The Ghost of the Spring and the Shrew

Once upon a time which was no time if it was a time, in the days when my mother was my mother and I was my mother’s daughter, when my mother was my daughter and I was my mother’s mother, in those days, I say, it happened that we once went along the road, and we went on and on and on. We went for a little way and we went for a long way, we went over mountains and over valleys, we went for a month continually, and when we looked behind us we hadn’t gone a step. So we set out again, and we went on and on and on till we came to the garden of the Chin-i-Machin Pasha.[14] We went in, and there was a miller grinding grain, and a cat was by his side. And the cat had woe in its eye, and the cat had woe on its nose, and the cat had woe in its mouth, and the cat had woe in its fore paw, and the cat had woe in its hind paw, and the cat had woe in its throat, and the cat had woe in its ear, and the cat had woe in its face, and the cat had woe in its fur, and the cat had woe in its tail.

いつとも知れぬむかし、それがいつかであったとすればのこと、わたしの母がわたしの母で、わたしが母の娘だったころ、わたしの母がわたしの娘で、わたしが母の母だったころ、そのころに、いいかね、わたしたちはあるとき道を歩いていき、どんどん、どんどん進んでいった。少し行き、長いこと行き、山を越え谷を越え、ひと月のあいだずっと歩きつづけて、うしろを振り返ってみると、一歩も進んでいなかった。そこでまた出発して、どんどん、どんどん進んでいくと、チーン・イ・マーチーンのパシャの庭に着いた。[14] 中に入ると、粉屋が穀物を挽いていて、そのそばに猫が一匹いた。そしてその猫は目に災いを宿し、鼻に災いを宿し、口に災いを宿し、前足に災いを宿し、後ろ足に災いを宿し、のどに災いを宿し、耳に災いを宿し、顔に災いを宿し、毛に災いを宿し、しっぽに災いを宿していた。

Hard by this realm lived a poor wood-cutter, who had nothing in the world but his poverty and a horrid shrew of a wife. What little money the poor man made his wife always took away, so that he had not a single para[15] left. If his supper was oversalted--and so it was many a time--and her lord chanced to say to her: “Mother, thou hast put too much salt in the food,” so venomous was she that next day she would cook the supper without one single grain of salt, so that there was no savour in it. But if he dared to say: “There is no savour in the food, mother!” she would put so much salt in it next day that her husband could not eat thereof at all.

この国のすぐそばに、貧しい木こりが住んでいた。この世で持っているものといえば、貧しさと、恐ろしいがみがみ女房だけだった。貧しい男がわずかに稼いだ金は、いつも女房が取り上げてしまうので、男にはパラ[15] 一枚も残らなかった。夕飯の塩がききすぎていて——実際それはしょっちゅうだったが——夫がうっかり「おまえ、料理に塩を入れすぎだよ」と言おうものなら、女房はとても意地が悪かったので、次の日には塩をひと粒も入れずに夕飯をこしらえ、まるで味がしなかった。けれども夫が思いきって「料理に味がないよ、おまえ!」と言うと、女房は次の日、夫がまったく食べられないほど塩をどっさり入れるのだった。

Now what was it that befell this poor man one day? This is what befell. He put by a couple of pence from his earnings to buy a rope to hang himself withal. But his wife found them in her husband’s pocket: “Ho, ho!” she cried, “so thou dost hide thy money in corners to give it to thy comrades, eh?” In vain the poor man swore by his head that it was not so, his wife would not believe him. “My dear,” said her husband, “I wanted to buy me a rope with the money.”

さて、ある日この貧しい男の身に何が起こったのだろうか。こういうことが起こったのである。男は、首を吊る縄を買おうと、稼ぎのなかから二、三ペンスを取りのけておいた。ところが女房がそれを夫のポケットに見つけた。「ほうほう!」と女房は叫んだ。「隅っこに金を隠して、仲間にやろうってんだね、え?」貧しい男は、そうではないと自分の首にかけて誓ったが、むだだった。女房は信じようとしなかった。「おまえ」と夫は言った。「その金で縄を買いたかったんだよ。」

“To hang thyself with, eh?” inquired his affectionate spouse.

「首を吊るためにかい、え?」と愛情深い連れ合いは尋ねた。

“Well, thou knowest what a hideous racket thou dost make sometimes,” replied her husband, meaning to pacify her.

「だって、おまえはときどき、ひどい騒ぎを起こすじゃないか」と夫は、女房をなだめるつもりで答えた。

“What I have done hitherto is little enough for a blockhead like thee,” she replied, and with that she gave her husband such a blow that it seemed to him as if the red dawn was flashing before him.

