The First Woman

"You will be very lonely by yourself," said Raven to Man one day. "I will make you a companion."

「ひとりぼっちではたいそう寂しかろう」とある日ワタリガラスは人間に言った。「連れ合いを造ってやろう」

He went to a spot some distance from where he had made the animals, and, looking now and then at Man as an artist looks at his model, he made an image very much like Man. He took from the creek some fine water grass and fastened it on the back of the head for hair. After the image had dried in his hands, he waved his wings over it as he had done with all the live things, and it came to life and stood beside Man, a beautiful young woman.

ワタリガラスは獣たちを造った場所から少し離れたところへ行き、画家が手本を見るように、ときおり人間のほうを見ながら、人間によく似た像をこしらえた。小川から細い水草を取ってきて、髪にするために頭の後ろに結びつけた。像が手のなかで乾くと、生きものをみな造ったときと同じようにその上で翼を振った。すると像は命を得て、美しい若い女となって人間のかたわらに立った。

"There is a companion for you!" cried Raven. "Now come with me to this knoll over here."

「ほら、お前の連れ合いだ」とワタリガラスは叫んだ。「さあ、あそこの小山までわしについて来い」

In those days there were no mountains far or near, and the sun never ceased to shine brightly. No rain ever fell and no winds blew. When they came to the knoll Raven found a patch of long, dry moss and showed the pair how to make a bed in it, and they slept very warmly. Raven drew down his mask and slept near by in the form of a bird. Wakening before the others, Raven went to the creek and made three pairs of fishes: sticklebacks, graylings, and blackfish. When they were swimming about in the water, he called to Man, "Come and see what I have made."

そのころは遠くにも近くにも山はなく、太陽は明るく照ることをやめなかった。雨はまったく降らず、風も吹かなかった。小山に着くと、ワタリガラスは長く乾いた苔の生えている場所を見つけ、二人にそのなかに寝床をこしらえるやり方を見せた。二人はたいそう暖かく眠った。ワタリガラスは仮面を下ろし、鳥の姿になって近くで眠った。ほかの者たちより先に目を覚ますと、ワタリガラスは小川へ行って、トゲウオとカワヒメマスとブラックフィッシュの三組の魚を造った。魚たちが水のなかを泳ぎまわりはじめると、ワタリガラスは人間を呼んだ。「わしが何を造ったか見に来い」

When Man saw the sticklebacks swimming up the stream with a wriggling motion, he was so surprised that he raised his hands suddenly and the fish darted away.

人間は、トゲウオが身をくねらせながら流れを上っていくのを見ると、あまりに驚いて急に両手を上げたので、魚はさっと逃げていった。

"Look at these graylings," said Raven; "they will be found in clear mountain streams, while the sticklebacks are already on their way to the sea. Both are good for food; so, whether you live beside the water or in the upland, you may find plenty to eat."

「このカワヒメマスを見よ」とワタリガラスは言った。「これは山の澄んだ流れにいるだろう。トゲウオはもう海へ向かっている。どちらも食べるによい。だから水辺に住もうと高地に住もうと、食べるものはたっぷり見つかるだろう」

He looked about and thought there was nothing on the land as lively as the fish in the water, so he made the shrew-mice, for he said, "They will skip about and enliven the ground and prevent it from looking dead and barren, even if they are not good for food."

ワタリガラスはあたりを見まわして、陸には水のなかの魚ほど生き生きしたものが何もないと思った。そこでトガリネズミを造った。「食べるにはよくなくても、跳ねまわって地面をにぎやかにし、死んだように荒れて見えないようにしてくれるだろう」と言ったのである。

He kept on for several days making other animals, more fishes, and a few ground birds, for as yet there were no trees for birds to alight in. Every time he made anything he explained to Man what it was and what it would do.

ワタリガラスは何日も続けてほかの獣やもっと多くの魚や、地面に棲む鳥を少し造った。まだ鳥がとまる木がなかったからである。何かを造るたびに、それが何で、何をするものかを人間に説明した。

After this he flew away to the sky and was gone four days, when he returned bringing a salmon for Man and his wife. He thought that the ponds and lakes seemed silent and lonely, so he made insects to fly over their surfaces, and muskrats and beavers to swim about near their borders. At that time the mosquito did not bite as it does now, and he said to Man:

そのあとワタリガラスは空へ飛び去って四日いなくなり、人間とその妻のために鮭を一匹持って帰ってきた。池や湖が静かで寂しそうに思えたので、その水面を飛ぶ虫を造り、そのほとりを泳ぎまわるマスクラットやビーバーを造った。そのころの蚊は今のように刺さなかった。ワタリガラスは人間に言った。

"I made these flying creatures to enliven the world and make it cheerful. The skin of this muskrat you are to use for clothing. The beaver is very cunning and only good hunters can catch it. It will live in the streams and build strong houses, and you must follow its example and build a house."

「この飛ぶ生きものたちは、世界をにぎやかにし、楽しくするために造った。このマスクラットの皮は着物にするがよい。ビーバーはたいそうずる賢く、腕のよい狩人でなければ捕まえられない。流れに住んで頑丈な家を建てるから、お前もそれにならって家を建てねばならぬ」

When a child was born, Raven and Man took it to the creek and rubbed it with clay, and carried it back to the stopping-place on the knoll. The next morning the child was running about pulling up grass and other plants which Raven had caused to grow near by. On the third day the child became a full-grown man.

子どもが生まれると、ワタリガラスと人間はその子を小川へ連れていって粘土をすり込み、小山の上の休み場所へ連れ帰った。翌朝、子どもはワタリガラスが近くに生えさせた草や植物を引き抜きながら駆けまわっていた。三日目には、子どもは一人前の大人の男になっていた。

Raven one day went to the creek and made a bear, and gave it life; but he jumped aside very quickly when the bear stood up and looked fiercely about. He had thought there ought to be some animal of which Man would be afraid, and now he was almost afraid of the bear himself.

ある日ワタリガラスは小川へ行って熊を造り、命を与えた。けれども熊が立ち上がって猛々しくあたりを見まわすと、さっと脇へ跳びのいた。人間が恐れる獣がいなければならないと考えたのだが、今では自分でもその熊がほとんど恐ろしかったのである。

"You would better keep away from that animal," he said. "It is very fierce and will tear you to pieces if you disturb it."

「あの獣には近寄らないほうがいい」とワタリガラスは言った。「たいそう猛々しく、邪魔をすればお前を八つ裂きにするぞ」

He made various kinds of seals, and said to Man, "You are to eat these and to take their skins for clothing. Cut some of the skins into strips and make snares to catch deer. But you must not snare deer yet; wait until they are more numerous."

ワタリガラスはいろいろな種類のアザラシを造り、人間に言った。「これを食べ、皮を取って着物にするがよい。皮の一部を細く裂いて罠をこしらえ、トナカイを捕るのだ。だがトナカイはまだ罠にかけてはならぬ。もっと数が増えるまで待て」

By and by another child was born, and the Man and Woman rubbed it with clay as Raven had taught them to do, and the next day the little girl walked about. On the third day she was a full-grown woman, for in those days people grew up very fast, so that the earth would be peopled.

やがてまた子どもが生まれ、男と女はワタリガラスに教わったとおりにその子に粘土をすり込んだ。翌日、その女の子は歩きまわった。三日目には一人前の大人の女になっていた。そのころの人々は、大地に人が満ちるように、たいそう早く育ったのである。