Once we dreamt that we were strangers. We wake up to find that we were dear to each other.
有一次，我们梦见大家都是不相识的。我们醒了，却知道我们原是相亲相爱的。
The Pea Blossom 豌豆花
Andersen
There were once five peas in one shell[1], they were green, the shell was green, and so they believed that the whole world must be green also, which was a very natural conclusion. The shell grew, and the peas grew, they accommodated themselves to their position, and sat all in a row. The sun shone without and warmed the shell, and the rain made it clear and transparent; it was mild and agreeable in broad daylight, and dark at night, as it generally is; and the peas as they sat there grew bigger and bigger, and more thoughtful as they mused, for they felt there must be something else for them to do.
“Are we to sit here forever?” asked one; “shall we not become hard by sitting so long? It seems to me there must be something outside, and I feel sure of it.”
And as weeks passed by, the peas became yellow, and the shell became yellow.
“All the world is turning yellow, I suppose,” said they—and perhaps they were right.
Suddenly they felt a pull at the shell; it was torn off, and held in human hands, then slipped into the pocket of a jacket in company with other full pods.
“Now we shall soon be opened,” said one—just what they all wanted.
“I should like to know which of us will travel furthest,”said the smallest of the five; “we shall soon see now.”
“What is to happen will happen,” said the largest pea.
“Crack” went the shell as it burst, and the five peas rolled out into the bright sunshine. There they lay in a child's hand. A little boy was holding them tightly, and said they were fine peas for his pea-shooter. And immediately he put one in and shot it out.
“Now I am flying out into the wide world,” said he;“catch me if you can,” and he was gone in a moment.
“I,” said the second, “intend to fly straight to the sun, that is a shell that lets itself be seen, and it will suit me exactly;” and away he went.
“We will go to sleep wherever we find ourselves,”said the two next, “we shall still be rolling onwards;” and they did certainly fall on the floor, and roll about before they got into the pea-shooter; but they were put in for all that. “We shall go farther than the others,” said they.
“What is to happen will happen,” exclaimed the last, as he was shot out of the pea-shooter; and as he spoke he flew up against an old board under a garret-window, and fell into a little crevice[2], which was almost filled up with moss and soft earth. The moss closed itself round him, and there he lay, a captive indeed, but not unnoticed by God.
“What is to happen will happen,” said he to himself.
Within the little garret lived a poor woman, who went out to clean stoves, chop wood into small pieces and perform such-like hard work, for she was strong and industrious. Yet she remained always poor, and at home in the garret lay her only daughter, not quite grown up, and very delicate and weak. For a whole year she had kept her bed, and it seemed as if she could neither live nor die.
“She is going to her little sister,” said the woman;“I had but the two children, and it was not an easy thing to support both of them; but the good God helped me in my work, and took one of them to himself and provided for her. Now I would gladly keep the other that was left to me, but I suppose they are not to be separated, and my sick girl will very soon go to her sister above.” But the sick girl still remained where she was, quietly and patiently she lay all the day long, while her mother was away from home at her work.
Spring came, and one morning early the sun shone brightly through the little window, and threw its rays over the floor of the room. Just as the mother was going to her work, the sick girl fixed her gaze on the lowest pane of the window—“Mother,” she exclaimed, “what can that little green thing be that peeps in at the window? It is moving in the wind.”
The mother stepped to the window and half opened it. “Oh!” she said, “There is actually a little pea which has taken root and is putting out its green leaves. How could it have got into this crack? Well now, here is a little garden for you to amuse yourself with.” So the bed of the sick girl was drawn nearer to the window, that she might see the budding plant; and the mother went out to her work.
“Mother, I believe I shall get well,” said the sick child in the evening, “the sun has shone in here so brightly and warmly today, and the little pea is thriving so well: I shall get on better, too, and go out into the warm sunshine again.”
“God grant it!” said the mother, but she did not believe it would be so. But she propped up [3]with the little stick the green plant which had given her child such pleasant hopes of life, so that it might not be broken by the winds; she tied the piece of string to the window-sill and to the upper part of the frame, so that the pea-tendrils might twine round it when it shot up. And it did shoot up, indeed it might almost be seen to grow from day to day.
“Now really here is a flower coming,” said the old woman one morning, and now at last she began to encourage the hope that her sick daughter might really recover. She remembered that for some time the child had spoken more cheerfully, and during the last few days had raised herself in bed in the morning to look with sparkling eyes at her little garden which contained only a single pea-plant. A week after, the invalid sat up for the first time a whole hour, feeling quite happy by the open window in the warm sunshine while outside grew the little plant, and on it a pink pea-blossom in full bloom. The little maiden bent down and gently kissed the delicate leaves. This day was to her like a festival.
