The skilful huntsman


腕のいい狩人


There was once a young fellow who had learnt the trade of locksmith, and told his father he would now go out into the world and seek his fortune. "Very well," said the father, "I am quite content with that," and gave him some money for his journey. So he travelled about and looked for work. After a time he resolved not to follow the trade of locksmith any more, for he no longer liked it, but he took a fancy for hunting. Then there met him in his rambles a huntsman dressed in green, who asked whence he came and whither he was going? The youth said he was a locksmith's apprentice, but that the trade no longer pleased him, and he had a liking for huntsmanship, would he teach it to him? "Oh, yes," said the huntsman, "if thou wilt go with me." Then the young fellow went with him, bound himself to him for some years, and learnt the art of hunting. After this he wished to try his luck elsewhere, and the huntsman gave him nothing in the way of payment but an air-gun, which had, however, this property, that it hit its mark without fail whenever he shot with it. Then he set out and found himself in a very large forest, which he could not get to the end of in one day. When evening came he seated himself in a high tree in order to escape from the wild beasts. Towards midnight, it seemed to him as if a tiny little light glimmered in the distance. Then he looked down through the branches towards it, and kept well in his mind where it was. But in the first place he took off his hat and threw it down in the direction of the light, so that he might go to the hat as a mark when he had descended. Then he got down and went to his hat, put it on again and went straight forwards. The farther he went, the larger the light grew, and when he got close to it he saw that it was an enormous fire, and that three giants were sitting by it, who had an ox on the spit, and were roasting it. Presently one of them said, "I must just taste if the meat will soon be fit to eat," and pulled a piece off, and was about to put it in his mouth when the huntsman shot it out of his hand. "Well, really," said the giant, "if the wind has not blown the bit out of my hand!" and helped himself to another. But when he was just about to bite into it, the huntsman again shot it away from him. On this the giant gave the one who was sitting next him a box on the ear, and cried angrily, Why art thou snatching my piece away from me?" - "I have not snatched it away," said the other, "a sharpshooter must have shot it away from thee." The giant took another piece, but could not, however, keep it in his hand, for the huntsman shot it out. Then the giant said, "That must be a good shot to shoot the bit out of one's very mouth, such an one would be useful to us." And he cried aloud, "Come here, thou sharpshooter, seat thyself at the fire beside us and eat thy fill, we will not hurt thee; but if thou wilt not come, and we have to bring thee by force, thou art a lost man!" On this the youth went up to them and told them he was a skilled huntsman, and that whatever he aimed at with his gun, he was certain to hit. Then they said if he would go with them he should be well treated, and they told him that outside the forest there was a great lake, behind which stood a tower, and in the tower was imprisoned a lovely princess, whom they wished very much to carry off. "Yes," said he, "I will soon get her for you." Then they added, "But there is still something else, there is a tiny little dog, which begins to bark directly any one goes near, and as soon as it barks every one in the royal palace wakens up, and for this reason we cannot get there; canst thou undertake to shoot it dead?" - "Yes," said he, "that will be a little bit of fun for me." After this he got into a boat and rowed over the lake, and as soon as he landed, the little dog came running out, and was about to bark, but the huntsman took his air-gun and shot it dead. When the giants saw that, they rejoiced, and thought they already had the King's daughter safe, but the huntsman wished first to see how matters stood, and told them that they must stay outside until he called them. Then he went into the castle, and all was perfectly quiet within, and every one was asleep. When he opened the door of the first room, a sword was hanging on the wall which was made of pure silver, and there was a golden star on it, and the name of the King, and on a table near it lay a sealed letter which he broke open, and inside it was written that whosoever had the sword could kill everything which opposed him. So he took the sword from the wall, hung it at his side and went onwards: then he entered the room where the King's daughter was lying sleeping, and she was so beautiful that he stood still and, holding his breath, looked at her. He thought to himself, "How can I give an innocent maiden into the power of the wild giants, who have evil in their minds?" He looked about further, and under the bed stood a pair of slippers, on the right one was her father's name with a star, and on the left her own name with a star. She wore also a great neck-kerchief of silk embroidered with gold, and on the right side was her father's name, and on the left her own, all in golden letters. Then the huntsman took a pair of scissors and cut the right corner off, and put it in his knapsack, and then he also took the right slipper with the King's name, and thrust that in. Now the maiden still lay sleeping, and she was quite sewn into her night-dress, and he cut a morsel from this also, and thrust it in with the rest, but he did all without touching her. Then he went forth and left her lying asleep undisturbed, and when he came to the gate again, the giants were still standing outside waiting for him, and expecting that he was bringing the princess. But he cried to them that they were to come in, for the maiden was already in their power, that he could not open the gate to them, but there was a hole through which they must creep. Then the first approached, and the huntsman wound the giant's hair round his hand, pulled the head in, and cut it off at one stroke with his sword, and then drew the rest of him in. He called to the second and cut his head off likewise, and then he killed the third also, and he was well pleased that he had freed the beautiful maiden from her enemies, and he cut out their tongues and put them in his knapsack. Then thought he, "I will go home to my father and let him see what I have already done, and afterwards I will travel about the world; the luck which God is pleased to grant me will easily find me."
