小人の靴屋

小人の靴屋

The Elves and the Shoemaker

あるところに、とても勤勉で正直な靴屋がいた。しかし、どうしても生活が成り立たず、ついに手元には靴一足分を作る革しか残っていなかった。

There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.

そこで彼は、翌朝早くから作業に取り掛かろうと、革を切り出して準備を整えた。

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work.

苦しい状況の中でも良心は清らかで心は穏やかだった。彼はすべてを天に委ねて安らかに眠りについた。

His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep.

翌朝、祈りを捧げてから作業机に向かうと、なんと驚いたことに、靴がすでに完成して机の上に置かれていた。善良な靴屋は、この奇妙な出来事に何と言い、何を考えればよいのか分からなかった。

In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening.

彼がその出来栄えを見ると、縫い目には少しの狂いもなく、どこまでも丁寧で正確な、まさに傑作だった。

He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.

その日、客がやって来て、その靴をとても気に入ったため、普段より高い代金を支払ってくれた。靴屋はその金で、靴二足分を作るのに十分な革を買うことができた。

The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs more.

彼は夜のうちに革を切り出し、翌朝早くから作業を始めようと早めに床に就いた。しかし、その苦労は必要なかった。朝起きると、作業はすでに終わっていたからだ。

In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand.

すぐに買い手が現れ、彼らはその品に惜しみなく金を払ったため、彼はさらに四足分の革を買うことができた。

Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, so that he bought leather enough for four pair more.

彼は夜のうちに革を切り出し、朝になるとそれが完成しているということがしばらく続いた。夜に準備したものは必ず夜明けまでに仕上がっており、善良な靴屋は再び裕福で幸せな暮らしを取り戻した。

He cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and well off again.

クリスマスの頃のある夜、彼と妻が暖炉のそばで語り合っていると、夫が言った。「今夜は起きて見張っていよう。誰が来て仕事をしてくれているのか確かめたいんだ」

One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together, he said to her, ‘I should like to sit up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me.’

妻はその考えに賛成した。二人は明かりをつけたまま、部屋の隅に吊るしたカーテンの裏に隠れて、何が起こるかを見守ることにした。

The wife liked the thought; so they left a light burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain that was hung up there, and watched what would happen.

真夜中になるとすぐに、裸の小さな小人が二人現れた。彼らは靴屋の作業台に座ると、切り出しておいた革を手に取り、小さな指先で縫ったり叩いたりして、ものすごい速さで作業を始めた。靴屋は驚きのあまり、目を離すことができなかった。

As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker’s bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them.

彼らは仕事が完全に終わるまで続け、靴は完成して机の上に置かれた。夜明けにはまだ時間があったが、彼らは稲妻のように素早く立ち去った。

And on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.