格林童話:the Gifts of the Little People小人兒的禮物
the Gifts of the Little People小人兒的禮物
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A tailor and a goldsmith were journeying together when one evening, just as the sun had sunk behind the mountains, they heard the sound of distant music. It GREw more and more distinct. It had a strange sound, but was so pleasing that they forgot their fatigue and walked speedily ahead. The moon had already risen when they arrived at a hill, upon which they viewed a large number of small men and women who were holding hands and dancing around and cheerfully singing with the greatest pleasure and happiness. That was the music that the wanderers had heard.
An old man, somewhat larger than the others, sat in their midst. He wore a brightly colored jacket, and his ice-gray beard hung down over his chest. Filled with amazement, the two wanderers stopped and watched the dance. The old man motioned to them that they too should join in, and the little people voluntarily opened their circle.
the goldsmith, who had a hump on his back, and —— like all hunchbacks —— was forward enough, stepped right up. The tailor was at first a little shy and held back, but as soon as he saw what fun it was, he too took heart and joined in.
they closed the circle again, and the little people sang and danced wildly forth. However, the old man took a broad knife, that had been hanging from his belt, sharpened it, and as soon as it was sufficiently sharpened, looked at the strangers. They were frightened, but they did not have to worry for long. The old man grabbed the goldsmith and with the GREatest speed smoothly shaved off his beard and the hair from his head. Then the same thing happened to the tailor.
their fear disappeared when the old man patted them friendly on their shoulders as if he wanted to say that they had done well by letting it all happen without resisting. With his finger he pointed toward a pile of coal that lay nearby, and indicated to them through gestures that they should fill their pockets with it. They both obeyed, although they did not know of what use the coal would be to them. Then they went on their way to seek out a place to spend the night.
they had just arrived in the valley when the bell from a neighboring monastery struck twelve. The singing ceased instantly. Everyone disappeared, and the hill lay in lonely moonlight.
the two wanderers found shelter. Lying on beds of straw, they covered themselves with their jackets. They were so tired that they forgot to take the coal out of their pockets first.
they were awakened earlier than normal by a heavy weight pressing down on their limbs. They reached into their pockets, and could hardly believe their eyes when they saw that they were not filled with coal, but with pure gold. Further, their hair and their beards had also been fully restored.
Now they were rich. However, the goldsmith had twice as much as the tailor, because —— true to his GREedy nature —— he had filled his pockets better. However much a greedy person has, he always wants more, so the goldsmith proposed to the tailor that they stay there another day in order to be able to gain even more wealth from the old man on the mountain that evening.
the tailor did not want to do this, and said: "I have enough and am satisfied. I am going to become a master, marry my pleasant object (as he called his sweetheart), and be a happy man."
However, to please the goldsmith, he aGREed to stay one more day. That evening the goldsmith hung several pockets over his shoulders in order to be able to carry everything, and set off for the hill.
As had happened the night before, he found the little people dancing and singing. The old man shaved him smooth once again, and indicated that he should take some coal. Without hesitating he packed away as much as his pockets would hold, and then happily returned home. Covering himself with his jacket he said: "I can bear it, if the gold presses down on me." With the sweet premonition that he would awaken tomorrow as a very rich man, he fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes, he got up quickly in order to examine his pockets. How astounded he was, that he pulled out nothing but black coal, however often he reached inside. "Anyway, I still have the gold from the night before," he thought, and reached for it. Horrified, he saw that it too had turned back into coal. He struck himself on the forehead with his grimy hand, and felt that his entire head was as bald and smooth as his beardless chin.
Nor was that the end of his misfortune. Only now did he notice that in addition the hump on his back, a second one, of the same size, had grown onto his chest. Now he recognized the punishment for his GREed and began to cry aloud.
the good tailor, who had been awakened by all this, consoled the unhappy man as best he could, saying: "You were my traveling companion, and you can stay with me now and live from my treasure."
He kept his word, but the poor goldsmith had to bear two humps and cover his bald head with a cap as long as he lived.