But when the King in the castle awoke, he saw the three giants lying there dead. So he went into the sleeping-room of his daughter, awoke her, and asked who could have killed the giants? Then said she, "Dear father, I know not, I have been asleep." But when she arose and would have put on her slippers, the right one was gone, and when she looked at her neck-kerchief it was cut, and the right corner was missing, and when she looked at her night-dress a piece was cut out of it. The King summoned his whole court together, soldiers and every one else who was there, and asked who had set his daughter at liberty, and killed the giants? Now it happened that he had a captain, who was one-eyed and a hideous man, and he said that he had done it. Then the old King said that as he had accomplished this, he should marry his daughter. But the maiden said, "Rather than marry him, dear father, I will go away into the world as far as my legs can carry me." But the King said that if she would not marry him she should take off her royal garments and wear peasant's clothing, and go forth, and that she should go to a potter, and begin a trade in earthen vessels. So she put off her royal apparel, and went to a potter and borrowed crockery enough for a stall, and she promised him also that if she had sold it by the evening, she would pay for it. Then the King said she was to seat herself in a corner with it and sell it, and he arranged with some peasants to drive over it with their carts, so that everything should be broken into a thousand pieces. When therefore the King's daughter had placed her stall in the street, by came the carts, and broke all she had into tiny fragments. She began to weep and said, "Alas, how shall I ever pay for the pots now?" The King had, however, wished by this to force her to marry the captain; but instead of that, she again went to the potter, and asked him if he would lend to her once more. He said, "No," she must first pay for the things she had already had. Then she went to her father and cried and lamented, and said she would go forth into the world. Then said he, "I will have a little hut built for thee in the forest outside, and in it thou shalt stay all thy life long and cook for every one, but thou shalt take no money for it." When the hut was ready, a sign was hung on the door whereon was written, "To-day given, to-morrow sold." There she remained a long time, and it was rumored about the world that a maiden was there who cooked without asking for payment, and that this was set forth on a sign outside her door. The huntsman heard it likewise, and thought to himself, "That would suit thee. Thou art poor, and hast no money." So he took his air-gun and his knapsack, wherein all the things which he had formerly carried away with him from the castle as tokens of his truthfulness were still lying, and went into the forest, and found the hut with the sign, "To-day given, to-morrow sold." He had put on the sword with which he had cut off the heads of the three giants, and thus entered the hut, and ordered something to eat to be given to him. He was charmed with the beautiful maiden, who was indeed as lovely as any picture. She asked him whence he came and whither he was going, and he said, "I am roaming about the world." Then she asked him where he had got the sword, for that truly her father's name was on it. He asked her if she were the King's daughter. "Yes," answered she. "With this sword," said he, "did I cut off the heads of three giants." And he took their tongues out of his knapsack in proof. Then he also showed her the slipper, and the corner of the neck-kerchief, and the bit of the night-dress. Hereupon she was overjoyed, and said that he was the one who had delivered her. On this they went together tothe old King, and fetched him to the hut, and she led him into her room, and told him that the huntsman was the man who had really set her free from the giants. And when the aged King saw all the proofs of this, he could no longer doubt, and said that he was very glad he knew how everything had happened, and that the huntsman should have her to wife, on which the maiden was glad at heart. Then she dressed the huntsman as if he were a foreign lord, and the King ordered a feast to be prepared. When they went to table, the captain sat on the left side of the King's daughter, but the huntsman was on the right, and the captain thought he was a foreign lord who had come on a visit. When they had eaten and drunk, the old King said to the captain that he would set before him something which he must guess. "Supposing any one said that he had killed the three giants and he were asked where the giants' tongues were, and he were forced to go and look, and there were none in their heads, how could that happen?" The captain said, "Then they cannot have had any." - "Not so," said the King. "Every animal has a tongue," and then he likewise asked what any one would deserve who made such an answer? The captain replied, "He ought to be torn in pieces." Then the King said he had pronounced his own sentence, and the captain was put in prison and then torn in four pieces; but the King's daughter was married to the huntsman. After this he brought his father and mother, and they lived with their son in happiness, and after the death of the old King he received the kingdom.
