身が地面を歩きながら空を飛び、丘を登りながら同時に谷を下っていたころ、そのころに、いいかね、一緒に暮らす兄弟が二人いた。

All that they had inherited from their father were some oxen and other beasts, and a sick mother. One day the spirit of division seized upon the younger brother (he was half-witted besides, Allah help him!), and he went to his brother and said: “Look now, brother! at these two stables! One of them is as new as new can be, while the other is old and rotten. Let us drive our cattle hither, and whatever goes into the new stable shall be mine, and all the rest shall be thine.”

二人が父から受け継いだものといえば、何頭かの牛とほかの家畜と、病気の母だけだった。ある日、弟に分けたがる心がとりついて(そのうえ弟は頭が足りなかった、アッラーよ彼を助けたまえ!)、弟は兄のところへ行って言った。「ほら、兄さん! この二つの家畜小屋を見てよ! 片方はこれ以上ないくらい新しくて、もう片方は古くて腐ってる。家畜をここへ追ってきて、新しい小屋に入ったのはおれのもの、残りはみんな兄さんのものにしよう。」

“Not so, Mehmed,” said the elder brother; “let whatever goes into the old stable be thine!” To this also the half-crazy Mehmed agreed. That same day they went and drove up their cattle, and all the cattle went into the new stable except a helpless old ox that was so blind that it mistook its way and went into the old stable instead. Mehmed said never a word, but took the blind old ox into the fields to graze; every morning early he drove it thither, and late every evening he drove it back again. One day when he was on the road, the wind began to shake a big wayside tree so violently that its vast branches whined and whimpered again. “Hi! whimpering old dad!” said the fool to the tree, “hast thou seen my elder brother?” But the tree, as if it didn’t hear, only went on whining. The fool flew into such a rage at this that he caught up his chopper and struck at the tree, when out of it gushed a whole stream of golden sequins. At this the fool rallied what little wits he had, hastened home, and asked his brother to lend him another ox, as he wanted to plough with a pair. He found a cart also, and some empty sacks. These he filled with earth, and set out forthwith for his tree. There he emptied his sacks of their earth, filled them with sequins instead, and when he returned home in the evening, his brother well-nigh dropped down for amazement at the sight of the monstrous treasure.

「そうじゃないよ、メフメト」と兄は言った。「古い小屋に入ったのがおまえのものにしよう!」これにも半分頭のおかしいメフメトは承知した。その日のうちに二人は家畜を追ってきた。すると家畜はみんな新しい小屋に入ったが、よぼよぼの年とった牛が一頭だけ、目がすっかり見えなくて道をまちがえ、古い小屋のほうに入ってしまった。メフメトはひと言も言わずに、目の見えない年とった牛を野原へ草を食べさせに連れていった。毎朝早く牛をそこへ追っていき、毎晩遅く連れて帰った。ある日、道を行くと、風が道ばたの大きな木をあまり激しく揺さぶるので、その大枝がひいひい、くんくんと鳴いた。「おい! 泣き虫のおやじさん!」とばかは木に言った。「おれの兄さんを見なかったか。」けれども木は聞こえないかのように、ただ鳴きつづけるばかりだった。ばかはこれにひどく腹を立てて、なたをつかんで木に打ちかかった。すると木から金のセクィン貨がどっと流れ出てきた。これにはばかもわずかな知恵をかき集めて、急いで家に帰り、二頭で耕したいからもう一頭牛を貸してくれと兄に頼んだ。荷車と空の袋もいくつか見つけた。ばかは袋に土を詰めて、すぐに木のところへ出かけた。そこで袋の土をあけて、代わりにセクィン貨を詰め、夕方家に帰ると、兄はそのとてつもない財宝を見て、驚きのあまり倒れそうになった。

They could think of nothing now but dividing it, so the younger brother went to their neighbour for a three-peck measure to measure it with. Now the neighbour was curious to know what such clodpoles could have to measure. So he took and smeared the bottom of the measure with tar, and, sure enough, when the fool brought the measure back a short time afterwards, a sequin was sticking to the bottom of it. The neighbour immediately went and told it to another, who went and told it to a third, and so it was not long before everybody knew all about it.

