Odds and ends


ぬらぬらの亜麻のかたまり


There was once on a time a maiden who was pretty, but idle and negligent. When she had to spin she was so out of temper that if there was a little knot in the flax, she at once pulled out a whole heap of it, and strewed it about on the ground beside her. Now she had a servant who was industrious, and gathered together the bits of flax which were thrown away, cleaned them, span them fine, and had a beautiful gown made out of them for herself. A young man had wooed the lazy girl, and the wedding was to take place. On the eve of the wedding, the industrious one was dancing merrily about in her pretty dress, and the bride said,-
昔、きれいだが怠け者でだらしない娘がいました。糸を紡がなければならないときはとても短気だったので、亜麻に小さな結び目があると、すぐにひと山まるまる引き抜いてそれをそばの地面にまき散らしました。

"Ah, how that girl does jump about, dressed in my odds and ends."
さて、この娘によく働く女中がいて、投げ捨てられた亜麻を拾い集め、きれいに洗って、上手に紡ぎ、その糸で自分が着る美しいドレスを作ってもらいました。

The bridegroom heard that, and asked the bride what she meant by it? Then she told him that the girl was wearing a dress make of the flax which she had thrown away. When the bridegroom heard that, and saw how idle she was, and how industrious the poor girl was, he gave her up and went to the other, and chose her as his wife.
若い男が怠け者の娘に求婚し、結婚式が行われることになりました。式の前の晩に働き者の娘は可愛いドレスを着て、楽しそうに踊っていました。それで花嫁は「ま、私の亜麻くずを着て、あの子はなんとまあよく跳ねまわること!」と言いました。花婿はそれを聞き、花嫁にどういう意味か尋ねました。すると花嫁は、あの娘は私が捨てた亜麻から作ったドレスを着ているの、と話しました。花婿はそれを聞くと、花嫁がどんなに怠け者か、また貧しい娘がどんなに働き者かわかり、その花嫁を捨て、もう一人の娘のところへ行き、妻としてその娘を選びました。