“Our heavenly Father Himself has planted that pea, and made it grow and flourish, to bring joy to you and hope to me, my blessed child,”said the happy mother, and she smiled at the flower, as if it had been an angel from God.
But what became of the other peas? Why the one who flew out into the wide world, and said, “Catch me if you can,” fell into a gutter on the roof of a house, and ended his travels in the crop of a pigeon. The two lazy ones were carried quite as far, for they also were eaten by pigeons, so they were at least of some use; but the fourth, who wanted to reach the sun, fell into a sink and lay there in the dirty water for days and weeks, till he had swelled to a great size.
“I am getting beautifully fat,” said the pea, “I expect I shall burst at last; no pea could do more that that, I think; I am the most remarkable of all the five which were in the shell.” And the sink confirmed the opinion.
But the young maiden stood at the open garret window, with sparkling eyes and the rosy hue of health on her cheeks, she folded her thin hands over the pea-blossom, and thanked God for what He had done.
从前，有一个豌豆荚里住着五颗豌豆。豌豆是绿色的，豌豆荚也是绿色的，所以他们理所当然地相信整个世界都是绿色的。豌豆荚渐渐生长，豌豆也渐渐生长，他们并肩坐成一排，适应了自己在豌豆荚里的位置。太阳在外面的天空照耀着，让豌豆荚变得温暖，雨水又让它变得清澈透明；白天他温暖惬意，晚上又跟普通豌豆一样变得漆黑一片。豌豆们坐在豆荚里，越长越大。而且，随着他们的思考，他们也越来越有想法，因为他们觉得，世界上肯定还有别的事情等着它们去做。
“我们要在这里永远坐下去吗？”一颗豌豆问道，“我们这么一直坐着，会不会变得僵硬啊？我觉得外面好像有些什么事情要发生，而且我很确定这一点。”
几周过去了，豌豆慢慢变成黄色，豌豆荚也渐渐变成黄色。
“整个世界都在变成黄色吧。”他们说——他们可能是对的。
突然，他们感到有人拉了一下豌豆荚；豌豆荚打开了，被放到了人的手上，然后跟其他饱满的豌豆荚一起，放进了一件大衣的口袋里。
“现在有人要把我们打开了。”其中一个豌豆说——这就是他们想要的。
“我想知道我们谁能旅行到最远的地方。”最小的一颗豌豆说，“我们很快就知道了。”
“该发生的就会发生。”最大的那颗豌豆说。
豌豆荚“咔”地一声打开了，五颗豌豆滚到了明亮的阳光下。他们躺在一个小孩的手掌里。小男孩紧紧地抓着他们，说他们很适合自己的玩具枪。他很快就把一颗豌豆放进玩具枪里，把他发射了出去。
“现在我要飞向广阔的世界了。”小豌豆说，“谁要能抓住我就试试。”然后他就被发射了出去。
“我，”第二颗豌豆说，“我要直接飞到太阳上，所有人一抬头就能看得见，这个地方很适合我。”然后他也被发射走了。
“我们不管去到哪，都会睡觉。”接下来发射的两颗豌豆说，“我们会继续往前滚。”他们掉在了地板上，在进入玩具枪之前先在地上滚了个来回。但是，小男孩又把他们放进了玩具枪里。“我们会比其他人走得更远的。”他们说。
“该发生的就会发生。”最后一颗豌豆被射出玩具枪时说。他说着这句话，就被弹到阁楼窗户下的旧板子上，掉进了一个被青苔和软土填满的裂缝里。青苔把他团团围住，他躺在下面，就像是一个俘虏，但是上帝并没有忘记这个俘虏。
“该发生的就会发生。”他对自己说。
小阁楼里住着一个贫困的女人，她出去帮别人清理炉子，把木材砍成小块，做诸如此类的苦力活。她很强壮，也很勤奋，但是她一直很贫穷。小阁楼的家里躺着她唯一的女儿，还没有完全长大，非常虚弱。她在床上躺了一整年，好像既不会死去，也不能活下来。
女人说：“她要去找她姐姐了，我只有这两个孩子，要养活她们真不容易，但是好心的上帝帮助了我，把其中一个带到他身边抚养。现在我很高兴能养育另外一个，但是我想她们还是不能分开的，我生病的女儿很快就要去天堂找她姐姐了。”但是，母亲出门工作的时候，生病的女孩还是每天平静而耐心地躺在那里。
春天来了。一天早晨，太阳明亮地照进小窗户，光线洒在房间的地板上。就在母亲要出门工作的时候，病重的女孩紧盯着窗户最下面的窗格玻璃——“妈妈，”她惊叫一声，“从窗户爬进来的那个绿色的东西是什么？它在风里飘来飘去的。”
母亲走到窗户旁，把窗户打开了一半。“哦！”她说，“有一颗小豌豆在这儿扎根了，正在长出绿色的嫩苗。它怎么会掉进这个裂缝呢？那你现在就有一个小花园可以玩了。”母亲把小女孩的床挪到窗户旁，这样她就能看到发芽的植物；然后，母亲又出门上班去了。
“妈妈，我相信我能好起来的。”晚上，病中的孩子说道，“今天太阳好明亮、好温暖，小豌豆长得真好：我也应该好起来，再次走到温暖的阳光中去。”
“上帝保佑！”母亲说，但是她自己都不相信女儿会好起来。她把给女儿带来如此美好的生的希望的绿色豌豆苗用小棍支起来，这样它就不会被风吹倒；她把一根绳子绑在窗沿和窗格上面，这样豌豆长出须蔓的时候就可以绕着绳子往上爬。豌豆的确长出了须蔓，小女孩几乎每天都能看到它的生长。
“真的有一朵花开了。”一天早上，老妇人说。现在，她终于开始鼓励自己抱有希望，希望生病的女儿能好起来。她记得有段时间女儿说话的声音更加欢快了，过去几天早上还从床上坐起来，双眼焕发着神采，看着那只有一棵豌豆苗的花园。一个星期之后，卧床的孩子第一次从床上坐起来，在窗边坐了整整一个小时，她沐浴在温暖的阳光中，心情很好。小豌豆苗在外面生长着，粉红色的豌豆花正开得饱满。小女孩弯下身，轻轻地吻了吻娇嫩的叶子。这一天对她来说就像是一个节日。
“我们的天父种下了这颗豌豆，让它生长壮大，给你带来喜悦，给我带来希望，我幸运的孩子。”母亲高兴地说，她对着花儿微笑，仿佛它是上帝派来的天使。
但是，其他的豌豆都去哪儿了呢？那个飞向外面的广阔世界，说着“能抓到我就试试”的豌豆，掉进了屋顶的檐槽里，在一个鸽子窝里结束了自己的旅行。两颗懒惰的豌豆也走得差不多远，他们也被鸽子吃掉了，但是他们至少还有点作用；但是，想要到达太阳的第四颗豌豆，掉进了一个水槽里，在脏水里躺了好几个星期，全身都泡肿了，变成了巨大的一颗。
“我正在变胖变美。”豌豆说，“我最后肯定会炸开，没有一颗豌豆能做得比我更好。我是五颗豌豆里最出众的一个。”水槽也印证了它的这个想法。
但是，小女孩站在小阁楼的窗户前，眼睛发亮，脸上带着健康的红晕。她把纤细的双手合在豌豆花上，感谢上帝给了她这朵豌豆花。
The Seven Ravens 七只乌鸦
The Brothers Grimm
There was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl.