二人はもうそれを分けることしか考えられなかった。そこで弟は、それを量る三ペックの升を借りに隣の人のところへ行った。さて、隣の人は、こんな田舎者たちが何を量ることがあるのだろうと知りたくなった。そこで升の底にタールを塗っておいた。すると案の定、しばらくしてばかが升を返しに来ると、底にセクィン貨が一枚くっついていた。隣の人はすぐにそれを別の人に話し、その人がまた三人目に話して、まもなくみんながすっかり知ることになった。

Now the wiser brother knew not what might happen to them now that they had all this money, and he began to feel frightened. So he snatched up his pick and shovel, dug a trench, buried the treasure, and made off as fast as his heels could carry him. On the way it occurred to the wise brother that he had done foolishly in not shutting the door of the hut behind him, so he sent off his younger brother to do it for him. So the fool went back to the house, and he thought to himself: “Well, since I am here, I ought not to forget my old mother either.” So he filled a huge cauldron with water, boiled it, and soused his old mother in it so thoroughly that her poor old head was never likely to speak again. After that he propped the old woman against the wall with the broom, tore the door off its hinges, threw it over his shoulders, and went and rejoined his brother in the wood.

さて、賢いほうの兄は、こんな大金を持った今となっては自分たちの身に何が起こるかわからないと思い、怖くなってきた。そこでつるはしとシャベルをつかんで溝を掘り、財宝を埋めて、足の運べるかぎりの速さで逃げ出した。途中で賢い兄は、小屋の戸をうしろ手に閉めてこなかったのはばかなことをしたと思いついたので、弟を戻らせて閉めさせることにした。そこでばかは家に戻り、心のなかで思った。「そうだ、せっかくここに来たんだから、年とった母さんのことも忘れちゃいけない。」そこでばかは大鍋に水をいっぱい入れて沸かし、年とった母をすっかりそれにつけたので、かわいそうな年寄りの頭は二度と口をきけそうになかった。そのあと、ばかは年とった女をほうきで壁に立てかけ、戸をちょうつがいから引きはがして肩に担ぎ、森の兄のところへ戻っていった。

The elder brother looked at the door, and listened to the sad case of his poor old mother, but scold and chide his younger brother as he might the latter grew more cock-a-hoop than ever--he fancied he had done such a clever thing. He had brought the door away with him, he said, in order that no one might get into the house. The wise brother would have given anything to have got rid of the fool, and began turning over in his mind how he might best manage it. He looked before him and behind him, he looked down the high-road, and there were three horsemen galloping along. The thought instantly occurred to the pair of them that these horsemen were on their track, so they scrambled up a tree forthwith, door and all. They were scarcely comfortably settled when the three horsemen drove up beneath the tree and encamped there. The dusk of evening had come on at the very nick of time, so that they could not see the two brothers.

兄は戸を見て、かわいそうな年とった母の悲しい話を聞いたが、いくら弟を叱ってもとがめても、弟はますます得意になるばかりだった——ずいぶん賢いことをしたと思い込んでいたのである。戸を持ってきたのは、誰も家に入れないようにするためだ、と弟は言った。賢い兄は、何を捨ててもこのばかから逃れたいと思い、どうすればいちばんうまくやれるかと思いめぐらしはじめた。前を見、うしろを見、街道を見やると、三人の騎兵が駆けてくるところだった。二人ともとっさに、この騎兵たちは自分たちを追ってきたのだと思ったので、すぐに戸ごと木によじ登った。二人がやっと落ち着いたところで、三人の騎兵が木の下にやって来て、そこで野営した。ちょうどうまい具合に夕闇が迫っていたので、騎兵たちには二人の兄弟が見えなかった。

Now the two brothers would have done very well indeed up in the tree had not one of them been a fool. Mehmed the fool began to practise pleasantries which disturbed the repose of the horsemen beneath the tree. Presently, however, came a crash--bang!--and down on the heads of the three sleepers fell the great heavy door from the top of the tree. “The end of the world has come, the end of the world has come!” cried they, and they rushed off in such a fright that no doubt they haven’t ceased running to this very day. This finished the business so far as the elder brother was concerned. In the morning he arose and went on his way, and left the foolish younger brother by himself.