昔、錠前屋の仕事を習い覚えた若い男がいて、父親に、もう世間に出て運を試してみる、と言いました。「よかろう。わしもそれに賛成だ。」と父親は言って、旅のお金をいくらか渡しました。そこで若い男はあちこち旅をして仕事を探しました。しばらくして男は錠前屋の仕事はもうやめようと決めました。というのはもうその仕事が好きでなくなって猟師になりたかったからです。
男があてもなく歩いていると緑の服を着た猟師と出会いました。猟師は、お前はどこから来たんだ?どこへ行くんだい?と尋ねました。若者は、私は錠前屋の職人なのですが、その仕事はもう面白くないので猟師になりたいのです、私に教えてもらえませんか、と言いました。「ああ、いいとも」と猟師は言いました。「おれと一緒に来るならね。」そこで若者は猟師と一緒に行き、そこで何年か修業をつみ、猟師のわざを習いました。このあと、若者はよそで運を試してみたいと思いました。猟師は一丁の空気銃の他は何も支払ってくれませんでしたが、その銃は撃つと必ず当たるという性質がありました。そこで若者はでかけていき、とても大きな森に着き、一日で森のはずれにたどりつけませんでした。夜になると若者は野のけものを避けるために高い木に登りました。
真夜中近くに、遠くで小さな明かりがちらちらするように思われました。そこで若者は枝の間からそちらを見下ろし、どこにあるかよく覚えておきました。それでも下りたとき目印とするため、最初に帽子をとって明かりの方へ投げておきました。それから木から下り、帽子のところへ行き、またかぶって、まっすぐ進みました。
進めば進むほど明かりは大きくなり、近くへ行ってみると、それはとてつもなく大きな火だとわかりました。三人の巨人がそのそばに座り、串に刺した一頭の牛を焼いていました。まもなく一人が「肉の焼き具合がいいか食ってみよう」と言って、かたまりを引きちぎって口に入れようとしました。とその時、猟師は銃を撃ち、巨人の手から肉を飛ばしました。「おっと、しまった」と巨人は言いました。「風で肉が飛んでしまったわい」それでまたべつの肉をとりました。しかし、それにかみつこうとしたちょうどそのとき、猟師はまた撃って飛ばしました。これでその巨人は隣に座っていた巨人に平手うちを食らわせ、「なんでおれから肉をひったくるんだ?」と怒ってどなりました。「ひったくっていないぞ」ともう一方の巨人は言いました。「狙い撃ちのうまいやつがお前の肉を撃ってとばしたにちがいない。」巨人は別のかたまりをとりましたが、また手に持っていることはできませんでした。というのは猟師が撃ち飛ばしたからです。すると巨人は「口のところから撃ってとばすなんて相当の腕だぞ、そんなやつは仲間なら役にたつんだがな。」と言いました。そうして大声で叫びました。「こっちへ来いよ、鉄砲名人よ、おれたちのそばに来て、火のところに座り、たっぷり食いな。お前に何もしないよ。だが、来ないで力づくで連れて来なきゃいけないんなら、お前の命はないぞ。」
それで若者は巨人たちに近づいていき、私は腕利き猟師だ、私の銃で狙ったものは必ず当てるんだ、と言いました。そこで、巨人たちは、おれたちと一緒に行ってくれれば良くもてなすがな、と言い、森のはずれに大きな湖がある、その後ろに塔が立っていて、塔の中に美しい王女が閉じ込められているんだ、その王女を是非とも連れて来たいんだ、と話しました。「いいとも」と若者は言いました。「すぐに王女をとってやるよ。」それから巨人たちは付け加えて、「だがな、まだほかに問題があるんだ。ちんころがいるんだが、だれかが近くにいくとすぐ吠え出すんだ。それでそいつがほえると王宮のみんなが目を覚ましてしまう。それでおれたちはそこに行けないのさ。そのちんころを撃ち殺すのを引き受けてくれるか?」と言いました。「いいよ」と若者は言いました。「そいつは面白そうだ。」
