双子の星 Futago no Hoshi, part 2: The Great Crow and the Scorpion Clash

大烏おおがらすは二人ふたりを見みて立たちどまって丁寧ていねいにお辞儀じぎしました。When the Great Crow saw the two of them, he stopped and made a polite bow.

「いや、今日きょうは。チュンセ童子どうじとポウセ童子どうじ。よく晴はれて結構けっこうですな。しかしどうも晴はれると咽喉のどが乾かわいていけません。それに昨夜ゆうべは少すこし高たかく歌うたい過すぎましてな。ご免めん下ください。」と云いいながら大烏おおがらすは泉いずみに頭あたまをつき込こみました。"Well, good day to you, Chunse Dōji and Pōse Dōji. Fine clear weather, isn't it? But when it's clear, somehow my throat gets terribly dry. And besides, last night I sang a little too loudly, you see. Pardon me," said the Great Crow, and he plunged his head into the spring.

「どうか構かまわないで沢山たくさん呑のんで下ください。」とポウセ童子どうじが云いいました。"Please don't mind us, drink all you like," said Pōse Dōji.

大烏おおがらすは息いきもつかずに三分さんぷんばかり咽喉のどを鳴ならして呑のんでからやっと顔かおをあげて一寸ちょっと眼めをパチパチ云いわせてそれからブルルッと頭あたまをふって水みずを払はらいました。The Great Crow drank for about three minutes without stopping for breath, his throat gurgling, and at last he raised his face, blinked his eyes a little, and then gave his head a brisk shake to throw off the water.

その時とき向むこうから暴あらい声こえの歌うたが又また聞きこえて参まいりました。Just then a song in a rough voice was heard once more from over there.

大烏おおがらすは見みる見みる顔色かおいろを変かえて身体からだを烈はげしくふるわせました。Before their very eyes the Great Crow's face changed colour, and his whole body shook violently.

「みなみのそらの、赤眼あかめのさそり"The red-eyed Scorpion of the southern sky,

毒どくある鉤かぎと　大おおきなはさみをWith his poisoned hook and his great big claws—

知しらない者ものは　阿呆鳥あほうどり。」Whoever doesn't know is a fool-bird—an albatross!"

そこで大烏おおがらすが怒おこって云いいました。At that the Great Crow grew angry and said:

「蠍星さそりぼしです。畜生ちくしょう。阿呆鳥あほうどりだなんて人ひとをあてつけてやがる。見みろ。ここへ来きたらその赤眼あかめを抜ぬいてやるぞ。」"That's the Scorpion Star. Curse him! 'Albatross-fool'—he's taking a dig at me, the wretch. You watch. If he comes over here, I'll pluck out those red eyes of his!"

チュンセ童子どうじがChunse Dōji said,

「大烏おおがらすさん。それはいけないでしょう。王おう様さまがご存ぞんじですよ。」という間まもなくもう赤あかい眼めの蠍星さそりぼしが向むこうから二ふたつの大おおきな鋏はさみをゆらゆら動うごかし長ながい尾おをカラカラ引ひいてやって来くるのです。"Mr. Great Crow, that won't do. The King will know about it, you know." But hardly had he said it when the red-eyed Scorpion Star was already coming towards them, waving his two great claws to and fro and dragging his long tail along with a clatter.

その音おとはしずかな天てんの野原中のはらじゅうにひびきました。The sound echoed all across the quiet fields of heaven.

大烏おおがらすはもう怒おこってぶるぶる顫ふるえて今いまにも飛とびかかりそうです。The Great Crow was by now trembling with rage and looked ready to spring at him any moment.

双子ふたごの星ほしは一生いっしょうけん命めい手てまねでそれを押おさえました。The twin stars did their very best to hold him back with gestures of their hands.

蠍さそりは大烏おおがらすを尻眼しりめにかけてもう泉いずみのふち迄まで這はって来きて云いいました。The Scorpion, without so much as a glance at the Great Crow, crawled right up to the edge of the spring and said:

「ああ、どうも咽喉のどが乾かわいてしまった。やあ双子ふたごさん。今日きょうは。ご免めんなさい。少すこし水みずを呑のんでやろうかな。はてな、どうもこの水みずは変へんに土臭つちくさいぞ。どこかのまっ黒くろな馬鹿ばかァが頭あたまをつっ込こんだと見みえる。えい。仕方しかたない。我慢がまんしてやれ。」"Ah, my throat's gone dreadfully dry. Hello there, twins. Good day. Excuse me. I think I'll deign to drink a little water. Hmm, now—this water smells oddly of dirt. Looks like some pitch-black idiot or other has stuck his head in it. Bah. Can't be helped. I'll put up with it."

