格林童話：好交易(英)

　　Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　A peasant had driven his cow to the fair and sold her for seven talers. On the way home he had to walk past a pond, and already from afar he heard the frogs crying, "ak, ak, ak, ak" [which in his language sounded like, "eight, eight, eight, eight"].

　　"Well," he said he to himself, "they are talking nonsense. It is seven that I was paid, not eight."

　　When he reached the water, he shouted to them, "You are stupid creatures. Don't you know any better than that? It is seven talers, not eight."

　　The frogs, however, kept up with their "ak, ak, ak, ak."

　　"Now then, if you won't believe it, I can count it out for you." Then taking his money out of his pocket, he counted out the seven talers, twenty-four groschens in each one.

　　However, the frogs paid no attention to his counting, and again cried out, "ak, ak, ak, ak."

　　"Aha!" shouted the peasant, quite angry. "If you think that you know better than I do, then count it yourselves," and he threw all the money at them into the water. He stood still, wanting to stay there until they were finished and had returned his money to him, but the frogs did not budge from their opinion, and continued to cry out, "ak, ak, ak, ak." And furthermore, they did not throw the money back to him.

　　He waited a long time, until evening finally came, and he had to go home. Then he cursed the frogs, shouting at them, "You water-splashers, you thick-heads, you goggle-eyes, you have big mouths and can shout until a person's ears hurt, but you cannot count seven talers. Do you think that I want to stand here until you are finished?"

　　Then he walked away, with the frogs still crying out after him, "ak, ak, ak, ak." He arrived at home in a sour mood.

　　Some time later he bought himself another cow, which he slaughtered. He calculated that if he sold the meat for a good price, he could earn as much as the two cows had been worth together, and have the hide as well.

　　He went to town with the meat. An entire pack of dogs had gathered together just outside the town gate, with a large greyhound at the head of the pack. The greyhound jumped at the meat, sniffing and barking, "bow, wow, bow, wow."

　　When the dog would not stop, the peasant said to him, "Yes, I understand that you are saying, "bow, wow," because you want some of the meat, but I would be in a fine state if I gave it to you."

　　The dog's only answer was, "bow, wow."

　　"Will you not eat it all up, and will you be responsible for your companions?"

　　"Bow, wow, " said the dog.

　　"Well, if you insist on it, I will leave it with you. I know you well, and I know who your master is. But I am telling you, I must have my money in three days, or you will be sorry. You can just bring it out to me."

　　With this he unloaded the meat and turned back toward home. The dogs jumped on the meat, barking loudly, "bow, wow."

　　The peasant heard them from afar and said to himself, "Listen, they all want some, but the big dog will be responsible for it."

　　When three days had passed, the peasant thought, "Tonight you'll have the money in your pocket," and was quite satisfied. But no one came to pay him.

　　"No one is to be trusted nowadays," he said.

　　Finally he lost his patience and went to town and to the butcher, from whom he demanded his money. The butcher thought it was a joke, but the peasant said, "All joking aside, I want my money. Did not the big dog bring home to you an entire slaughtered cow three days ago?"

　　Then the butcher grew angry, picked up a broomstick and chased him out.

　　"Wait," said the peasant. "There is still some justice in the world," and he went to the royal palace and asked for a hearing. He was led before the king, who was sitting there with his daughter. The king asked him what injury he had suffered.

　　"Alas," he said, "the frogs and the dogs stole my belongings from me, and the butcher paid me for my losses with a stick." Then he told them everything that had happened.

　　At this the king's daughter began to laugh out loud, and the king said to him, "I cannot make that right for you, but instead you shall have my daughter for your wife. She had never laughed before in her whole life, until just now at you, and I have promised her to the man who could make her laugh. You can thank God for your good fortune."

　　"Oh," answered the peasant, "I do not want her. I have one wife at home already, and she is too much for me. Whenever I go home, it is just as if I had a wife standing in every corner."

　　Then the king grew angry, and said, "You are a lout."

　　"Alas, your majesty," answered the peasant, "what can you expect from an ox, but beef?"

　　"Wait," replied the king. "You shall have another reward. Get out of here for now, but come back in three days, and then five hundred shall be counted out for you in full."

　　When the peasant passed through the gate, the sentry said, "You made the king's daughter laugh, so you must have received something very good."

