Japanese News: タニシの恩がえし

タニシの恩おんがえし

Tanishi’s blessing

昔むかし々、山間さんかんの村むらに五作ごさくという働はたらき者ものの若者わかものがおった

Once upon a time there was a hard-working young man named Five Saku in a mountain village.

五作ごさくは額がくに大おおきなこぶがあるのが悩なやみだった

I was worried about Gosaku having a large bump on his forehead.

ある日ひ、野良仕事のらしごとをしていた田たんぼで一匹いっぴきのタニシが話はなしかけてきた

One day, a snail spoke to me in a rice field where I was working in a stray work.

タニシがいうには、大雨おおあめで上うえから流ながされてきたが自分じぶんには足あしがないので登のぼる事ことも出来できず、兄弟きょうだいとも離はなれ離ばなれで寂さびしい

Tanishi says that he was washed away from above due to heavy rain, but he has no legs so he can’t climb, and he is separated from his siblings and is lonely.

自分じぶんを上うえの田たんぼに放ほうり投なげてくれないか、と頼たのむので五作ごさくはそうしてやった

I asked him if he could throw him into the rice fields above me, so Gosaku did that.

それから後あともタニシを見みつけるたびに仕事中しごとちゅうでも上うえの田たんぼに放ほうり投なげてやっていた

After that, every time I found a snail, I threw it into the rice fields above me even at work.

そうして3年ねんほどたったある夜よるのこと、たくさんのタニシが五作ごさくの家いえに訪たずねて来きて、日頃ひごろのお礼れいをしたいから何なにか願ねがい事ことがないかと聞きく

One night about three years later, many tanishi came to visit Gosaku’s house and asked if they had any wishes because they wanted to thank them on a daily basis.

五作ごさくは額がくのこぶが小ちいさな頃ころからの悩なやみだがこれは言いっても仕方しかたがないことだから、と答こたえた

Gosaku replied that the forehead has been a problem since he was a little kid, but this is something that can’t be helped.

すると一匹いっぴきのタニシが顔かおに登のぼってきてこぶの周まわりをくるくるまわり、五作ごさくが何なにのまじないかと不思議ふしぎがっている間あいだに消きえてしまった

Then a snail climbed up to his face, circling around the knob, and while he was wondering what it was like, it disappeared.

翌朝よくあさ、五作ごさくが起おきてみると額がくのこぶが無むくなっていて、五作ごさくは涙なみだが出でるほど喜よろこんだ

The next morning, when Gosaku woke up, the forehead had disappeared, and Gosaku was so happy that it made me cry.

その話はなしを聞きいた村人達むらびとたちもタニシを見みつけたら上うえの田たんぼへ放ほうり投なげるようになったそうな

When the villagers heard the story, they began to throw the snails into the rice fields above them when they found them.