「これまでやってきたことなんか、おまえみたいなでくのぼうには、まだまだ足りないくらいさ」と女房は答えた。そしてそう言うと、女房は夫にすさまじい一撃をくらわせたので、夫には目の前に赤い夜明けがひらめいたように思えた。

The next morning the wood-cutter rose early, saddled his ass, and went towards the mountains. All that he said to his wife before starting was to beg her not to follow him into the forest. This was quite enough for the wife. Immediately he was gone she saddled her ass, and after her husband she went without more ado. “Who knows,” murmured she to herself, “what he may not be up to in the mountains, if I am not there to look after him!”

次の朝、木こりは早く起きてろばに鞍を置き、山のほうへ向かった。出かける前に女房に言ったのは、森へついてこないでくれと頼んだことだけだった。女房にはそれで十分だった。夫が出かけるとすぐに、女房はろばに鞍を置いて、さっさと夫のあとを追っていった。「わかったもんじゃない」と女房はひとりつぶやいた。「わたしが見張っていなかったら、山で何をしでかすか!」

The man saw that his wife was coming after him, but he made as if he did not see, never spoke a word, and as soon as he got to the foot of the mountain he set about wood-cutting. His wife, however, for she was a restless soul, went up and down and all about the mountain, poked her nose into everything, till at last her attention was fixed by a deserted well, and she made straight for it.

男は女房があとをついてくるのに気づいたが、見えないふりをして、ひと言も口をきかず、山のふもとに着くとすぐに木を切りはじめた。けれども女房は落ち着きのない性分だったので、山をあちこち歩きまわり、何にでも鼻を突っ込んで、とうとう打ち捨てられた井戸に目をとめ、まっすぐそちらへ向かった。

Then her husband cried to her: “Take care, there’s a well right before thee!”

すると夫が女房に叫んだ。「気をつけろ、目の前に井戸があるぞ!」

The only effect this warning had upon the wife was to make her draw still nearer. Again he cried to her: “Dost thou not hear me speak to thee? Go not further on, for there’s a well in front of thee.”

この忠告が女房にもたらした効き目は、ただいっそう近寄らせることだけだった。夫はまた叫んだ。「聞こえないのか。それ以上行くな、目の前に井戸があるんだ。」

“What do I care what he says?” thought she. Then she took another step forward, but before she could take another the earth gave way beneath her, and into the well she plumped. As for the husband, he was thinking of something else, for he always minded his own business, so, his work over, he took his ass and never stopped till he got home.

「あの人の言うことなんか、知ったことか」と女房は思った。そしてもう一歩踏み出したが、次の一歩を出す前に足もとの地面が崩れて、どぼんと井戸に落ちてしまった。夫のほうは、いつも自分の仕事だけを気にかける男だったので、ほかのことを考えていた。そこで仕事がすむと、ろばを連れて、家に着くまで一度も止まらなかった。

The next day, at dawn, he again arose, saddled the ass, and went to the mountains, when the thought of his wife suddenly came into his mind. “I’ll see what has become of the poor woman!” said he. So he went to the opening of the well and looked into it, but nothing was to be seen or heard of his wife. His heart was sore, for anyhow was she not his wife? and he began to think whether he could get her out of the well. So he took a rope, let it down into the well, and cried into the great depth thereof: “Catch hold of the rope, mother, and I’ll draw thee up!”

次の日の夜明けに、男はまた起きてろばに鞍を置き、山へ出かけた。すると突然、女房のことが頭に浮かんだ。「あのかわいそうな女がどうなったか見てこよう!」と男は言った。そこで井戸の口へ行ってのぞき込んだが、女房の姿も声もなかった。なんといっても自分の女房だったので、男は胸が痛み、どうにかして井戸から引き上げられないものかと考えはじめた。そこで縄を持ってきて井戸に下ろし、底知れぬ深みに向かって叫んだ。「縄につかまれ、おまえ、引き上げてやるから!」

Presently the man felt that the rope had become very heavy. He pulled away at it with all his might, he tugged and tugged--what creature of Allah’s could it be that he was pulling out of the well? And lo! it was none other than a hideous ghost! The poor wood-cutter was sore afraid.

まもなく男は、縄がひどく重くなったのを感じた。男は力いっぱい引っぱって、引いて引いて引いた——井戸から引き上げているのは、いったいアッラーのお造りになったどんな生き物だろうか。すると、なんと! それはほかでもない、恐ろしい化け物だった。貧しい木こりはひどく怖くなった。

“Rise up, poor man, and fear not,” said the ghost. “The mighty Allah rather bless thee for thy deed. Thou hast saved me from so great a danger, that to the very day of judgment I will not forget thy good deed.”

