ＷＥＢ絵本『露店商人（金子文子）』第８巻
けれど、品物を取り出すひまもなく、きっぱりとツッケンドンに私は断られた．
「せっかくですが、いま手がふさがっていますから」
手が塞がっている？ 物もらいと私は間違えられたのだ！
But I had no time to take the goods out. She rejected me.
"Sorry! I'm busy now."
I'M BUSY NOW? She confused me with a beggar!
脳天から打ちのめされたような気がして、私はもうフラフラとした．
そして解きかけた風呂敷包をも一度結んで、悄然と泥棒犬のようにその家を出た．
「まあ、何てうるさいんでしょう、この頃は毎日のように孤児院が来るのねえ．私、初めのうちは可哀相だと思って５銭６銭出してやったが、でもキリがないので、この頃はもう片っ端から断ってやることに決めているのよ」
「ええ奥さん、それが一番ですよ．可哀相だ可哀相だといってた日にゃ、こちらの口が乾あがってしまいますからね」
「ほんとに、全くだわ」
そう言って二人が高笑いしているのを、私はその家の外に出たときに聞いた．
I was defeated completely. I felt dizzy.
I was trying to undo my carrying cloth. But I again knotted the cloth. And I disappointedly sneaked out as a stealing dog.
"Really annoying! Orphans come almost every day lately. You know? At first, I gave them 5 or 6 cents out of pity. But there is no end. So, I am determined to refuse all of them lately. You know?"
"You are right. Absolutely. If we feel pity for them every day, we will go hungry."
"Exactly!"
The two women said so and was laughing loudly. I could hear their talk when I got out of the house.
せっかくの勇気をへし折られて、私の足は一層重くなった．
またもや私は、ただ、ぶらぶらと歩いた．が、もう日暮れどきであった．私はどうかして食べ物にありつかねばならなかった．
I lost heart and walked with heavy steps.
Again, I wandered around the streets. It began to get dark, though. I had to get to eat somehow.
と、ある横丁の路地の奥で、櫛巻きの女が洗濯しているが見えた．
その脇にその女の子供らしい７，８つの男の子がいた．
Then, I saw a woman washing at the back alley of a side street. Her hair was the winding style with a comb.
A boy was standing next to her. He looked to be her son. Maybe, he was seven or eight years old.
「ほんとうにお前みたいな悪戯っ子はないよ、さっき着せてやった新しい着物がもうこれだ．見ろ、こんなに車の油なんかつけて、ちっとも落ちやしないから・・・」
女はこうその男の子を叱りながら、白地の浴衣を洗濯板でゴシゴシと擦っているのだった．
"I have never seen a rascal like you. Really! I put new clothes on you a while ago. What is this! Look, it's stained with car oil! This stain won't come off easily ... "
The woman scolded the boy like that. And she was vigorously washing his white clothes with the washingboard.
私はツカツカとその側に近寄って行った．
夜店で毎晩、わざわざ白布に機械油をしませて綺麗に洗い落として見せていたほどである．自信をもって私は、私の粉しゃぼんをそのおかみさんにすすめることができた．
I walked briskly up to them.
I gave a demonstration at the night stall every evening. I soaked a white cloth with machine oil intentionally and washed the stain out thoroughly.
I could recommend my powder soap with confidence to the woman.
「きっと落ちます、なんなら私がひとつ試してみましょうか」とさえ私は言った．
「じゃ、ひと袋おいて行ってください」と、おかみさんは、懐中から財布を出して２０銭だけ奮発してくれた．
「ありがとうございます」と私は、金を受け取るなり、走るようにその路地から大通りに出た．
"It is sure to remove the stain. I will try if you like," I said.
"Well, I'll take one," the woman said and took her wallet out of her pocket. And she gave me 20 cents.
"Thank you," I said and received the money. I went to the main street from the side street in a hurry.
（つづく）
Title: A Street Vendor (Kaneko Fumiko) volume 8
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author: Kaneko Fumiko
Illustrated and translated by: Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author: Kaneko Fumiko
