昔々、世にも美しい庭を所有する王がいた。それはなんと黄金の林檎の生る庭であり、その珍しい林檎の数は王国によって常に正しく管理されていた。しかしある年、ちょうど林檎が熟し始める季節、毎晩夜が明けるたびに林檎が1つ減っていることが発覚したのである。当然ながら王は激怒し、王子達に一晩中林檎の木の下で見張りをするよう命じた。王はまずその仕事を第一王子に任せたが、夜中の12時にもなると王子はあろうことかうとうと眠ってしまい、目が覚めた頃には林檎が1つ減っていた。次に第二王子がその仕事を請け持ったが、彼もまた12時になると眠ってしまい、案の定、起きたら林檎が減っていた。その後ついに第三王子が見張りについたが……王は当初、この王子に仕事を任すのを渋っていた、というのも、第三王子は一際出来が悪いので、この息子にもまた期待できないと思っていたのだ。しかし意外なことに彼は最後まで務めを果たし、木の下に体を横たえてじいっと庭を見張っていた。そして、時計が12時を指した頃。風の音とともになんと黄金の鳥が飛んできて、その嘴で林檎をひょいと啄んだのだ。王子は飛び上がって矢庭に弓矢を射ったが、鳥は傷一つ負った様子なく、黄金の羽を尾からハラリと1本落としただけで、悠然と飛び去り姿を消した。明くる朝、眩いその黄金の羽が王の下へと届けられ、ただちに緊急議会が開かれた。「王国全部の富を集めても、この羽の価値には敵わない」……議員達は口々に騒いだが、その上で王は断言した。「羽1本では意味がない。この鳥まるごと捕えなければ」。
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone. The king became very angry at this, and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree. The gardener set his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o’clock he fell asleep, and in the morning another of the apples was missing. Then the second son was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. Then the third son offered to keep watch; but the gardener at first would not let him, for fear some harm should come to him: however, at last he consented, and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch. As the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling*1 noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener’s son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away. The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and all the council*2 was called together. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, ‘One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.
第一王子が支度にかかり、すぐにでもかの鳥を捕まえてみせようと勇み足で出発した。道中、とある小径に辿り着き、1本の木の横に狐が座っているのが目に入った時、王子はおもむろに弓矢を取り出し狐に狙いを定めて撃とうとした。すると狐がこう言うのだ。「どうか見逃してください。そうすれば役に立つことをお教えします。私はあなたが何故ここに来たのか知っています。黄金の鳥が欲しいんでしょう。きっと夕方には鳥がいる村落に着く筈です。そしてその村には宿屋が2軒、向かい合って建っている筈です。片方は豪奢で清潔、もう片方はみすぼらしい。それでもあなたはもう片方の、貧相な宿屋に泊まってください。そうすれば黄金の鳥に出会えます」。第一王子は暫し考え込んだ。「こんな獣風情の言うことを、なぜ信用する必要がある？」そうして彼は弓矢を放ち……しかし狐はひらりと躱し、森の奥へと帰って行った。王子は歩を進め、夕方にはある村落に着いた。そこには宿屋が2軒あり、一方は歌い踊る人々の賑やかな声で溢れ、もう一方は酷く汚れて粗末に見えた。「こんな素晴らしい場所を捨て置いて、あばら小屋など選んだとすれば、俺は馬鹿だ」彼は瀟洒な宿屋に入り、饗宴に耽った。鳥や国のことなどどうでも良かった。
月日が流れ、どれだけ経っても、王子は戻ってこなかった。それどころか知らせ一つも聞こえない。業を煮やして第二王子が出発したが、彼にもまた同じことが降りかかった、あの不思議な狐に出会ったのである。しかも第二王子が2軒の宿屋に着いた時、なんと第一王子――彼の兄――が酒池肉林の宴会場の窓からひょいと姿を現して、お前も来いよと誘うのである。目前の誘惑に打ち克てず、同様にして彼も歓楽に身を投じた。鳥や国のことなどどうでも良かった。
Then the gardener’s eldest son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, ‘Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns*3 opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean.’ But the son thought to himself, ‘What can such a beast as this know about the matter?’ So he shot his arrow at the fox; but he missed it, and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting*4; but the other looked very dirty, and poor. ‘I should be very silly,’ said he, ‘if I went to that shabby*5 house, and left this charming place’; so he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his country too.
Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no tidings*6 were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but when he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the window where the merrymaking*7 was, and called to him to come in; and he could not withstand*8 the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner.
