New fables of Aesop ５ : monkeys in two valleys

 

Long, long ago in a certain place, there were a black valley and a red valley.

In the past, two groups of monkeys lived in both valleys, but there is nobody in the red valley now.

Let's look back on old times a little.

昔々あるところに、黒谷と赤谷がありました。

かつて猿は両方の谷に住んでいたのですが、今、赤谷には一匹もいません。

少し昔を振り返ります。

  

Once a lot of persimmon trees were in two valleys, and the chestnut trees were less than it.

The monkeys liked the persimmon, because they can easy eat tastily.

Monkeys in the red valley scattered eaten persimmon seeds on the ground.

The red valley became full of the persimmon trees before long.

In autumn, ripe persimmons filled the valley with red color.

The monkeys swore about the monkeys of the black valley.

“They are the stupid guys who do not know the pleasure, because they are growing many distasteful chestnuts despite hardships.”

かつて二つの谷は柿の木が多く、栗の木は少なめでした。

猿は、美味しいくて食べやすい柿の木を好みました。

赤谷の猿達は、食べた柿の種をそこら中に撒き散らしました。

やがて赤谷は柿の木で一杯になりました。

秋になると、赤く熟れた柿が谷を埋めつくしました。

その猿達は黒谷の猿達をののしりました。

「奴らは栗の木を苦労して育てて、楽しみを知らない馬鹿な奴らだ！」

On the other hand, many of monkeys in the black valley were sharing a certain thought.

“We do not reduce the chestnut trees as well as the persimmon trees.”

Regrettably, there were fellow that planted persimmon trees and monopolized persimmons.

However, all together, they cracked down on the transgressor.

They cultivated both of trees so that it may become the same in number.

一方、黒谷の猿達の多くはある思いを共有していました。

「柿の木同様に栗の木を絶やさない。」

残念なことに、柿の実を一人占めにする者や、柿の木をこっそり植える者も絶えませんでした。

しかし皆で、違反者を取り締まり、両方の木をほぼ同数になるように維持し育てました。

The sign of the change has begun to be seen in the red valley before long.

The soil was being infertile from overwork, and then the persimmons have decreased little by little.

However, everybody thought that a good harvest would come sometime soon.

One year, Rain decreased and the persimmon became bad harvest.

In addition, a severe winter came and was a longer interval.

Their foods were exhausted at last.

When spring came, the monkeys disappeared from the red valley once for all.

On the other hand, the monkeys of the black valley were able to eat the preserved chestnut little by little.

Thanks to this, they were able to get over the winter.  

In this way, bright and dark sides of two valleys separated.

A patriarch monkey of the black valley always said.

“If we endure a little now, and make efforts to bring up it, we will not become unhappy in the future.”

やがて赤谷に変化の兆しが見え始めたのです。

無理が祟って地味が弱り、柿の実が少しずつ減って来たのです。

しかし、いずれ豊作が訪れるだろうと、高をくくっていました。

ある年、雨が少なく柿は不作になり、追い打ちをかけるように厳しく長い冬が訪れました。

とうとう食料は尽きました。

春になると赤谷から猿の姿はこれを最後に見えなくなりました。

一方、黒谷では、栗を保存し、少しずつ食べて、その冬を乗り切ることが出来ました。

こうして二つの谷の明暗は別れたのです。

黒谷の長老猿は常日頃、言っていたのです。

「私達は今少し我慢し、育てる努力をすれば、将来不幸になることが無い。」