さて、二人のうち一人がばかでなかったら、兄弟は木の上でまったく無事にすんだことだろう。ばかのメフメトはふざけたまねをしはじめて、木の下の騎兵たちの休息をかき乱した。ところがやがて、がらがら——どしん!——と木のてっぺんから大きな重い戸が、眠っている三人の頭の上に落ちてきた。「世の終わりが来た、世の終わりが来た!」と騎兵たちは叫び、ひどくおびえて逃げ出したので、きっと今日までまだ走りつづけていることだろう。兄にとっては、これでもうたくさんだった。朝になると兄は起き上がって自分の道を行き、ばかな弟をひとり置き去りにした。

Thus poor silly Mehmed had to go forth into the wide world alone. He went on and on till he came to a village, by which time he was very hungry. There he stood in the gate of a mosque, and got one or two paras[6] from those who went in and out till he had enough to buy himself something to eat. At that moment a fat little man came out of the mosque, and casting his eyes on Mehmed, asked him if he would like to enter his service.

こうしてかわいそうな間抜けのメフメトは、ひとりで広い世界へ出ていかなければならなかった。メフメトはどんどん進んでいって、ある村に着いたが、そのころにはひどく腹が減っていた。そこでメフメトはモスクの門に立ち、出入りする人たちから一パラ二パラ[6] もらって、何か食べるものを買えるだけ集めた。ちょうどそのとき、太った小男がモスクから出てきて、メフメトに目をとめ、自分のところで働く気はないかと尋ねた。

“I don’t mind if I do,” replied Mehmed, “but only on condition that neither of us is to get angry with the other for any cause whatever. If thou art wroth with me I’ll kill thee, and if I get wroth with thee thou mayest kill me also.” The fat man agreed to these terms, for there was a great lack of servants in that village.

「かまわないよ」とメフメトは答えた。「ただし、どんなわけがあっても、お互いに相手に腹を立てないという条件でね。もしあんたがおれに腹を立てたら、おれはあんたを殺す。もしおれがあんたに腹を立てたら、あんたもおれを殺していい。」太った男はこの条件を承知した。その村では召し使いがひどく足りなかったからである。

In order to make short work of the fat little man the fool began by at once chasing all the hens and sheep off his master’s premises. “Art angry, master?” he then inquired of his lord. His master was amazed, but he only answered: “Angry? Not I! Why should I be?” At the same time he entrusted nothing more to him, but let him sit in the house without anything to do.

太った小男をさっさと片づけてしまおうと、ばかはまず主人の屋敷から鶏と羊をすっかり追い出した。「怒ったかい、旦那?」とそれからばかは主人に尋ねた。主人はあきれたが、こう答えただけだった。「怒った? わしがか! どうして怒ることがある。」けれども同時に、主人はもうメフメトに何も任せず、何もさせずに家に座らせておいた。

His master had a wife and child, and Mehmed had to look after them. He liked to dandle the child up and down, but he knocked it about and hurt it, so clumsy was he; so he soon had to leave that off. But the wife began to be afraid that her turn would come next, sooner or later, so she persuaded her husband to run away from the fool one night. Mehmed overheard what they said, hid himself in their storebox, and when they opened it in the next village out he popped.

主人には妻と子どもがいて、メフメトはその世話をしなければならなかった。メフメトは子どもを上下にあやすのが好きだったが、あまり不器用なので、子どもを振りまわしてけがをさせてしまった。それですぐにそれもやめなければならなくなった。けれども妻は、遅かれ早かれ次は自分の番だと怖くなってきたので、ある夜ばかから逃げ出そうと夫を説き伏せた。メフメトは二人の話を立ち聞きして、二人の物入れの箱に隠れた。そして次の村で二人が箱を開けると、ひょっこり出てきた。

After a while his master and his wife agreed together that they would go and sleep at night on the shores of a lake. They took Mehmed with them, and put his bed right on the water’s edge, that he might tumble in when he went to sleep. However, the fool was not such a fool but that he made his master’s wife jump into the lake instead of himself. “Art angry, master?” cried he.--“Angry indeed! How can I help being angry when I see my property wasted, and my wife and child killed, and myself a beggar--and all through thee!” Then the fool seized his master, put him in mind of their compact, and pitched him into the water.