再び月日が流れ、末の息子・第三王子もまた探索に向かわんと願い出たが、王は長い間この望みを聞き入れなかった。なにせ第三王子は世間知らずの箱入り息子であり、調査中にちょっと災難でも起これば忽ち心が折れてしまう、そう踏んでいたからだ。しかし王子の方はいくら諭せど頑として聞かず、とうとう王も匙を投げ、彼の出発を承諾した。二人の兄と同じように彼もまた道中で狐に出会い、全く同じ忠告を聞いた。ただ彼が上の兄たちと違ったのは、その場で狐にお礼を言い、大した当てもない自分の勘よりこの狐の助言を素直に聞き入れたことである。すると狐は自身の尻尾を大きく膨らませてこう言った。「私の尻尾に座ってください。そしたらひとっ飛びですよ」言われた通り腰を下ろすと、狐は忽ち森を駆け出す。突風のごとく草木はさざめき、小石は舞って、風の中で彼らの髪がはためいた。
村落に到着すると、王子は狐の助言通り――躊躇いなく――粗末な方の宿舎へ赴き、一晩そこで体を休めた。明くる朝、彼が支度を始めると再び狐がやって来た。「真っすぐ進めば、じきにお城が見えてきます。見張りの兵隊が寝こけている間に侵入し、そのまままた真っすぐ進むと突き当りに部屋があります。その部屋に、黄金の鳥がいるんです。鳥は木の籠に入れられていて、その隣に何も入ってない黄金の籠が並んでいますが、黄金の鳥を取り出して黄金の籠に入れ替えたりしてはいけません。そうすると全てが水の泡です」言い終えると狐は再び尻尾を伸ばし、王子を乗せて道なき道を駆け抜けた。
Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of*9 his son, and was afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also, and prevent his coming back. However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox, and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said, ‘Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.’ So he sat down, and the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone*10 so quick that their hair whistled in the wind.
When they came to the village, the son followed the fox’s counsel, and without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested there all night at his ease. In the morning came the fox again and met him as he was beginning his journey, and said, ‘Go straight forward, till you come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop*11 of soldiers fast asleep and snoring*12: take no notice of them, but go into the castle and pass on and on till you come to a room, where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage; close by it stands a beautiful golden cage; but do not try to take the bird out of the shabby cage and put it into the handsome one, otherwise you will repent*13 it.’ Then the fox stretched out his tail again, and the young man sat himself down, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.
城門は狐が言った通りの様相だった。兵隊が眠った隙を見計らって門を抜けると、まさしくその部屋を見つけた！ 眩い鳥が簡素な木の籠に閉じ込められて、その横に黄金の籠が立っている。そして周りには彼のよく知るあの黄金の林檎が3つ、転がっている。眼前の光景に彼は思わず首をかしげた。「こんな素晴らしい鳥をこんな粗末な籠に閉じ込めるなんておかしなことだ」。そうして彼は木の籠を開け、黄金の籠に鳥を移した。しかしその途端、鳥がキーキー鳴き出した！ 兵隊たちが目を覚まし、ただちに彼は捕縛され、王様の元へ連行された。翌朝、王子は裁判所で洗いざらい供述したが、判決は無情にも死刑であった。ただ、1つだけ助かる道があると言う。もしも黄金の駿馬を城へ連れて来ることができれば、命を助けてやる上に、黄金の鳥もくれてやると言うのだ。
王子は再び出発したが、行く当てなどある筈もない。絶望の淵で不意にあの狐がまた現れた。「言いつけに背くとどうなるか、忠告したじゃないですか。でも、また教えて差し上げますよ。今度こそ私の言う通りにすれば、きっと黄金の鳥を見つけられます。この先の道を真っすぐ行けば、今度は馬屋のあるお城に着きます。近くに馬丁たちがいますが、また寝ている隙にこっそり入れば、黄金の馬を盗める筈です。ただ…馬に着ける鞍は古びた皮製の鞍にするんです。たとえ近くに置いてあっても、黄金の鞍を着けてはいけません」言い終えると狐は再び尻尾を伸ばし、王子を乗せて道なき道を駆け抜けた。
城の様子はまたもドンピシャ。黄金の鞍を手に持ったまま、馬丁たちはぐうぐう眠っていた。千載一遇のチャンスであるのに――黄金の馬と皮の鞍を見ているうちに、王子はまたしても皮製の鞍などこの馬に相応しくないと思い始めた。「もっと良いのを着けてやろう。この馬は黄金の鞍を装着するに値する」。そう言って黄金の鞍を馬丁からそっと奪い取ろうとした途端、馬丁は飛び起きて大声を上げ、その声で見張り番たちも駆け付けた。彼は忽ち囚人となり、翌朝にはまたも死刑宣告。しかし此度も条件が出た。「もしここへ美貌の王女を連れて来ることが出来たなら、お前の命は見逃してやり、黄金の鳥も黄金の馬もくれてやる」。
Before the castle gate all was as the fox had said: so the son went in and found the chamber*14 where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage, and below stood the golden cage, and the three golden apples that had been lost were lying close by it. Then thought he to himself, ‘It will be a very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage’; so he opened the door and took hold of it and put it into the golden cage. But the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers awoke, and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king. The next morning the court sat to judge him; and when all was heard, it sentenced him to die, unless he should bring the king the golden horse which could run as swiftly as the wind; and if he did this, he was to have the golden bird given him for his own.