「立て、貧しい男よ、恐れることはない」と化け物は言った。「力あるアッラーが、むしろおまえの行いを祝福してくださるように。おまえはわしをとても大きな危険から救ってくれた。わしは審判の日のその日まで、おまえの善い行いを忘れはしない。」

Then the poor man began to wonder what this great danger might be.

そこで貧しい男は、その大きな危険とは何だろうと不思議に思いはじめた。

“How many many years I lived peaceably in this well I know not,” continued the ghost, “but up to this very day I knew no trouble. But yesterday--whence she came I know not--an old woman suddenly plumped down on my shoulders, and caught me so tightly by both my ears, that I could not get loose from her for a moment. By a thousand good fortunes thou didst come to the spot, let down thy rope, and call to her to seize hold of it. For in trying to get hold of it she let me go, and I at once seized the rope myself, and, the merciful Allah be praised for it, here I am on dry land again. Good awaits thee for thy good deed; list now to what I say to thee!”

「何年、何十年とこの井戸で安らかに暮らしてきたか、わしにはわからない」と化け物は続けた。「だが、まさに今日まで、わしは何の苦労も知らなかった。ところがきのう——どこから来たのかわからないが——年とった女が突然わしの肩の上にどすんと落ちてきて、わしの両耳をぎゅっとつかんだので、わしはひとときもその女から逃れられなかった。千の幸運のおかげで、おまえがその場に来て縄を下ろし、それにつかまれと女に呼びかけてくれた。女は縄をつかもうとしてわしを放したので、わしはすぐさま自分で縄につかまった。慈悲深きアッラーをほめたたえよ、こうしてわしはまた乾いた地に戻れたのだ。善い行いには善い報いが待っている。さあ、わしの言うことをよく聞け!」

With that the ghost drew forth three wooden tablets, gave them to the wood-cutter, and said to him: “I now go to take possession of the daughter of the Sultan. Up to this day the princess has been hale and well, but now she will have leeches and wise men without number, but all in vain, not one of them will be able to cure her. Thou also wilt hear of the matter, thou wilt hasten to the Padishah, moisten these three wooden tablets with water, lay them on the face of the damsel, and I will come out of her, and a rich reward will be thine.”

そう言うと化け物は木の札を三枚取り出して、木こりに渡して言った。「わしはこれからスルタンの姫にとりつきに行く。今日まで姫は元気で達者だったが、これから医者や賢者が数えきれないほどつくだろう。だがみなむだで、誰一人姫を治すことはできない。おまえもそのことを耳にするだろう。そうしたらパーディシャーのもとへ急ぎ、この三枚の木の札を水で湿らせて、娘の顔にのせるのだ。そうすればわしは姫から出ていき、おまえにはたっぷり褒美が与えられるだろう。」

With that the wood-cutter took the three tablets, put them in his pocket, and the ghost went to the right and he went to the left, and neither of them thought any more of the old woman in the well. But let us first follow the ghost.

そこで木こりは三枚の札を受け取ってポケットに入れた。化け物は右へ行き、木こりは左へ行き、二人とも井戸の年とった女のことはもう考えなかった。だが、まずは化け物のあとを追ってみよう。

Scarcely had this son of a devil quitted the wood-cutter than he stood in the Serai of the Padishah, and entered into the poor daughter of the Sultan. The poor girl immediately fell to the ground in great pain. “O my head! O my head!” she cried continually. They sent word to the Padishah, and he, hastening thither, found his daughter lying on the ground and groaning. Straightway he sent for leeches, wise men, drugs, and incense, but none of them assuaged her pain. They sent for them a second time, they sent for them a third time, but all their labour was in vain. At last they had ten doctors and ten wise men trying what they could do, and all the time the poor girl kept moaning: “My head, my head!”

この悪魔の子は、木こりと別れるやいなや、パーディシャーの宮殿に立っていて、かわいそうなスルタンの姫のなかに入り込んだ。かわいそうな娘はたちまちひどく苦しんで床に倒れた。「ああ、頭が! ああ、頭が!」と姫はひっきりなしに叫んだ。パーディシャーに知らせが送られ、パーディシャーが駆けつけてみると、娘は床に倒れてうめいていた。パーディシャーはすぐに医者や賢者や薬や香を取り寄せたが、どれも姫の痛みをやわらげなかった。二度目に取り寄せ、三度目に取り寄せたが、苦労はみなむだだった。とうとう十人の医者と十人の賢者が手を尽くしたが、そのあいだずっと、かわいそうな娘は「頭が、頭が!」とうめきつづけた。

“O my sweet child,” groaned the Padishah, “if thy head aches, believe me my head, and my heart also, ache a thousand times as much to hear thee. What shall I do for thee? I know what I will do. I will go call the astrologers, perchance they will know more than I do.” And with that he called together all the most famous astrologers in his kingdom. One of them had one plan, another had another, but not one of them could cure the complaint of the poor damsel.