しばらくすると、主人と妻は、夜、湖の岸へ寝に行こうと相談した。二人はメフメトを連れていき、眠ったら水に転げ落ちるように、メフメトの寝床をちょうど水ぎわに置いた。けれどもばかもそれほどばかではなく、自分の代わりに主人の妻を湖に跳び込ませてしまった。「怒ったかい、旦那?」とばかは叫んだ。——「怒るとも! 財産はむだにされ、妻と子は殺され、わしは物乞いになって——それもみんなおまえのせいだというのに、怒らずにいられるものか!」するとばかは主人をつかまえて、二人の約束を思い出させ、主人を水に放り込んだ。

Mehmed now found himself all alone, so he went forth into the wide world once more. He went on and on, did nothing but drink sweet coffee, smoke chibooks, look about over his shoulder, and walk leisurely along at his ease. As he was thus knocking about, he chanced to light upon a five-para piece, which he speedily changed for some lebleb,[7] which he immediately fell to chewing, and, as he chewed, part of it fell into a wayside spring, whereupon the fool began roaring loud enough to split his throat: “Give me back my lebleb, give me back my lebleb!” At this frightful bawling a Jinn popped up his head, and he was so big that his upper lip swept the sky, while his lower lip hid the earth. “What dost thou require?” asked the Jinn.--“I want my lebleb, I want my lebleb!” cried Mehmed.

メフメトはすっかりひとりになったので、また広い世界へ出ていった。メフメトはどんどん進んでいき、甘いコーヒーを飲み、チブク(長ぎせる)をふかし、肩ごしにあたりを見まわし、のんびりと気ままに歩くばかりだった。こうしてぶらぶらしているうちに、たまたま五パラ硬貨を拾ったので、すぐにそれをレブレビ[7](炒り豆)に替えて、さっそく噛みはじめた。そして噛んでいるうちに、そのいくらかが道ばたの泉に落ちた。するとばかは、のどが裂けんばかりの大声でわめきはじめた。「おれのレブレビを返せ、おれのレブレビを返せ!」このすさまじいわめき声に、ジンがひょいと頭を出した。ジンはとても大きくて、上くちびるは空をかすめ、下くちびるは大地をおおっていた。「何が望みだ」とジンは尋ねた。——「おれのレブレビがほしい、おれのレブレビがほしい!」とメフメトは叫んだ。

The Jinn ducked down into the spring, and when he came up again, he held a little table in his hand. This little table he gave to the fool and said: “Whenever thou art hungry thou hast only to say: ‘Little table, give me to eat;’ and when thou hast eaten thy fill, say: ‘Little table, I have now had enough.’”

ジンは泉にもぐり込み、また上がってきたときには、小さな食卓を手に持っていた。ジンはこの小さな食卓をばかに与えて言った。「腹が減ったら、いつでも『小さな食卓よ、食べ物をおくれ』と言えばよい。そして腹いっぱい食べたら『小さな食卓よ、もうたくさんだ』と言え。」

So Mehmed took the table and went with it into a village, and when he felt hungry he said: “Little table, give me to eat!” and immediately there stood before him so many beautiful, nice dishes that he couldn’t make up his mind which to begin with. “Well,” thought he, “I must let the poor people of the village see this wonder also,” so he went and invited them all to a great banquet.