The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and had to be privately baptized on account of its weakness. The father sent one of the boys in haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism [4]. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill it, the jug fell into the well. There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient, and said, “They have certainly forgotten it for some game, the wicked boys!” He became afraid that the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, “I wish the boys were all turned into ravens.” Hardly was the word spoken before he heard a whirring of wings over his head in the air, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away. The parents could not recall the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they still to some extent comforted themselves with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and every day became more beautiful.
For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them before her, but one day she accidentally heard some people saying of herself, “that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that in reality she was to blame for the misfortune which had befallen her seven brothers.”Then she was much troubled, and went to her father and mother and asked if it was true that she had had brothers, and what had become of them? The parents now dared keep the secret no longer, but said that what had befallen her brothers was the will of Heaven, and that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But the maiden took it to heart daily, and thought she must deliver [5]her brothers. She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went forth into the wide world to trace out her brothers and set them free, let it cost what it might. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair as a provision against weariness.
And now she went continually onwards, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and devoured little children. Hastily she ran away, and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and also awful and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said,“I smell, I smell the flesh of men.” On this she ran swiftly away, and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own particular little chair. But the morning star arose, and gave her the drumstick of a chicken, and said, “If you thou hast not that drumstick thou canst not open the Glass Mountain, and in the Glass Mountain are thy brothers.”
The maiden took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onwards again until she came to the Glass Mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the drumstick; but when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star's present. What was she now to do? She wished to rescue her brothers, and had no key to the Glass Mountain. The good sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it. When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her, who said, “My child, what are you looking for?” “I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens,” she replied. The dwarf said, “The lord ravens are not at home, but if you will wait here until they come, step in.” Thereupon the little dwarf carried the ravens' dinner in, on seven little plates, and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate, and from each little glass she took a sip, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring which she had brought away with her.
Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, “Now the lord ravens are flying home.” Then they came, and wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then said one after the other, “Who has eaten something from my plate? Who has drunk out of my little glass? It was a human mouth.” And when the seventh came to the bottom of the glass, the ring rolled against his mouth. Then he looked at it, and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said, “God grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free.” When the maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came forth, and on this all the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced [6]and kissed each other, and went joyfully home.
从前有一个人，他有七个儿子，但是却没有女儿，不管他多么想要一个女儿，都始终未能如愿。最后，他的妻子终于又怀孕了，为他生下一个女儿。
小女孩的到来让大家开心极了，但是她却瘦小多病，身体虚弱得只能私下在家受洗。父亲赶忙让七个儿子中的一个去溪边取受洗要用的水。另外六个儿子也都跟着一起去了，但是每个人都争着做第一个往水罐里装水的人，于是水罐掉进了井里。他们站在小溪边，不知道该怎么办，也没有人敢回家。他们迟迟未归，父亲在家等得着急了，说道：“他们肯定玩游戏去了，忘了这件事。这几个小兔崽子！”他害怕小女孩还没有受洗就要离开人世，非常生气，于是大喊一声：“我希望他们几个都变成黑乌鸦！”话还没说完，他就听见头顶的空气中传来翅膀呼呼的声音，抬头一看，只见七只炭黑色的乌鸦向远方飞去。父母二人已经不能收回诅咒，但是不管他们失去了七个儿子有多么悲痛，都还可以用宝贝小女儿来安慰自己。小女儿一天天地长大了，变得越来越健壮，越来越美丽。
很长一段时间里，小女孩都不知道自己原来还有哥哥，父母都很小心，不会在她面前提起。但是有一天，她意外地听到有人在议论自己：“那个女孩长得是很漂亮，但是她七个哥哥会有那种遭遇，全都是因为她。”她万分苦恼，便去问父母，自己之前是否真的有哥哥，他们后来怎么样了。父母再也不敢保守这个秘密，但是他们告诉她，哥哥们的遭遇是上帝的旨意，她只是无辜的导火索而已。但是小女孩每天都记着这件事情，觉得自己必须去救哥哥们。她一刻都不得安宁，最后终于秘密地出发，走到了外面广阔的世界。她不惜一切代价都要找到自己的哥哥们，把他们解救出来。她身上什么都没带，只带了一枚属于父母的小戒指作为纪念，一块面包以抵御饥寒，一小水罐的水用来止渴，一把小椅子以抵御疲惫。
她马不停蹄地往前走，走到了天边。她走到太阳跟前，但是它太过炙热，太过可怕，会把小孩生吞活剥了。她匆忙逃跑，又走到月亮跟前，但是月亮太冷了，生性邪恶，她看见小女孩，对她说：“我闻到了，我闻到了人类的肉香。”小女孩听见这句话，迅速地逃跑了。她又来到星星面前，星星们都很好，对她也很好。每颗星星都坐在自己的小椅子上。清晨时分，星星站起来，给了她一根鸡腿，说：“如果你没有这根鸡腿，就没办法打开玻璃山，你的哥哥们都在玻璃山里面。”
小女孩拿起鸡腿，用一块布把它小心地包裹起来，又继续往前走，最后来到了玻璃山。玻璃山的门紧紧关闭着，她想她应该把鸡腿拿出来，但是打开布之后，却发现里面空空如也，原来她弄丢了星星好心的礼物。她现在应该怎么办呢？她希望能救哥哥们，但是却没有玻璃山的钥匙。善良的妹妹拿出一把刀，割断了自己的一根小手指，放进门锁里，结果成功地打开了门。她进去之后，一个小矮人走过来，对她说：“我的孩子，你在找什么？”“我在找我的哥哥，他们是七只黑乌鸦，”她回答说。小矮人又说：“乌鸦公爵现在不在家，不过你可以在这里等他们回来，进来吧。”于是小矮人用七个小盘子和七个小杯子把乌鸦的晚餐端了进来。小女孩从每个盘子里吃了点东西，从每个玻璃杯里抿了一口水，但是，带出来的戒指不慎掉进了最后一个小杯子里。
突然，她听见翅膀呼呼拍动的声音，听见有什么东西从风中穿过，又听见小矮人说：“乌鸦公爵现在正在往家里飞。”很快，乌鸦们就到了玻璃山。他们想吃东西、喝水，都在找自己的小盘子和小杯子，一个接着一个地说：“谁动了我盘子里的东西？谁从我的杯子里喝水了？是人类的嘴动了我们的晚餐。”当第七只乌鸦喝完整杯水后，戒指在他的嘴上滚动。他看了一眼，认出它是父亲和母亲的戒指，便说道：“上帝保佑，希望我们的妹妹在这里，这样我们就可以重获自由了。”少女站在门背后看着他们，听见了这个愿望，便走了出来。这一瞬间，所有的乌鸦都还原成了人形。他们互相拥抱和亲吻，快快乐乐地回到家去。
The Clever Little Tailor 聪明的小裁缝
The Brothers Grimm
Once upon a time there was a princess who was ever so proud: if any man came to woo her she would set him a riddle, and if he couldn't guess it he was laughed to scorn and sent packing. She also had it made known that whoever did guess the answer to her riddle should marry her, no matter who he might be. And indeed, in the end it so happened that three tailors were making the attempt at the same time. The two eldest reckoned that as they had already successfully sewn many a delicate stitch, they could hardly go wrong and were bound to succeed here as well; the third was a feckless[7], giddy young fellow who didn't even know his trade properly but thought he was bound to have luck in this case, for if not, then what luck would he ever have in any other case. The two others said to him: “You'd better just stay at home, you with your feather-brain won't get far.”But the young tailor wouldn't be put off, saying that he had set his heart on this enterprise and would manage all right; and off he went, sauntering along as if the whole world belonged to him.