「おお、わがいとしい子よ」とパーディシャーはうめいた。「おまえの頭が痛むなら、信じておくれ、それを聞くわしの頭も心も、千倍も痛むのだ。おまえのために何をしてやればよいのか。そうだ、こうしよう。占星術師たちを呼ぼう。もしかするとわしより物を知っているかもしれない。」そう言ってパーディシャーは、国じゅうでいちばん名高い占星術師たちを呼び集めた。ある者はこういう手立てを、別の者はああいう手立てを言ったが、かわいそうな娘の病を治せる者は一人もいなかった。

But now let us see what became of the poor wood-cutter.

だが、ここで貧しい木こりがどうなったか見てみよう。

He lived on in the world without his wife, and gradually he forgot all about her, and about the ghost and the three wooden tablets, and the ghost’s advice and promise. But one day, when he had no thought at all of these things, a herald from the city of the Padishah came to where he was with a firman[16] in his hand, and read this out of it in a loud voice: “The damsel, the Sultan’s daughter, is very sick. The leeches, the wise men, the astrologers, all have seen her, and not one of them can cure her complaint. Whoever is a master of mysteries, let him come forward and doctor her. If he be a Mussulman, and cure her, the Sultan’s daughter now and my realm after my death shall be his reward; and if he be a Giaour[17] and cure her, all the treasures in my realm shall be his.”

木こりは女房なしでこの世に暮らしつづけ、しだいに女房のことも、化け物のことも、三枚の木の札のことも、化け物の忠告と約束のことも、すっかり忘れてしまった。ところがある日、そんなことはまったく考えてもいなかったとき、パーディシャーの都から触れ役が勅令(フェルマーン)[16] を手にやって来て、それを大声で読み上げた。「スルタンの姫君が重い病である。医者も賢者も占星術師も、みな姫を診たが、誰一人その病を治せない。神秘に通じた者は誰でも進み出て、姫を治療せよ。その者がイスラム教徒で姫を治したなら、今スルタンの姫を、わしの死後はわしの王国を褒美として与える。その者が異教徒(ギャウル)[17] で姫を治したなら、わが王国のすべての財宝を与える。」

The wood-cutter needed no more to remind him of the ghost, the three tablets, and his wife. He arose and went up to the herald. “By the mercy of Allah I will cure the Sultan’s daughter, if she be still alive,” said he. At these words the servant of the Padishah caught hold of the wood-cutter, and led him into the Serai.

木こりはそれ以上言われなくても、化け物と三枚の札と女房のことを思い出した。木こりは立ち上がって触れ役のところへ行った。「アッラーのお慈悲により、姫がまだ生きておられるなら、わたしがスルタンの姫を治しましょう」と木こりは言った。この言葉を聞くと、パーディシャーの家来は木こりをつかまえて宮殿へ連れていった。

Word was sent at once of his arrival to the Padishah, and in an instant everything was made ready for him to enter the sick chamber. There before him lay the poor damsel, and all she did was to cry continually: “My head, my head!” The wood-cutter brought forth the wooden tablets, moistened them, and scarcely had he spread them on the Sultan’s daughter than immediately she became as well again as if she had never been ill. At this there was great joy and gladness in the Serai, and they gave the daughter of the Sultan to the wood-cutter; so the poor man became the son-in-law of the Padishah.

すぐに木こりの到着がパーディシャーに知らされ、たちまち木こりが病室に入る支度がすっかり整えられた。目の前にはかわいそうな娘が横たわっていて、ただ「頭が、頭が!」と叫びつづけるばかりだった。木こりは木の札を取り出して湿らせ、それをスルタンの姫の上に広げるやいなや、姫はたちまち、一度も病気になったことがないかのように元気になった。これに宮殿じゅうが大喜びに沸き、スルタンの姫は木こりに与えられた。こうして貧しい男はパーディシャーの婿になったのである。

Now this Padishah had a brother who was also a Padishah, and his kingdom was the neighbouring kingdom. He also had a daughter, and it occurred to the ghost of the well to possess her likewise.

