火事とポチ Kaji to Pochi, part 6: Pochi Found Hurt Behind the Shed

そこに、焼やけあとで働はたらいている人足にんそくが来きて、ポチが見みつかったと知しらせてくれた。Just then a workman who was working at the burnt ruins came and told us that Pochi had been found.

ぼくたちもだったけれども、おばあさまやおかあさんまで、大おおさわぎをして「どこにいました」とたずねた。We were in an uproar ourselves, but even Grandmother and Mom made a great fuss and asked, "Where was he?"

「ひどいけがをして物置ものおきのかげにいました」"He was behind the shed, badly hurt."

と人足にんそくの人ひとはいって、すぐぼくたちを連つれていってくれた。the workman said, and he took us there right away.

ぼくはにぎり飯めしをほうり出だして、手てについてる御飯ごはんつぶを着物きものではらい落おとしながら、大急おおいそぎでその人ひとのあとから駆かけ出だした。I threw down my rice ball and ran off after the man as fast as I could, brushing the grains of rice stuck to my hands off onto my kimono.

妹いもうとや弟おとうとも負まけず劣おとらずついて来きた。My little sister and brother came running too, just as fast as me.

半焼はんやけになった物置ものおきが平ひらべったくたおれている、その後うしろに三さん、四人よにんの人足にんそくがかがんでいた。The half-burnt shed had fallen down flat, and behind it three or four workmen were crouching.

ぼくたちをむかえに来きてくれた人足にんそくはその仲間なかまの所ところにいって、「おい、ちょっとそこをどきな」といったらみんな立たち上あがった。The workman who had come to fetch us went over to his fellow workers and said, "Hey, get outta the way a sec," and they all stood up.

そこにポチがまるまって寝ねていた。And there was Pochi, lying curled up in a ball.

ぼくたちは夢中むちゅうになって「ポチ」とよびながら、ポチのところに行いった。We went to Pochi, calling "Pochi!" like crazy.

ポチは身動みうごきもしなかった。Pochi didn't move at all.

ぼくたちはポチを一目ひとめ見みておどろいてしまった。We took one look at Pochi and got a terrible shock.

からだじゅうをやけどしたとみえて、ふさふさしている毛けがところどころ狐色きつねいろにこげて、どろがいっぱいこびりついていた。He seemed to be burned all over, and his thick fluffy fur was scorched fox-brown in places, and it was all caked with mud.

そして頭あたまや足あしには血ちが真黒まっくろになってこびりついていた。And on his head and legs the blood had dried pitch black and was caked on.

ポチだかどこの犬いぬだかわからないほどきたなくなっていた。He was so dirty you couldn't tell if he was Pochi or some other dog.

駆かけこんでいったぼくは思おもわずあとずさりした。I had run right up to him, but I stepped back without meaning to.

ポチはぼくたちの来きたのを知しると、すこし頭あたまを上あげて血走ちばしった目めで悲かなしそうにぼくたちの方ほうを見みた。When Pochi knew we had come, he lifted his head a little and looked at us sadly with bloodshot eyes.

そして前足まえあしを動うごかして立たとうとしたが、どうしても立たてないで、そのままねころんでしまった。Then he moved his front legs and tried to stand up, but he just couldn't, and he flopped back down.

「かわいそうに、落おちて来きた材木ざいもくで腰こしっ骨ぽねでもやられたんだろう」"Poor thing, a beam must've come down and got him in the hip or somethin'."

「なにしろ一晩ひとばんじゅうきゃんきゃんいって火ひのまわりを飛とび歩あるいていたから、つかれもしたろうよ」"Well, he was runnin' round the fire yelpin' all night long, so he must be worn out too."

「見みろ、あすこからあんなに血ちが流ながれてらあ」"Look, he's bleedin' like crazy from there."

人足にんそくたちが口々くちぐちにそんなことをいった。The workmen all said things like that, one after another.

ほんとうに血ちが出でていた。He really was bleeding.

左ひだりのあと足あしのつけ根ねの所ところから血ちが流ながれて、それが地面じめんまでこぼれていた。Blood was running from where his left back leg joined his body, and it was dripping right down onto the ground.