　　"Yes, that is right," answered the peasant. "Five hundred are to be counted out to me."

　　"Listen," said the soldier. "Give me some of it. How can you spend all that money?"

　　"Because it is you," said the peasant, "you shall have two hundred. In three days report to the king, and have it counted out for you."

　　A Jew, who had been standing nearby and had overheard the conversation, ran after the peasant, took hold of his coat, and said, "Miracle of God, what a child of fortune you are! I will change it for you. I will change it for you into smaller coins. What do you want with hard talers?"

　　"Jew," said the peasant, "You can have three hundred. Give it to me right now in coins. Three days from now you will be paid for it by the king."

　　The Jew was delighted with his small profit, and brought the sum in bad groschens, three of which were worth two good ones. After three days had passed, in keeping with the king's order, the peasant went before the king.

　　"Pull off his coat," said the king "He shall have his five hundred."

　　"Alas," said the peasant, "they no longer belong to me. I gave two hundred of them to the sentry, and the Jew has changed three hundred for me, so rightfully nothing more belongs to me."

　　In the meantime the soldier and the Jew entered and demanded what they had received from the peasant, and they received the blows carefully counted out.

　　The soldier bore it patiently, for he already knew how it tasted, but the Jew cried out pitifully, "Oh my, oh my, are these the hard talers?"

　　The king had to laugh at the peasant, and when his anger had subsided, he said, "Because you lost your reward even before you received it, I will replace it for you. Go into my treasure chamber and take as much money for yourself as you want."

　　The peasant did not need to be told twice, and he stuffed as much as would fit into his big pockets. After that he went to an inn and counted out his money.

　　The Jew had crept after him and heard him muttering to himself, "That rascal of a king has cheated me after all. If he himself had given me the money, then I would know how much I have. Now how can I know if what I had the luck to put into my pockets is right?"

　　"God forbid," said the Jew to himself, "he is speaking disrespectfully of his majesty. I will run and report him, and then I shall get a reward, and furthermore he will be punished."

　　When the king heard what the peasant had said he fell into a rage, and ordered the Jew to go and bring the offender to him.

　　The Jew ran to the peasant and said, "You are to go to his majesty the king at once, and just as you are."

　　"I know better than that what is right," answered the peasant. "First let me have a new coat made for myself. Do you think that a man with so much money in his pockets should go before the king in this tattered old coat?"

　　The Jew, seeing that the peasant could not be moved without another coat, and fearing that if the king's anger cooled, he himself would lose his reward, and the peasant his punishment, said, "Out of pure friendship I will lend you a handsome coat for a little while. What people will not do for love!"

　　The peasant was satisfied with this, put on the Jew's coat, and went off with him.

　　The king confronted the peasant with the evil things the Jew had accused him of saying.

　　"Oh," said the peasant, "what a Jew says is always a lie. No true word ever comes out of his mouth. That rascal there is even capable of claiming that I have his coat on."

　　"What are you saying?" shouted the Jew. "Is that coat not mine? Did I not lend it to you out of pure friendship, so that you could appear before his majesty the king?"

　　When the king heard this, he said, "For sure the Jew has deceived one of us, either myself or the peasant." And once again he had the Jew paid out in hard talers.

　　The peasant, however, went home wearing the good coat and with the good money in his pockets, saying to himself, "This time I made it."

　　從前有個農(nóng)夫，趕著一頭母牛去集市出售，結(jié)果賣了七個銀幣。在回家的路上，他經(jīng)過一個池塘，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地就聽到青蛙們在叫：「呱——呱——呱——呱——?！埂负?，」農(nóng)夫自言自語地說，「你們真是在胡說八道。我只賣了七個銀幣，不是八個?！顾叩匠靥吝?，沖著青蛙喊道：「你們這些愚蠢的東西!難道你們還沒有搞清楚嗎?是七個銀幣，不是八個!」可是青蛙還在那里叫著：「呱，呱，呱，呱。」「我說，要是你們真的不相信，我可以數(shù)給你們看?！罐r(nóng)夫說著便從口袋里掏出錢來數(shù)，并把二十個小錢算成一個銀幣，結(jié)果數(shù)來數(shù)去還是七個銀幣，然而青蛙們根本不管他數(shù)出來的錢是多少，只管一個勁地叫著：「呱，呱，呱，呱。」「甚么?」農(nóng)夫生氣地喊道，「要是你們自以為懂得比我還多，那你們就自己去數(shù)吧。」他說著把錢全部扔進了水里。他站在池塘邊，等待著青蛙們把錢數(shù)完后還給他，可是青蛙們卻固執(zhí)己見，仍然叫著：「呱，呱，呱，呱?！?fàn)瓊冊僖矝]有把錢還回來。農(nóng)夫在那里等了很久，一直等到天黑，才不得不回家。臨走的時候，他大聲罵青蛙：「你們這些水鬼，你們這些蠢貨，你們這些闊嘴巴、鼓眼睛的傢伙!你們整天吵得別人耳朵根不得清靜，而你們居然連七個銀幣都數(shù)不清!你們以為我會一直呆在這里等著你們把錢數(shù)清嗎?」他說完這番話就走了，而青蛙們還在喊著：

