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十二兄弟
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从前有一个国王和一个王后，他们幸福地生活在一起，并且生了十二个孩子，可这十二
个孩子全是男孩。国王对王后说：“你快要生第十三个孩子了。要是这个孩子是个女孩，我
就下令杀掉那十二个男孩，好让她得到更多的财产，并且让她继承王位。”国王不只是说说
而已，他甚至让人做了十二副棺材，在棺材里装满刨花，还在里面放上一个小寿枕。他让人
把棺材全部锁进一个密室，把秘室的钥匙交给王后，不许她告诉任何人。
做母亲的现在整天坐在那里伤心，终于有一天，一直和她呆在一起的最小的儿子――她
给他起了个《圣经》上的名字便雅明――问她：“亲爱的妈妈，你为什么这样忧伤？”“亲
爱的孩子，”她回答，“我不能告诉你。”可是便雅明老是缠着王后，终于逼得她打开了密
室，让他看了那十二副里面装满了刨花的棺材。她随后说：“我亲爱的便雅明，这些棺材是
你父亲为你和你的十一个哥哥准备的，因为如果我生下一个小妹妹，你们就会被杀死，用这
些棺材埋葬掉。”她边说边哭，便雅明安慰她说：“别哭了，亲爱的妈妈，我们不会被杀死
的。我们可以逃走。”可是王后说：“你和十一个哥哥逃到森林里去吧！你们要时刻派人在
能找到的最高的树上放哨，注视城堡里的高塔。如果我生下的是个小弟弟，我就升起一面白
旗，你们就可以回来了。如果我生下的是个小妹妹，我就升起一面红旗，你们就赶紧远走高
飞，愿上帝保佑你们。我每天晚上都会起来为你们祈祷，祈祷你们在冬天能有炉火暖暖身
子，祈祷你们在夏天不要中暑。”
在接受了母亲的祝福之后，十二位王子便来到了森林里。他们一个个轮流放哨，坐在最
高的橡树上，望着王宫里的高塔。十一天过去了，轮到便雅明放哨。他看到高塔上升起了一
面旗子，可这旗子不是白色的，而是血红色的，这意味着他们只有死路一条。当便雅明的哥
哥们听到这个消息后都气坏了，说：“难道要我们大家为一个女孩去死吗？我们发誓要为自
己报仇，不管在什么地方，只要见到女孩，就一定让她流出鲜红的血液！”
于是，他们便向森林的深处走去，在森林中最黑暗的地方发现了一座被人使了魔法的小
空屋。他们说：“我们就住在这里。便雅明，你是我们当中年纪最小、身子最弱的，所以你
就呆在家里看家，我们其他人出去找吃的东西。”随后，他们走进林子去射野兔、野鹿、各
种各样的鸟和鸽子，并且寻找任何可以吃的东西，一起带回来给便雅明，让他做好了给大家
填肚子。他们在这小屋子里一起生活了十年，并没有感到时间很长。
王后生下的小姑娘现在也长大了。她心地善良，美丽可爱，额头上还有一颗金色的星
星。一天大扫除，她看到洗的衣服里有十二件男衬衣，便问她的妈妈：“这些衬衣是谁穿的
呀？它们太小了，肯定不是爸爸穿的。”王后心情沉重地回答：“亲爱的孩子，这些是你十
二个哥哥的衣服。”小姑娘说：“我的十二个哥哥在哪里呀？我怎么从来没有听说过他们
呀？”王后回答：“他们四处流浪，只有上帝才知道他们在哪里。”说着，王后把小姑娘带
到密室那里，打开门，让她看了里面装着刨花和寿枕的十二副棺材。她说：“这些棺材是为
你的哥哥们准备的，但他们在你出世前偷偷逃跑了。”王后把事情的的经过原原本本地告诉
了小姑娘，而小姑娘则说：“不要伤心，亲爱的妈妈。我去把哥哥们找回来。”
于是，她带上那十二件衬衣，径直向森林走去。她走了整整一天，傍晚时来到了这座被
人使了魔法的小屋。她走进小屋，看到里面有个少年。看到她长得非常漂亮，而且身上穿着
华丽的衣服，额头上还有一颗金色的星星，少年感到很惊讶，便问：“你从哪里来？要到哪
里去？”她回答：“我是公主，在寻找我的十二个哥哥。哪怕是走到天涯海角，我也一定要
找到他们。”她说着便拿出他们的十二件衬衣给他看，便雅明这才知道她是他的妹妹。他
说：“我叫便雅明，是你最小的哥哥。”公主高兴得哭了起来，便雅明也流下了热泪。他们
亲热地又是亲吻又是拥抱。过了一会儿，便雅明说：“亲爱的妹妹，我们还有一件麻烦事。
我们十二个人发过誓，要杀掉我们见到的任何一个姑娘，因为我们就是为了一个女孩而被迫
逃离王国的。”她说：“只要能救我的十二个哥哥，我愿意去死。”
“不行，”便雅明回答，“你不会死的。你先躲在这只桶下面，等十一个哥哥回来，我
会说服他们的。”
于是，公主便躲到了桶下面。晚上，另外十一位王子打猎回来时，便雅明已经把晚饭做
好了。他们在桌子旁坐下来，边吃边问：“有什么新闻吗？”便雅明说：“难道你们什么也
不知道？”“没有，”他们回答。便雅明说：“你们去了森林，我一个人呆在家里，可我知
道的却比你们知道的还要多。”“快告诉我们吧，”他们嚷道。他说：“不过你们得向我保
证，决不杀死见到的第一个女孩。”“好的，”他们一起说，“我们饶了她。快把新闻告诉
我们吧。”
便雅明说：“我们的妹妹来了！”然后，他提起木桶，公主从里面走出来了。只见她穿
着华丽的衣服，额头上有一颗金色的星星，显得非常美丽、温柔、文雅。他们一个个喜出望
外，搂着她的脖子，亲吻她，真心实意地爱她。
从此，她便和便雅明呆在家里，帮他做家务。十一个哥哥去森林里打猎，抓来鹿、斑鸠
和别的鸟，让小妹妹和便雅明仔细烧好了填肚子。小姑娘出去捡柴火，采来花草当蔬菜，把
锅子放在火塘上，总是在十一个哥哥回来之前把饭菜做好。她还收拾小屋，给小床铺上了漂
漂亮亮、干干净净的床单。哥哥们对她非常满意，和她快乐地生活在一起。
有一天，留在家里的公主和便雅明做了一顿非常丰盛的饭菜，等着哥哥们回来后一起坐
下来开心地又吃又喝。这座被人使了魔法的屋子有个小花园，里面开着十二朵百合花。公主
想让哥哥们高兴一下，便摘下了那十二朵花，准备在吃晚饭时送给每位哥哥一朵。但是，就
在她摘下那些百合花的同时，十二个哥哥变成了十二只乌鸦，从森林上空飞了过去。屋子和
花园也立刻消失了，荒凉的森林里现在只剩下了公主一个人。她朝四周看了看，见身边站着
一位老太婆。老太婆说：“我的孩子，瞧你都干了些什么！你为什么不让那些花长在那儿
呢？那些花就是你的哥哥呀。他们现在要永远变成乌鸦了。”
小姑娘哭着问：“难道没有办法救他们了吗？”
“没有，”老太婆说，“这个世界上只有一个办法能救你的哥哥们，可这个办法太难
了，你不会愿意用这个办法救他们的，因为你要做七年哑巴，不能说话也不能笑。要是你说
了一个字，哪怕是离七年只有一个小时，你的一切努力都会付诸东流――他们会因你说了一
个字而全部死掉。”
公主心中想：“我知道，我一定能救活我的哥哥们。”于是，她就走到一棵大树旁，爬
上去坐在上面纺纱，既不说话也不笑。说来也巧，一位年轻的国王打猎来到了这座森林。国
王有条大狼犬，它跑到公主坐着的大树下，不停地围着大树跳上跳下，对着姑娘吠叫不止。
国王跟了过来，看到了额头上有金色星星的美丽公主，一下子就被她的美貌迷住了。他大声
问她愿不愿意做他的妻子。她没有开口回答，但微微点了点头。于是，国王便亲自爬到树
上，把她抱下来放到马背上，带着她回到宫中。庄严的婚礼壮观而又热闹，可新娘却既不说
话也不欢笑。他们一起幸福地生活了好几年。国王的母亲是个邪恶的女人，开始说新王后的
坏话了，她对国王说：“你带回来的姑娘是个穷要饭的。谁知道她在搞什么鬼名堂呢！就算
她是个哑巴，就算她不会说话，可她总能笑一笑吧？从来不笑的人一定心肠很坏！”国王起
初不相信这些话，可他的母亲一直在他的面前念叨，而且总是说王后干了这样那样的坏事，
到后来，国王终于被蒙住了，而且判了王后死刑。
王宫的院子里点燃了一大堆火，王后将被这堆火烧死。国王站在楼上的窗口前，眼泪汪
汪地看着，因为他仍然深深地爱着王后。就在王后被紧紧地绑在火刑架上，红红的火舌开始
吞噬她的衣裳时，七年的最后一刹那终于过去了。空中传来了一阵呼啦呼啦的声音，十二只
乌鸦飞到这里落了下来。它们刚落地就变成了王后的十二个哥哥。他们拆掉火堆，扑灭火
焰，把他们的好妹妹放了下来，并且亲吻她、拥抱她。王后现在终于能开口说话了，她把自
己当哑巴、从来不笑的原因告诉了国王。国王知道她清白无辜后，非常高兴，与她幸福地生
活在一起，直到白发千古。国王那邪恶的母亲受到了审判，被塞进一只装着沸油和毒蛇的大
桶，死得很惨。
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10 /The Pack of Ragamuffins
The cock once said to the hen, "It is now the time when our nuts are ripe, so let us go to the hill together and for once eat our fill before the squirrel takes them all away." "Yes," replied the hen, "come, we will have some pleasure together." Then they went away to the hill, and on it was a bright day they stayed till evening. Now I do not know whether it was that they had eaten till they were too fat, or whether they had become proud, but they would not go home on foot, and the cock had to build a little carriage of nut-shells. When it was ready, the little hen seated herself in it and said to the cock, "Thou canst just harness thyself to it." "I like that!" said the cock, "I would rather go home on foot than let myself be harnessed to it; no, that is not our bargain. I do not mind being coachman and sitting on the box, but drag it myself I will not."
