格林童話：十二個獵人(英)

　　Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　Once upon a time there was a prince who had a fiancée whom he loved very much. Once when he was sitting beside her very happily, news came that his father was deathly ill, and wanted to see him before he died.

　　Then he said to his beloved, "I must now go and leave you. I give you a ring to remember me by. As soon as I am king, I will return and take you home with me."

　　Then he rode away, and when he reached his father, the latter was mortally ill and near death.

　　The king said to him, "My dearest son, I wanted to see you one more time before my end. Promise me to marry the woman of my choice," and he named a certain princess who was to become his wife.

　　The son was so grieved that without thinking he said, "Yes, dear father, your will shall be done."

　　Then the king closed his eyes and died.

　　After the son had been proclaimed king, and the period of mourning had passed, he had to keep the promise that he had given his father. He proposed marriage to the princess, and she was promised to him.

　　His first fiancée heard about this, and was so saddened by his faithlessness that she nearly died.

　　Then her father said to her, "Dearest child, why are you so sad? You shall have whatever you want."

　　She thought for a moment and then said, "Dear father, I want eleven girls exactly like myself in appearance, figure, and size."

　　The father said, "If it is possible, your wish shall be fulfilled," and he had his entire kingdom searched until eleven girls were found who were exactly like his daughter in appearance, figure, and size.

　　When they came to the princess, she had twelve huntsmen's outfits made, each one like the others. The eleven girls put on the huntsmen's outfits, and she herself put on the twelfth outfit.

　　After this she took leave of her father, and rode away with them. They rode to the court of her former fiancé, whom she loved so dearly. There she asked if he needed any huntsmen, and if he would take all of them into his service. The king looked at her without recognizing her. Because they were such good-looking fellows, he said, yes, that he would willingly take them, and then they were the king's twelve huntsmen.

　　Now the king had a lion that was a miraculous animal, for he knew all hidden and secret things. It happened that one evening the lion said to the king, "You think that you have twelve huntsmen."

　　"Yes," said the king, "they are twelve huntsmen."

　　The lion continued, "You are mistaken. They are twelve girls."

　　The king said, "That is absolutely not true. How can you prove that to me?"

　　"Oh, just have some peas scattered in your antechamber," answered the lion, "and then you shall soon see. Men have a firm step, and when they walk over the peas, none of them will be moved. On the other hand, girls trip and skip and shuffle their feet, rolling the peas about."

　　The king liked this advise and had peas scattered on the floor.

　　Now one of the king's servants liked the huntsmen, and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test, he went to them and told them everything, saying, "The lion wants to make the king believe that you are girls."

　　The princess thanked him, then said to her girls, "Be strong, and step firmly on the peas."

　　The next morning the king had the twelve huntsmen called before him. When they came into the antechamber where the peas were lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a strong, sure walk, that not one of the peas rolled or moved.

　　After they had gone, the king said to the lion, "You lied to me. They walk just like men."

　　The lion said, "They knew that were going to be put to a test, and acted like they were strong. Just have twelve spinning wheels brought into the antechamber. They will go up to them and admire them. No man would do that."

　　The king liked this advice, and he had the spinning wheels set up in the antechamber.

　　But the servant who was honest with the huntsmen went to them and told them about the proposal.

　　So when they were alone, the princess said to her eleven girls, "Be strong and do not look around at the spinning wheels."

　　The next morning when the king had his twelve huntsmen summoned, they walked through the antechamber without looking at the spinning wheels at all.

　　Then the king again said to the lion, "You lied to me. They are men, for they did not look at the spinning wheels."

　　The lion answered, "They knew that they were going to be put to a test, and acted like they were strong."

　　The king, however, refused to believe the lion anymore.

　　The twelve huntsmen always accompanied the king hunting, and the longer he knew them, the better he liked them. Now it happened that once when they were out hunting, news came that the king's bride was approaching. When the true bride heard this, it hurt her so much that it almost broke her heart, and she fainted and fell to the ground.

　　Thinking that something had happened to his dear huntsman, the king ran up to him in order to help him. Pulling the huntsman's glove off, he saw the ring that he had given to his first fiancée, and when he looked into her face, he recognized her. Then his heart was so touched that he kissed her, and when she opened her eyes he said, "You are mine, and I am yours, and no one in the world can change that."

　　He sent a messenger to the other bride, and asked her to return to her own kingdom, for, as he informed her, he already had a wife, and someone who had found an old key did not need a new one.

　　After this their wedding was celebrated, and the lion was accepted back into favor, because, after all, he had told the truth.

　　從前有個王子，有個未婚妻，他非常愛她。有一次，他正和姑娘高高興興在一起，傳來國王病重的消息，并說國王想在死前再見王子一面。於是他對姑娘說：「我現(xiàn)在必須離開你。我給你一個戒指作紀(jì)念，等我當(dāng)了國王就回來娶你?！顾T上馬走了。他來到父親身邊的時候，父親已生命垂危，父親對他說：「最親愛的兒子，在我死前，我想見你一面。請你答應(yīng)我按照我的意愿結(jié)婚?！顾€向他說明他應(yīng)該娶某公主為妻。兒子十分悲痛，不加思索地答應(yīng)說：「好的，親愛的父親，我一定照您的意志去做?！共灰粫?，國王就閉上眼睛去世了。

　　王子就此繼承了王位。喪期過后，他按照對父親的承諾，派人去向那位公主求婚，他的求婚被接受了。當(dāng)他的第一個未婚妻聽到這消息后，對他的不忠感到十分難過，幾乎要?dú)馑懒恕８赣H問她：「我最親愛的孩子，你怎么這么悲傷?你要甚么我都會給你的?！顾肓讼胝f：「親愛的父親，我要十一個和我的相貌、體態(tài)和身材都一模一樣的姑娘?！垢赣H說：「只要可能我就滿足你的愿望?！轨妒桥扇说饺珖鞯卣?，直到找回十一個相貌、體態(tài)和身材都和他女兒一樣的姑娘。

　　他們來到國王的女兒跟前，她早已要人做了十二套相同的獵裝，讓那十一個姑娘穿上，然后自己穿上最后那套。她告別父親，和十一個姑娘騎著馬來到她十分鍾愛的未婚夫的宮殿前。她問他那里是否需要獵人，是否能讓她們十二個人都在他宮里供職。國王沒有認(rèn)出來，看到他們都那么英俊，便說：「行。」并表示他很愿意全部接納他們。從此他們便成了國王十二個獵人。

　　國王有只神奇的獅子，能識破所有偽裝的人和事物。有天晚上，獅子對國王說：「你以為你僱傭了十二個獵人是嗎?」「是啊，他們的確是十二個獵人?！箛趸卮?。可獅子接著說：「你錯了，她們是十二個姑娘?！埂高@怎么可能?你能證明嗎?」獅子回答說：「可以。只要你叫人在廳里撒些豌豆，你馬上就可以看出來……男人腳步穩(wěn)健，從豌豆上踩過去動都不會動;可女人腳步輕，一步一跳的，拖著步子，會踩得豆子到處亂滾?！箛跽J(rèn)為這辦法不錯，就讓人去撒豌豆。

　　但是國王的一個仆人和獵人們很要好，當(dāng)他聽說要考驗(yàn)他們時，就去把他聽到的告訴了獵人，而且說：「獅子想讓國王相信你們是女的?！?/p>

　　公主感謝他，然后對姑娘們說：「你們要裝出有力氣的樣子，重重地踏在豆子上?！沟诙煸缟希瑖踅惺€獵人來，於是她們來到撒了豌豆的前廳里。她們邁著穩(wěn)健有力的步子，堅定地踏在豆子上，所以豆子一顆都沒亂滾。她們走后，國王對獅子說：「你騙了我，他們和男人一樣地走。」獅子說：「有人已經(jīng)告訴她們你要試驗(yàn)，所以使足了力氣。你讓人拿些紡車擺在前廳里，她們準(zhǔn)會十分高興地走過去。這是男人們不會感興趣的東西。」國王覺得這個建議很好，於是讓人在前廳里擺了幾部紡車。

　　但那個喜歡獵人們的仆人又將這一計劃告訴了她們。等只剩下她們時，公主對那十一個姑娘說：「克制一點(diǎn)，不要回頭看那些紡車?！沟诙欤瑖跽僖娛€獵人。她們走過前廳時，對紡車看都沒看一眼。國王又對獅子說：「你又騙了我一次，他們是男人，因?yàn)樗麄冞B看都不看紡車?！箍瑟{子回答說：「她們已經(jīng)知道你要考驗(yàn)她們了，所以克制住自己?！箍蓢醪辉敢庠傧嘈弄{子的話了。

　　十二個獵人總是跟隨國王外出打獵，國王越來越喜歡她們了。有一次她們在外面打獵時聽說國王的新娘要到了。真正的新娘一聽，難過得暈倒了。國王以為他親愛的獵人出了甚么事，於是跑過來想拉她一把，結(jié)果把她的手套拉掉了。他看到了自己給第一個未婚妻的戒指，於是仔細(xì)端詳她的臉，終於認(rèn)出了她。他十分感動地吻了吻她。她睜開眼睛便說：「你是我的，我也是你的，世界上誰也別想改變這一點(diǎn)。」於是國王派人去告訴另一個新娘他已經(jīng)有妻子了，請求她回自己國家去;還說一個人既然找到了舊鑰匙，就沒必要再配新的了。他們當(dāng)時就舉行了婚禮，獅子也重新受到了寵愛，因?yàn)樗f的畢竟是真話。