格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
THE SEVEN RAVENS
toeat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Thensaid one after the other,
There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter.Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and smallthat they thought she could not live; but they said she should at oncebe christened.
So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get somewater, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be first atdrawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let theirpitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking atone another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. Inthe meantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made theyoung men stay so long. 'Surely,' said he, 'the whole seven must haveforgotten themselves over some game of play'; and when he had waitedstill longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wishedthem all turned into ravens. Scarcely had he spoken these words whenhe heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravensas black as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see hiswish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone,and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his sevensons with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and everyday more beautiful.
For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers;for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her:but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them.'Yes,' said they, 'she is beautiful indeed, but still 'tis a pity thather brothers should have been lost for her sake.' Then she was muchgrieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had anybrothers, and what had become of them. So they dared no longer hidethe truth from her, but said it was the will of Heaven, and that herbirth was only the innocent cause of it; but the little girl mournedsadly about it every day, and thought herself bound to do all shecould to bring her brothers back; and she had neither rest nor ease,till at length one day she stole away, and set out into the wide worldto find her brothers, wherever they might be, and free them, whateverit might cost her.
She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father andmother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry, alittle pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a littlestool to rest upon when she should be weary. Thus she went on and on,and journeyed till she came to the world's end; then she came to thesun, but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; so she ran awayquickly to the moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'Ismell flesh and blood this way!' so she took herself away in a hurryand came to the stars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her,and each star sat upon his own little stool; but the morning star roseup and gave her a little piece of wood, and said, 'If you have notthis little piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands onthe glass-mountain, and there your brothers live.' The little girltook the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and went onagain until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the door shut.Then she felt for the little piece of wood; but when she unwrapped thecloth it was not there, and she saw she had lost the gift of the goodstars. What was to be done? She wanted to save her brothers, and hadno key of the castle of the glass-mountain; so this faithful littlesister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger,that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost, and put itin the door and opened it.
As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, 'What are youseeking for?' 'I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,' answeredshe. Then the dwarf said, 'My masters are not at home; but if you willwait till they come, pray step in.' Now the little dwarf was gettingtheir dinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven littleplates, and their drink in seven little glasses, and set them upon thetable, and out of each little plate their sister ate a small piece,and out of each little glass she drank a small drop; but she let thering that she had brought with her fall into the last glass.
On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and thedwarf said, 'Here come my masters.' When they came in, they wanted toeat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Thensaid one after the other,
'Who has eaten from my little plate? And who has been drinking out ofmy little glass?'
'Caw! Caw! well I weenMortal lips have this way been.'
When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there thering, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father's and mother's,and said, 'O that our little sister would but come! then we should befree.' When the little girl heard this (for she stood behind the doorall the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an instant all theravens took their right form again; and all hugged and kissed eachother, and went merrily home.