ルンペルシュティルツヒェン

遠い国の森のそばに、美しい小川が流れており、その川辺に水車小屋があった。粉屋の家もすぐそばにあり、この粉屋には、とても美しい娘がいた。

By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream of water; and upon the stream there stood a mill. The miller’s house was close by, and the miller, you must know, had a very beautiful daughter.

娘はさらに、とても賢く利口でもあった。粉屋は娘を自慢に思い、ある日、森へ狩りにやってくるその国の王様に、自分の娘は藁を金に変えることができると言ってしまった。

She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; and the miller was so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who used to come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold out of straw.

王様は金が大好きだった。粉屋の自慢話を聞くと、強欲な心がうずき、娘を呼び出すよう命じた。

Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard the miller’s boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl to be brought before him.

王は娘を宮殿の一室へ連れて行った。そこには藁が山と積まれており、糸車が置かれていた。王は言った。「命が惜しければ、朝までにこれをすべて金に紡ぎなさい」

Then he led her to a chamber in his palace where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a spinning-wheel, and said, ‘All this must be spun into gold before morning, as you love your life.’

哀れな娘は、あれは父のたわ言で、藁を金に変えるなど自分にはできないと訴えたが、無駄だった。部屋の扉は鍵をかけられ、娘は一人取り残された。

It was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only a silly boast of her father, for that she could do no such thing as spin straw into gold: the chamber door was locked, and she was left alone.

娘は部屋の隅に座り込み、自分の過酷な運命を嘆き悲しんだ。すると突然、扉が開いて、滑稽な姿の小人がひょこひょこと入ってきて言った。「おはよう、お嬢さん。なぜ泣いているんだい？」娘は言った。「ああ！」

She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man hobbled in, and said, ‘Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you weeping for?’ ‘Alas!’

「この藁を金に紡がなければならないのに、やり方がわからないのです」「代わりに何をくれる？」と小人は言った。「私のネックレスを」と娘は答えた。小人はそれを受け取ると、糸車の前に座り、口笛を吹きながら歌った。

said she, ‘I must spin this straw into gold, and I know not how.’ ‘What will you give me,’ said the hobgoblin, ‘to do it for you?’ ‘My necklace,’ replied the maiden. He took her at her word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang:

「回れ、回れ、さあ見よ！紡げ、紡げ、藁が金に変わる！」

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’

糸車は陽気に回り、仕事はあっという間に終わり、藁はすべて金に変わった。

And round about the wheel went merrily; the work was quickly done, and the straw was all spun into gold.

王はこれを見て大変驚き、喜んだ。しかし、王の心はますます強欲になり、粉屋の娘をまた別の部屋に閉じ込め、新たな課題を与えた。

When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up the poor miller’s daughter again with a fresh task.

娘はどうしてよいかわからず、また座り込んで泣いた。すると小人がすぐに扉を開けて言った。「課題をやってやろう。何をくれる？」「指の指輪を」と娘は言った。

Then she knew not what to do, and sat down once more to weep; but the dwarf soon opened the door, and said, ‘What will you give me to do your task?’ ‘The ring on my finger,’ said she.

小人は指輪を受け取ると、再び糸車に向かって働き始め、口笛を吹きながら歌った。

So her little friend took the ring, and began to work at the wheel again, and whistled and sang:

「回れ、回れ、さあ見よ！紡げ、紡げ、藁が金に変わる！」

‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold! Reel away, reel away, Straw into gold!’

そして夜明け前には、すべてが終わっていた。

till, long before morning, all was done again.