So all three of them appeared before the princess and asked her to put her riddle to them: she would find, they said, that she had met her match this time, because their wits were so sharp that you could thread a needle with them. So the princess said: “I have two kinds of hair on my head, what colors are they?” “That's easy,” said the first, “I think they're black and white, like the cloth they call pepper and salt.” The princess said: “You've guessed wrong; let the second of you answer.” So the second said:“If it's not black and white, then it's brown and red like my respected father's frock-coat.” “Wrong again,” said the princess. “Let the third of you answer, I can see he knows it for sure.” So the young tailor stepped forward boldly and said: “The princess has silver and gold hair on her head, and those are the two colors.” When the princess heard that, she turned pale and nearly fainted away in alarm, for the young tailor had guessed right, and she had been convinced that no one in the world would be able to do so. When she had recovered herself she said: “This still doesn't give you the right to marry me, there's something else you must do first. Down in the stable there's a bear, and you must spend the night with him. If you're still alive when I get up tomorrow morning, then you shall marry me.” But she thought that she would get rid of the young tailor in this way, because no one had ever got into this bear's clutches and lived to tell the tale. But the young tailor wasn't to be daunted. “Nothing venture[8], nothing win,” he commented cheerfully.
So that evening our young friend was taken down to the bear's den. And sure enough, the bear at once advanced on the little fellow, meaning to welcome him with a good swipe of his paw. “Not so fast, not so fast,” said the young tailor, “I'll soon take the steam out of you.” And in leisurely manner, as if he were quite unconcerned, he took some walnuts out of his pocket, cracked them open with his teeth and ate the kernels. When the bear saw this, his appetite was whetted and he wanted some nuts as well. The young tailor put his hand in his pocket and held out some to him: these, however, weren't nuts but pebbles. The bear stuck them in his mouth, but couldn't crack a single one of them, bite as he might. Goodness me, what a booby I am, thought the bear, I can't even crack nuts. And he said to the young tailor: “Hey, crack these nuts for me!” “There now, what a fellow you are!” said the tailor. “A big muzzle like that and you can't even crack a little nut!” And he took the stones, but nimbly put a nut into his mouth instead, and crack! He bit open the shell. “I must try that again,”said the bear. “To look at you doing it, you'd think I'd find it easy.” So the young tailor gave him another lot of pebbles, and the bear worked away at them, biting for dear life. But as you may imagine, they were more than he could crack. After this, the young tailor pulled out a fiddle from under his coat and began playing a tune on it. When the bear heard the music, he couldn't help himself and began to dance, and when he'd danced for a little he found himself enjoying it so much that he said to the tailor. “Tell me, is it difficult to play the fiddle?”“It's child's play: look, my left hand fingers the strings, my right hand scrapes away at them with the bow, and out comes a merry noise, tralala.” “Then I could dance whenever I liked. What do you say to that? Will you give me lessons?” “I'll be delighted to,” said the tailor,“If you have the skill for it. But let's have a look at your paws: they're a mighty length, I'll have to pare your nails down a bit.” So a vice was fetched, and the bear held out his paws, but the young tailor screwed them in tightly and said: “Now wait till I get the scissors.” So saying, he left the bear to stand there and growl[9], lay down in the corner on a pile of straw and went to sleep.