「いたわってやんねえ」"Go on, look after him."

「おれゃいやだ」"Not me, no way."

そんなことをいって、人足にんそくたちも看病かんびょうしてやる人ひとはいなかった。They said things like that, and not one of the workmen would take care of him.

ぼくはなんだか気味きみが悪わるかった。I felt kind of creeped out.

けれどもあんまりかわいそうなので、こわごわ遠とおくから頭あたまをなでてやったら、鼻はなの先さきをふるわしながら、目めをつぶって頭あたまをもち上あげた。But he was so pitiful that I nervously stroked his head from as far away as I could, and he shut his eyes and lifted his head, with the tip of his nose trembling.

それを見みたらぼくはきたないのも気味きみの悪わるいのもわすれてしまって、いきなりそのそばに行いって頭あたまをかかえるようにしてかわいがってやった。When I saw that, I forgot all about him being dirty and creepy, and I went right up beside him and petted him, almost hugging his head in my arms.

なぜこんなかわいい友ともだちを一度いちどでもぶったろうと思おもって、もうポチがどんなことをしてもぶつなんて、そんなことはしまいと思おもった。I wondered why I had ever hit such a sweet friend, even once, and I decided that I would never, ever hit Pochi again, no matter what he did.

ポチはおとなしく目めをつぶったままでぼくの方ほうに頭あたまを寄よせかけて来きた。Pochi quietly kept his eyes shut and leaned his head against me.

からだじゅうがぶるぶるふるえているのがわかった。I could tell his whole body was shaking and shaking.

妹いもうとや弟おとうともポチのまわりに集あつまって来きた。My little sister and brother gathered around Pochi too.

そのうちにおとうさんもおかあさんも来きた。After a while Dad and Mom came as well.

ぼくはおとうさんに手伝てつだって、バケツで水みずを運はこんで来きて、きれいな白しろいきれで静しずかにどろや血ちをあらい落おとしてやった。I helped Dad carry water over in a bucket, and we gently washed off the mud and blood with a clean white cloth.

いたい所ところをあらってやる時ときには、ポチはそこに鼻先はなさきを持もって来きて、あらう手てをおしのけようとした。When we washed the places that hurt, Pochi brought his nose over and tried to push away the hand that was washing him.

「よしよし静しずかにしていろ。今いまきれいにしてきずをなおしてやるからな」"There, there, keep still. I'm going to clean you up and fix your wounds in a minute."

おとうさんが人間にんげんに物ものをいうようにやさしい声こえでこういったりした。Dad said things like that in a gentle voice, as if he were talking to a person.

おかあさんは人ひとに知しれないように泣ないていた。Mom was crying where nobody would notice.

よくふざけるポチだったのにもうふざけるなんて、そんなことはちっともしなくなった。Pochi used to play around all the time, but now he didn't play around at all anymore.

それがぼくにはかわいそうだった。That made me feel so sorry for him.

からだをすっかりふいてやったおとうさんが、けががひどいから犬いぬの医者いしゃをよんで来くるといって出でかけて行いったるすに、ぼくは妹いもうとたちに手伝てつだってもらって、藁わらで寝床ねどこを作つくってやった。After Dad had wiped him all over, he said the injuries were bad so he would go and get a dog doctor, and while he was out, I got my sister and the others to help me and made Pochi a bed out of straw.

そしてタオルでポチのからだをすっかりふいてやった。Then I wiped Pochi all over with a towel.

ポチを寝床ねどこの上うえに臥ねかしかえようとしたら、いたいとみえて、はじめてひどい声こえを出だして鳴なきながらかみつきそうにした。When I tried to move Pochi onto the bed, it must have hurt, because for the first time he cried out terribly and looked like he was going to bite.

人夫にんぷたちも親切しんせつに世話せわしてくれた。The workmen were kind and helped look after him too.

そして板いたきれでポチのまわりに囲かこいをしてくれた。And they put up a fence of scrap boards around Pochi.

冬ふゆだから、寒さむいから、毛けがぬれているとずいぶん寒さむいだろうと思おもった。It was winter, and it was cold, so I thought he must be really cold with his fur all wet.