So he set out once more on his journey, sighing, and in great despair, when on a sudden his friend the fox met him, and said, ‘You see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel. I will still, however, tell you how to find the golden horse, if you will do as I bid you. You must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall*15: by his side will lie the groom*16 fast asleep and snoring: take away the horse quietly, but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden one that is close by it.’ Then the son sat down on the fox’s tail, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.
All went right, and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the golden saddle. But when the son looked at the horse, he thought it a great pity to put the leathern saddle upon it. ‘I will give him the good one,’ said he; ‘I am sure he deserves it.’ As he took up the golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out so loud, that all the guards ran in and took him prisoner, and in the morning he was again brought before the court to be judged, and was sentenced to die. But it was agreed, that, if he could bring thither*17 the beautiful princess, he should live, and have the bird and the horse given him for his own.
失意の道へ逆戻りだが、例のごとく狐が現れた。「なぜ言うことを聞かないのです。私の教えた通りにしてれば、鳥だって馬だってモノに出来たのに。しかし教えましょう。真っすぐ進めば翌朝にはまたお城が見えます。真夜中12時に王女が大浴場に向かい始める。彼女を追いかけて口付けなさい。すると彼女は恋に落ち、貴方と共にありたいと言う。だから一も二もなく連れ出すのです。両親に別れを告げさせる時間も与えてはなりません」。言い終えると狐は再び尻尾を伸ばし、王子を乗せて道なき道を駆け抜けた。
到着した城はやはり狐の言った通りだ。夜の12時、王子は浴場へ向かう王女に出会い、その場で彼女に口付けすると、王女は彼に心を奪われ、一緒に城を抜け出すことを了承した。しかし、父にひとたび別れを告げたいと、涙を流して懇願するのだ。王子ははじめ断ったが、美しい顔を哀しく歪ませ、彼の足元に泣き崩れて請う王女の姿には、絆されずにはいられなかった。しかし2人が王様の部屋まで来た途端、兵隊が目を覚まして捕えにかかり、彼は再び囚人となった。
連行された王子を眺めて王は言った。「娘をお前にくれる気はない。ただし、この窓の景色を遮る丘を今から８日以内に消し去ることが出来たなら、考えてやらんこともない」。窓中を埋め尽くすほどの大きな丘だ……。王子は丸7日間ずっと丘土を掘って削ったが、丘は少しも大きさを変えない。悲嘆の最中にまたも狐が現れた。「貴方は寝転がって休んでください。私が代わりにやっておきます」。翌朝目覚めると丘は忽然と消え失せており、これを見た王子は喜び勇んで王の間へ赴いた。「丘は消えた、これで王女は私のものだ」。
Then he went his way very sorrowful; but the old fox came and said, ‘Why did not you listen to me? If you had, you would have carried away both the bird and the horse; yet will I once more give you counsel. Go straight on, and in the evening you will arrive at a castle. At twelve o’clock at night the princess goes to the bathing-house: go up to her and give her a kiss, and she will let you lead her away; but take care you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.’ Then the fox stretched out his tail, and so away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled again.
As they came to the castle, all was as the fox had said, and at twelve o’clock the young man met the princess going to the bath and gave her the kiss, and she agreed to run away with him, but begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father. At first he refused, but she wept still more and more, and fell at his feet, till at last he consented; but the moment she came to her father’s house the guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again.
Then he was brought before the king, and the king said, ‘You shall never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window.’ Now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away: and when he had worked for seven days, and had done very little, the fox came and said. ‘Lie down and go to sleep; I will work for you.’ And in the morning he awoke and the hill was gone; so he went merrily to the king, and told him that now that it was removed he must give him the princess.