The princess, hearing the bear growl so loudly
that night, assumed that he must be growling with satisfaction, having made an end of the tailor. In the morning she got up feeling very pleased and not worried at all, but when she took a look at the stable there was the young tailor standing outside it cock-a-hoop and safe and sound. So then there was nothing more she could say, because she'd publicly promised to marry him; and the king sent for a carriage to take her and the tailor to church to be married. As they drove off, the other two tailors, who were false-hearted and envied him his good fortune, went into the stable and unscrewed the bear. The bear in a great rage charged off in pursuit of the carriage. The princess heard him growling and snorting and cried out in terror: “Oh, the bear's after us, he's coming to get you!” With great presence of mind the tailor stood on his head, stuck his legs out of the window and shouted: “Do you see this vice? If you don't clear off I'll screw you back into it.” When the bear saw that, he turned round and ran away. Our young friend then drove on to the church as calm as you like, and the princess gave him her hand at the altar, and he lived with her as happy as a woodlark. There's a fine of three marks for anyone who doesn't believe this story.
从前有一个公主，她非常骄傲自大：如果有男人胆敢追求她，她就出一道谜语，要是猜不出来，她就会大声嘲笑他，并把他赶走。她还宣布，要是有谁能猜中谜语，不管他是做什么的，她都会嫁给他。最后，有三个裁缝同时决定去向公主求婚。两个年龄比较大的裁缝想，他们已经成功做出了那么多美丽的衣裳，这次肯定不会出错，一定能猜出来；最小的那个裁缝是一个没什么计划的冒失鬼，衣服做得还不太好，但是他觉得，自己这次一定会有好运气。因为，如果他这次都没有好运气，以后什么事情才会有好运气呢？另外两个裁缝对他说：“你还是呆在家里吧，你那个榆木脑袋，做不成什么事情的。”但是，年轻的裁缝并没有受到这句话的影响，他说自己已经决心要去做这件事，就肯定要做好。然后他迈着轻快的步伐走了，仿佛整个世界都是他的一样。
于是，他们三个人一同出现在公主面前，让公主出谜语考他们。他们说，公主一定会发现，终于遇到了配得上自己的人，因为他们实在是心细如针。公主出题道：“我头上有两种头发，分别是什么颜色的？”“这道题太简单了，”第一个人说，“黑色和白色，就像我们用的黑白相间的布料。”公主说：“你猜错了，请第二个人猜吧。”第二个人说：“如果不是黑色和白色，那就是棕色和红色，就像我父亲大人的长礼服一样。”“又错了，”公主说，“让第三个人猜吧，我一看他就知道他知道答案。”年轻的裁缝大胆地向前走了一步，说：“公主头上的头发是银色和金色的，就是这两种颜色。”公主听到这句话，脸色瞬间变得苍白，既惊又怕，几乎要晕倒了，因为年轻的裁缝猜对了，而她之前一直深信，世界上没有人能猜得对。她回过神来之后，说：“你猜对了，但是你现在还没有跟我结婚的权利，你要先去做点事情。下面的马厩里有一只熊，你要跟他住一个晚上，明天早上我起床的时候如果你还活着，那你就能跟我结婚。”然而，她想的是，她可以用这种方式摆脱年轻的裁缝，因为凡是落入熊掌的人，还没有能活着出来的。但是，年轻的裁缝并没有被吓倒。“不入虎穴，焉得虎子。”他开心地说。
那天晚上，我们年轻的朋友就被带进了熊的洞穴。当然，熊一看见小裁缝，就走到他面前，想用爪子好好迎接一下他。“别这么快杀我，”年轻的裁缝说，“我很快就能让你安静下来。”他仿佛毫无顾虑一般，非常缓慢地从口袋里掏出一些核桃，用牙齿咬开它们，吃掉了核桃仁。熊看到他吃核桃，马上就受到了诱惑，也想吃一些核桃。年轻的裁缝把手放进口袋里，掏出一些递给他：但是这些不是核桃，而是鹅卵石。熊把鹅卵石放进嘴里，但是不管它怎么咬，却一个都咬不开。天啊，我真是个笨蛋，熊想，我连个核桃都咬不开。他对年轻的裁缝说：“嘿，你帮我把这些核桃咬开。”“这就对了嘛，现在你多友好。”裁缝说：“你嘴那么大，竟然连个核桃都咬不开！”他拿起石头，但是灵活地把一颗核桃放进了嘴里，咔地一声就咬开了。“我得再试试，”熊说，“看你咬，好像觉得挺容易的。”年轻的裁缝又给了他一些鹅卵石，熊开始死命地咬。但是，正如你所想象的那样，他根本不可能把鹅卵石咬开。这之后，年轻的裁缝又从衣服里拿出一把小提琴，开始演奏一首乐曲。熊听见音乐的时候，不由自主地跳起舞来。他跳了一会，发现自己乐在其中，就对裁缝说：“告诉我，拉小提琴难吗？”“小提琴啊，小孩子都会拉。你看，我用左手轻触琴弦，右手拉动琴弓，就会演奏出欢快的音乐，刷啦啦。”“那我可以想什么时候跳舞就什么时候跳舞了。你觉得怎么样，你愿意教我吗？”“我很愿意，”裁缝说，“如果你有这个能力的话。但是，我们先来看看你的爪子吧，它们太长了，我得把它们削去一点。”于是他让人拿来了一把老虎钳。熊伸出爪子来，可年轻的裁缝却把它们紧紧地固定在一起，说：“现在你等我去拿剪刀。”他一边说着这句话，一边离开了熊圈。熊躺在角落里的一堆稻草上大声咆哮，然后睡了过去。
公主那天晚上听见熊大声咆哮，以为是他吃掉了裁缝发出了满足的吼叫。早上起床后，她非常高兴，一点儿也不担心裁缝还活着。但是，她看了一眼马厩，发现年轻的裁缝居然毫发无伤，得意洋洋地站在外面。这下她就没什么好说的了，因为她已经公开答应了要跟他结婚。国王差人送来一辆马车，带她和裁缝去教堂结婚。他们把马车开走的时候，另外两个奸诈的裁缝羡慕小裁缝的好运气，便走进马厩，解开了熊的爪子。熊愤怒地一跃而起，从马车后面追赶而来。公主听到熊的怒吼和喘息，惊慌地大叫：“熊在我们后面，他来抓你了！”裁缝平心静气地倒立起来，把两条腿伸到窗户外面，大声喊道：“你看到这个老虎钳了吗？如果你不赶紧跑回去，我就把你的两个爪子再夹起来。”熊看见他的双腿后，立马转身跑了回去。我们年轻的朋友就这样镇定自若地驾着马车到了教堂，公主在圣坛上把手交给了他，他像一只云雀一样幸福地同她生活在一起。据说，谁要是不相信这个故事，脸上就会留下三条熊爪印。
The Three Languages 三种语言
The Brothers Grimm
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father: “Hark you, my son, try as I will I can get nothing into your head. You must go from hence;I will give you into the care of a celebrated master, who shall see what he can do with you.” The youth was sent into a strange town, and remained a whole year with the master. At the end of this time, he came home again, and his father asked: “Now, my son, what have you learnt?” “Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark.” “Lord have mercy on us!” cried the father;“is that all you have learnt? I will send you into another town, to another master.” The youth was taken thither, and