そこでメフメトは食卓を受け取って、それを持ってある村へ行った。そして腹が減ってきたので「小さな食卓よ、食べ物をおくれ!」と言うと、たちまち目の前にあまりにたくさんのきれいなおいしい料理が並んだので、どれから食べはじめればいいか決められないほどだった。「そうだ」とメフメトは思った。「村の貧しい人たちにも、この不思議を見せてやらなくちゃ。」そこでメフメトは出かけていって、村の人たちみんなを盛大な宴に招いた。

The villagers came one after another, they looked to the right, they looked to the left, but there was no sign of a fire, or any preparations for a meal. “Nay, but he would needs make fools of us!” thought they. But the young man brought out his table, set it in the midst, and cried: “Little table, give me to eat!” and there before them stood all manner of delicious meats and drinks, and so much thereof that when the guests had stuffed themselves to the very throat, there was enough left over to fill the servants. Then the villagers laid their heads together as to how they might manage to have a meal like this every day. “Come now!” said some of them, “let us steal a march upon Mehmed one day and lay hands upon his table, and then there will be an end to the fool’s glory.” And they did so.

村の人たちは次々にやって来て、右を見、左を見たが、火も、食事の支度も、何ひとつ見あたらなかった。「なんだ、あいつはおれたちをばかにする気だな!」と村の人たちは思った。けれども若者は食卓を持ち出してまんなかに置き、「小さな食卓よ、食べ物をおくれ!」と叫んだ。すると一同の前に、ありとあらゆるおいしい肉や飲み物が、客がのどもとまで詰め込んでも召し使いたちの腹を満たすくらい残るほどたくさん並んだ。そこで村の人たちは、どうすれば毎日こんなごちそうにありつけるかと額を寄せ合った。「さあ!」と何人かが言った。「いつかメフメトの裏をかいて、あいつの食卓を奪ってやろう。そうすればばかの栄華もおしまいだ。」そして村の人たちはそのとおりにした。

What could the poor, empty-bellied fool do then? Why he went to the wayside spring and asked again: “I want my lebleb, I want my lebleb!” And he asked and asked so long that at last the Jinn popped up his head again out of the spring and inquired what was the matter. “I want my lebleb, I want my lebleb!” cried the fool.--“But where’s thy little table?”--“They stole it.”

腹をすかせたかわいそうなばかに何ができただろう。なに、ばかは道ばたの泉へ行って、またせがんだのである。「おれのレブレビがほしい、おれのレブレビがほしい!」そしてあまり長いことせがみつづけたので、とうとうジンがまた泉からひょいと頭を出して、どうしたのかと尋ねた。「おれのレブレビがほしい、おれのレブレビがほしい!」とばかは叫んだ。——「だが、おまえの小さな食卓はどうした。」——「盗まれた。」

The big-lipped Jinn again popped down, and when he rose out of the spring again he had a little mill in his hand. This he gave to the fool and said to him: “Grind it to the right and gold will flow out of it, grind it to the left and it will give thee silver.” So the youth took the mill home and ground it first to the right and then to the left, and huge treasures of gold and silver lay heaped about him on the floor. So he grew such a rich man that his equal was not to be found in the village, nay, nor in the town either.

大くちびるのジンはまたもぐり込み、泉からまた上がってきたときには、小さな挽き臼を手に持っていた。ジンはそれをばかに与えて言った。「右へ回せば金が流れ出てきて、左へ回せば銀が出てくる。」そこで若者は挽き臼を家へ持って帰り、まず右へ、それから左へ回すと、金と銀の莫大な財宝がまわりの床に山と積まれた。こうして若者は、村にも、いや町にさえ並ぶ者のない大金持ちになった。

But no sooner had the people of the village got to know all about the little mill than they laid their heads together and schemed and schemed till the mill also disappeared[8] one fine morning from Mehmed’s cottage. Then Mehmed ran off to the spring once more and cried: “I want my lebleb, I want my lebleb!”

けれども村の人たちは小さな挽き臼のことをすっかり知るやいなや、額を寄せ合って企みに企み、とうとうある晴れた朝、挽き臼もメフメトの小屋から消えてしまった[8]。そこでメフメトはまた泉へ駆けていって叫んだ。「おれのレブレビがほしい、おれのレブレビがほしい!」

“But where is thy little table? Where is thy little mill?” asked the big-lipped Jinn.

「だが、おまえの小さな食卓はどうした。おまえの小さな挽き臼はどうした」と大くちびるのジンは尋ねた。

“They have stolen them both from me,” lamented the witless one, and he wept bitterly.