As they were thus disputing, a duck quacked to them, "You thieving folks, who bade you go to my nut-hill? Well, you shall suffer for it!" and ran with open beak at the cock. But the cock also was not idle, and fell boldly on the duck, and at last wounded her so with his spurs that she also begged for mercy, and willingly let herself be harnessed to the carriage as a punishment. The little cock now seated himself on the box and was coachman, and thereupon they went off in a gallop, with "Duck, go as fast as thou canst." When they had driven a part of the way they met two foot-passengers, a pin and a needle. They cried, "Stop! stop!" and said that it would soon be as dark as pitch, and then they could not go a step further, and that it was so dirty on the road, and asked if they could not get into the carriage for a while. They had been at the tailor's public- house by the gate, and had stayed too long over the beer. As they were thin people, who did not take up much room, the cock let them both get in, but they had to promise him and his little hen not to step on their feet. Late in the evening they came to an inn, and as they did not like to go further by night, and as the duck also was not strong on her feet, and fell from one side to the other, they went in. The host at first made many objections, his house was already full, besides he thought they could not be very distinguished persons; but at last, as they made pleasant speeches, and told him that he should have the egg which the little hen has laid on the way, and should likewise keep the duck, which laid one every day, he at length said that they might stay the night. And now they had themselves well served, and feasted and rioted. Early in the morning, when day was breaking, and every one was asleep, the cock awoke the hen, brought the egg, pecked it open, and they ate it together, but they threw the shell on the hearth. Then they went to the needle which was still asleep, took it by the head and stuck it into the cushion of the landlord's chair, and put the pin in his towel, and at the last without more ado they flew away over the heath. The duck who liked to sleep in the open air and had stayed in the yard, heard them going away, made herself merry and found a stream, down which she swam, which was a much quicker way of travelling than being harnessed to a carriage. The host did not get out of bed for two hours after this; he washed himself and wanted to dry himself, then the pin went over his face and made a red streak from one ear to the other. After this he went into the kitchen and wanted to light a pipe, but when he came to the hearth the egg-shell darted into his eyes. "This morning everything attacks my head, " said he, and angrily sat down on his grandfather's chair, but he quickly started up again and cried, "Woe is me, " for the needle had pricked him still worse than the pin, and not in the head. Now he was thoroughly angry, and suspected the guests who had come so late the night before, and when he went and looked about for them, they were gone. Then he made a vow to take no more ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much, pay for nothing, and play mischievous tricks into the bargain by way of gratitude.
The cock once said to the hen, "It is now the time when our nuts are ripe, so let us go to the hill together and for once eat our fill before the squirrel takes them all away." "Yes," replied the hen, "come, we will have some pleasure together." Then they went away to the hill, and on it was a bright day they stayed till evening. Now I do not know whether it was that they had eaten till they were too fat, or whether they had become proud, but they would not go home on foot, and the cock had to build a little carriage of nut-shells. When it was ready, the little hen seated herself in it and said to the cock, "Thou canst just harness thyself to it." "I like that!" said the cock, "I would rather go home on foot than let myself be harnessed to it; no, that is not our bargain. I do not mind being coachman and sitting on the box, but drag it myself I will not."
As they were thus disputing, a duck quacked to them, "You thieving folks, who bade you go to my nut-hill? Well, you shall suffer for it!" and ran with open beak at the cock. But the cock also was not idle, and fell boldly on the duck, and at last wounded her so with his spurs that she also begged for mercy, and willingly let herself be harnessed to the carriage as a punishment. The little cock now seated himself on the box and was coachman, and thereupon they went off in a gallop, with "Duck, go as fast as thou canst." When they had driven a part of the way they met two foot-passengers, a pin and a needle. They cried, "Stop! stop!" and said that it would soon be as dark as pitch, and then they could not go a step further, and that it was so dirty on the road, and asked if they could not get into the carriage for a while. They had been at the tailor's public- house by the gate, and had stayed too long over the beer. As they were thin people, who did not take up much room, the cock let them both get in, but they had to promise him and his little hen not to step on their feet. Late in the evening they came to an inn, and as they did not like to go further by night, and as the duck also was not strong on her feet, and fell from one side to the other, they went in. The host at first made many objections, his house was already full, besides he thought they could not be very distinguished persons; but at last, as they made pleasant speeches, and told him that he should have the egg which the little hen has laid on the way, and should likewise keep the duck, which laid one every day, he at length said that they might stay the night. And now they had themselves well served, and feasted and rioted. Early in the morning, when day was breaking, and every one was asleep, the cock awoke the hen, brought the egg, pecked it open, and they ate it together, but they threw the shell on the hearth. Then they went to the needle which was still asleep, took it by the head and stuck it into the cushion of the landlord's chair, and put the pin in his towel, and at the last without more ado they flew away over the heath. The duck who liked to sleep in the open air and had stayed in the yard, heard them going away, made herself merry and found a stream, down which she swam, which was a much quicker way of travelling than being harnessed to a carriage. The host did not get out of bed for two hours after this; he washed himself and wanted to dry himself, then the pin went over his face and made a red streak from one ear to the other. After this he went into the kitchen and wanted to light a pipe, but when he came to the hearth the egg-shell darted into his eyes. "This morning everything attacks my head, " said he, and angrily sat down on his grandfather's chair, but he quickly started up again and cried, "Woe is me, " for the needle had pricked him still worse than the pin, and not in the head. Now he was thoroughly angry, and suspected the guests who had come so late the night before, and when he went and looked about for them, they were gone. Then he made a vow to take no more ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much, pay for nothing, and play mischievous tricks into the bargain by way of gratitude.
一群二流子
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有一次，公鸡对母鸡说：“现在正是核桃成熟的时候，我们要趁着松鼠还没有把核桃全
部吃完，赶紧进山去吃个够。”“对呀，”母鸡答道，“走吧，我们可以好好地享受享
受。”它们于是就上了山，而且因为天气晴朗，一直在山上呆到天黑。不知道它们究竟是因
为吃多了撑着呢，还是因为它们突然变得心高气傲起来，它们竟然不愿意步行回家。公鸡用
核桃壳做了一辆小车。车子做好后，小母鸡坐了上去对公鸡说：“你只管在前面拉车吧。”
“让我拉车？”公鸡嚷了起来，“我宁愿步行回家也不愿意拉车。不行，我决不答应！要我
坐在车上当个车夫还可以，可要我拉车，这根本不可能。”
就在它们这样争论的时候，一只鸭子嘎嘎嘎地叫着对它们说：“你们这两个小偷，是谁
同意你们上我的核桃山的？等着，我要让你们吃点苦头！”它说着便张开阔嘴，向公鸡扑过
去。但是公鸡并非等闲之辈，毫不示弱地向鸭子反击，对着鸭子猛踢猛蹬，弄得鸭子只好低
头求饶，并且愿意接受惩罚，给它们拉车。小公鸡坐在车夫的位子上，高高地叫了一声：
“鸭子，尽量给我跑快点！”小车便飞快地向前驶去。他们走了一程后，遇到了两个赶路
的，一个是大头针，一个是缝衣针。“停一停，停一停！”它俩喊道。然后又说，天快要黑
了，它们寸步难行，而且路上又脏得要命，所以问能不能搭一会儿车。它俩还说，它们在城
门口裁缝们常去的酒店里喝啤酒，结果呆得太晚了。由于它俩都骨瘦如柴，占不了多少位
子，公鸡便让它们上了车，条件是要它们保证不踩到它和母鸡的脚。天黑了很久以后，它们
来到了一家旅店前。它们不愿意在黑夜里继续赶路，再加上鸭子的脚力又不行，跑起来已经
是左摇右摆，它们便进了店里。店主人起初提出了许多异议，说什么店已经住满了，而且他
觉得它们不是什么高贵的客人。可它们说了很多好话，说要把小母鸡在路上生的鸡蛋给他，
还把每天能生一只蛋的鸭子留给他，他终于答应让它们在店里过夜。第二天清早，天刚蒙蒙
亮，大家都还在睡梦中，公鸡却叫醒了母鸡，取出那只鸡蛋，把它啄破，和母鸡一起把蛋吃
进了肚子，再把蛋壳扔进火炉。然后，它们来到还在沉睡的缝衣针旁，抓住它的脑袋，把它
插进店老板椅子的坐垫中，又把大头针插在店老板的毛巾里。做完这些后，公鸡和母鸡便飞
快地逃走了。鸭子因为喜欢睡在露天，所以晚上一直呆在院子里，没有进屋。它听到公鸡和
母鸡逃跑了，心里万分高兴。它找到一条小溪，顺着它游了下去――这种旅行的方法当然要
比拉车快多了。几个小时之后，店老板才起来。他洗了洗脸，准备用毛巾擦一擦，结果大头
针从他的脸上划过，在他的脸上留下了一道直至耳根的长长的血印。他走进厨房，想点燃烟
斗，可当他走到火炉旁时，鸡蛋壳从火炉里蹦了出来，碰到了他的眼睛。“今天早晨好像什
么都跟我过不去。”他说，同时气呼呼地在他爷爷留给他的椅子上坐了下来。可他立刻又跳
了起来，而且叫着：“哎哟！哎哟！”那缝衣针虽然没有扎着他的脸，却比大头针扎得更厉
害。他现在真的气坏了，不由得怀疑起昨天很晚才住进店来的那帮客人。他去找它们，结果
发现它们早已逃得无影无踪了。他于是发誓说，他的店里今后决不再接待任何二流子，因为
这帮家伙吃得多，不付一分钱，而且还忘恩负义地对你做恶作剧。
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11 / Brother and Sister
Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, "Since our mother died we have had no happiness; our step-mother beats us every day, and if we come near her she kicks us away with her foot. Our meals are the hard crusts of bread that are left over; and the little dog under the table is better off, for she often throws it a nice bit. May Heaven pity us. If our mother only knew! Come, we will go forth together into the wide world."
They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stony places; and when it rained the little sister said, "Heaven and our hearts are weeping together." In the evening they came to a large forest, and they were so weary with sorrow and hunger and the long walk, that they lay down in a hollow tree and fell asleep.
The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, and shone down hot into the tree. Then the brother said, "Sister, I am thirsty; if I knew of a little brook I would go and just take a drink; I think I hear one running." The brother got up and took the little sister by the hand, and they set off to find the brook.
But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen how the two children had gone away, and had crept after them privily, as witches do creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest.
Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the stones, the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sister heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a tiger; who drinks of me will be a tiger." Then the sister cried, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces." The brother did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but said, "I will wait for the next spring."
When they came to the next brook the sister heard this also say, "Who drinks of me will be a wolf; who drinks of me will be a wolf." Then the sister cried out, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wolf, and devour me." The brother did not drink, and said, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what you like; for my thirst is too great."
And when they came to the third brook the sister heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a roebuck; who drinks of me will be a roebuck." The sister said, "Oh, I pray you, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a roebuck, and run away from me." But the brother had knelt down at once by the brook, and had bent down and drunk some of the water, and as soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay there a young roebuck.
And now the sister wept over her poor bewitched brother, and the little roe wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But at last the girl said, "Be quiet, dear little roe, I will never, never leave you."
Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck's neck, and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. With this she tied the little beast and led it on, and she walked deeper and deeper into the forest.
And when they had gone a very long way they came at last to a little house, and the girl looked in; and as it was empty, she thought, "We can stay here and live." Then she sought for leaves and moss to make a soft bed for the roe; and every morning she went out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, and brought tender grass for the roe, who ate out of her hand, and was content and played round about her. In the evening, when the sister was tired, and had said her prayer, she laid her head upon the roebuck's back: that was her pillow, and she slept softly on it. And if only the brother had had his human form it would have been a delightful life.
