―― まえがき ――
ＷＥＢ絵本『山姥の宝蓑』
絵・訳：茜町春彦
原作：柳田国男
概要：日本の昔話を絵本にしました．原作は日本の昔話（新潮文庫）の中の1編です．英語に翻訳しました．
A Picture Book :
"The Precious Raincoat of an Ogress"
Illustrated and translated by : Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author : Yanagida Kunio
―― ０１ ――
Once upon a time in a rural area of a mountainous province, there lived a pretty young woman.
昔むかし、或る山国の田舎に美しい一人の娘がありました．
―― ０２ ――
In a spring day, she went to a mountain for pleasure together with village people.
春の日に村の人達と山へ遊びに行って・・・
―― ０３ ――
Only she lost her way and went farther away.
So, she could not came back.
・・・道を間違えて自分だけ遠くの方へ行ってしまって、帰る事が出来なくなりました．
―― ０４ ――
The sun was setting gradually.
そのうちに、だんだん日が暮れて来て・・・
―― ０５ ――
She was puzzled which way to go.
Then, she noticed a single light in a distant place.
And, she went there pleasantly.
・・・どっちへ行くのが良いかと思って困っておりますと、向うにたった一つ灯りが見えるので、大喜びで訪ねて行きましたら・・・
―― ０６ ――
There was a house of an Ogress.
・・・それが山姥の家で・・・
―― ０７ ――
The Ogress warmed herself at the fireplace solitarily.
・・・ヤマンバが一人で囲炉裏に当っていました．
―― ０８ ――
"You came all the way. But, this is the house of man-eater. And so, you can't stay here. You'd better look for an ordinary people's house", said the Ogress.
折角、訪ねて来たけれども、ここは人を喰う者の住居だから泊めてやる事は出来ぬ．並みの人間の家を探す方が良いと言いました．
―― ０９ ――
The young woman felt hair-raising at the Ogress's words.
But, she said "I don't care whether I'll be eaten. Please let me stay here! If I walk in the mountain at the darkness of tonight, I'll be certainly eaten by a bear or a wolf. To be eaten here is a little better than such a thing."
娘はこれを聴いて、ぞっとしましたが、もう食べられても構いませんから、どうか泊めて下さい．
どうせ今夜のような暗い晩に、これから山の中を歩いていれば熊か狼に食べられるに決まっております．
それよりも、ここで食べられた方がまだ良いからと言いました．
―― １０ ――
The Ogress listened to her words and felt pity.
"Well! This is my valuable tresure. I give you this precious raincoat. And so, you'd better put on this and go on further. If you pray a prayer three times wearing this coat, you can turn an old person or a child or other appearance you like. And, if you shake this raincoat, you can get everything you want", said the Ogress.
And the Ogress gave the clean raincoat and taught her how to use it.
山姥もそれを聞いて哀れに思いました．
それでは大事な私の宝物だけれども、宝蓑という物をお前に上げるから、これをかぶって、もっと先へ行くが良い．
このミノを着て三べん、如法の唱え言をすると、老人にでも子供にでも、自分の思った通りの者の姿になれる．
また欲しいと思う物は、この蓑を持って振ると何でも出て来るからと言って、きれいな一枚の蓑をくれて、使い方を 教えてくれました．
―― １１ ――
The young woman gladly got the raincoat.
Soon, she turned into an tottoring old woman.
And, she left the Ogress's house.
娘は喜んで、その蓑をもらって、早速よぼよぼのお婆さんの姿になって、山姥の家から出て来ました．
―― １２ ――
On the way, there was a place where fearful demons gathered round.
They were hiding and waiting for passers-by.
途中には恐ろしい鬼が集まって、待ち伏せをしている所もありました．
―― １３ ――
A demon said "Oh! Someone is passing. Let's attack and eat it!"
あれ人が通る、取って喰おうかと言う鬼があると・・・
―― １４ ――
"No! No! It is meaningless to eat such a dirty skinny old woman!" the other demons said and stopped the first demon.