「二つとも盗まれちまった」と知恵の足りない男は嘆いて、激しく泣いた。

Again the Jinn bobbed down, and this time he brought up two sticks with him. He gave them to the fool, and impressed upon him very strongly on no account to say: “Strike, strike, my little sticks!”

ジンはまたもぐり、今度は二本の棒を持って上がってきた。ジンはそれをばかに与え、どんなことがあっても「打て、打て、小さな棒よ!」とは言うなと、よくよく言い聞かせた。

Mehmed took the sticks, and first he turned them to the right and then to the left, but could make nothing of them. Then he thought he would just try the effect of saying: “Strike, strike, my little sticks!” and no sooner were the words out of his mouth than the sticks fell upon him unmercifully, and belaboured him on every part of the body that can feel--the head, the foot, the arm, the back--till he was nothing but one big ache. “Stop, stop, my little sticks!” cried he, and lo! the two sticks were still. Then, for all his aches and pains, Mehmed rejoiced greatly that he had found out the mystery.

メフメトは棒を受け取って、まず右へ回し、それから左へ回してみたが、どうにもならなかった。そこで、「打て、打て、小さな棒よ!」と言ったらどうなるか、ちょっと試してみようと思った。すると言葉が口から出るやいなや、棒は容赦なくメフメトに襲いかかり、頭も足も腕も背中も、感じるところという感じるところを打ちすえて、とうとうメフメトはひとつの大きな痛みのかたまりになってしまった。「やめろ、やめろ、小さな棒よ!」とメフメトが叫ぶと、なんと! 二本の棒はぴたりと止まった。するとメフメトは、痛いのも苦しいのもかまわず、秘密を見つけたことを大いに喜んだ。

He had no sooner got home with the two sticks than he called together all the villagers, but said not a word about what he meant to do. In less than a couple of hours everybody had assembled there, and awaited the new show with great curiosity. Then Mehmed came with his two sticks and cried: “Strike, strike, my little sticks, strike, strike!” whereupon the two sticks gave the whole lot of them such a rub-a-dub-dubbing that it was as much as they could do to howl for mercy. “Now,” said Mehmed, who was getting his wits back again, “I’ll have no mercy till you have given back to me my little table and my little mill.”

メフメトは二本の棒を持って家に帰るとすぐに、村の人たちをみんな呼び集めたが、何をするつもりかはひと言も言わなかった。二時間もしないうちにみんながそこに集まって、新しい見世物をたいそう興味しんしんで待っていた。するとメフメトが二本の棒を持って現れて叫んだ。「打て、打て、小さな棒よ、打て、打て!」すると二本の棒は、一同をまるごと、どんどこどんどこと打ちすえたので、みんなは命乞いのわめき声をあげるのがやっとだった。「さあ」と、知恵が戻ってきたメフメトは言った。「おれの小さな食卓と小さな挽き臼を返すまでは、容赦しないぞ。」

The people of the village, all bruised and bleeding as they were, consented to everything, and hurried off for the little table and the little mill. Then Mehmed cried: “Stand still, my little sticks!” and there was peace and quiet as before.

村の人たちは、みんな傷だらけ血だらけになって、何でも承知し、小さな食卓と小さな挽き臼を取りに急いでいった。そこでメフメトが「止まれ、小さな棒よ!」と叫ぶと、前のように静かで穏やかになった。

Then the man took away the three gifts to his own village, and as he now had money he grew more sensible, and there also he found his brother. He gave all the buried treasure to his brother, and each of them sought out a damsel meet to be a wife, and married, and lived each in a world of his own. And there was not a wiser man in that village than Mad Mehmed now that he had grown rich.

それから男は三つの贈り物を持って自分の村へ帰った。今ではお金があったので、男は前より分別がつき、そこで兄にも会えた。男は埋めてあった財宝をすっかり兄に与え、二人はそれぞれ妻にふさわしい娘を探して結婚し、めいめい自分の世界で暮らした。そして金持ちになった今では、その村に狂ったメフメトより賢い男はいなかった。