The Lark and her young ones – 親ヒバリと彼女の子ヒバリ達
There was once a Lark which lived in the wheat fields. The wheat field was very young and the Lark made a nest and laid three eggs.
Soon a few days later, the eggs hatched and three young baby chicks were born. The chicks grew in strength and the wheat field grew bigger and bigger.
Translateかつて小麦畑にヒバリが住んでいました。小麦畑はとても新しく、ヒバリは巣を作り、3個の卵を産みました。
数日後、卵は孵化し、3羽のヒナが生まれてきました。ヒナは力強くなり、小麦畑もどんどん大きくなりました。
One day the wheat field was fully grown. The golden wheat grain was long and waved when there was even a slight breeze. The farmer and his son came and saw the crop and were very happy.
The farmer said to the son, “My dear son, look at how well the wheat has grown. We can ask our neighbours and friends for help and harvest it soon.”
Translateある日、小麦畑は完全に育ちました。金色の小麦の粒は長く、少しの微風でも揺れていました。農夫と彼の息子が来て作物を見て、とても喜びました。
農夫は息子に言いました「息子よ、小麦がどれだけよく育ったか見てごらん。近所の人や友達に助けてもらってすぐに収穫しよう。」
The son said, “Indeed father. The crop is plentiful and we must start soon. Let us call our neighbours and friends at once.”
The young Larks in the nest heard the conversation between the farmer and his son. They became very frightened. They were still too young to fly away. If the farmer and the son caught the birds, they would be cooked and eaten.
Translate息子は言いました「そうですね。作物は豊富だ、すぐに始めよう。ただちに近所の人や友達を呼びましょう。」
巣の中の子ヒバリ達は、農夫と彼の息子の会話を聞いていました。子ヒバリ達はとても怯えました。彼らはまだ若すぎて飛び去ることはできません。農夫と息子が鳥を捕まえたら、彼らは料理されて食べられるてしまうでしょう。
The young larks cried and cried. The mother Lark came back in the evening with some fine grains of wheat and worms. The larks cried and said, “Mother! Mother! We are in danger. The farmer and his son are going to harvest their crop soon. We heard them talking some time ago.”
The mother lark said, “What exactly did they say?”
Translate子ヒバリは泣き叫びました。夕方、お母さんヒバリは小麦と虫の細粒を持って戻ってきました。子ヒバリは泣いて言いました「お母さん！お母さん！私たちは危険にさらされています。農夫と彼の息子は、すぐに彼らの作物を収穫しに来ます。彼らが少し前に話しているのを聞いたの。」
お母さんヒバリは「彼らは正確に何と言ったの？」と言いました。
The young larks explained the full story to the Mother Lark who heard it and then laughed loudly. The Mother said, “Don’t worry children, if the farmer says he is going to call his friends and neighbours, it means we still have a lot of time. It means this wheat is not ready for reaping yet.”
A few days later the wheat field was so ripe that it waved when there was even a slight breeze and dropped the grains into the soil. The farmer and his son came and saw the crop and were now worried.
Translate子ヒバリは全部お母さんヒバリに説明し、それを聞いたお母さんヒバリは大声で笑いました。お母さんヒバリは言いました「子供たちよ、心配しないで。農夫が友人や近所呼ぶと行ったなら、私たちにまだ多くの時間が残っているという意味です。この小麦はまだ刈り取る時期ではないということですよ。」
数日後、とても熟していた小麦畑は微風でも揺れ、穀物が土に落ちていきました。農夫と彼の息子が作物の様子を見たとたん、心配になりました。
The farmer said to the son, “My dear son, the wheat crop has fully grown. If we delay it any further, we will lose half our crop. We do not need to wait for our neighbours and friends. We shall harvest it tomorrow morning.”
The son said, “Indeed father.”
Translate農夫は息子に言いました「息子よ、小麦は完全に育ったぞ。これをさらに遅らせると収穫を半分無くしてしまうぞ。もう友達や近所が手伝ってくれるのを待つ必要はない。あしたの朝収穫しよう。」
息子は言いました「そうですね、お父さん。」
The young Larks in the nest heard the conversation between the farmer and his son and informed the mother Lark. The Mother Lark said, “They are going to harvest it themselves? Then we cannot wait any longer. Let us fly away at once. When a man says that he is not going to depend on anyone anymore and do his work himself, then there will be no delay.”
Translate
巣の中にいた子ヒバリは農夫と彼の息子の会話を聞いて、お母さんヒバリに知らせました。お母さんヒバリは「自分たちで収穫するつもりなの？じゃあ、もう待ってはいけないわ。ただちに出ていきましょう。人が自分の仕事をすると決めて他の誰にも頼らないと言ったなら、もう遅れることはないのは確かなんだよ。」
In the early morning the little birds their wings as hard and as fast as they could. By afternoon, the farmer and his son had harvested the entire field and found an empty nest on the ground.
Translate早朝、小鳥達はできるだけ激しく、そしてできるだけ速く翼を羽ばたきました。午後には農夫と彼の息子は畑全体を収穫し、そして、地面に空っぽの巣が見つかりました。
Moral: “Self-help is the best help.”
Translate道徳：「自助が最高の助け。」
