ＷＥＢ絵本『山姥の宝蓑』

ページ１

Once upon a time in a rural area of a mountainous province, there lived a pretty girl.
昔むかし、或る山国の田舎に美しい一人の娘がありました．

In a spring day, she went to a mountain for pleasure together with village people.
春の日に村の人達と山へ遊びに行って・・・

Only she lost her way and went farther away.
So, she could not came back.
・・・道を間違えて自分だけ遠くの方へ行ってしまって、帰る事が出来なくなりました．

The sun was setting gradually.
そのうちに、だんだん日が暮れて来て・・・

She was puzzled which way to go.
Then, she noticed a single light over there.
And, she went there pleasantly.
・・・どっちへ行くのが良いかと思って困っておりますと、向うにたった一つ灯りが見えるので、大喜びで訪ねて行きましたら・・・

There was a house of an Ogress.
・・・それが山姥の家で・・・

The Ogress warmed herself at the fireplace solitarily.
・・・ヤマンバが一人で囲炉裏に当っていました．

"You came all the way. But, this is the house of man-eater. And so, you can't stay here. You'd better look for an ordinary people's house", said the Ogress.

折角、訪ねて来たけれども、ここは人を喰う者の住居だから泊めてやる事は出来ぬ．

並みの人間の家を探す方が良いと言いました．

The girl felt hair-raising at the Ogress's words.
But, she said "I don't care whether I'll be eaten. Please let me stay here! If I walk in the mountain at the darkness of tonight, I'll be certainly eaten by a bear or a wolf. To be eaten here is a little better than such a thing."

娘はこれを聴いて、ぞっとしましたが、もう食べられても構いませんから、どうか泊めて下さい．

どうせ今夜のような暗い晩に、これから山の中を歩いていれば熊か狼に食べられるに決まっております．

それよりも、ここで食べられた方がまだ良いからと言いました．

The Ogress listened to her words and felt pity.
"Well! This is my valuable tresure. I give you this precious raincoat. And so, you'd better put on this and go on further. If you pray a prayer three times wearing this coat, you can turn an old person or a child or other appearance you like. And, if you shake this raincoat, you can get everything you want", said the Ogress.
And the Ogress gave the clean raincoat and taught her how to use it.

山姥もそれを聞いて哀れに思いました．

それでは大事な私の宝物だけれども、宝蓑という物をお前に上げるから、これをかぶって、もっと先へ行くが良い．

このミノを着て三べん、如法の唱え言をすると、老人にでも子供にでも、自分の思った通りの者の姿になれる．

また欲しいと思う物は、この蓑を持って振ると何でも出て来るからと言って、きれいな一枚の蓑をくれて、使い方を 教えてくれました．