オツベルと象（第二日曜） Otsuberu to Zō, part 2: Clocks, Chains and Rising Taxes

オツベルときたら大たいしたもんだ。Now, that Otsuberu, he's really something.

それにこの前まえ稲扱いねこき小屋こやで、うまく自分じぶんのものにした、象ぞうもじっさい大たいしたもんだ。And the elephant he so neatly made his own the other day in the threshing shed? He's really something too.

力ちからも二十にじゅう馬力ばりきもある。He's got a good twenty horsepower in him.

第一だいいちみかけがまっ白しろで、牙きばはぜんたいきれいな象牙ぞうげでできている。For a start, he's pure white to look at, and his tusks are made entirely of fine ivory.

皮かわも全体ぜんたい、立派りっぱで丈夫じょうぶな象皮ぞうひなのだ。His hide, too, is all splendid, sturdy elephant skin.

そしてずいぶんはたらくもんだ。And my, how that elephant works.

けれどもそんなに稼かせぐのも、やっぱり主人しゅじんが偉えらいのだ。But if he earns that much, it's because his master is such a great man, of course.

「おい、お前まえは時計とけいは要いらないか。」丸太まるたで建たてたその象ぞう小屋こやの前まえに来きて、オツベルは琥珀こはくのパイプをくわえ、顔かおをしかめて斯こう訊きいた。"Hey, you, wouldn't you like a clock?" Otsuberu came up to the front of the elephant hut, which was built of logs, clamped his amber pipe between his teeth, screwed up his face and asked him this.

「ぼくは時計とけいは要いらないよ。」象ぞうがわらって返事へんじした。"I don't need a clock," the elephant answered with a laugh.

「まあ持もって見みろ、いいもんだ。」斯こう言いいながらオツベルは、ブリキでこさえた大おおきな時計とけいを、象ぞうの首くびからぶらさげた。"Go on, just try having it. It's a fine thing." Saying this, Otsuberu hung a big clock made of tin from the elephant's neck.

「なかなかいいね。」象ぞうも云いう。"That's rather nice," said the elephant.

「鎖くさりもなくちゃだめだろう。」オツベルときたら、百ひゃくキロもある鎖くさりをさ、その前肢まえあしにくっつけた。"It won't do without a chain, I suppose." And that Otsuberu, he went and fastened a chain weighing a good hundred kilos, mind you, onto the elephant's front leg.

「うん、なかなか鎖くさりはいいね。」三さんあし歩あるいて象ぞうがいう。"Yes, the chain's rather nice," said the elephant, taking three steps.

「靴くつをはいたらどうだろう。」"How about putting on some boots?"

「ぼくは靴くつなどはかないよ。」"I don't wear boots or anything like that."

「まあはいてみろ、いいもんだ。」オツベルは顔かおをしかめながら、赤あかい張子はりこの大おおきな靴くつを、象ぞうのうしろのかかとにはめた。"Go on, just try them on. They're fine things." Screwing up his face, Otsuberu fitted a pair of big red papier-mâché boots onto the elephant's hind heels.

「なかなかいいね。」象ぞうも云いう。"That's rather nice," said the elephant.

「靴くつに飾かざりをつけなくちゃ。」オツベルはもう大急おおいそぎで、四百よんひゃくキロある分銅ふんどうを靴くつの上うえから、穿はめ込こんだ。"The boots need decorations." In a great hurry, Otsuberu fitted four-hundred-kilo weights onto the boots from above.

「うん、なかなかいいね。」象ぞうは二にあし歩あるいてみて、さもうれしそうにそう云いった。"Yes, that's rather nice," said the elephant, trying out two steps and sounding ever so pleased.

次つぎの日ひ、ブリキの大おおきな時計とけいと、やくざな紙かみの靴くつとはやぶけ、象ぞうは鎖くさりと分銅ふんどうだけで、大おおよろこびであるいて居おった。The next day the big tin clock and the flimsy paper boots had torn to pieces, and the elephant went walking about in nothing but his chain and weights, happy as could be.

「済すまないが税金ぜいきんも高たかいから、今日きょうはすこうし、川かわから水みずを汲くんでくれ。」オツベルは両手りょうてをうしろで組くんで、顔かおをしかめて象ぞうに云いう。"Sorry about this, but taxes are high, so today I'd like you to fetch a bit of water from the river," said Otsuberu, hands clasped behind his back, frowning at the elephant.

「ああ、ぼく水みずを汲くんで来こよう。もう何なんばいでも汲くんでやるよ。」"Oh, I'll go and fetch water. I'll fetch as many loads as you like."

象ぞうは眼めを細ほそくしてよろこんで、そのひるすぎに五十ごじゅうだけ、川かわから水みずを汲くんで来きた。The elephant narrowed his eyes with delight, and that afternoon he fetched fifty loads of water from the river.