　　「呱，呱，呱，呱」，氣得他到家時仍然憋著一肚子氣。

　　過了一陣子，農(nóng)夫又買了一頭牛，把牠宰了。他一算計，發(fā)現(xiàn)自己不僅可以掙回兩頭牛的錢，而且還白得一張牛皮。於是，他把肉運到了城里;可是城門口有一大群狗，領(lǐng)頭的是一只大狼犬。大狼犬圍著牛肉跳來跳去，一面聞一面「汪，汪，汪」地叫著。農(nóng)夫看到自己怎么也制止不了牠，便對牠說：「是的，是的，我知道你那 '汪，汪，汪'的意思。你是想吃點肉，可要是我們?nèi)饨o了你，我自己就倒霉了!」但是狼犬只是回答「汪，汪，汪」?！改敲茨阍覆辉敢獯饝?yīng)不把肉全吃完，并且愿意為其他狗作擔(dān)保呢?」「汪，汪，汪，」狼犬叫著。「好吧，要是你硬要這么做，我就把肉都留在這里。我認(rèn)識你，也知道你在誰家當(dāng)差。我把話說在頭里，你必須在三天內(nèi)把錢還給我，不然我叫你好看!你可以把錢送到我家去?！拐f著，農(nóng)夫就把肉卸在地上，轉(zhuǎn)身回家去了。那群狗一下子撲到牛肉上，大聲叫著：「汪，汪，汪!」

　　農(nóng)夫在遠(yuǎn)處聽到牠們的叫聲，自言自語地說：「聽啊，牠們現(xiàn)在都想吃一點，但賬得由那頭大狼犬付。」

　　三天過去了，農(nóng)夫想：「今晚我的錢就可以裝在我的口袋里了?！瓜氲竭@里，他非常高興。然而誰也沒有來給他還錢?！高@年月誰也不能相信!」他說。到最后他終於不耐煩了，只好進城找屠夫要錢。屠夫以為他是在開玩笑，可是農(nóng)夫說：「誰和你開玩笑?我要我的錢!難道你的那條大狼犬三天前沒有把一整頭牛的肉給你送來嗎?」屠夫這次真的發(fā)火了，一把抓起掃帚把農(nóng)夫趕了出去?！改愕戎罐r(nóng)夫說，「這世界上還有公道呢!」他說著就跑到王宮去喊冤，結(jié)果被帶去見國王。國王正和公主坐在一起，他問農(nóng)夫有甚么冤屈?！柑炷?」他說，「青蛙和狗把我的錢拿走了，屠夫不但不認(rèn)賬，還用掃帚打我?！菇又?，他把事情從頭至尾講了一遍，逗得公主開心地哈哈大笑。國王對他說：「這件事情我無法為你主持公道，不過我可以把我女兒嫁給你。她一輩子還從來沒有像笑你那樣大笑過;我許過愿，要把她嫁給能使她發(fā)笑的人。你能交上這樣的好運，真得感謝上帝!」

　　「哦，」農(nóng)夫回答，「我才不想娶你女兒呢。我已經(jīng)有了一個老婆，而這個老婆我都嫌多。每次我回到家里，總覺得到處都有她似的?！箛跻宦牼蜕藲?，說：「你真是個蠢貨!」「嗨，國王老爺，」農(nóng)夫說，「除了牛肉，你還能指望從牛身上得到甚么呢?」「等等，」國王說，「我另外給你一樣獎賞吧。你現(xiàn)在去吧，過三天再回來。我要給你整整五百塊銀元?！?/p>