一個裁縫和一個金匠一起外出旅行。一天傍晚太陽下山後，他們聽到遠處傳來了歌聲，而且聲音越來越清晰。樂聲很怪但又如此悅耳，以致他們忘記了疲勞，趕緊向前走去。月亮升起時，他們走到了山頂，在那兒看到一大幫個子矮小的男男女女手拉手兒圍着圈，在盡情跳舞。
他們唱的歌非常動聽，剛纔兩人聽到的就是這歌聲。在那些人中間坐着一位長者，他比其他人都要高，身穿一件雜色外套，花白的鬍子垂至胸前。那兩個人還站在那兒，滿臉驚訝地看着他們跳舞呢，老人示意他們加入，那些小人們也熱心地散開了一個口子。那個金匠背上有個瘤，就像所有的駝背一樣，他大膽地加入了跳舞者的圈子，而裁縫開始還有些害怕，想退縮，但他看到所有人都玩得那樣開心，便也鼓起勇氣加入了他們的行列。舞圈馬上又合攏了，小人們又繼續載歌載舞，歡樂無比。只見那位老者從腰間抽出把大刀，把刀磨得鋒利無比，既而把目光轉向了兩位陌生人。他們都嚇壞了，他倆還沒來得及思索，就見老人抓住了金匠，以迅雷不及掩耳之速把他的頭髮和鬍子給剃得個精光，裁縫同樣也未能逃脫此劫。等完事後，兩人又馬上感到恐懼蕩然無存了。因爲老人友好地拍了拍他倆的肩膀，奇怪的是，他倆覺得是自願地讓老人把頭髮剃下來的，毫無反抗。他指了指堆在一邊的煤堆，示意他倆用煤渣填滿口袋，雖然他倆不知道這些東西對他們有甚麼用，二話沒說便照着老人說的去做了。接着他們就動身去找一間過夜的小屋，當他們到達山谷時，附近僧院的鐘聲剛剛響過十二點，人們都停止了歌唱。過了一會兒一切都結束了，這座山在月光下顯得幽寂而靜謐。
兩個旅行者找到一家小酒店，躺在了草墊牀上，用大衣蓋住了身體，他們畢竟太累了，忘了把煤塊拿出來，沉重的負擔把他倆早早地壓醒了。他們把手伸進口袋，簡直不能相信自己的眼睛，袋裏裝的不是煤塊，而是金子。更可喜的是，他倆的頭髮、鬍子變得又長又濃又密，和以前沒有甚麼兩樣了。
現在他倆都成了有錢的人，但是那位金匠由於貪婪成性，順便多裝了些煤塊，自然比裁縫富得多了。貪婪的人即使擁有很多，希望得到的也越多。所以金匠建議他倆多呆一天，晚上再出去到老人那兒，以便得到更多的金銀財寶。裁縫沒有答應，他說：「我知足了，現在我將成爲一個財主，娶一個我心愛的戀人，而且我也是個幸福的人。」但爲了朋友，他決定多呆一天。爲了能裝回更多財寶，當晚金匠肩上揹着許多大包，樂滋滋地上了路。正如前天晚上一樣，他發現小人們又在唱歌跳舞，老人又給他剃了個光頭，讓他帶走一些煤塊。他毫不猶豫地把包裝得滿滿的，滿心喜悅地走回來，身上全是大包小包。「即使金子背起來很重，」他說，「我也能承受。」最後他甜甜地進入了夢鄉，夢見自己清晨醒來變成了一個大富翁。
當他睜開雙眼伸手來摸口袋時，發現自己甚麼也沒摸到，只摸到一些黑煤塊，不禁驚訝萬分。「前天晚上我得到的那些金子一定還在那兒。」他心想，然後把那個口袋拿了出來，結果驚奇的發現它們也變成了煤塊。他又用又黑又髒的手摸了摸前額，突然發現他的整個腦袋又禿又平，長鬍子的地方也同樣如此。但是他的噩運還沒完，他突然注意到他胸部也長出了一塊和背上一樣大的東西。那時他才意識到這一切都是對他貪婪成性的懲罰，便開始大哭起來。哭聲一下把好心的裁縫給鬧醒了，裁縫馬上安慰那個可憐的人，並說：「旅行時咱們一直結伴而行，你應當和我一起分享我的財產。」他許下了諾言，但那個可憐的金匠不得不帶着兩個腫塊度過餘生，並不時用帽子遮住他那光光的腦袋。