stayed a year with this master likewise. When he came back the father again asked: “My son, what have you learnt?” He answered: “Father, I have learnt what the birds say.” Then the father fell into a rage and said: “Oh, you lost man, you have spent the precious time and learnt nothing; are you not ashamed to appear before my eyes? I will send you to a third master, but if you learn nothing this time also, I will no longer be your father.” The youth remained a whole year with the third master also, and when he came home again, and his father inquired: “My son, what have you learnt?” He answered: “Dear father, I have this year learnt what the frogs croak.” Then the father fell into the most furious anger, sprang up, called his people thither, and said: “This man is no longer my son, I drive him forth, and command you to take him out into the forest, and kill him.” They took him forth, but when they should have killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go, and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old man as a token[10].
The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where he begged for a night's lodging. “Yes,”said the lord of the castle, “if you will pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but I warn you, it is at the peril of your life, for it is full of wild dogs, which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man has to be given to them, whom they at once devour.” The whole district was in sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything to stop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said:“Just let me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw to them; they will do nothing to harm me.” As he himself would have it so, they gave him some food for the wild animals, and led him down to the tower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him, but wagged their tails quite amicably around him, ate what he set before them, and did not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, to the astonishment of everyone, he came out again safe and unharmed, and said to the lord of the castle: “The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, why they dwell there, and bring evil on the land. They are bewitched, and are obliged to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower, and they can have no rest until it is taken away, and I have likewise learnt, from their discourse, how that is to be done.” Then all who heard this rejoiced, and the lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it successfully. He went down again, and as he knew what he had to do, he did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more; they had disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble.
After some time he took it in his head that he would travel to Rome. On the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were sitting croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what they were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived in Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great doubt among the cardinals as to whom they should appoint as his successor. They at length agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should be distinguished by some divine and miraculous token. And just as that was decided on, the young count entered into the church, and suddenly two snow white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there. The ecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above, and asked him on the spot if he would be pope. He was undecided, and knew not if he were worthy of this, but the doves counseled him to do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he anointed [11]and consecrated [12], and thus was fulfilled what he had heard from the frogs on his way, which had so affected him, that he was to be his Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, and said it all in his ear.