　　農(nóng)夫從宮門出來時，衛(wèi)兵問他：「你把公主逗笑了，肯定得到甚么獎賞了吧?」「我想是吧，」農(nóng)夫說，「國王要給我整整五百塊銀元呢?！埂改懵犖艺f，」衛(wèi)兵說，「你要那么多錢干甚么?分一點給我吧!」「既然是你嘛，」農(nóng)夫說，「我就給你兩百塊吧。你三天后去見國王，讓他把錢付給你好了?！拐驹谂赃叺囊晃华q太人聽到了他們的談話，趕緊追上農(nóng)夫，拽著他的外衣說：「我的天哪，你的運氣真好啊!你要那些大銀元做甚么?把它們換給我吧，我給你換成小錢。」「猶太人，」農(nóng)夫說，「你還有三百塊銀元好拿，趕緊把小錢給我吧。三天后讓國王把錢給你好了?！躬q太人很高興自己佔到了便宜，給農(nóng)夫拿來了一些壞銅錢。這種壞銅錢三枚只能值兩枚。三天過去了，農(nóng)夫按國王的吩咐，來到了國王的面前。國王突然說道：「脫掉他的外衣，給他五百板子。」「嗨，」農(nóng)夫說道，「這五百已經(jīng)不屬於我了。我把其中的兩百送給了衛(wèi)兵，把另外的三百換給了猶太人，所以它們根本不屬於我。」就在這時，衛(wèi)兵和猶太人進來向國王要錢，結(jié)果分別如數(shù)挨了板子。衛(wèi)兵因為嘗過板子的滋味，所以挺了過來;猶太人卻傷心地說：「天哪，天哪，這就是那些沉重的銀元嗎?」國王忍不住對農(nóng)夫笑了，怒氣也消失了。他說：「既然你在得到給你的獎賞之前就已經(jīng)失去了，我愿意給你一些補償。你到我的寶庫去取一些錢吧!愿意拿多少就拿多少?！惯@句話農(nóng)夫一聽就懂，把他的大口袋裝得滿滿的，然后他走進一家酒店，數(shù)著他的錢。猶太人悄悄跟在他的后面，聽見他在低聲嘀咕：「那個混蛋國王到底還是把我給騙了!他干嗎不自己把錢給我呢?這樣我就能知道他究竟給了我多少。他現(xiàn)在讓我自己把錢裝進口袋，我怎么知道有多少錢呢?」「我的天哪，」猶太人心中想道，「這個傢伙居然在說國王大人的壞話。我要跑去告訴國王，這樣我就能得到獎賞，而這傢伙就會受到懲罰。」

　　國王聽了農(nóng)夫說過的話大發(fā)雷霆，命令猶太人去把農(nóng)夫抓來。猶太人跑到農(nóng)夫那里，對他說：「國王讓你趕緊去見他。」「我知道怎么去更好，」農(nóng)夫回答，「我要先請裁縫給我做件新外套。你認(rèn)為口袋里裝著這么多錢的人能穿著這身舊衣服去見國王嗎?」猶太人看到農(nóng)夫怎么也不愿意穿著舊衣服去見國王，怕時間一長國王的怒火平息了，自己會得不到獎賞，農(nóng)夫也會免遭懲罰，便對他說：「純粹是出於友誼，我暫時把我的外套借給你。為了友愛，人可是甚么事情都肯做的呀!」農(nóng)夫?qū)@種安排很滿意，便穿上猶太人的外套，和他一起去見國王。

　　國王責(zé)問農(nóng)夫為甚么要說猶太人所告發(fā)的那些壞話。

　　「啊，」農(nóng)夫說，「猶太人甚么時候說過真話呢?狗嘴里吐不出象牙來!這混蛋大概還要說我身上的外套是他的呢?！?/p>

　　「你說甚么?」猶太人嚷道，「難道那外套不是我的嗎?難道我沒有出於友誼把它借給你，好讓你來見國王嗎?」國王聽到這里便說：「這個猶太人肯定騙了人，不是騙了我就是騙了農(nóng)夫，」然后又命令人再賞給他一些硬板子。農(nóng)夫穿著漂亮的外套，口袋里裝著鼓鼓的錢，邊往家走邊想：「這次的交易做成功了!」