そして菜なっ葉ぱの畑はたけにかけた。Then he poured it over the vegetable field.

夕方ゆうがた象ぞうは小屋こやに居いて、十じっ把ぱの藁わらをたべながら、西にしの三みっ日かの月つきを見みて、In the evening the elephant stayed in his hut, eating ten bundles of straw and gazing at the three-day moon in the west,

「ああ、稼かせぐのは愉快ゆかいだねえ、さっぱりするねえ」と云いっていた。and he was saying, "Ah, working hard is such fun, it makes you feel so fresh."

「済すまないが税金ぜいきんがまたあがる。今日きょうは少すこうし森もりから、たきぎを運はこんでくれ」オツベルは房ふさのついた赤あかい帽子ぼうしをかぶり、両手りょうてをかくしにつっ込こんで、次つぎの日ひ象ぞうにそう言いった。"Sorry about this, but taxes are going up again. Today I'd like you to carry a bit of firewood in from the forest." Wearing a red cap with a tassel and with both hands stuffed in his pockets, Otsuberu said this to the elephant the next day.

「ああ、ぼくたきぎを持もって来こよう。いい天気てんきだねえ。ぼくはぜんたい森もりへ行いくのは大だいすきなんだ」象ぞうはわらってこう言いった。"Oh, I'll bring the firewood. What lovely weather! I just love going into the forest, you know," said the elephant with a laugh.

オツベルは少すこしぎょっとして、パイプを手てからあぶなく落おとしそうにしたがもうあのときは、象ぞうがいかにも愉快ゆかいなふうで、ゆっくりあるきだしたので、また安心あんしんしてパイプをくわえ、小ちいさな咳せきを一ひとつして、百姓ひゃくしょうどもの仕事しごとの方ほうを見みに行いった。Otsuberu gave a little start and nearly dropped the pipe from his hand, but by then the elephant was already ambling off, looking perfectly cheerful, so Otsuberu relaxed again, put the pipe back between his teeth, gave a small cough and went off to look over the peasants' work.

そのひるすぎの半日はんにちに、象ぞうは九百把きゅうひゃっぱたきぎを運はこび、眼めを細ほそくしてよろこんだ。In just that afternoon, half a day, the elephant carried nine hundred bundles of firewood, and he narrowed his eyes with delight.

晩方ばんがた象ぞうは小屋こやに居いて、八把はっぱの藁わらをたべながら、西にしの四日よっかの月つきを見みてToward nightfall the elephant stayed in his hut, eating eight bundles of straw and gazing at the four-day moon in the west,

「ああ、せいせいした。サンタマリア」と斯こうひとりごとしたそうだ。and they say he murmured to himself, "Ah, that felt good. Santa Maria."

その次つぎの日ひだ、Then came the day after that.

「済すまないが、税金ぜいきんが五ご倍ばいになった、今日きょうは少すこうし鍛冶場かじばへ行いって、炭火すみびを吹ふいてくれないか」"Sorry about this, but taxes have gone up five times over. Today, won't you go to the smithy and blow on the charcoal fire a bit?"

「ああ、吹ふいてやろう。本気ほんきでやったら、ぼく、もう、息いきで、石いしもなげとばせるよ」"Oh, I'll blow on it for you. If I really put my mind to it, why, I could even send stones flying with my breath."

オツベルはまたどきっとしたが、気きを落おち付つけてわらっていた。Otsuberu's heart jumped again, but he steadied himself and kept on smiling.

象ぞうはのそのそ鍛冶場かじばへ行いって、べたんと肢あしを折おって座すわり、ふいごの代かわりに半日はんにち炭すみを吹ふいたのだ。The elephant plodded off to the smithy, folded his legs and sat down with a flump, and for half a day he blew on the charcoal in place of the bellows.

その晩ばん、象ぞうは象ぞう小屋こやで、七なな把わの藁わらをたべながら、空そらの五いつ日かの月つきを見みてThat night the elephant, in his elephant hut, eating seven bundles of straw and gazing at the five-day moon in the sky,

「ああ、つかれたな、うれしいな、サンタマリア」と斯こう言いった。said, "Ah, I'm tired, but I'm happy. Santa Maria."

どうだ、そうして次つぎの日ひから、象ぞうは朝あさからかせぐのだ。How about that? And from the next day on, the elephant was working from morning onward.

藁わらも昨日きのうはただ五ご把わだ。As for straw, yesterday he got only five bundles.

よくまあ、五ご把わの藁わらなどで、あんな力ちからがでるもんだ。Imagine getting all that strength out of a mere five bundles of straw!

じっさい象ぞうはけいざいだよ。That elephant really is economical, I tell you.

それというのもオツベルが、頭あたまがよくてえらいためだ。And that's all because Otsuberu is so clever and so great.

オツベルときたら大たいしたもんさ。Now, that Otsuberu, he's really something.