このあと、若者は舟に乗り、湖をこいで渡りました。陸にあがるとすぐ、小犬が走ってきて吠えようとしました。しかし猟師は空気銃を出し、撃ち殺しました。巨人たちはそれを見ると喜び、もう王様の娘を無事に手に入れたようなもんだぜと思いました。しかし猟師はまずどんな様子か見たいと思い、巨人たちに、呼ぶまで外で待っていてくれ、と言いました。それから城に入っていくと、中はまるでしんとしてみんな眠っていました。最初の部屋の戸を開けると、壁に刀が下がっていて、それは純銀でできており、上に金の星と王様の名前がついていました。またその近くのテーブルに封をされた手紙があったので若者が破って開けると、この刀を持つ者は歯向かう何でも殺せる、と中に書いてありました。そこで猟師は壁から刀をとり、腰に下げて進んでいきました。
それから王様の娘が眠っている部屋に入りました。王女はとても美しかったので若者は立ち止まり、息を飲んで眺めました。若者は心の中で考えました。(けがれない乙女をどうして荒くれ巨人たちのなすままにさせられよう?悪いことを考えているのに?)さらに見回すと、ベッドの下に一足の室内履きがあり、右足には星と父親の名前が、左足には星と王女自身の名がついていました。王女は金の刺繍がされた絹の大きなスカーフをつけていましたが、その右側には父親の名が、左には王女自身の名が金文字でありました。そこで猟師は鋏をとり、右端を切りとって背のうに入れ、また王様の名前が付いている右の室内履きも背のうに投げ込みました。さて乙女はまだ横たわって眠っていて、寝巻にすっかりくるまっていましたが、寝巻も少し切りとって投げ込んで他の物と一緒にしましたが、全て王女に触れないでやりました。それから猟師は出ていき、王女を眠らせたままにしておきました。
門のところに戻ると、巨人たちはまだそこに立ち、王女を連れてくるものと期待しながら猟師を待っていました。しかし、猟師は巨人たちに、入って来てくれ、乙女はもう手のうちにある、あんたたちに門を開けてやることはできないんだが、這って通れる穴があるから、と叫びました。そこで一人目の巨人が近づいたとき、猟師は巨人の髪を自分の手に巻きつけて頭を引き込み、刀を一振りして切り落とし、それから残りの体を引っぱりこみました。二人目の巨人を呼んで同じように頭を切り落とし、それから三人目も殺しました。こうして猟師は美しい乙女を敵の手から自由にしたことを喜びました。それから巨人たちの舌を切りとって背のうに入れました。そうして、猟師は(お父さんのところへ帰ってどんなことをもうやったか知らせて、そのあと、世の中を旅して歩こう。おれはきっと神様が喜んでおれにくださる幸運にあえるさ。)と思いました。
しかし、城の王様が目覚めると、三人の巨人が死んで転がっているのを見ました。そこで娘の寝室に入り娘を起こして、いったい誰が巨人たちを殺したのだろう?と尋ねました。すると王女は、「お父様、私は知りませんわ。眠っていましたもの。」と言いました。しかし、王女が起きあがって室内履きをはこうとしたら、右足がなくなっていました。スカーフを見ると切られて右端がありませんでした。寝巻を見るとこれも少し切りとられていました。王様は城じゅうの宮廷人を、兵士やそこにいる他のものも、みんな呼び出して、誰が娘を自由にし巨人たちを殺したのか、と尋ねました。
さて、王様には片目でひどく醜い大尉がいました。この大尉が、私がやりました、と名乗り出ました。そこで年とった王様は、お前がこれをなしとげたのだから娘と結婚させよう、と言いました。ところが、乙女は、「お父様、あの者と結婚するくらいなら、世間に出ていき、足の続くかぎり歩いていきたいですわ。」と言いました。しかし、王様は、もしお前が大尉と結婚する気がないなら、王家の服を脱ぎ百姓の服を着て出て行け、焼物師のところに行き、瀬戸物の商売を始めるがよい、と言いました。
