小人の靴屋


The elves


第1話
FIRST STORY

靴屋が自分のせいではないのですが、とても貧しくなってとうとう一足の靴分の皮以外何も残らなくなりました。それで夜に、次の朝作りはじめるようと思った靴を切り取りました。気がとがめていないのでベッドに静かに横になり、神様にお祈りし、眠りました。朝に、お祈りをした後仕事を始めようとしたら、仕事台のうえに2つの靴が出来上がってあったので、ビックリし、どう考えたらよいのかわかりませんでした。靴を手にとってもっとよく見てみたら、1つも悪い縫い目がなく、とてもきれいに作られているので、腕試しをしようと作られたかのようでした。まもなくお客が入ってきて、その靴をとても気に入り、普通よりもっと多く支払いました。それで、そのお金で靴屋は2足分の皮を買うことができました。その皮を夜に切り抜いておき、朝に新鮮な気分で仕事に取りかかろうとしましたが、そうする必要がありませんでした。というのは起きたとき、靴はもう作られていて、買い手たちは文句のつけようがない出来なので、4足分の靴の皮を買うのに十分なお金を払いました。再び次の朝も靴ができていて、それがずっと続きました。靴屋が夜に切り取ったものが朝までに仕上がっていたので、まもなくまともな収入をもち、とうとう金持ちになりました。
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut out the shoes which he wished to begin to make the next morning, and as he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly in his bed, commended himself to God, and fell asleep. In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece. Soon after, a buyer came in, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more for them than was customary, and, with the money, the shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out at night, and next morning was about to set to work with fresh courage; but he had no need to do so, for, when he got up, they were already made, and buyers also were not wanting, who gave him money enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes. The following morning, too, he found the four pairs made; and so it went on constantly, what he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning, so that he soon had his honest independence again, and at last became a wealthy man. Now it befell that one evening not long before Christmas, when the man had been cutting out, he said to his wife, before going to bed, "What think you if we were to stay up to-night to see who it is that lends us this helping hand?" The woman liked the idea, and lighted a candle, and then they hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind some clothes which were hanging up there, and watched. When it was midnight, two pretty little naked men came, sat down by the shoemaker's table, took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch, and sew, and hammer so skilfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker could not turn away his eyes for astonishment. They did not stop until all was done, and stood finished on the table, and they ran quickly away.

さて、クリスマスに遠くないある夜、もう切り取ってしまい、寝る前に、靴屋は妻に、「今夜起きていて、こういうふうに手伝ってくれるのは誰か確かめるってのはどうだい?」と言いました。妻はその考えが気に入り、ろうそくに火をつけました。それから二人で部屋の隅に、そこにぶら下がっていた服のかげにかくれ、見張りました。真夜中になると二人のかわいい裸の小人がやって来て、靴屋の作業台に座り、目の前に切り取られてある皮すべてを取り、小さな指でとても上手にとても速く、かがって縫って叩きはじめたので、靴屋は仰天して目をそらすことができませんでした。小人たちは、休まずに全部の靴を作り終え、作業台に並べると、素早く走り去りました。 
Next morning the woman said, "The little men have made us rich, and we really must show that we are grateful for it. They run about so, and have nothing on, and must be cold. I'll tell thee what I'll do: I will make them little shirts, and coats, and vests, and trousers, and knit both of them a pair of stockings, and do thou, too, make them two little pairs of shoes." The man said, "I shall be very glad to do it;" and one night, when everything was ready, they laid their presents all together on the table instead of the cut-out work, and then concealed themselves to see how the little men would behave. At midnight they came bounding in, and wanted to get to work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the pretty little articles of clothing, they were at first astonished, and then they showed intense delight. They dressed themselves with the greatest rapidity, putting the pretty clothes on, and singing,

次の朝、妻は「あの小人さんたちは私たちを金持ちにしてくれたわ。私たちは感謝していることを示さなければいけないわ。二人はあちこち走り、何も着ていないし、寒いに違いないわ。こうしたらどうかしら。私は、小さなシャツとコート、ベスト、ズボンを作って、それから二人に長靴下を編んであげるの。そしてあなたは2足の小さな靴を作ってあげるのよ。」と言いました。夫は「喜んでそうするよ。」と言いました。
"Now we are boys so fine to see,

そしてある夜、全部準備が出来たとき、作業台の上に切り取った皮ではなく贈り物をまとめておきました。それから小人たちがどうするか見るために隠れました。真夜中に小人たちは飛び跳ねながら入ってきて早速仕事にとりかかろうとしました。しかし、切った皮は見つからずかわいい服があるだけなので、初めはびっくりしていました。それから猛烈な喜びを示し、すごい速さで服を着始めました。そして美しい服を着て、「さあ、僕らは見て立派な男だぞ。なんでこれ以上靴屋でいるんだろう?」と歌いました。そして踊って飛び跳ねて、椅子やベンチを飛び越えて、最後にドアから出ていきました。そのときから小人たちはもう来なくなりました。しかし、靴屋は生きてる間、万事順調でやること全てが成功しました。
Why should we longer cobblers be?"

