Manabozho and his Toe

Manabozho was so powerful that he began to think there was nothing he could not do. Very wonderful were many of his feats, and he grew more conceited day by day. Now it chanced that one day he was walking about amusing himself by exercising his extraordinary powers, and at length he came to an encampment where one of the first things he noticed was a child lying in the sunshine, curled up with its toe in its mouth.

マナボゾはあまりに力が強かったので、自分にできないことなど何もないと思いはじめた。その偉業の多くはまことに驚くべきもので、彼は日ごとにうぬぼれを増していった。さてある日、マナボゾはその並外れた力を振るって楽しみながら歩きまわり、やがてある野営地にやってきた。そこで真っ先に目に留まったものの一つは、日向で丸くなって、足の指を口にくわえて寝ている子どもであった。

Manabozho looked at the child for some time, and wondered at its extraordinary posture.

マナボゾはしばらくその子を眺め、その奇妙な格好に首をかしげた。

"I have never seen a child before lie like that," said he to himself, "but I could lie like it."

「子どもがあんなふうに寝ているのは見たことがない」と彼は心の中で言った。「だが、わたしにもあんなふうに寝られるはずだ。」

So saying, he put himself down beside the child, and, taking his right foot in his hand, drew it towards his mouth. When he had brought it as near as he could it was yet a considerable distance away from his lips.

そう言って子どものそばに身を横たえ、右足を手に取って口のほうへ引き寄せた。できるかぎり近づけても、まだ唇からはかなり離れていた。

"I will try the left foot," said Manabozho. He did so and found that he was no better off, neither of his feet could he get to his mouth. He curled and twisted, and bent his large limbs, and gnashed his teeth in rage to find that he could not get his toe to his mouth. All, however, was vain.

「左足でやってみよう」とマナボゾは言った。そうしてみたが、少しもましではなかった。どちらの足も口まで届かない。彼は大きな手足を丸め、ねじり、曲げ、足の指が口に届かないことに怒って歯ぎしりした。しかし、すべては無駄であった。

At length he rose, worn out with his exertions and passion, and walked slowly away in a very ill humour, which was not lessened by the sound of the child's laughter, for Manabozho's efforts had awakened it.

とうとう彼は骨折りと癇癪に疲れ果てて起き上がり、ひどく不機嫌なまま、ゆっくりと立ち去った。その不機嫌は、子どもの笑い声で少しも和らがなかった。マナボゾの奮闘が、子どもを起こしてしまっていたのである。

"Ah, ah!" said Manabozho, "shall I be mocked by a child?"

「ああ、ああ!」とマナボゾは言った。「わたしが子どもに笑われるというのか。」

He did not, however, revenge himself on his victor, but on his way homeward, meeting a boy who did not treat him with proper respect, he transformed him into a cedar-tree.

しかし彼は、自分を負かした者には仕返しをしなかった。その代わり、家へ帰る道すがら、しかるべき敬意を払わない少年に出会うと、その少年を杉の木に変えてしまった。

"At least," said Manabozho, "I can do something."

「少なくとも」とマナボゾは言った。「これくらいのことはできる。」