ＷＥＢ絵本「ルルとミミ（夢野久作）」

第１回配信

昔、或る国に水晶のような水が一杯に光っている美しい湖がありまして・・・
Once upon a time in a country, there was a beautiful shiny lake filled with crystal water.

・・・そのふちに一つの小さな村がありました．
そこに住んでいる人達は親切な人ばかりで、ほんとに楽しい村でした．
A little village was on the border of the lake.
All the village people were kindhearted.
And the village was a truly pleasant place.

けれども、その湖の水が黒く濁って来ると、この村に何かしら悲しい事があると云い伝えられておりました．
However, tradition said that something sad would happen in this village if the water of the lake became black and muddy.

この村にルルとミミという可愛らしい兄妹の孤児が居りました．
Ruroo and Memie, who were pretty orphans, lived in this village.
They were the brother and the sister.

二人のお父さんはこの国でたった一人の上手な鐘造りで、お母さんが亡くなったあと、二人の子供を大切に大切に育てて居りました．
Their father was the only expert bell founder in the country.
After their mother passed away, he brought up his two children lovingly and lovingly.

ところが或る年の事、この村のお寺の鐘にヒビが入りましたので・・・
A certain year, the bell of the temple of this village cracked.

・・・村の人達に頼まれて新しく造り上げますと・・・
And so, their father made a new bell at the request of the village people.

・・・どうしたわけか音がちっとも出ません．
Somehow, the bell did not sound.

お父さんはそれを恥かしがって、或る夜、二人の兄妹を残して湖へ身を投げてしまいました．
その時、この湖の水は一面に真黒く濁っていたのでした．
Their father was ashamed of that.
At a certain night, he left the two children and threw himself into the lake.
At that time, the surface of the lake was black and muddy.
（つづく）