第2話
Then they danced and skipped and leapt over chairs and benches. At last they danced out of doors. From that time forth they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived all went well with him, and all his undertakings prospered.

昔、よく働ききれい好きで、毎日家の掃除をし、ゴミを玄関の前に山にして捨てていた貧しい下女がいました。或る朝、丁度仕事に戻ろうとしていたときこの山に手紙を見つけました。字が読めなかったのでほうきを隅において、主人のところに手紙を持って行きました。そしてなんと、それは妖精たちからの招待状でした。子供の命名にたちあうように娘に頼んできたのです。娘はどうしたらよいかわかりませんでしたが、たくさん説得されて、この種の招待を断るのは正しくないと言われて、承諾しました。
SECOND STORY

すると3人の妖精がきて、娘を小渓谷に連れて行きました。そこには小人が住んでいて、そこのあらゆるものが小さかったけれど、描写できないほど優雅で美しかった。赤ちゃんのお母さんは真珠の飾りがついた黒檀のベッドにねていました。カバーは金の刺繍がしてあり、揺りかごは象牙でできており、お風呂は金でできていました。娘は名付け親として立ち、その後帰宅しようとしましたが、小さな妖精たちは3日とまるように熱心に頼んだので、娘はとまり、楽しく陽気に過ごしました。そして小人たちは娘を楽しくさせるため、できることを何でもしました。とうとう娘は帰ることにしましたが、先に彼らはポケットをお金でいっぱいにしました。それから山からでる道を案内しました。家に着いて、仕事を始めようと、まだ隅にたっていたほうきを手にとり、掃き始めました。すると家から知らない人たちが何人か出てきて、「あなたは誰?ここで何をしているの?」と尋ねました。そして、山の小人たちといたのは、自分が思っていた3日ではなく、7年だったのでした。そしてその間に前の主人は亡くなっていました。
There was once a poor servant-girl, who was industrious and cleanly, and swept the house every day, and emptied her sweepings on the great heap in front of the door. One morning when she was just going back to her work, she found a letter on this heap, and as she could not read, she put her broom in the corner, and took the letter to her master and mistress, and behold it was an invitation from the elves, who asked the girl to hold a child for them at its christening. The girl did not know what to do, but at length, after much persuasion, and as they told her that it was not right to refuse an invitation of this kind, she consented. Then three elves came and conducted her to a hollow mountain, where the little folks lived. Everything there was small, but more elegant and beautiful than can be described. The baby's mother lay in a bed of black ebony ornamented with pearls, the coverlids were embroidered with gold, the cradle was of ivory, the bath of gold. The girl stood as godmother, and then wanted to go home again, but the little elves urgently entreated her to stay three days with them. So she stayed, and passed the time in pleasure and gaiety, and the little folks did all they could to make her happy. At last she set out on her way home. Then first they filled her pockets quite full of money, and after that they led her out of the mountain again. When she got home, she wanted to begin her work, and took the broom, which was still standing in the corner, in her hand and began to sweep. Then some strangers came out of the house, who asked her who she was, and what business she had there? And she had not, as she thought, been three days with the little men in the mountains, but seven years, and in the meantime her former masters had died.

第3話
THIRD STORY

ある母親が妖精たちに子供を揺りかごから連れて行かれ、代わりに、大きな頭とギョロ目をし、食べて飲む以外何もしない取替えっ子がおいてありました。それで、困って隣の人のところに行き、アドバイスをお願いしました。隣の人は、「取替えっ子を台所に運び、暖炉の上に置き、火をつけ、二つの卵の殻でお湯を沸かすんだ。すると取替えっ子は笑うだろうから、もし笑えばその子はおしまいになるさ。」と言いました。女は隣の人が言ったことを全部やりました。そして、水の入った卵の殻を火にかけると、ギョロ目は「私は、今、西の森と同じ年齢だが、人が卵の殻で何かを煮るのは見たことがない。」と言ってそれを笑いました。笑っている間に、突然仮親の小さな妖精たちが来て、本当の子供を連れてきて暖炉の上におくと、取替えっ子を連れて去りました。
A certain mother's child had been taken away out of its cradle by the elves, and a changeling with a large head and staring eyes, which would do nothing but eat and drink, laid in its place. In her trouble she went to her neighbour, and asked her advice. The neighbour said that she was to carry the changeling into the kitchen, set it down on the hearth, light a fire, and boil some water in two egg-shells, which would make the changeling laugh, and if he laughed, all would be over with him. The woman did everything that her neighbour bade her. When she put the egg-shells with water on the fire, the imp said, "I am as old now as the Wester forest, but never yet have I seen any one boil anything in an egg-shell!" And he began to laugh at it. Whilst he was laughing, suddenly came a host of little elves, who brought the right child, set it down on the hearth, and took the changeling away with them.