約束は反故に出来ない。王はこの若者に娘を差し出し、二人が行くのを見送った。その時あの狐が再び王子の前に現れた。「これで王女も黄金の馬も黄金の鳥も、手に入れることができますね」。王子は意気揚々と応える。「何だって！ それは素晴らしいが、でもどうやって？」
「よく聞いてください」。狐は言う。「やるべきことは済んでます。1つ前の国に戻ると、美貌の王女は見つかったかと王様に訊かれる。貴方は『ここに！』と言って彼女を見せる。そしたら王様は歓喜して、黄金の馬を与えてくれます。貴方はすぐにそれに跨り、城の者達に挨拶しなさい。王女との別れの握手は最後にすること。最後に彼女の手を取って、そのまま馬に乗せてやるため。そしてそのまま鐙を蹴って、風より速く逃げ去るのです」
全てが狐の言う通り起こった。「黄金の鳥がいた城に戻ったら、私は王女と一緒に扉で貴方を待つようにします。あなたは騎乗したまま王に謁見し、王がその馬をしかと見たなら、きっと貴方に鳥を差し出すでしょう。しかし貴方は馬を下りずにこう言うのです。『本物かどうか見極めたいので、もっと近くで見せてください』。そうして鳥を奪い取り、そのまま馬で走り去るのです」。
Then the king was obliged*18 to keep his word, and away went the young man and the princess; and the fox came and said to him, ‘We will have all three, the princess, the horse, and the bird.’ ‘Ah!’ said the young man, ‘that would be a great thing, but how can you contrive it?’
‘If you will only listen,’ said the fox, ‘it can be done. When you come to the king, and he asks for the beautiful princess, you must say, “Here she is!” Then he will be very joyful; and you will mount the golden horse that they are to give you, and put out your hand to take leave of them; but shake hands with the princess last. Then lift her quickly on to the horse behind you; clap your spurs*19 to his side, and gallop away as fast as you can.’
All went right: then the fox said, ‘When you come to the castle where the bird is, I will stay with the princess at the door, and you will ride in and speak to the king; and when he sees that it is the right horse, he will bring out the bird; but you must sit still, and say that you want to look at it, to see whether it is the true golden bird; and when you get it into your hand, ride away.’
またしても狐の言葉は的中した。黄金の鳥を手に入れて、王女を再び馬に乗せ、王子たちは森へ帰って来た。すると狐が近づいてきて、なんとこんなことを言う。「ここで私を殺してください。頭と手足を切り落としてほしいんです」。王子が仰天して断ると、「それなら最後に助言を2つ。絞首台から受刑者を解放してはいけない。川辺に腰を下ろしちゃいけない」。そう言い残して狐はそのまま姿を消した。王子は拍子抜けして言った。「そんな助言なら簡単に守れる」。
王女を乗せて真っすぐ馬を進めていくと、とうとう彼の2人の兄が滞留していた村落にまで帰って来た。が、どこからかけたたましい騒ぎ声がする。不審に思った王子が村人に事情を尋ねると、「これから男2人の絞首刑があるんだよ」。近づいてみるとそれはなんと王子の2人の兄だった。彼らは強盗に身を堕としていたのだ！ 「助かる道はないのか？」。村人たちは首を振り、巨額の身代金を支払いでもしない限りはこの悪党どもは釈放できない、そう答えた。王子はそれを聞いて、聊かも逡巡なく金を払った。村人たちは目を疑ったが、とにかく2人の兄も解放されて、ついに兄弟そろって再び故郷へ向かうのであった。
This, too, happened as the fox said; they carried off the bird, the princess mounted again, and they rode on to a great wood. Then the fox came, and said, ‘Pray kill me, and cut off my head and my feet.’ But the young man refused to do it: so the fox said, ‘I will at any rate*20 give you good counsel: beware*21 of two things; ransom*22 no one from the gallows*23, and sit down by the side of no river.’ Then away he went. ‘Well,’ thought the young man, ‘it is no hard matter to keep that advice.’
He rode on with the princess, till at last he came to the village where he had left his two brothers. And there he heard a great noise and uproar*24; and when he asked what was the matter, the people said, ‘Two men are going to be hanged.’ As he came nearer, he saw that the two men were his brothers, who had turned robbers; so he said, ‘Cannot they in any way be saved?’ But the people said ‘No,’ unless he would bestow*25 all his money upon the rascals*26 and buy their liberty. Then he did not stay to think about the matter, but paid what was asked, and his brothers were given up, and went on with him towards their home.