さて、このパーディシャーには弟がいて、その弟もパーディシャーで、その王国は隣の王国だった。弟にも娘がいて、井戸の化け物は、その娘にもとりつこうと思いついた。

So she also began to be tormented in the same way, and nobody could find a cure for her complaint. They searched and searched for assistance high and low, till at last they heard how the daughter of the neighbouring Padishah had been cured of a like sickness. So that other Padishah sent many men into the neighbouring kingdom, and begged the first Padishah, for the love of Allah, to send thither his son-in-law to cure the other damsel also. If he cured her he was to have the damsel for his second wife.

そこでその娘も同じように苦しみはじめ、誰もその病の治し方を見つけられなかった。人々は上へ下へと助けを探しに探し、とうとう、隣のパーディシャーの姫が同じような病から治ったことを聞きつけた。そこでその弟のパーディシャーは隣の王国へ大勢の家来を送り、アッラーを愛するならば婿をこちらへよこしてもう一人の娘も治してくれと、兄のパーディシャーに頼んだ。もし娘を治したら、その娘を二人目の妻として与えるというのである。

So the Padishah sent his son-in-law that he might cure the damsel--’twould be nothing to such a master of mysteries as he, they said. All that he could say was in vain, the poor fellow had to set out, and as soon as he arrived they led him at once into the sick-chamber. But now the ghost of the well had a word to say in the matter.

そこでパーディシャーは、娘を治させようと婿を送った——あれほど神秘に通じた者にとっては何でもないことだろう、と人々は言った。婿が何を言ってもむだで、かわいそうな男は出発しなければならず、着くとすぐに病室へ連れていかれた。ところが今度は、井戸の化け物にもひと言言いたいことがあった。

For that evil spirit was furious with his poor comrade. “Thou didst a good deed to me, it is true,” began the ghost, “but thou canst not say that I remained thy debtor. I left for thy sake the beautiful daughter of the Sultan, and I chose out another for myself, and thou wouldst now take her from me also? Well, wait a while, and thou shalt see that for this deed of thine I will take them both away from thee.”

その悪霊は、かわいそうな相棒にかんかんに怒っていたのである。「おまえがわしに善い行いをしたのはたしかだ」と化け物は切り出した。「だがわしがおまえに借りを返さなかったとは言わせないぞ。わしはおまえのために、美しいスルタンの姫から出ていって、自分のために別の娘を選んだ。それなのにおまえは、その娘までわしから取り上げようというのか。よし、少し待っていろ。このおまえの仕打ちの仕返しに、二人ともおまえから取り上げてやるからな。」

At this the poor man was sore troubled.

これを聞いて、かわいそうな男はひどく困り果てた。

“I did not come hither for the damsel,” said he, “she is thy property, and, if such be thy desire, thou mayest take mine away also.”

「わたしは娘のためにここへ来たのではない」と男は言った。「娘はおまえのものだ。そして、もしそれがおまえの望みなら、わたしの妻も連れていっていい。」

“Then what’s thy errand here?” roared the ghost.

「それじゃ、ここへ何の用で来たのだ」と化け物はどなった。

“Alas! ’tis my wife, the old woman of the well,” sighed the former wood-cutter, “and I only left her in the well that I might be rid of her.”

「ああ! わたしの女房、あの井戸の年とった女のことなんだ」と、もとの木こりはため息をついた。「あいつから逃れたくて、井戸に置き去りにしただけなのに。」

On hearing this the ghost was terribly frightened, and it was with a small voice that he now inquired whether by chance she had come to light again.

これを聞くと化け物はひどくおびえて、ひょっとしてあの女がまた出てきたのかと、か細い声で尋ねた。

“Yes, indeed, she’s outside,” sighed the man, “wherever I may go I am saddled with her. I haven’t the heart to free myself from her. Hark! she’s at the door now, she’ll be in the room in a moment.”

「ああ、そうなんだ、外にいるよ」と男はため息をついた。「どこへ行ってもあいつがつきまとうんだ。あいつから逃れる気力もない。ほら! もう戸口に来てる。すぐに部屋に入ってくるぞ。」

The ghost needed no more. Forthwith he left the daughter of the Sultan, and the Serai, and the whole city, and the whole kingdom, so that not even the rumour of him remained. And not a child of man has ever seen him since.

化け物はそれ以上聞く必要はなかった。ただちに化け物はスルタンの姫から出ていき、宮殿から、都じゅうから、王国じゅうから出ていったので、噂さえ残らなかった。そしてそれ以来、人の子の誰一人として化け物を見た者はない。

But the daughter of the Sultan recovered instantly, and they gave her to the former wood-cutter, and he took her home as his second wife.

そしてスルタンの姫はたちまち元気になり、人々は姫をもとの木こりに与え、男は姫を二人目の妻として家に連れて帰った。