よせよせ、あんな汚い痩せた婆を喰っても詰まらないと、他の鬼どもが止めました．
―― １５ ――
The day is breaking.
そうして、ようやく夜の明ける頃に・・・
―― １６ ――
The young woman came to an unfamiliar village.
And she stopped in front of the gate of a millionare's residence.
知らぬ里に出て来て、或る長者の門の前に立ちました．
―― １７ ――
"I have nowhere to go. Please let me stay anywhere!" she said.
私は行く所も無い者です．どこの隅にでも良いから置いて下さいと言うと・・・
―― １８ ――
The millionare was tender-hearted.
He said "Well! You can stay at a vacant room of our tenement house."
情深い長者で、それでは長屋の空いておる所にいるが良いと言ってくれました．
―― １９ ――
After that time, she stayed at the tenement house.
In the daytime, she spun threads and so on.
それから、その長屋にいて、昼は糸紡ぎなどをして暮らし・・・
―― ２０ ――
In the night-time, she was bored.
Then, she stealthily returned to the young woman.
And she practiced the calligraphy, etc., as nobody knew.
・・・夜は退屈なものだから、誰も知らぬ間だけ、そっと元の娘になって、手習いなどをしておりました．
―― ２１ ――
Late in a night, the son of the millionare got out of the residence.
He noticed a lamp-light coming from a single room of the tenement house.
長者の息子が或る晩、遅くなって外に出て見ますと、長屋にたった一つ燈し火の光りが差して・・・
―― ２２ ――
He looked into the room.
・・・覗いて見ると・・・
―― ２３ ――
An attractive young woman was calmly practicing the calligraphy alone.
・・・美しい娘が独り静かに手習いをしています．
―― ２４ ――
He wished to marry her.
Next day, he looked in every corner of the mansion and the tenement house.
But, he couldn't find her.
He was just wondering.
どうか、あの娘を嫁に欲しいものだと思って、次の日、屋敷中を探して見ましたけれども、もうそんな女は何処にもおりません．
不思議な事も有るものだと思っていると・・・
―― ２５ ――
After that, a manservant found out the young woman somehow.
He thought that she might have been a goblin.
So, he told the millionare about this thing.
今度は、家の下男がどうかして、その姿を見つけまして、化け物かも知れぬと思って、その事を長者どのに話しました．
―― ２６ ――
Soon, the millionare called the old woman.
He demanded her explanation, showing evidences one by one.
The young woman had no choice but to tell of the precious raincoat given by the Ogress.
それで早速この婆を呼んで来て、段々証拠を出して責めて見ますと、娘はもう仕方が無いので山姥にもらって来た宝蓑の話をしました．
―― ２７ ――
Then, she took off the raincoat.
The old woman returned to the young woman.
そうして、その蓑を脱いで娘の姿に戻って・・・
―― ２８ ――
She told him about the details of her own house.
And, she asked "Please send me home!"
・・・自分の家と所を詳しく言って、どうか私の家へ届けて下さいと頼みました．
―― ２９ ――
The millionare searched her home, using his power.
He was able to found it soon.
At her home, her family thought her to be dead and were holding a memorial service.
Then, the young woman was taken back home. Her family was very delighted with exicitement.
長者の力で探して見ると、娘の家はやがて分かりました．
家では、もう死んだ者だと思って、お祀りをしていたそうであります．
それを送り返してやると、大騒ぎをして喜びました．
―― ３０ ――
After a while, they decided that the young woman would marry the son of the millionare.
The families had good relationship and prospered.
Everyone was happy.
(Kai province)
それから暫くして、その娘を長者の家の嫁にもらう事になって、一家仲良く皆栄えたそうであります．
めでたしめでたし．
（甲斐）
―― あとがき ――
この本はパブーで公開した電子書籍、英訳昔話「山姥の宝蓑」を加筆修正したものです．