そして蠍さそりは十分じゅっぷんばかりごくりごくりと水みずを呑のみました。And the Scorpion drank the water, gulp after gulp, for about ten minutes.

その間まも、いかにも大烏おおがらすを馬鹿ばかにする様ように、毒どくの鉤はりのついた尾おをそちらにパタパタ動うごかすのです。All the while, as if to make a fool of the Great Crow, he kept flicking his tail with its poisoned sting in the Crow's direction.

とうとう大烏おおがらすは、我慢がまんし兼かねて羽はねをパッと開ひらいて叫さけびました。At last the Great Crow, unable to bear it any longer, flung his wings open and shouted:

「こら蠍さそり。貴様きさまはさっきから阿呆鳥あほうどりだの何なんだのと俺おれの悪口わるぐちを云いったな。早はやくあやまったらどうだ。」"Hey, Scorpion! You've been calling me names all this while—albatross-fool and what-not. How about apologising, and quickly!"

蠍さそりがやっと水みずから頭あたまをはなして、赤あかい眼めをまるで火ひが燃もえるように動うごかしました。The Scorpion at last lifted his head from the water and rolled his red eyes as though fire were blazing in them.

「へん。誰たれか何なんか云いってるぜ。赤あかいお方かただろうか。鼠色ねずみいろのお方かただろうか。一ひとつ鉤はりをお見舞みまいしますかな。」"Hmph. Somebody's saying something. Would it be the red gentleman? Or the mouse-grey gentleman? Shall I pay him a little visit with my sting?"

大烏おおがらすはかっとして思おもわず飛とびあがって叫さけびました。The Great Crow flared up and, before he knew it, leapt into the air, shouting:

「何なんを。生意気なまいきな。空そらの向むこう側がわへまっさかさまに落おとしてやるぞ。」"What's that? You insolent thing! I'll send you tumbling head first to the other side of the sky!"

蠍さそりも怒おこって大おおきなからだをすばやくひねって尾おの鉤はりを空そらに突つき上あげました。The Scorpion flew into a rage too, swiftly twisted his great body, and thrust the sting of his tail up into the sky.

大烏おおがらすは飛とびあがってそれを避さけ今度こんどはくちばしを槍やりのようにしてまっすぐに蠍さそりの頭あたまをめがけて落おちて来きました。The Great Crow soared up to dodge it, and this time, holding his beak like a spear, came plunging straight down at the Scorpion's head.

チュンセ童子どうじもポウセ童子どうじもとめるすきがありません。Neither Chunse Dōji nor Pōse Dōji had any chance to stop them.

蠍さそりは頭あたまに深ふかい傷きずを受うけ、大烏おおがらすは胸むねを毒どくの鉤はりでさされて、両方りょうほうともウンとうなったまま重かさなり合あって気絶きぜつしてしまいました。The Scorpion took a deep wound to the head, and the Great Crow was stabbed in the chest by the poisoned sting; both of them gave a great groan and fainted, lying one on top of the other.

蠍さそりの血ちがどくどく空そらに流ながれて、いやな赤あかい雲くもになりました。The Scorpion's blood gushed out across the sky and became a nasty red cloud.

チュンセ童子どうじが急いそいで沓くつをはいて、申もうしました。Chunse Dōji hurriedly put on his shoes and said:

「さあ大変たいへんだ。大烏おおがらすには毒どくがはいったのだ。早はやく吸すいとってやらないといけない。ポウセさん。大烏おおがらすをしっかり押おさえていて下くださいませんか。」"Oh, this is terrible! The poison has got into the Great Crow. We must suck it out at once. Pōse, would you please hold the Great Crow down firmly?"

ポウセ童子どうじも沓くつをはいてしまっていそいで大烏おおがらすのうしろにまわってしっかり押おさえました。Pōse Dōji, too, put on his shoes, hurried round behind the Great Crow, and held him down firmly.

チュンセ童子どうじが大烏おおがらすの胸むねの傷口きずぐちに口くちをあてました。Chunse Dōji put his mouth to the wound in the Great Crow's chest.

ポウセ童子どうじが申もうしました。Pōse Dōji said: