The Piece of Liver

Once upon a time there was an old woman who felt she would very much like to have a piece of liver, so she gave a girl two or three pence, and bade her buy the liver in the market-place, wash it clean in the pond, and then bring it home. So the girl went to the market-place, bought the liver, and took it to the pond to wash it; and while she was washing it a stork popped down, snatched the liver out of her hand, and flew away with it. Then the girl cried: “Stork, stork! give me back my liver, that I may take it to my mammy, lest my mammy beat me!”--“If thou wilt fetch me a barley-ear instead of it, I’ll give thee back thy liver,” said the stork. So the girl went to the straw-stalk, and said: “Straw-stalk, straw-stalk! give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.”--“If thou wilt pray Allah for rain, thou shalt have a little barley-ear,” said the straw-stalk. But while she was beginning her prayer, saying: “Oh, Allah, give me rain, that I may give the rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy,” while she was praying thus, up came a man to her and said that without a censer no prayers could ever get to heaven, so she must go to the bazaar-keeper for a censer.

むかしむかし、一人の老婆がいて、無性に肝(レバー)が食べたくなった。そこで娘に二、三ペンス渡し、市場で肝を買い、池できれいに洗ってから持ち帰るようにと言いつけた。娘は市場へ行って肝を買い、洗うために池へ持っていった。洗っていると、こうのとりが舞い降りてきて、娘の手から肝をひったくり、そのまま飛び去ってしまった。娘は叫んだ。「こうのとりさん、こうのとりさん! わたしの肝を返してちょうだい。おっかさんに持って帰らないと、おっかさんに叩かれてしまう!」——「その代わりに大麦の穂を持ってきてくれたら、肝を返してやろう」とこうのとりは言った。そこで娘は麦わらの茎のところへ行って言った。「麦わらさん、麦わらさん! 大麦の穂をちょうだい。その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりがわたしに肝を返して、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」——「アッラーに雨を祈ってくれたら、小さな大麦の穂をやろう」と麦わらは言った。ところが娘が祈りはじめて、「おお、アッラーよ、わたしに雨をお与えください。その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように」と唱えていると、一人の男がやってきて、香炉がなければ祈りは天に届かないのだから、市場の主人のところへ香炉をもらいに行かねばならないと言った。

So she went to the bazaar-keeper, and cried: “Bazaar-keeper, bazaar-keeper! give me a censer, that I may burn incense before Allah, that Allah may give me rain, that I may give rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give my liver to my mammy!”

そこで娘は市場の主人のところへ行って叫んだ。「市場の旦那、市場の旦那! 香炉をちょうだい。アッラーの御前で香を焚いて、アッラーが雨をくださって、その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように!」

“I’ll give it thee,” said the bazaar-keeper, “if thou wilt bring me a boot from the cobbler.”

「やってもよいが」と市場の主人は言った。「靴屋から長靴を一足持ってくればな。」

So the girl went to the cobbler, and said to him: “Cobbler, cobbler! give me a boot, that I may give the boot to the bazaar-keeper, that the bazaar-keeper may give me a censer, that I may burn incense before Allah, that Allah may give me rain, that I may give rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back the liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.”

そこで娘は靴屋のところへ行って言った。「靴屋さん、靴屋さん! 長靴をちょうだい。その長靴を市場の旦那にあげて、旦那が香炉をくれて、アッラーの御前で香を焚いて、アッラーが雨をくださって、その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」

But the cobbler said: “If thou fetch me a hide thou shalt have a boot for it.”

しかし靴屋は言った。「革を一枚持ってくれば、その代わりに長靴をやろう。」

So the girl went to the tanner, and said: “Tanner, tanner! give me a hide, that I may give the hide to the cobbler, that the cobbler may give me a boot, that I may give the boot to the bazaar-keeper, that the bazaar-keeper may give me a censer, that I may burn incense before Allah, that Allah may give me rain, that I may give the rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.”

そこで娘は皮なめしのところへ行って言った。「なめし屋さん、なめし屋さん! 革を一枚ちょうだい。その革を靴屋にあげて、靴屋が長靴をくれて、その長靴を市場の旦那にあげて、旦那が香炉をくれて、アッラーの御前で香を焚いて、アッラーが雨をくださって、その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」

“If thou gettest a hide from the ox, thou wilt get a hide fit for making a boot,” said the tanner.

「牛から皮をもらってくれば、長靴を作るのに向いた革が手に入るぞ」と皮なめしは言った。

So the girl went to the ox, and said to it: “Ox, ox! give me a hide, that I may give the hide to the tanner, that the tanner may give me boot-leather, that I may give the boot-leather to the cobbler, that the cobbler may give me a boot, that I may give the boot to the bazaar-keeper, that the bazaar-keeper may give me a censer, that I may burn incense before Allah, that Allah may give me rain, that I may give the rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.”

そこで娘は牛のところへ行って言った。「牛さん、牛さん! 皮を一枚ちょうだい。その皮を皮なめしにあげて、なめし屋が長靴用の革をくれて、その革を靴屋にあげて、靴屋が長靴をくれて、その長靴を市場の旦那にあげて、旦那が香炉をくれて、アッラーの御前で香を焚いて、アッラーが雨をくださって、その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」

The ox said: “If thou get me straw I’ll give thee a hide for it!”

牛は言った。「藁を持ってきてくれたら、その代わりに皮をやろう!」

So the girl went to the farmer, and said to him: “Farmer, farmer! give me straw, that I may give the straw to the ox, that the ox may give me a hide, that I may give the hide to the tanner, that the tanner may give me shoe-leather, that I may give the shoe-leather to the cobbler, that the cobbler may give me a shoe, that I may give the shoe to the bazaar-keeper, that the bazaar-keeper may give me a censer, that I may burn incense before Allah, that Allah may give me rain, that I may give rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.”

そこで娘は百姓のところへ行って言った。「お百姓さん、お百姓さん! 藁をちょうだい。その藁を牛にあげて、牛が皮をくれて、その皮を皮なめしにあげて、なめし屋が靴用の革をくれて、その革を靴屋にあげて、靴屋が靴をくれて、その靴を市場の旦那にあげて、旦那が香炉をくれて、アッラーの御前で香を焚いて、アッラーが雨をくださって、その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」

The farmer said to the girl: “I’ll give thee the straw if thou give me a kiss.”

百姓は娘に言った。「口づけをくれたら、藁をやろう。」

“Well,” thought the girl to herself, “a kiss is but a little matter if it free me from all this bother.” So she went up to the farmer and kissed him, and the farmer gave her straw for the kiss. She took the straw to the ox, and the ox gave her a hide for the straw. She took the hide to the tanner, and the tanner gave her shoe-leather. She took the shoe-leather to the cobbler, and the cobbler gave her a shoe for it. She took the shoe to the bazaar-keeper, and the bazaar-keeper gave her a censer. She lit the censer and cried: “Oh, Allah! give me rain, that I may give the rain to the straw-stalk, that the straw-stalk may give me a barley-ear, that I may give the barley-ear to the stork, that the stork may give me back my liver, that I may give the liver to my mammy.” Then Allah gave her rain, and she gave the rain to the straw-stalk, and the straw-stalk gave her a barley-ear, and she gave the barley-ear to the stork, and the stork gave her back her liver, and she gave the liver to her mammy, and her mammy cooked the liver and ate it.

「まあ」と娘は心の中で思った。「口づけくらい、この面倒ごとから解き放たれるなら小さなことだわ。」そこで百姓のところへ行って口づけをすると、百姓は口づけの代わりに藁をくれた。娘はその藁を牛のところへ持っていき、牛は藁の代わりに皮をくれた。その皮を皮なめしのところへ持っていくと、なめし屋は靴用の革をくれた。その革を靴屋のところへ持っていくと、靴屋はその代わりに靴をくれた。その靴を市場の主人のところへ持っていくと、主人は香炉をくれた。娘は香炉に火を入れて叫んだ。「おお、アッラーよ! わたしに雨をお与えください。その雨を麦わらにあげて、麦わらが大麦の穂をくれて、その穂をこうのとりにあげて、こうのとりが肝を返してくれて、その肝をおっかさんにあげられるように。」するとアッラーは雨をくださり、娘はその雨を麦わらにあげ、麦わらは大麦の穂をくれ、娘はその穂をこうのとりにあげ、こうのとりは肝を返してくれ、娘はその肝をおっかさんにあげ、おっかさんは肝を煮て食べたのであった。