それで王女は王家の服を脱ぎ、焼物師のところへ行って、店に必要な瀬戸物を借り、夕方までに売ってお支払いします、と約束しました。それで王様は娘に、隅に座って売るがよい、と言っておいて、何人かの百姓には瀬戸物の上を荷車でひいて全部こなごなにこわれるように手配しました。それで王様の娘が通りに店を広げると、荷車が通りかかり、品物を全部小さなかけらだらけにしてしまいました。王女は泣きだして、「ああ、これで焼物のお金をどうやって払ったらいいの?」と言いました。一方王様はこうして王女を無理に大尉と結婚させようと思っていたのでした。しかし、娘はそうしないで、また焼物師のところへ行き、もう一回貸してもらえませんか?と頼みました。焼物師は、「だめだ、もう借りてる分を支払ってくれ。」と言いました。
そこで王女は父親のところに行き、泣いて嘆き悲しみ、「世間に出ていきます。」と言いました。それで王様は「外の森にお前のために小さな小屋を建ててやろう。そこに一生とどまってみんなに料理をしてやるがよい。だが金を受け取ってはならぬぞ。」と言いました。小屋ができあがると、戸に「今日はただ、明日は売ります」という看板が下がっていました。そこに王女は長い間とどまっていました。そして、お金をとらないで食事をだしてくれる娘がそこにいるんだ、入口の外にそう書いてある看板がある、と世間で噂されました。
猟師もそれを聞き、(それはいい、おれは貧しく金が無いからな)と思いました。そこで空気銃と、証拠の印として城から持ってきたものが全部まだ入っている背のうを持ち、森へ入って行き、「今日はただ、明日は売ります」と看板がかかっている小屋を見つけました。
猟師は三人の巨人の頭を切り落とした刀を帯びたまま、小屋に入り、何か食べ物をくれと頼みました。猟師は美しい乙女にうっとりしました。まさに絵に描いたように美しかったのです。娘は、あなたはどこから来てどこへ行くのですか、と尋ねました。猟師は「私は世間を旅しているのです。」と言いました。すると、娘はどこでその刀を手に入れたのですか?私の父の名前が上についているんですが、と尋ねました。猟師は、あなたは王様の娘なんですか?と尋ねました。「はい」と娘は答えました。「この刀で」と猟師は言いました。「私は三人の巨人の頭を切り落としたのだ。」そして証拠に背のうから巨人たちの舌をとり出しました。それから、室内履きやスカーフの隅や寝巻の切れはしも王女に見せました。これで王女は大喜びして、あなたこそ私を救ってくれた人です、と言いました。そうして二人は一緒に年とった王様のところへ行き、小屋へ王様を連れて行きました。そこで娘は王様を部屋に入れ、猟師が本当に巨人から私を救ってくれた人だと話しました。そして王様がその証拠の品々を見ると、もう疑うことはできなくて、出来事がすっかりわかってとてもよかった、猟師がお前を妻にするべきだ、と言いました。それを聞いて乙女は心から喜びました。それで王女は猟師によその国の君主のように服を着させ、王様は祝宴の用意をさせました。
みんながテーブルについたとき、大尉は王様の娘の左側に座りましたが、猟師は右側に座りました。それで大尉は猟師が訪ねてきたよその国の君主だと思っていました。みんなが飲んだり食べたりしてしまったあとで、年とった王様は大尉に、お前に解いてもらいたい謎を出そう、と言いました。「だれかが、三人の巨人を殺したと言ったとする、その巨人の舌はどこにあるか?と聞かれ、その男はしかたなく見に行ったのだが、舌はなかったのだ。いったいどうしてそうなったのかね?」大尉は、「それでは巨人に舌は無かったはずです。」と言いました。「いいや違う。」と王様は言いました。「動物にはみな舌がある。」それから同じように、そのような嘘の答をした者にはどんな罰を与えるべきか、と王様は尋ねました。大尉は、「八つ裂きにされるべきです。」と答えました。すると王様は、お前は自分の判決を言い渡したのだ、と言いました。大尉は牢屋に入れられ、そのあと四つ裂きにされました。一方王様の娘は猟師と結婚しました。そのあと、猟師は父親と母親を呼び寄せ二人は息子と幸せに暮らしました。また、年とった王様が死んだあと、猟師は国を受け継ぎました。