ＷＥＢ絵本『黒鯛大明神』

Long long ago, a fish peddler traveled from a beach to a remote mountain village in Tosa province to sell fish.
むかし土佐国のある山奥の村へ、浜から１人の魚商人が、魚を売りに入って行きました．

The fish peddler came to a lonely mountain path.
There was a snare in a roadside grove. Someone had placed it there.
He saw a pheasant caught by it.
寂しい山路で、路の脇の林の中に、誰かが罠をかけて置いて、それに山鳥が掛かっておるのを見ました．

The fish peddler wanted the pheasant.
And he thought it was not a good thing to take it without payment.
But there was nobody.
魚売りは、これを見て欲しいと思いましたが、ただ取って行くのはよくない事であるし、そこにちょうど人がいないので・・・

So, the fish pedder put three black sea bream of his basket into the snare instead.
And, he returned back taking the pheasant without permission.
・・・代わりに自分の籠の黒鯛を3尾挟んで置いて、黙ってその山鳥を取って帰って来ました．

After that, some village people came there.
"There are black sea bream in the mountain."
"This is a mystery."
"Also, they have been caught by the snare for pheasants."
"This must be something pretty extraordinary."
"Provably, this is a divine sign from a god."
その後から村の人が来て見て、山に黒鯛のいるのが既に不思議であるのにそれが山鳥の罠にかかるというのは只事ではよもあるまい．
なんでも是は天の神のお示しであろうと・・・

They all had a discussion about this.
And immediately, they built a tiny shrine.
In order to celebrate the three black sea bream, they called the tiny shrine "The Three Black Sea Bream Divine Incarnation".
And they worshiped it.
一同評議をして直ぐに小さな社を建てて、その三尾の黒鯛を斎い込めて、黒鯛三所権現と唱えて祭りました．

The tiny shrine got a good name.
Many people visited it from various places.
その評判が伝わりますと、方々からお参りに来る者があって・・・

So, the shrine was always crowded.
社は大へんに繁昌しました．

After that, the fish peddler came there again.
And he explained to them that he had taken the pheasant away from the snare.
The shrine already grew more lively at that time.
That's all. Thank you!
後に魚売りが又遣って来て、山鳥を持って行った話をする迄には、もう繁昌のお宮になっていたそうであります．
（了）

――　奥付　――
ＷＥＢ絵本『黒鯛大明神』
絵・訳：茜町春彦
原作：柳田国男

A Picture Book : "The Three Black Sea Bream Divine Incarnation"
Illustrated and translated by : Akanemachi Haruhiko
Original author : Yanagida Kunio

参考文献：
日本の昔話（2005年10月25日36刷　柳田国男著　新潮文庫）