そしてあの森へやって来た。彼らそれぞれが狐と出会ったあの森である。森は森閑として心地よく、兄たちは暫く川辺に腰を下ろして、食事でもしようと提案した。狐の助言のことをすっかり忘れた第三王子は、これを承諾してしまった！ 王子が何も疑うこともなく腰を下ろしたその途端、２人の兄が背後から近づいて彼を押し、その身を川に投げ入れた。そして王女と馬と鳥を奪って、そのまま父なる王に見せに行った。「全て我々の手柄です」。瞬く間に国中が喜びに包まれたが、手に入れた筈の馬は何も口にせず、鳥は歌わず、王女は泣き続けた。
ただ、第三王子は乾いた河床に流れ着き、運よく一命を取りとめていた。しかし骨の砕けた哀れな体で急勾配の土手を登るなど不可能である。その時、懐かしいあの狐が現れた。狐は彼がまたも自分の忠告を無視したことを咎めた。それもそのはず、狐の言葉に従っていれば何の災難も起こらなかったのだ。「それでも」狐は言う。「貴方を見捨てられない。この尻尾を掴んでしっかり握ってください」。そういって狐は王子を川底からぐいっと引っ張り上げ――引っ張り上げながらこう話した。「もし国に帰ったとしても、貴方のお兄さん方が貴方をまた殺そうとするでしょうね。だから――」。狐は王子がみすぼらしい若者に見えるような服を与え、王子はそれを着て密かに王宮に侵入した。誰も彼だとわからないのに、扉から彼が現れた瞬間、黄金の馬は草を食み、黄金の鳥は歌い出し、王女はぴたと泣き止んだ。王様のもとで彼が兄の所業を全て話すと、2人の兄は直ちに差し押さえられ処刑された。そして王女はあるべき彼のもとへと帰り、暫く後に父王が亡くなると、彼が王位を継承した。
それから永い永い時間が経って、ある時王は1人で森を訪れた。するとあの時の狐が顔を出し、大粒の涙を流して頼むのだ。「私を殺してください」「この頭を、この手足を、切り落として殺してください」。今度は王も言う通りにした。すると狐は忽ち青年の姿に変貌した。彼は王女の兄だったのだ！ 永い永い悪夢が覚めた。
And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so cool and pleasant that the two brothers said, ‘Let us sit down by the side of the river, and rest a while, to eat and drink.’ So he said, ‘Yes,’ and forgot the fox’s counsel, and sat down on the side of the river; and while he suspected nothing, they came behind, and threw him down the bank, and took the princess, the horse, and the bird, and went home to the king their master, and said. ‘All this have we won by our labour.’ Then there was great rejoicing*27 made; but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the princess wept.
The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river’s bed: luckily it was nearly dry, but his bones were almost broken, and the bank was so steep*28 that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once more, and scolded*29 him for not following his advice; otherwise no evil would have befallen him: ‘Yet,’ said he, ‘I cannot leave you here, so lay hold of my tail and hold fast.’ Then he pulled him out of the river, and said to him, as he got upon the bank, ‘Your brothers have set watch to kill you, if they find you in the kingdom.’ So he dressed himself as a poor man, and came secretly to the king’s court, and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and the bird to sing, and the princess left off weeping. Then he went to the king, and told him all his brothers’ roguery*30; and they were seized*31 and punished, and he had the princess given to him again; and after the king’s death he was heir*32 to his kingdom.
A long while after, he went to walk one day in the wood, and the old fox met him, and besought*33 him with tears in his eyes to kill him, and cut off his head and feet. And at last he did so, and in a moment the fox was changed into a man, and turned out to be the brother of the princess, who had been lost a great many many years.
出典
www.gutenberg.org
：
*1:rustle：サラサラ音を立てる
*2:council：評議会
*3:ins：宿屋
*4:feast：楽しませる
*5:shabby：粗末な
*6:tide：潮
*7:merrymaking：歓楽
*8:withstand：抵抗する
*9:be fond of：～を好んで
*10:stock and stone：小石
*11:troop：隊
*12:snore：いびきをかく
*13:repent：後悔する
*14:chamber：謁見室
*15:stall：馬屋
*16:groom：馬丁
*17:thither：こちらへ
*18:oblidge：余儀なくさせる
*19:拍車
*20:at any rate：とにかく
*21:beware：気をつける
*22:ransom：解放
*23:gallows：絞首台
*24:uproar：喧騒
*25:bestow：贈る
*26:rascal：ごろつき
*27:rejoice：喜ぶ
*28:steep：険しい
*29:scold：小言を言う
*30:roquery：悪事
*31:seize：捕らえる
*32:heir：相続人
*33:beseech：懇願する