从前，有一位生活在瑞士的年迈伯爵，他只有一个儿子，而这个儿子特别傻，什么都学不会。这位伯爵对他说：“听着，我的儿子，我怎么努力都没办法让你学到东西。从今以后，你必须离开，我会把你交给一位有名的师傅，看看他能让你学到什么。”之后，年轻人去了一个陌生的城镇，跟着那位师傅呆了一年。一年之后，他又回到家，他的父亲问道：“我的儿子，你学到什么了？”“父亲，我学到了狗叫是什么意思。”“天啊，可怜可怜我们吧！”父亲说，“你就学到了这些？我要把你送到另外一个镇子去，让另一位师傅教教你。”年轻人又被带到了另外一个镇上，跟这位师傅呆了一年。等他回来时，父亲又问他：“我的儿子，你学到了什么？”他回答说：“父亲，我学到了鸟儿的语言。”父亲听后勃然大怒，说：“烂泥扶不上墙，你浪费了宝贵的时间，还什么都没学到，你还好意思在我面前出现？我要把你送到第三个师傅那去，如果这次你还是什么都没学到，我就跟你断绝父子关系。”年轻人跟第三个师傅呆了一整年，当他再一次回家的时候，父亲问他：“我的儿子，你学到什么了？”他回答说：“亲爱的父亲，这一年我学的是青蛙的叫声。”父亲怒不可遏，气得跳了起来，叫来了手下，对他们说：“他以后不是我的儿子了，我命令你们把他带到森林里杀死。”手下把他带到了森林，他们本来应该杀了他，但是出于同情心，他们没有这么做，只是挖出了一头鹿的眼睛和舌头，带回老头那里作为信物。
年轻人在森林里徘徊，过了一会儿，来到了一座城堡面前，他请求主人让他在那里住一个晚上。“没问题。”城堡的主人说，“如果你愿意在下面的旧塔楼里住一晚上，我就可以收留你。但是我警告你，你可能会有生命危险；因为下面都是野狗，它们会不停地大叫。每过一段时间，我们就要给它们送一个活人，它们会狼吞虎咽地吃掉。”因为有了它们，整个地区都处于悲痛和惊恐之中，不过也没有人能对付它们。但是年轻人并不害怕，他说：“让我下去跟它们交流吧，给我一些可以扔给它们吃的东西；它们不会伤害我的。”由于他一直坚持，主人就给了他一些野狗的食物，带着他来到了高塔下面。他走进去的时候，狗并没有对他吼叫，反而友好地在他周围摇尾巴；他把什么东西放到它们面前，它们就吃什么，没有伤害他一根头发。第二天早上，他毫发无伤地走了出来，每个人都感到很惊讶。他对城堡的主人说：“狗已经用它们自己的语言告诉了我它们为什么会住在下面，为什么会给这片土地带来邪恶。它们被施了魔法，它们有义务看管塔底的一大笔宝物，在宝物被人拿出来之前，它们都无法休息。我还从它们的谈话中得知，这笔宝物应该怎样才能拿出来。”所有人听到这个消息都很高兴。城堡的公爵对他说，如果他能成功地把宝物拿出来，他就收他做儿子。他又来到了高塔下面，他知道自己要怎么做，所以做得万无一失，回来时带回了一大箱金子。从此之后，人们再也没有听见过野狗的嚎叫；它们消失了，国家又恢复了安宁。
过了一段时间，他决定去罗马旅行。路上经过一片沼泽地，里面有很多青蛙在叫。他听清它们的谈话之后，变得十分伤感，开始思考很多问题。最后，他终于来到了罗马，罗马的大主教刚刚去世，红衣主教正不知该选谁来做继承人。最后，他们都一致同意，选作大主教的人必须带有某种神圣的、奇迹般的信物。他们刚刚决定这一点，年轻的伯爵就走进了教堂，突然，两只雪白的鸽子飞到了他的肩膀上，一直坐在那里不动。牧师把两只鸽子看作上天的信物，当场就问他是否愿意当教皇。他犹豫不决，不知道自己是否能承担教皇的责任，但是两只鸽子建议他接受这个职位，于是他同意了。他被施以涂油礼，举行了任命仪式。他在路上听到的青蛙的话得到了验证。青蛙说他会成为大主教，这句话对他产生了很深的影响。然后他必须去唱弥撒曲，但是他根本不知道该怎么唱，而那两只鸽子就一直坐在他肩膀上，唱给他听。