ＷＥＢ絵本『カマド神の起り』

ページ１

Long long ago, a farmer lived in a village.
昔々、或る村に１人の百姓がありました．

On a return trip, he was caught in a shower at an evening.
旅から帰って来る途中で、夜に入って、にわか雨が降って来たので・・・

And so, he took shelter from the rain at a woods for a while.
There was a statue of the Safety-Travel Deity on the roadside.
・・・しばらく路傍の道禄神の森の陰に雨宿りをしておりました．

Then, someone came riding a horse in front of the woods and spoke to a person in the dark.
"Hi, Safety-Travel Deity! Are you here now? Tonight, two babies will be born at X village. Let's go to determine the babies' fates, shall we?" the rider said.
"It's very kind of you to call for me. But now, I have a visitor taking shelter from the rain. So, I'm busy. I would like to leave the matter to you," the other answered in the woods.
"Oh, I see! So, I shall go alone." the rider said.
The clatter of the horse's hoofs went away.
そうすると、その森の前を馬に乗って行く人があって、暗い所から声をかけました．
道禄神はお宿ですか、今夜は何村にお産がふたつあります．これから御一緒に生れ子の運を決めに参りましょうと言いました．
森の中から、また返事をして、折角お誘い下さったけれども、今は丁度雨宿りの客があって手が離せませんから宜しく願います．
左様ならば１人で行ってきますと言って、馬の足音が遠くなりました．

X village was the place the farmer lived.
So, he wondered at this thing and was paying attention to what would happen.
After a while, the rider returned back and spoke to the person from the road.
"A baby boy was born at the main family. A baby girl was born at its branch family. She has good fortunes. But he doesn't have good fortunes. If they get married, they will prosper because of her good fortunes," the rider said and went again.
何村と云うのは自分の所のことですから、これは不思議なことだと気を付けておりますと、わずかばかり後に、その馬の主は帰って来て、また表の往来から声をかけて行きました．
本家の方は男の子、分家の方は女の子、女は福分があって男は運がありません．これを夫婦にすれば女房の運で栄えるでしょうと言いました．

Unexpectedly, the farmer listened to their talk for determining the babies' fates.
And, he went back to his village quickly.
百姓は思いがけず、今日の赤子の運定めの話を立ち聞きしまして、急いで村に帰って見ますと・・・

A baby boy was just born at his house. And a baby girl was born at the next house of his branch family.
So, he was surprised.
Then, they had a talk about these babies promptly and promised the future marriage between the next-door neighbors.
・・・ちょうど自分の家に男の子が産まれ、隣りの分家では女の子が産まれていましたので、すっかり驚いてしまいました．
それで早速に相談をして隣りどうしで今から縁組の約束をしました．