For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. But it happened that the King of the country held a great hunt in the forest. Then the blasts of the horns, the barking of dogs, and the merry shouts of the huntsmen rang through the trees, and the roebuck heard all, and was only too anxious to be there. "Oh," said he, to his sister, "let me be off to the hunt, I cannot bear it any longer;" and he begged so much that at last she agreed. "But," said she to him, "come back to me in the evening; I must shut my door for fear of the rough huntsmen, so knock and say, 'My little sister, let me in!' that I may know you; and if you do not say that, I shall not open the door." Then the young roebuck sprang away; so happy was he and so merry in the open air.
The King and the huntsmen saw the pretty creature, and started after him, but they could not catch him, and when they thought that they surely had him, away he sprang through the bushes and could not be seen. When it was dark he ran to the cottage, knocked, and said, "My little sister, let me in." Then the door was opened for him, and he jumped in, and rested himself the whole night through upon his soft bed.
The next day the hunt went on afresh, and when the roebuck again heard the bugle-horn, and the ho! ho! of the huntsmen, he had no peace, but said, "Sister, let me out, I must be off." His sister opened the door for him, and said, "But you must be here again in the evening and say your pass-word."
When the King and his huntsmen again saw the young roebuck with the golden collar, they all chased him, but he was too quick and nimble for them. This went on for the whole day, but at last by the evening the huntsmen had surrounded him, and one of them wounded him a little in the foot, so that he limped and ran slowly. Then a hunter crept after him to the cottage and heard how he said, "My little sister, let me in," and saw that the door was opened for him, and was shut again at once. The huntsman took notice of it all, and went to the King and told him what he had seen and heard. Then the King said, "To-morrow we will hunt once more."
The little sister, however, was dreadfully frightened when she saw that her fawn was hurt. She washed the blood off him, laid herbs on the wound, and said, "Go to your bed, dear roe, that you may get well again." But the wound was so slight that the roebuck, next morning, did not feel it any more. And when he again heard the sport outside, he said, "I cannot bear it, I must be there; they shall not find it so easy to catch me." The sister cried, and said, "This time they will kill you, and here am I alone in the forest and forsaken by all the world. I will not let you out." "Then you will have me die of grief," answered the roe; "when I hear the bugle-horns I feel as if I must jump out of my skin." Then the sister could not do otherwise, but opened the door for him with a heavy heart, and the roebuck, full of health and joy, bounded into the forest.
When the King saw him, he said to his huntsmen, "Now chase him all day long till night-fall, but take care that no one does him any harm."
As soon as the sun had set, the King said to the huntsman, "Now come and show me the cottage in the wood;" and when he was at the door, he knocked and called out, "Dear little sister, let me in." Then the door opened, and the King walked in, and there stood a maiden more lovely than any he had ever seen. The maiden was frightened when she saw, not her little roe, but a man come in who wore a golden crown upon his head. But the King looked kindly at her, stretched out his hand, and said, "Will you go with me to my palace and be my dear wife?" "Yes, indeed," answered the maiden, "but the little roe must go with me, I cannot leave him." The King said, "It shall stay with you as long as you live, and shall want nothing." Just then he came running in, and the sister again tied him with the cord of rushes, took it in her own hand, and went away with the King from the cottage.
The King took the lovely maiden upon his horse and carried her to his palace, where the wedding was held with great pomp. She was now the Queen, and they lived for a long time happily together; the roebuck was tended and cherished, and ran about in the palace-garden.
But the wicked step-mother, because of whom the children had gone out into the world, thought all the time that the sister had been torn to pieces by the wild beasts in the wood, and that the brother had been shot for a roebuck by the huntsmen. Now when she heard that they were so happy, and so well off, envy and hatred rose in her heart and left her no peace, and she thought of nothing but how she could bring them again to misfortune. Her own daughter, who was ugly as night, and had only one eye, grumbled at her and said, "A Queen! that ought to have been my luck." "Only be quiet," answered the old woman, and comforted her by saying, "when the time comes I shall be ready."
As time went on, the Queen had a pretty little boy, and it happened that the King was out hunting; so the old witch took the form of the chamber-maid, went into the room where the Queen lay, and said to her, "Come, the bath is ready; it will do you good, and give you fresh strength; make haste before it gets cold."
The daughter also was close by; so they carried the weakly Queen into the bath-room, and put her into the bath; then they shut the door and ran away. But in the bath-room they had made a fire of such deadly heat that the beautiful young Queen was soon suffocated.
When this was done the old woman took her daughter, put a nightcap on her head, and laid her in bed in place of the Queen. She gave her too the shape and the look of the Queen, only she could not make good the lost eye. But in order that the King might not see it, she was to lie on the side on which she had no eye.
In the evening when he came home and heard that he had a son he was heartily glad, and was going to the bed of his dear wife to see how she was. But the old woman quickly called out, "For your life leave the curtains closed; the Queen ought not to see the light yet, and must have rest." The King went away, and did not find out that a false Queen was lying in the bed.
But at midnight, when all slept, the nurse, who was sitting in the nursery by the cradle, and who was the only person awake, saw the door open and the true Queen walk in. She took the child out of the cradle, laid it on her arm, and suckled it. Then she shook up its pillow, laid the child down again, and covered it with the little quilt. And she did not forget the roebuck, but went into the corner where it lay, and stroked its back. Then she went quite silently out of the door again. The next morning the nurse asked the guards whether anyone had come into the palace during the night, but they answered, "No, we have seen no one."
She came thus many nights and never spoke a word: the nurse always saw her, but she did not dare to tell anyone about it.
When some time had passed in this manner, the Queen began to speak in the night, and said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
Twice shall I come, then never more."
The nurse did not answer, but when the Queen had gone again, went to the King and told him all. The King said, "Ah, heavens! what is this? To-morrow night I will watch by the child." In the evening he went into the nursery, and at midnight the Queen again appeared and said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
Once will I come, then never more."
And she nursed the child as she was wont to do before she disappeared. The King dared not speak to her, but on the next night he watched again. Then she said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
This time I come, then never more."
Then the King could not restrain himself; he sprang towards her, and said, "You can be none other than my dear wife." She answered, "Yes, I am your dear wife," and at the same moment she received life again, and by God's grace became fresh, rosy, and full of health.
Then she told the King the evil deed which the wicked witch and her daughter had been guilty of towards her. The King ordered both to be led before the judge, and judgment was delivered against them. The daughter was taken into the forest where she was torn to pieces by wild beasts, but the witch was cast into the fire and miserably burnt. And as soon as she was burnt the roebuck changed his shape, and received his human form again, so the sister and brother lived happily together all their lives.
Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, "Since our mother died we have had no happiness; our step-mother beats us every day, and if we come near her she kicks us away with her foot. Our meals are the hard crusts of bread that are left over; and the little dog under the table is better off, for she often throws it a nice bit. May Heaven pity us. If our mother only knew! Come, we will go forth together into the wide world."
They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stony places; and when it rained the little sister said, "Heaven and our hearts are weeping together." In the evening they came to a large forest, and they were so weary with sorrow and hunger and the long walk, that they lay down in a hollow tree and fell asleep.
The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, and shone down hot into the tree. Then the brother said, "Sister, I am thirsty; if I knew of a little brook I would go and just take a drink; I think I hear one running." The brother got up and took the little sister by the hand, and they set off to find the brook.
But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen how the two children had gone away, and had crept after them privily, as witches do creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest.
Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the stones, the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sister heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a tiger; who drinks of me will be a tiger." Then the sister cried, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces." The brother did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but said, "I will wait for the next spring."
When they came to the next brook the sister heard this also say, "Who drinks of me will be a wolf; who drinks of me will be a wolf." Then the sister cried out, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a wolf, and devour me." The brother did not drink, and said, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what you like; for my thirst is too great."
And when they came to the third brook the sister heard how it said as it ran, "Who drinks of me will be a roebuck; who drinks of me will be a roebuck." The sister said, "Oh, I pray you, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become a roebuck, and run away from me." But the brother had knelt down at once by the brook, and had bent down and drunk some of the water, and as soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay there a young roebuck.
And now the sister wept over her poor bewitched brother, and the little roe wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But at last the girl said, "Be quiet, dear little roe, I will never, never leave you."
Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck's neck, and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. With this she tied the little beast and led it on, and she walked deeper and deeper into the forest.
And when they had gone a very long way they came at last to a little house, and the girl looked in; and as it was empty, she thought, "We can stay here and live." Then she sought for leaves and moss to make a soft bed for the roe; and every morning she went out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, and brought tender grass for the roe, who ate out of her hand, and was content and played round about her. In the evening, when the sister was tired, and had said her prayer, she laid her head upon the roebuck's back: that was her pillow, and she slept softly on it. And if only the brother had had his human form it would have been a delightful life.
For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. But it happened that the King of the country held a great hunt in the forest. Then the blasts of the horns, the barking of dogs, and the merry shouts of the huntsmen rang through the trees, and the roebuck heard all, and was only too anxious to be there. "Oh," said he, to his sister, "let me be off to the hunt, I cannot bear it any longer;" and he begged so much that at last she agreed. "But," said she to him, "come back to me in the evening; I must shut my door for fear of the rough huntsmen, so knock and say, 'My little sister, let me in!' that I may know you; and if you do not say that, I shall not open the door." Then the young roebuck sprang away; so happy was he and so merry in the open air.
The King and the huntsmen saw the pretty creature, and started after him, but they could not catch him, and when they thought that they surely had him, away he sprang through the bushes and could not be seen. When it was dark he ran to the cottage, knocked, and said, "My little sister, let me in." Then the door was opened for him, and he jumped in, and rested himself the whole night through upon his soft bed.
The next day the hunt went on afresh, and when the roebuck again heard the bugle-horn, and the ho! ho! of the huntsmen, he had no peace, but said, "Sister, let me out, I must be off." His sister opened the door for him, and said, "But you must be here again in the evening and say your pass-word."
When the King and his huntsmen again saw the young roebuck with the golden collar, they all chased him, but he was too quick and nimble for them. This went on for the whole day, but at last by the evening the huntsmen had surrounded him, and one of them wounded him a little in the foot, so that he limped and ran slowly. Then a hunter crept after him to the cottage and heard how he said, "My little sister, let me in," and saw that the door was opened for him, and was shut again at once. The huntsman took notice of it all, and went to the King and told him what he had seen and heard. Then the King said, "To-morrow we will hunt once more."
The little sister, however, was dreadfully frightened when she saw that her fawn was hurt. She washed the blood off him, laid herbs on the wound, and said, "Go to your bed, dear roe, that you may get well again." But the wound was so slight that the roebuck, next morning, did not feel it any more. And when he again heard the sport outside, he said, "I cannot bear it, I must be there; they shall not find it so easy to catch me." The sister cried, and said, "This time they will kill you, and here am I alone in the forest and forsaken by all the world. I will not let you out." "Then you will have me die of grief," answered the roe; "when I hear the bugle-horns I feel as if I must jump out of my skin." Then the sister could not do otherwise, but opened the door for him with a heavy heart, and the roebuck, full of health and joy, bounded into the forest.
When the King saw him, he said to his huntsmen, "Now chase him all day long till night-fall, but take care that no one does him any harm."
As soon as the sun had set, the King said to the huntsman, "Now come and show me the cottage in the wood;" and when he was at the door, he knocked and called out, "Dear little sister, let me in." Then the door opened, and the King walked in, and there stood a maiden more lovely than any he had ever seen. The maiden was frightened when she saw, not her little roe, but a man come in who wore a golden crown upon his head. But the King looked kindly at her, stretched out his hand, and said, "Will you go with me to my palace and be my dear wife?" "Yes, indeed," answered the maiden, "but the little roe must go with me, I cannot leave him." The King said, "It shall stay with you as long as you live, and shall want nothing." Just then he came running in, and the sister again tied him with the cord of rushes, took it in her own hand, and went away with the King from the cottage.
The King took the lovely maiden upon his horse and carried her to his palace, where the wedding was held with great pomp. She was now the Queen, and they lived for a long time happily together; the roebuck was tended and cherished, and ran about in the palace-garden.
But the wicked step-mother, because of whom the children had gone out into the world, thought all the time that the sister had been torn to pieces by the wild beasts in the wood, and that the brother had been shot for a roebuck by the huntsmen. Now when she heard that they were so happy, and so well off, envy and hatred rose in her heart and left her no peace, and she thought of nothing but how she could bring them again to misfortune. Her own daughter, who was ugly as night, and had only one eye, grumbled at her and said, "A Queen! that ought to have been my luck." "Only be quiet," answered the old woman, and comforted her by saying, "when the time comes I shall be ready."
As time went on, the Queen had a pretty little boy, and it happened that the King was out hunting; so the old witch took the form of the chamber-maid, went into the room where the Queen lay, and said to her, "Come, the bath is ready; it will do you good, and give you fresh strength; make haste before it gets cold."
The daughter also was close by; so they carried the weakly Queen into the bath-room, and put her into the bath; then they shut the door and ran away. But in the bath-room they had made a fire of such deadly heat that the beautiful young Queen was soon suffocated.
When this was done the old woman took her daughter, put a nightcap on her head, and laid her in bed in place of the Queen. She gave her too the shape and the look of the Queen, only she could not make good the lost eye. But in order that the King might not see it, she was to lie on the side on which she had no eye.
In the evening when he came home and heard that he had a son he was heartily glad, and was going to the bed of his dear wife to see how she was. But the old woman quickly called out, "For your life leave the curtains closed; the Queen ought not to see the light yet, and must have rest." The King went away, and did not find out that a false Queen was lying in the bed.
But at midnight, when all slept, the nurse, who was sitting in the nursery by the cradle, and who was the only person awake, saw the door open and the true Queen walk in. She took the child out of the cradle, laid it on her arm, and suckled it. Then she shook up its pillow, laid the child down again, and covered it with the little quilt. And she did not forget the roebuck, but went into the corner where it lay, and stroked its back. Then she went quite silently out of the door again. The next morning the nurse asked the guards whether anyone had come into the palace during the night, but they answered, "No, we have seen no one."
She came thus many nights and never spoke a word: the nurse always saw her, but she did not dare to tell anyone about it.
When some time had passed in this manner, the Queen began to speak in the night, and said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
Twice shall I come, then never more."
The nurse did not answer, but when the Queen had gone again, went to the King and told him all. The King said, "Ah, heavens! what is this? To-morrow night I will watch by the child." In the evening he went into the nursery, and at midnight the Queen again appeared and said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
Once will I come, then never more."
And she nursed the child as she was wont to do before she disappeared. The King dared not speak to her, but on the next night he watched again. Then she said --
"How fares my child, how fares my roe?
This time I come, then never more."
Then the King could not restrain himself; he sprang towards her, and said, "You can be none other than my dear wife." She answered, "Yes, I am your dear wife," and at the same moment she received life again, and by God's grace became fresh, rosy, and full of health.
Then she told the King the evil deed which the wicked witch and her daughter had been guilty of towards her. The King ordered both to be led before the judge, and judgment was delivered against them. The daughter was taken into the forest where she was torn to pieces by wild beasts, but the witch was cast into the fire and miserably burnt. And as soon as she was burnt the roebuck changed his shape, and received his human form again, so the sister and brother lived happily together all their lives.
小弟弟和小姐姐
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小弟弟拉着小姐姐的手说：“自从妈妈死了之后，我们没有过过幸福的日子。继母天天
打我们，而且只要我们走到她的跟前，她就用脚把我们踢开。我们每天吃的都是硬梆梆的剩
面包皮，连桌子下面的小狗吃的都比我们好，因为她常常丢一些好吃的东西给它。愿上帝可
怜我们，让我们的妈妈知道就好了！走，我们一起逃出去吧。”
他们在草地、田野和石岩中整整走了一天。突然天下起了雨，小姐姐便说：“看哪，天
在和我们的心一起哭泣呢。”傍晚，他们来到了一片大森林，由于伤心和饥饿，再加上走了
这么长的路，他们累坏了，便钻进一棵空心大树，躺在里面睡着了。
当他们第二天醒来时，太阳早已高高地挂在了天上，温暖地照进了这棵空心大树。小弟
弟说：“姐姐，我口渴。要是知道哪里有条小溪，我就去喝点水。我好像听到小溪的流水声
了。”弟弟站起来，拉着小姐姐的手，走过去找那条小溪。可是他们那坏心肠的继母是个女
巫，知道两个孩子逃跑了，便和所有的女巫一样，偷偷地跟在他们的后面，把森林里所有的
小溪都使了妖术。
看到有条清亮的小溪正在岩石间流淌，小弟弟便想过去喝水，可是小姐姐听到小溪的流
水在说话：“谁喝我就会变成老虎！谁喝我就会变成老虎！”小姐姐赶紧叫道：“好弟弟，
我求你千万不要喝这水，要不你会变成一只野兽，把我撕碎的。”小弟弟便忍着口渴，不去
喝那水，但是他说：“我忍着等找到第二条小溪的时候再喝。”
当他们来到第二条小溪前时，小姐姐又听到这条小溪在说：“谁要是喝了我，就会变成
一头狼！谁要是喝了我，就会变成一头狼！”小姐姐于是便叫道：“好弟弟，我求你千万不
要喝这水，不然你会变成一头狼，把我吃掉的。”小弟弟没有喝，说：“我忍着等找到下一
条小溪。到时候不管你说什么，我都是要喝的，因为我实在是渴坏了。”
当他们来到第三条小溪前时，小姐姐听到小溪在说：“谁要喝我就会变成一头鹿！谁要
喝我就会变成一头鹿！”姐姐便说：“好弟弟，我求求你，千万不要喝这水，不然你会变成
一头鹿，从我的身边跑走的。”可是弟弟一见小溪就跪了下去，弯下腰去喝水了。嘴唇刚碰
到几滴水，趴在那里的他就变成了一头小鹿。
看到可怜的弟弟中了魔法，小姐姐哭了起来，小鹿也坐在她的身边伤心地哭着。终于，
小姑娘说道：“亲爱的小鹿，别哭了，我永远不会离开你的。”
她解下一根金袜带，系在小鹿的脖子上，然后又拔了一些灯芯草，编了一根软绳。她给
小鹿拴上这根绳子，牵着它向森林的深处走去。
他们走呀走，终于来到了一座小屋前。小姑娘朝里面望了望，看到里面是空的，便想：
“我们可以留下来，住在这里。”于是，她找来许多树叶和青苔，给小鹿铺了一张柔软的
床。她每天早晨出去，为自己采集草根、浆果和坚果，还给小鹿带回来一些嫩草。小鹿吃着
她手里的草，总是高兴地围着她跳来跳去。到了晚上，累了一天的小姐姐做完祈祷后，便把
头靠在小鹿的背上，像靠着枕头一样安静地睡觉。要是她的弟弟还保持着人的形状，这种生
活倒也挺美！
他们就这样孤单寂寞地在野外生活了一段时间。一天，这个国家的国王来到这片森林里
打猎。森林里到处都是号角声、狗吠声和猎手们的欢笑声。小鹿听到了这些，非常想去看一
看。“哦，”它对姐姐说：“让我去那里吧。我实在忍不住了！”它左请求右请求，姐姐终
于答应了。她对它说：“可是你晚上要回到我的身边来。我很怕那些粗野的猎人，所以会把
门关上，你回来时只要敲门说：‘我的小姐姐，让我进去吧！’，我就知道是你回来了。要
是你不说这句话，我就不开门。”小鹿蹦蹦跳跳地离开了家，来到屋外的世界，它感到真是
又舒服又开心。
国王和猎手们看到这头美丽的小鹿，便追了过来，可他们怎么也抓不住它。每当他们以
为一定能抓到它时，它总是跃进树丛不见了。天黑后，它跑到小屋那里，敲了敲门，说：
“我的小姐姐，让我进去吧！”门立刻便开了，它跳进去，在柔软的床上好好睡了一晚。
第二天，围猎又开始了。当小鹿再次听到号角声以及猎手们发出的“嗬嗬嗬”的喊叫声
时，它再也安静不下来了。它说：“姐姐，让我出去吧！我一定要出去！”它的姐姐给它开
了门，对它说：“但是你晚上一定要回来，而且还要讲那句暗语！”
当国王和猎手们再次看到这头带着金项圈的小鹿时，他们又一起朝它追去，只是它对他
们来说太快、太机灵了。他们追了一整天，终于在黄昏时把它围住了。一个猎手还把它的脚
射伤了一点，它只好一瘸一拐地慢慢向前跑。一个猎手悄悄跟着它来到了小屋前，听到它
说：“我的小姐姐，让我进去吧！”猎手看到小屋的门开了一下，小鹿进去后便立刻又关上
了。猎手把这一切看在眼里，回去后把自己的所见所闻告诉了国王。国王说：“我们明天再
去打猎。”
小姐姐看到小鹿受伤后害怕极了，她给它洗去了身上的血迹，在它的伤口敷上药草，
说：“亲爱的小鹿，快去床上躺下，好好养伤。”但是那伤口很轻，小鹿第二天早上就没有
任何感觉了。当它又听到外面打猎的叫喊声时，它说：“我再也忍不住了。我一定要去那
里。我不会让他们轻而易举地抓住我的。”姐姐哭着说：“他们这次肯定会杀死你的，然后
就剩下我一个人孤孤单单、无依无靠地在这森林里，我不能让你出去。”“那我在屋里会憋
死的，”小鹿说，“当我听到号角的声音时，我仿佛感到自己的心脏都要跳出来了。”做姐
姐的再也没有别的办法，只好带着沉重的心情为它打开门。小鹿快乐地朝森林跑去。
国王看到小鹿时，对报信的那个猎手说：“你过来。带我到那座小屋去。”到了小屋
前，他敲门叫道：“我的小姐姐，让我进去吧！”门一打开，国王便走了进去，看到屋里有
一位他所见过的最美丽的姑娘。看到进来的不是小鹿，而是一个头上带着金王冠的男人，姑
娘很害怕，可是国王和善地望着她，向她伸出手去说：“你愿意跟我回去，做我亲爱的妻子
吗？”“愿意，”姑娘说，“可是小鹿得跟我一起去。我离不开它。”国王说：“它可以永
远呆在你的身边，而且什么也不会缺少的。”就在这时，小鹿跑了进来，姐姐给它拴上灯芯
草绳，牵着它，跟着国王一起离开了林中的小屋。
国王把这可爱的姑娘放到马背上，把她带回了王宫，并且在那里举行了盛大的婚礼。她
现在成了王后，和国王一起幸福地生活了许多年。小鹿受到了细心的照料，在王宫的花园里
跑来跑去。
可是那个邪恶的继母，自从两个孩子因为她而离家出走之后，以为小姐姐肯定在森林中
被野兽撕成了碎片，小弟弟也肯定被猎人们当做小鹿射死了，可现在听到他们生活得很幸
福、很美满，嫉妒和怨恨像两把烈火在她的心中燃烧，使她片刻也不得安宁。她成天盘算着
怎么再次给姐弟俩带来不幸。她自己的女儿丑得像黑夜一样，而且只有一只眼睛，这时也责
怪她说：“她当王后！这种好事应该属于我！”“别闹，”
老婆子安慰她说，“等时候一到，我会让你如愿的。”
不久，王后生下了一个漂亮的男孩，而国王碰巧外出打猎去了。老巫婆便打扮成一个使
女，走进王后的卧室，对她说：“来吧，洗澡水已经烧好了。洗一洗对你有好处，能使你恢
复精力。快点，不然水就要凉了。”
她的亲生女儿也在旁边，于是母女俩把虚弱的王后抬进洗澡间，把她放进澡盆，然后锁
上门跑了。她们在洗澡间里生了一堆熊熊燃烧的旺火，不一会儿就使年轻漂亮的王后窒息而
死。
然后，老婆子拉着她的女儿，给她戴上一顶睡帽，让她躺到王后的床上。她还让她的女
儿有了王后一样的身材和长相，只是她无法给女儿一只眼睛。为了不让国王看出破绽，她只
好侧着身子，向着没有眼睛的那一边睡。
傍晚，国王回到家中，得知王后给他生了个儿子，心中非常高兴，马上要去床边看看他
亲爱的妻子。可是老婆子立刻叫道：“千万不要拉开窗帘！王后还不能见光，需要好好休
息！”国王走了出去，没有发觉床上躺着的是个假王后。
可是到了半夜，当所有的人都睡着了时，坐在婴儿室摇篮旁独自守夜的保姆看到门开
了，真的王后走了进来。王后从摇篮里抱起婴儿，搂在怀里给他喂奶。然后她抖一抖孩子的
小枕头，把孩子重新放进摇篮，给他盖上小被子。她也没有忘记小鹿，而是走到它躺的角
落，抚摸着它的背，然后才悄悄地走出房门。第二天早晨，保姆问卫兵晚上有没有人进过
宫，可卫兵们都说：“没有，我们谁也没有看见。”就这样，一连很多天，王后总是在夜里
来到这里，但她从来不说一句话。保姆每次都看见她，可又不敢把这告诉任何人。
这样过了一些时候，王后有天夜里开口说道：
“我的孩子怎么办？我的小鹿怎么办？
我还能再来两次。以后就再也不能来了。”
保姆没有答腔，可等王后一走，她立刻跑到国王那里，把一切都告诉了他。国王说：
“啊，上帝呀！这是怎么回事呀？明天晚上我要亲自守在婴儿身旁。”晚上，他进了婴儿
室。到了半夜，王后真的又来了，而且说道：
“我的孩子怎么办？我的小鹿怎么办？
我还能再来一次。以后就再也不能来了。”
她像往常一样给孩子喂了奶，然后就走了。国王不敢和她说话，可第二天晚上仍然去守
夜。只听王后在说：
“我的孩子怎么办？我的小鹿怎么办？
这是我最后一次来这里，以后再也不能来了。”
国王听到这里，再也无法克制自己。他朝她跑去，说：“你肯定是我亲爱的妻子！”她
回答：“是的，我是你亲爱的妻子。”话刚出口，她就立刻恢复了生命，而且，靠着上帝的
恩典，她变得非常健康，脸色非常红润。
她把那邪恶的巫婆和巫婆的女儿对她犯下的罪行告诉了国王。国王立刻命令审判她俩，
对她们作出了判决。女儿被带到了森林里，被野兽撕成了碎片；老巫婆被投进火里可悲地烧
成了灰烬。就在老巫婆被烧成灰烬的一刹那，小鹿也变了，重新恢复了人的形状。从此，姐
姐和弟弟一直幸福地生活在一起，直至白发千古。
------------------
12 / Rapunzel
There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and looked pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, "What aileth thee, dear wife?" "Ah," she replied, "if I can't get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, to eat, I shall die." The man, who loved her, thought, "Sooner than let thy wife die, bring her some of the rampion thyself, let it cost thee what it will." In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish. She, however, liked it so much -- so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. "How canst thou dare," said she with angry look, "to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!" "Ah," answered he, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat." Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, "If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt, only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother." The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair to me."
Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the King's son rode through the forest and went by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The King's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair."
Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her. "If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I will for once try my fortune," said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair."
Immediately the hair fell down and the King's son climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her; but the King's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought, "He will love me more than old Dame Gothel does;" and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said, "I will willingly go away with thee, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with thee a skein of silk every time that thou comest, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and thou wilt take me on thy horse." They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her, "Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young King's son -- he is with me in a moment." "Ah! thou wicked child," cried the enchantress "What do I hear thee say! I thought I had separated thee from all the world, and yet thou hast deceived me. In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day, however, that she cast out Rapunzel, the enchantress in the evening fastened the braids of hair which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the King's son came and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair,"
she let the hair down. The King's son ascended, but he did not find his dearest Rapunzel above, but the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks. "Aha!" she cried mockingly, "Thou wouldst fetch thy dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out thy eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to thee; thou wilt never see her more." The King's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell, pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did nothing but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.
There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it, and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day, and as she knew that she could not get any of it, she quite pined away, and looked pale and miserable. Then her husband was alarmed, and asked, "What aileth thee, dear wife?" "Ah," she replied, "if I can't get some of the rampion, which is in the garden behind our house, to eat, I shall die." The man, who loved her, thought, "Sooner than let thy wife die, bring her some of the rampion thyself, let it cost thee what it will." In the twilight of the evening, he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad of it, and ate it with much relish. She, however, liked it so much -- so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, therefore, he let himself down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. "How canst thou dare," said she with angry look, "to descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief? Thou shalt suffer for it!" "Ah," answered he, "let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat." Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him, "If the case be as thou sayest, I will allow thee to take away with thee as much rampion as thou wilt, only I make one condition, thou must give me the child which thy wife will bring into the world; it shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother." The man in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun. When she was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed herself beneath it and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair to me."
Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the King's son rode through the forest and went by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The King's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair."
Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress climbed up to her. "If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I will for once try my fortune," said he, and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair."
Immediately the hair fell down and the King's son climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man such as her eyes had never yet beheld, came to her; but the King's son began to talk to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and handsome, she thought, "He will love me more than old Dame Gothel does;" and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said, "I will willingly go away with thee, but I do not know how to get down. Bring with thee a skein of silk every time that thou comest, and I will weave a ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and thou wilt take me on thy horse." They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her, "Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young King's son -- he is with me in a moment." "Ah! thou wicked child," cried the enchantress "What do I hear thee say! I thought I had separated thee from all the world, and yet thou hast deceived me. In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day, however, that she cast out Rapunzel, the enchantress in the evening fastened the braids of hair which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the King's son came and cried,
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down thy hair,"
she let the hair down. The King's son ascended, but he did not find his dearest Rapunzel above, but the enchantress, who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks. "Aha!" she cried mockingly, "Thou wouldst fetch thy dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out thy eyes as well. Rapunzel is lost to thee; thou wilt never see her more." The King's son was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell, pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate nothing but roots and berries, and did nothing but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time afterwards, happy and contented.
莴苣姑娘
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从前有一个男人和一个女人，他俩一直想要个孩子，可总也得不到。最后，女人只好希
望上帝能赐给她一个孩子。他们家的屋子后面有个小窗户，从那里可以看到一个美丽的花
园，里面长满了奇花异草。可是，花园的周围有一道高墙，谁也不敢进去，因为那个花园属
于一个女巫。这个女巫的法力非常大，世界上人人都怕她。一天，妻子站在窗口向花园望
去，看到一块菜地上长着非常漂亮的莴苣。这些莴苣绿油油、水灵灵的，立刻就勾起了她的
食欲，非常想吃它们。这种欲望与日俱增，而当知道自己无论如何也吃不到的时候，她变得
非常憔悴，脸色苍白，痛苦不堪。她丈夫吓坏了，问她：“亲爱的，你哪里不舒服呀？”
“啊，”她回答，“我要是吃不到我们家后面那个园子里的莴苣，我就会死掉的。”丈夫因
为非常爱她，便想：“与其说让妻子去死，不如给她弄些莴苣来，管它会发生什么事情
呢。”黄昏时分，他翻过围墙，溜进了女巫的花园，飞快地拔了一把莴苣，带回来给她妻子
吃。妻子立刻把莴苣做成色拉，狼吞虎咽地吃了下去。这莴苣的味道真是太好了，第二天她
想吃的莴苣居然比前一天多了两倍。为了满足妻子，丈夫只好决定再次翻进女巫的园子。于
是，黄昏时分，他偷偷地溜进了园子，可他刚从墙上爬下来，就吓了一跳，因为他看到女巫
就站在他的面前。“你好大的胆子，”她怒气冲冲地说，“竟敢溜进我的园子来，像个贼一
样偷我的莴苣！”“唉，”他回答，“可怜可怜我，饶了我吧。我是没办法才这样做的。我
妻子从窗口看到了你园子中的莴苣，想吃得要命，吃不到就会死掉的。”女巫听了之后气慢
慢消了一些，对他说：“如果事情真像你说的这样，我可以让你随便采多少莴苣，但我有一
个条件：你必须把你妻子将要生的孩子交给我。我会让她过得很好的，而且会像妈妈一样对
待她。”丈夫由于害怕，只好答应女巫的一切条件。妻子刚刚生下孩子，女巫就来了，给孩
子取了个名字叫“莴苣”，然后就把孩子带走了。
“莴苣”慢慢长成了天底下最漂亮的女孩。孩子十二岁那年，女巫把她关进了一座高
塔。这座高塔在森林里，既没有楼梯也没有门，只是在塔顶上有一个小小的窗户。每当女巫
想进去，她就站在塔下叫道：
“莴苣，莴苣，
把你的头发垂下来。”
莴苣姑娘长着一头金丝般浓密的长发。一听到女巫的叫声，她便松开她的发辫，把顶端
绕在一个窗钩上，然后放下来二十公尺。女巫便顺着这长发爬上去。
一两年过去了。有一天，王子骑马路过森林，刚好经过这座塔。这时，他突然听到美妙
的歌声，不由得停下来静静地听着。唱歌的正是莴苣姑娘，她在寂寞中只好靠唱歌来打发时
光。王子想爬到塔顶上去见她，便四处找门，可怎么也没有找到。他回到了宫中，那歌声已
经深深地打动了他，他每天都要骑马去森林里听。一天，他站在一棵树后，看到女巫来了，
而且听到她冲着塔顶叫道：
“莴苣，莴苣，
把你的头发垂下来。”
莴苣姑娘立刻垂下她的发辫，女巫顺着它爬了上去。王子想：“如果那就是让人爬上去
的梯子，我也可以试试我的运气。”第二天傍晚，他来到塔下叫道：
“莴苣，莴苣，
把你的头发垂下来。”
头发立刻垂了下来，王子便顺着爬了上去。
莴苣姑娘看到爬上来的是一个男人时，真的大吃一惊，因为她还从来没有看到过男人。
但是王子和蔼地跟她说话，说他的心如何如何被她的歌声打动，一刻也得不到安宁，非要来
见她。莴苣姑娘慢慢地不再感到害怕，而当他问她愿不愿意嫁给他时，她见王子又年轻又英
俊，便想：“这个人肯定会比那教母更喜欢我。”她于是就答应了，并把手伸给王子。她
说：“我非常愿意跟你一起走，可我不知道怎么下去。你每次来的时候都给我带一根丝线
吧，我要用丝线编一个梯子。等到梯子编好了，我就爬下来，你就把我抱到你的马背上。”
因为老女巫总是在白天来，所以他俩商定让王子每天傍晚时来。女巫什么也没有发现，直到
有一天莴苣姑娘问她：“我问你，教母，我拉你的时候怎么总觉得你比那个年轻的王子重得
多？他可是一下子就上来了。”“啊！你这坏孩子！”女巫嚷道，“你在说什么？我还以为
你与世隔绝了呢，却不想你竟然骗了我！”她怒气冲冲地一把抓住莴苣姑娘漂亮的辫子，在
左手上缠了两道，又用右手操起一把剪刀，喳喳喳几下，美丽的辫子便落在了地上。然后，
她又狠心地把莴苣姑娘送到一片荒野中，让她凄惨痛苦地生活在那里。
莴苣姑娘被送走的当天，女巫把剪下来的辫子绑在塔顶的窗钩上。王子走来喊道：
“莴苣，莴苣，
把你的头发垂下来。”
女巫放下头发，王子便顺着爬了上去。然而，他没有见到心爱的莴苣姑娘，却看到女巫
正恶狠狠地瞪着他。“啊哈！”她嘲弄王子说，“你是来接你的心上人的吧？可美丽的鸟儿
不会再在窝里唱歌了。她被猫抓走了，而且猫还要把你的眼睛挖出来。你的莴苣姑娘完蛋
了，你别想再见到她。”王子痛苦极了，绝望地从塔上跳了下去。他掉进了刺丛里，虽然没
有丧生，双眼却被刺扎瞎了。他漫无目的地在森林里走着，吃的只是草根和浆果，每天都为
失去爱人而伤心地痛哭。他就这样痛苦地在森林里转了好几年，最后终于来到了莴苣姑娘受
苦的荒野。莴苣姑娘已经生下了一对双胞胎，一个儿子，一个女儿。王子听到有说话的声
音，而且觉得那声音很耳熟，便朝那里走去。当他走近时，莴苣姑娘立刻认出了他，搂着他
的脖子哭了起来。她的两滴泪水润湿了他的眼睛，使它们重新恢复了光明。他又能像从前一
样看东西了。他带着妻子儿女回到自己的王国，受到了人们热烈的欢迎。他们幸福美满地生
活着，直到永远。
------------------
13 /The Three Little Men in the Wood
There was once a man whose wife died, and a woman whose husband died, and the man had a daughter, and the woman also had a daughter. The girls were acquainted with each other, and went out walking together, and afterwards came to the woman in her house. Then said she to the man's daughter, "Listen, tell thy father that I would like to marry him, and then thou shalt wash thyself in milk every morning, and drink wine, but my own daughter shall wash herself in water and drink water." The girl went home, and told her father what the woman had said. The man said, "What shall I do? Marriage is a joy and also a torment." At length as he could come to no decision, he pulled off his boot, and said, "Take this boot, it has a hole in the sole of it. Go with it up to the loft, hang it on the big nail, and then pour water into it. If it hold the water, then I will again take a wife, but if it run through, I will not." The girl did as she was ordered, but the water drew the hole together, and the boot became full to the top. She informed her father how it had turned out. Then he himself went up, and when he saw that she was right, he went to the widow and wooed her, and the wedding was celebrated.
The next morning, when the two girls got up, there stood before the man's daughter milk for her to wash in and wine for her to drink, but before the woman's daughter stood water to wash herself with and water for drinking. On the second morning, stood water for washing and water for drinking before the man's daughter as well as before the woman's daughter. And on the third morning stood water for washing and water for drinking before the man's daughter, and milk for washing and wine for drinking, before the woman's daughter, and so it continued. The woman became bitterly unkind to her step-daughter, and day by day did her best to treat her still worse. She was also envious because her step-daughter was beautiful and lovable, and her own daughter ugly and repulsive.
Once, in winter, when everything was frozen as hard as a stone, and hill and vale lay covered with snow, the woman made a frock of paper, called her step-daughter, and said, "Here, put on this dress and go out into the wood, and fetch me a little basketful of strawberries, -- I have a fancy for some." "Good heavens!" said the girl, "no strawberries grow in winter! The ground is frozen, and besides the snow has covered everything. And why am I to go in this paper frock? It is so cold outside that one's very breath freezes! The wind will blow through the frock, and the thorns will tear it off my body." "Wilt thou contradict me again?" said the stepmother, "See that thou goest, and do not show thy face again until thou hast the basketful of strawberries!" Then she gave her a little piece of hard bread, and said, "This will last thee the day," and thought, "Thou wilt die of cold and hunger outside, and wilt never be seen again by me."
Then the maiden was obedient, and put on the paper frock, and went out with the basket. Far and wide there was nothing but snow, and not a green blade to be seen. When she got into the wood she saw a small house out of which peeped three dwarfs. She wished them good day, and knocked modestly at the door. They cried, "Come in," and she entered the room and seated herself on the bench by the stove, where she began to warm herself and eat her breakfast. The elves said, "Give us, too, some of it." "Willingly," she said, and divided her bit of bread in two and gave them the half. They asked, "What dost thou here in the forest in the winter time, in thy thin dress?" "Ah," she answered, "I am to look for a basketful of strawberries, and am not to go home until I can take them with me." When she had eaten her bread, they gave her a broom and said, "Sweep away the snow at the back door with it." But when she was outside, the three little men said to each other, "What shall we give her as she is so good, and has shared her bread with us?" Then said the first, "My gift is, that she shall every day grow more beautiful." The second said, "My gift is, that gold pieces shall fall out of her mouth every time she speaks." The third said, "My gift is, that a king shall come and take her to wife."
The girl, however, did as the little men had bidden her, swept away the snow behind the little house with the broom, and what did she find but real ripe strawberries, which came up quite dark-red out of the snow! In her joy she hastily gathered her basket full, thanked the little men, shook hands with each of them, and ran home to take her step-mother what she had longed for so much. When she went in and said good-evening, a piece of gold at once fell from her mouth. Thereupon she related what had happened to her in the wood, but with every word she spoke, gold pieces fell from her mouth, until very soon the whole room was covered with them. "Now look at her arrogance," cried the step-sister, "to throw about gold in that way!" but she was secretly envious of it, and wanted to go into the forest also to seek strawberries. The mother said, "No, my dear little daughter, it is too cold, thou mightest die of cold." However, as her daughter let her have no peace, the mother at last yielded, made her a magnificent dress of fur, which she was obliged to put on, and gave her bread-and-butter and cake with her.
The girl went into the forest and straight up to the little house. The three little elves peeped out again, but she did not greet them, and without looking round at them and without speaking to them, she went awkwardly into the room, seated herself by the stove, and began to eat her bread-and-butter and cake. "Give us some of it," cried the little men; but she replied, "There is not enough for myself, so how can I give it away to other people?" When she had done eating, they said, "There is a broom for thee, sweep all clean for us outside by the back-door." "Humph! Sweep for yourselves," she answered, "I am not your servant." When she saw that they were not going to give her anything, she went out by the door. Then the little men said to each other, "What shall we give her as she is so naughty, and has a wicked envious heart, that will never let her do a good turn to any one?" The first said, "I grant that she may grow uglier every day." The second said, "I grant that at every word she says, a toad shall spring out of her mouth." The third said, "I grant that she may die a miserable death." The maiden looked for strawberries outside, but as she found none, she went angrily home. And when she opened her mouth, and was about to tell her mother what had happened to her in the wood, with every word she said, a toad sprang out of her mouth, so that every one was seized with horror of her.
Then the step-mother was still more enraged, and thought of nothing but how to do every possible injury to the man's daughter, whose beauty, however, grew daily greater. At length she took a cauldron, set it on the fire, and boiled yarn in it. When it was boiled, she flung it on the poor girl's shoulder, and gave her an axe in order that she might go on the frozen river, cut a hole in the ice, and rinse the yarn. She was obedient, went thither and cut a hole in the ice; and while she was in the midst of her cutting, a splendid carriage came driving up, in which sat the King. The carriage stopped, and the King asked,"My child, who are thou, and what art thou doing here?" "I am a poor girl, and I am rinsing yarn." Then the King felt compassion, and when he saw that she was so very beautiful, he said to her, "Wilt thou go away with me?" "Ah, yes, with all my heart," she answered, for she was glad to get away from the mother and sister.
So she got into the carriage and drove away with the King, and when they arrived at his palace, the wedding was celebrated with great pomp, as the little men had granted to the maiden. When a year was over, the young Queen bore a son, and as the step-mother had heard of her great good-fortune, she came with her daughter to the palace and pretended that she wanted to pay her a visit. Once, however, when the King had gone out, and no one else was present, the wicked woman seized the Queen by the head, and her daughter seized her by the feet, and they lifted her out of the bed, and threw her out of the window into the stream which flowed by. Then the ugly daughter laid herself in the bed, and the old woman covered her up over her head. When the King came home again and wanted to speak to his wife, the old woman cried, "Hush, hush, that can't be now, she is lying in a violent perspiration; you must let her rest to-day." The King suspected no evil, and did not come back again till next morning; and as he talked with his wife and she answered him, with every word a toad leaped out, whereas formerly a piece of gold had fallen out. Then he asked what that could be, but the old woman said that she had got that from the violent perspiration, and would soon lose it again. During the night, however, the scullion saw a duck come swimming up the gutter, and it said,
"King, what art thou doing now?
Sleepest thou, or wakest thou?"
And as he returned no answer, it said,
"And my guests, What may they do?"
The scullion said,
"They are sleeping soundly, too."
Then it asked again,
"What does little baby mine?"
He answered,
"Sleepeth in her cradle fine."
Then she went upstairs in the form of the Queen, nursed the baby, shook up its little bed, covered it over, and then swam away again down the gutter in the shape of a duck. She came thus for two nights; on the third, she said to the scullion, "Go and tell the King to take his sword and swing it three times over me on the threshold." Then the scullion ran and told this to the King, who came with his sword and swung it thrice over the spirit, and at the third time, his wife stood before him strong, living, and healthy as she had been before. Thereupon the King was full of great joy, but he kept the Queen hidden in a chamber until the Sunday, when the baby was to be christened. And when it was christened he said, "What does a person deserve who drags another out of bed and throws him in the water?" "The wretch deserves nothing better," answered the old woman, "than to be taken and put in a barrel stuck full of nails, and rolled down hill into the water." "Then," said the King, "Thou hast pronounced thine own sentence;" and he ordered such a barrel to be brought, and the old woman to be put into it with her daughter, and then the top was hammered on, and the barrel rolled down hill until it went into the river.
There was once a man whose wife died, and a woman whose husband died, and the man had a daughter, and the woman also had a daughter. The girls were acquainted with each other, and went out walking together, and afterwards came to the woman in her house. Then said she to the man's daughter, "Listen, tell thy father that I would like to marry him, and then thou shalt wash thyself in milk every morning, and drink wine, but my own daughter shall wash herself in water and drink water." The girl went home, and told her father what the woman had said. The man said, "What shall I do? Marriage is a joy and also a torment." At length as he could come to no decision, he pulled off his boot, and said, "Take this boot, it has a hole in the sole of it. Go with it up to the loft, hang it on the big nail, and then pour water into it. If it hold the water, then I will again take a wife, but if it run through, I will not." The girl did as she was ordered, but the water drew the hole together, and the boot became full to the top. She informed her father how it had turned out. Then he himself went up, and when he saw that she was right, he went to the widow and wooed her, and the wedding was celebrated.
The next morning, when the two girls got up, there stood before the man's daughter milk for her to wash in and wine for her to drink, but before the woman's daughter stood water to wash herself with and water for drinking. On the second morning, stood water for washing and water for drinking before the man's daughter as well as before the woman's daughter. And on the third morning stood water for washing and water for drinking before the man's daughter, and milk for washing and wine for drinking, before the woman's daughter, and so it continued. The woman became bitterly unkind to her step-daughter, and day by day did her best to treat her still worse. She was also envious because her step-daughter was beautiful and lovable, and her own daughter ugly and repulsive.
Once, in winter, when everything was frozen as hard as a stone, and hill and vale lay covered with snow, the woman made a frock of paper, called her step-daughter, and said, "Here, put on this dress and go out into the wood, and fetch me a little basketful of strawberries, -- I have a fancy for some." "Good heavens!" said the girl, "no strawberries grow in winter! The ground is frozen, and besides the snow has covered everything. And why am I to go in this paper frock? It is so cold outside that one's very breath freezes! The wind will blow through the frock, and the thorns will tear it off my body." "Wilt thou contradict me again?" said the stepmother, "See that thou goest, and do not show thy face again until thou hast the basketful of strawberries!" Then she gave her a little piece of hard bread, and said, "This will last thee the day," and thought, "Thou wilt die of cold and hunger outside, and wilt never be seen again by me."
Then the maiden was obedient, and put on the paper frock, and went out with the basket. Far and wide there was nothing but snow, and not a green blade to be seen. When she got into the wood she saw a small house out of which peeped three dwarfs. She wished them good day, and knocked modestly at the door. They cried, "Come in," and she entered the room and seated herself on the bench by the stove, where she began to warm herself and eat her breakfast. The elves said, "Give us, too, some of it." "Willingly," she said, and divided her bit of bread in two and gave them the half. They asked, "What dost thou here in the forest in the winter time, in thy thin dress?" "Ah," she answered, "I am to look for a basketful of strawberries, and am not to go home until I can take them with me." When she had eaten her bread, they gave her a broom and said, "Sweep away the snow at the back door with it." But when she was outside, the three little men said to each other, "What shall we give her as she is so good, and has shared her bread with us?" Then said the first, "My gift is, that she shall every day grow more beautiful." The second said, "My gift is, that gold pieces shall fall out of her mouth every time she speaks." The third said, "My gift is, that a king shall come and take her to wife."
The girl, however, did as the little men had bidden her, swept away the snow behind the little house with the broom, and what did she find but real ripe strawberries, which came up quite dark-red out of the snow! In her joy she hastily gathered her basket full, thanked the little men, shook hands with each of them, and ran home to take her step-mother what she had longed for so much. When she went in and said good-evening, a piece of gold at once fell from her mouth. Thereupon she related what had happened to her in the wood, but with every word she spoke, gold pieces fell from her mouth, until very soon the whole room was covered with them. "Now look at her arrogance," cried the step-sister, "to throw about gold in that way!" but she was secretly envious of it, and wanted to go into the forest also to seek strawberries. The mother said, "No, my dear little daughter, it is too cold, thou mightest die of cold." However, as her daughter let her have no peace, the mother at last yielded, made her a magnificent dress of fur, which she was obliged to put on, and gave her bread-and-butter and cake with her.
The girl went into the forest and straight up to the little house. The three little elves peeped out again, but she did not greet them, and without looking round at them and without speaking to them, she went awkwardly into the room, seated herself by the stove, and began to eat her bread-and-butter and cake. "Give us some of it," cried the little men; but she replied, "There is not enough for myself, so how can I give it away to other people?" When she had done eating, they said, "There is a broom for thee, sweep all clean for us outside by the back-door." "Humph! Sweep for yourselves," she answered, "I am not your servant." When she saw that they were not going to give her anything, she went out by the door. Then the little men said to each other, "What shall we give her as she is so naughty, and has a wicked envious heart, that will never let her do a good turn to any one?" The first said, "I grant that she may grow uglier every day." The second said, "I grant that at every word she says, a toad shall spring out of her mouth." The third said, "I grant that she may die a miserable death." The maiden looked for strawberries outside, but as she found none, she went angrily home. And when she opened her mouth, and was about to tell her mother what had happened to her in the wood, with every word she said, a toad sprang out of her mouth, so that every one was seized with horror of her.
Then the step-mother was still more enraged, and thought of nothing but how to do every possible injury to the man's daughter, whose beauty, however, grew daily greater. At length she took a cauldron, set it on the fire, and boiled yarn in it. When it was boiled, she flung it on the poor girl's shoulder, and gave her an axe in order that she might go on the frozen river, cut a hole in the ice, and rinse the yarn. She was obedient, went thither and cut a hole in the ice; and while she was in the midst of her cutting, a splendid carriage came driving up, in which sat the King. The carriage stopped, and the King asked,"My child, who are thou, and what art thou doing here?" "I am a poor girl, and I am rinsing yarn." Then the King felt compassion, and when he saw that she was so very beautiful, he said to her, "Wilt thou go away with me?" "Ah, yes, with all my heart," she answered, for she was glad to get away from the mother and sister.
So she got into the carriage and drove away with the King, and when they arrived at his palace, the wedding was celebrated with great pomp, as the little men had granted to the maiden. When a year was over, the young Queen bore a son, and as the step-mother had heard of her great good-fortune, she came with her daughter to the palace and pretended that she wanted to pay her a visit. Once, however, when the King had gone out, and no one else was present, the wicked woman seized the Queen by the head, and her daughter seized her by the feet, and they lifted her out of the bed, and threw her out of the window into the stream which flowed by. Then the ugly daughter laid herself in the bed, and the old woman covered her up over her head. When the King came home again and wanted to speak to his wife, the old woman cried, "Hush, hush, that can't be now, she is lying in a violent perspiration; you must let her rest to-day." The King suspected no evil, and did not come back again till next morning; and as he talked with his wife and she answered him, with every word a toad leaped out, whereas formerly a piece of gold had fallen out. Then he asked what that could be, but the old woman said that she had got that from the violent perspiration, and would soon lose it again. During the night, however, the scullion saw a duck come swimming up the gutter, and it said,
"King, what art thou doing now?
Sleepest thou, or wakest thou?"
And as he returned no answer, it said,
"And my guests, What may they do?"
The scullion said,
"They are sleeping soundly, too."
Then it asked again,
"What does little baby mine?"
He answered,
"Sleepeth in her cradle fine."
Then she went upstairs in the form of the Queen, nursed the baby, shook up its little bed, covered it over, and then swam away again down the gutter in the shape of a duck. She came thus for two nights; on the third, she said to the scullion, "Go and tell the King to take his sword and swing it three times over me on the threshold." Then the scullion ran and told this to the King, who came with his sword and swung it thrice over the spirit, and at the third time, his wife stood before him strong, living, and healthy as she had been before. Thereupon the King was full of great joy, but he kept the Queen hidden in a chamber until the Sunday, when the baby was to be christened. And when it was christened he said, "What does a person deserve who drags another out of bed and throws him in the water?" "The wretch deserves nothing better," answered the old woman, "than to be taken and put in a barrel stuck full of nails, and rolled down hill into the water." "Then," said the King, "Thou hast pronounced thine own sentence;" and he ordered such a barrel to be brought, and the old woman to be put into it with her daughter, and then the top was hammered on, and the barrel rolled down hill until it went into the river.
森林中的三个小矮人
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从前，有个男人死了妻子，有个女人死了丈夫。这个男人有个女儿，这个女人也有个女
儿。两个小姑娘互相认识，经常一起出去散步。有一天，她们散完步后一起来到女人的家
里，女人对男人的女儿说：“听着，告诉你爸爸，说我愿意嫁给他，从此你天天早晨都能用
牛奶洗脸，还能喝上葡萄酒，而我自己的女儿只能用水洗脸，也只能喝清水。”小姑娘回到
家中，把女人的话告诉了她爸爸。男人说：“我该怎么办呢？结婚是喜事，可也会带来痛
苦。”他迟迟拿不定主意，最后脱下一只靴子，说：“这只靴子的底上有个洞。你把它拎到
阁楼上去，把它挂在一根大钉子上，然后往里面灌些水。要是水没有漏出来，我就再娶个妻
子；可要是水漏了出来，我就不娶。”姑娘按她父亲所说的办了。可是水使得洞胀拢了，靴
子里灌满了水也没有漏出来。她把结果告诉了她父亲，父亲又亲自上来察看，看到情况果然
如此，便去向那寡妇求婚，然后举行了婚礼。
第一天早晨，两个姑娘起来后，在男人的女儿的面前果然放着洗脸的牛奶和喝的葡萄
酒，而在女人的女儿的面前放着的只有洗脸的清水和喝的清水。第二天早晨，男人的女儿和
女人的女儿的面前都放着洗脸的清水和喝的清水。到了第三天早晨，男人的女儿的面前放着
洗脸用的清水和喝的清水，而女人的女儿的面前却放着洗脸用的牛奶和喝的葡萄酒。以后天
天都是这样。那女人成了她继女的死敌，对她一天坏似一天，她还万分嫉妒她的继女，因为
她的继女美丽可爱，而她自己的女儿又丑又令人讨厌。
冬天到了，一切都冻得像石头一样硬，山顶和山谷都被大雪覆盖着。一天，女人用纸做
了件衣服，把她的继女叫过来，说：“听着，你穿上这件衣服，到森林里去给我采一篮草
莓，我很想吃。”“天哪！”姑娘说，“冬天怎么会有草莓呢？地上都结了冰，大雪把一切
都盖住了，再说，我怎么能穿着这身纸衣服出去呢？外面冷得连呼出的气都能冻起来。风会
往这衣服里面吹，荆棘也会把它挂破的。”“你敢跟我顶嘴？”继母说，“你快给我去！要
是没有采到一篮草莓，你就别想回来！”然后她又给姑娘一小块硬梆梆的面包，说：“这是
你一天的口粮，”心里却在想：“你在外面不会冻死也会饿死的，别想再回来烦我。”
姑娘只好顺从地穿上纸衣服，提着篮子走了出去。外面一片冰天雪地，连一棵绿草都找
不到。她来到森林里后，看到一座小房子，里面有三个小矮人在向外张望。她向他们问好，
然后轻轻地敲了敲门。他们叫“进来”，她便走进屋，坐在炉子旁的长凳上烤火，吃她的早
饭。小矮人们说：“也分一点给我们吧。”“好的，”她说着便把面包掰成两半，给了他们
一半。他们问：“你大冬天穿着这身薄薄的衣服到森林里来干吗？”“唉，”她回答，“我
得采一篮草莓，否则我就回不了家了。”等她吃完面包后，他们递给她一把扫帚，说：“去
帮我们把后门的雪扫掉吧。”可等她出去后，三个小矮人却商量了起来：“她这么可爱，又
把面包分给了我们，我们送她什么好呢？”第一个矮人说：“我送给她的礼物是：她一天比
一天更美丽。”第二个矮人说：“我送给她的礼物是：她一开口说话就吐出金子来。”第三
个矮人说：“我送给她的礼物是：一个国王娶她当王后。”
姑娘这时正按照他们的吩咐，用扫帚把小屋后面的雪扫掉。她看到了什么？雪下面露出
了红彤彤的草莓！她高兴极了，赶紧装了满满一篮子，谢了小矮人，还和他们一一握手道
别，然后带着她继母垂涎的东西跑回家去了。谁知，她进门刚说了声“晚上好”，嘴里就掉
出来一块金子！于是，她把自己在森林里遇到的事情讲了出来，而且每讲一句，嘴里就掉出
来一块金子，弄得家里很快就堆满了金子。“瞧她那副德行！”继母的女儿嚷道，“就这样
乱扔金子！”她心里嫉妒得要命，也渴望着到森林里去采草莓。她母亲却说：“不行，我的
好女儿，外面太冷了，你会冻死的。”可是她女儿缠着不放，她最后只好让步。她给女儿缝
了件皮袄，硬要她穿上；然后又给她抹了黄油的面包和蛋糕，让她带着路上吃。
这个姑娘进了森林之后，径直向小屋走去。三个小矮人又在屋里向外张望，可是她根本
不和他们打招呼，既不看他们，也不和他们说话，大摇大摆地走进屋，一屁股坐到炉子旁，
吃起自己的面包和蛋糕来。“分一点给我们吧，”小矮人们说；可是她却回答：“这都不够
我自己吃的，怎么能分给别人呢？”等她吃完，他们又说：“这里有把扫帚，把后门的雪扫
干净。”她回答：“我又不是你们的佣人。”看到他们不会给她任何礼物了，她便自己冲出
了屋子。三个小矮人商量道：“像她这种坏心肠的小懒鬼，又不肯施舍给别人东西，我们该
送她什么呢？”第一个矮人说：“我让她长得一天比一天丑！”第二个矮人说：“我让她一
开口说话就从嘴里跳出一只癞蛤蟆！”第三个矮人说：“我让她不得好死！”姑娘在屋外找
草莓，可一个也找不到，只好气鼓鼓地回家去了。她开口给母亲讲自己在森林里的遭遇，可
是，她每讲一句话，嘴里就跳出来一只癞蛤蟆，把大家都吓坏了。
这一来继母更是气坏了，千方百计地盘算着怎么折磨丈夫的女儿，可是这姑娘却长得一
天比一天更美。终于，继母取出一只锅子，架在火堆上，在里面煮线团。线团煮过之后，她
把它捞出来，搭在姑娘的肩膀上，然后又给姑娘一把斧头，让她去结冰的小河，在冰面上凿
一个洞，在洞里漂洗线团。姑娘顺从地来到河边，走到河中央凿冰。她正凿着，岸上驶来了
一辆华丽的马车，里面坐着国王。马车停了下来，国王问：“姑娘，你是谁？在这里干什
么？”“我是个可怜的女孩，在这里漂洗线团。”国王很同情她，而且又看到她长得这么美
丽，便对她说：“你愿意和我一起走吗？”“当然愿意啦。”她回答，因为她非常高兴能离
开继母和继母的女儿。姑娘坐到国王的马车上，和国王一起回到宫中。他俩立刻就举行了婚
礼，正像三个小矮人许诺过的一样。一年后，年轻的王后生下了一个儿子。她的继母早已听
说她交上了好运，这时也带着亲生女儿来到王宫，假装是来看王后的。可是看到国王刚出
去，而且旁边又没有别人，这坏心肠的女人就抓住王后的头，她的女儿抓住王后的脚，把她
从床上抬下来，从窗口把她扔进了外面的大河里。然后，继母的丑女儿躺在床上，老婆子从
头到脚把她盖了起来。当国王回到房间，想和他的妻子说话的时候，老婆子叫了起来：
“嘘，唬，不要打搅她，她现在正在发汗。今天不要打搅她。”国王丝毫没有怀疑，一直等
到第二天早晨才过来。他和妻子说话，谁知她刚开口，嘴里就跳出来一只癞蛤蟆，而不像从
前那样掉出金子来。国王问这是怎么回事，老婆子便说这是发汗发出来的，很快就会好的。
但是当天夜里，王宫里的小帮工看见一只鸭子从下水道里游了出来，而且听见它说：
“国王，你在做什么？
你是睡着了还是醒着？”
看到小帮工没有回答，它又说：
“我的两位客人在做什么？”
小帮工说：
“她们睡熟了。”
鸭子又问：
“我的小宝宝在做什么？”
小帮工回答：
“他在摇篮里睡得好好的。”
鸭子变成了王后的模样，上去给孩子喂奶，摇着他的小床，给他盖好被子，然后又变成
鸭子，从下水道游走了。她这样一连来了两个晚上，第三天晚上，她对小帮工说：“你去告
诉国王，让他带上他的宝剑，站在门槛上，在我的头上挥舞三下。”小帮工赶紧跑去告诉国
王，国王提着宝剑来了，在那幽灵的头顶上挥舞了三下。他刚舞到第三下，她的妻子就站在
了他的面前，像以前一样健康强壮。国王高兴极了，可他仍然把王后藏进密室，等着礼拜天
婴儿受洗的日子到来。洗礼结束之后，他说：“要是有人把别人从床上拖下来，并且扔进河
里，这个人该受到什么样的惩罚？”老婆子说：“对这样坏心肠的人，最好的惩罚是把他装
进里面插满了钉子的木桶，从山坡上滚到河里去。”“那么，”国王说，“你已经为自己做
出了判决。”国王命令搬来一只这样的木桶，把老婆子和她的女儿装进去，并且把桶盖钉
死，把桶从山坡上滚了下去，一直滚到河心。
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14 / The Three Spinners
There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger and impatience, that she beat her, on which the girl began to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the Queen drove by, and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road? Then the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter and said, "I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot procure the flax." Then answered the Queen, "There is nothing that I like better to hear than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. I have flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes." The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the Queen took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace, she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the bottom to the top with the finest flax. "Now spin me this flax," said she, "and when thou hast done it, thou shalt have my eldest son for a husband, even if thou art poor. I care not for that, thy indefatigable industry is dowry enough." The girl was secretly terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days without moving a finger. On the third day came the Queen, and when she saw that nothing had been spun yet, she was surprised; but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was going away,"To-morrow thou must begin to work."
When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin, and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with her? She complained of her trouble, and then they offered her their help and said, "If thou wilt invite us to the wedding, not be ashamed of us, and wilt call us thine aunts, and likewise wilt place us at thy table, we will spin up the flax for thee, and that in a very short time." "With all my heart," she replied, "do but come in and begin the work at once." Then she let in the three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room, where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread, the third twisted it, and struck the table with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the Queen, and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women took leave and said to the girl, "Do not forget what thou hast promised us, -- it will make thy fortune.
When the maiden showed the Queen the empty rooms, and the great heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife, and praised her mightily. "I have three aunts," said the girl, "and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to forget them in my good fortune; allow me to invite them to the wedding, and let them sit with us at table." The Queen and the bridegroom said, "Why should we not allow that?" Therefore when the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and the bride said, "Welcome, dear aunts." "Ah," said the bridegroom, "how comest thou by these odious friends?" Thereupon he went to the one with the broad flat foot, and said, "How do you come by such a broad foot?" "By treading," she answered, "by treading.""Then the bridegroom went to the second, and said, "How do you come by your falling lip?" "By licking," she answered, "by licking." Then he asked the third, "How do you come by your broad thumb?" "By twisting the thread," she answered, "by twisting the thread." On this the King's son was alarmed and said, "Neither now nor ever shall my beautiful bride touch a spinning-wheel." And thus she got rid of the hateful flax-spinning.
There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger and impatience, that she beat her, on which the girl began to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the Queen drove by, and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road? Then the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter and said, "I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot procure the flax." Then answered the Queen, "There is nothing that I like better to hear than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. I have flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes." The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the Queen took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace, she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the bottom to the top with the finest flax. "Now spin me this flax," said she, "and when thou hast done it, thou shalt have my eldest son for a husband, even if thou art poor. I care not for that, thy indefatigable industry is dowry enough." The girl was secretly terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days without moving a finger. On the third day came the Queen, and when she saw that nothing had been spun yet, she was surprised; but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was going away,"To-morrow thou must begin to work."
When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin, and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with her? She complained of her trouble, and then they offered her their help and said, "If thou wilt invite us to the wedding, not be ashamed of us, and wilt call us thine aunts, and likewise wilt place us at thy table, we will spin up the flax for thee, and that in a very short time." "With all my heart," she replied, "do but come in and begin the work at once." Then she let in the three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room, where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread, the third twisted it, and struck the table with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the Queen, and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women took leave and said to the girl, "Do not forget what thou hast promised us, -- it will make thy fortune.
When the maiden showed the Queen the empty rooms, and the great heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife, and praised her mightily. "I have three aunts," said the girl, "and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to forget them in my good fortune; allow me to invite them to the wedding, and let them sit with us at table." The Queen and the bridegroom said, "Why should we not allow that?" Therefore when the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and the bride said, "Welcome, dear aunts." "Ah," said the bridegroom, "how comest thou by these odious friends?" Thereupon he went to the one with the broad flat foot, and said, "How do you come by such a broad foot?" "By treading," she answered, "by treading.""Then the bridegroom went to the second, and said, "How do you come by your falling lip?" "By licking," she answered, "by licking." Then he asked the third, "How do you come by your broad thumb?" "By twisting the thread," she answered, "by twisting the thread." On this the King's son was alarmed and said, "Neither now nor ever shall my beautiful bride touch a spinning-wheel." And thus she got rid of the hateful flax-spinning.
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