格林童話故事：壽命

《格林童話》產生於十九世紀初，是由德國著名語言學家，雅可布·格林和威廉·格林兄弟收集、整理、加工完成的德國民間文學。它是世界童話的經典之作，自問世以來，在世界各地影響十分廣泛。格林兄弟以其豐富的想象、優美的語言給孩子們講述了一個個神奇而又浪漫的童話故事。《格林童話》帶有濃厚的地域特色、民族特色，富於趣味性和娛樂性，對培養兒童養成真、善、美的良好品質有積極意義。下面本站小編爲大家帶來格林童話故事閱讀，希望大家喜歡!

　格林童話故事：壽命

When God created the world and was about todetermine the duration of life for all the creatures,the donkey came and asked, "Lord, how long am I tolive?"

"Thirty years," answered God. "Is that all rightwith you?"

"Oh, Lord," replied the donkey, "that is a longtime. Think of my tiresome existence carrying heavy loads from morning until night, draggingbags of grain to the mill so that others might eat bread, only to be cheered along and refreshedwith kicks and blows! Spare me part of this long time."

So God had mercy and gave him eighteen years. the donkey went away satisfied, and thedog made his appearance.

"How long do you want to live?" said God to him. "Thirty years was too much for thedonkey, but you will be satisfied with that long."

"Lord," answered the dog. "Is that your will? Just think how much I have to run. My feet willnot hold out so long. And what can I do but growl and run from one corner to another after Ihave lost my voice for barking and my teeth for biting?"

God saw that he was right, and he took away twelve years. then came the monkey.

"Surely you would like to live thirty years," said the Lord to him. "You do not need to worklike the donkey and the dog, and are always having fun."

"Oh, Lord," he answered, "so it appears, but it is different. When it rains porridge, I don'thave a spoon. I am always supposed to be playing funny tricks and making faces so people willlaugh, but when they give me an apple and I bite into it, it is always sour. How often is sorrowhidden behind a joke. I cannot put up with all that for thirty years!"

God had mercy and gave him ten years. Finally man made his appearance. Cheerful,healthy, and refreshed, he asked God to determine the duration of his life.

"You shall live thirty years," spoke the Lord. "Is that enough for you?"

"What a short time!" cried the man. "When I have built a house and a fire is burning on myown hearth, when I have planted trees that blossom and bear fruit, and am just beginning toenjoy life, then I am to die. Oh, Lord, extend my time."

"I will add the donkey's eighteen years," said God.

"That is not enough," replied the man.

"You shall also have the dog's twelve years."

"Still too little."

"Well, then," said God, "I will give you the monkey's ten years as well, but you shall receiveno more."

the man went away, but he was not satisfied.

Thus man lives seventy years. the first thirty are his human years, and they quicklydisappear. Here he is healthy and happy; he works with pleasure, and enjoys his existence. Thedonkey's eighteen years follow. Here one burden after the other is laid on him; he carries thegrain that feeds others, and his faithful service is rewarded with kicks and blows. Then comethe dog's twelve years, and he lies in the corner growling, no longer having teeth with which tobite. And when this time is past, the monkey's ten years conclude. Now man is weak headedand foolish; he does silly things and becomes a laughingstock for children.

上帝創造了這個世界，準備給萬物的生命，這時驢子走了過來問道：“主啊，我將活多少年?”“三十年，”上帝回答道，“你滿意嗎?”“啊!主呀，”驢子答道，“那夠長了。想想我活得多苦呀!每天從早到晚揹着沉重的負擔，把一袋的穀子拖進作坊，而其他人可以吃麵包，他們只知用打我、踢我來的方式鼓舞我、振作我。請把我從這漫長的痛苦歲月中解放出來吧。”上帝很同情它，就減了它十八年的壽命。驢子心中寬慰地走了。接着狗又來了。“你想活多久?”上帝問，“三十年對驢來說太長了，但你會滿意吧!”“主呀，”狗回答說，“這是你的意志嗎?想想我將怎樣狂奔，我的腳決不可能堅持那麼久，當我一旦不能叫了，除了從一個角落跑到另一個角落，我還能幹甚麼呢?”上帝見它說得對，減了它十二年壽命。接着猴子來了。“你一定願意活三十年吧?”上帝對它說，“你不必像驢和狗那樣幹活，卻可以享受生活。”“啊!主呀，”它回答，“過去也許是這樣，但現在已大不同了。如果天降小米粥，我可沒有勺兒。我總是幹些發笑的勾當，比如做做鬼臉逗人發笑。如果他們給我一個蘋果吃，我就大咬一口，不過它是酸的。悲哀常常藏在歡笑之後!三十年我可耐不住。”上帝仁慈，減了它十年。

最後人類出現了，他是那樣地開心、健康而又充滿生命力，他請上帝指定他的壽命。“你將活三十年，”上帝說，“夠長了嗎?”“太短了，”人說，“當我剛建起我的房子、在自己的竈上燒火時，當我辛勤栽培的樹木剛開花結果時，當我正準備享受生活時，我卻要死了!哦，主呀，請延長我的生命吧!”“加上驢子的十八年。”上帝說。“那還不夠。”人回答。“那再加上狗的十二年。”“還是太少了。”“那麼，”上帝說，“我再給你猴子的十年，但不能再多了。”人走了，但還是不滿意。

這樣人活七十歲，起先三十年是他的本份，但瞬息即逝，這階段他健康、快樂，高興地工作，生活也充滿了歡樂。接下來是驢子的十八年，這時候，生活的負擔壓在肩上，他得辛勤地勞作養活他人，他這種忠實的服務換來的卻是拳打和腳踢。然後是狗的十二年，那時他失去了利齒，咬不動東西，只能躺在牆腳忿忿不平地低吼。這痛苦日子過後，猴子般的生活結束了他最後的一生。這時，他傻頭傻腦，糊里糊塗，成了孩子們捉弄、嘲笑的對象。

　格林童話故事：死神的使者

In ancient times a giant was wandering along thehighway when suddenly a stranger jumped towardhim and shouted, "Stop! Not one step further!"

"What?" said the giant. "You, a creature that Icould crush between my fingers, you want to blockmy way? Who are you that you dare to speak soboldly?"

"I am Death," answered the other one. "No one resists me, and you too must obey myorders."

But the giant refused, and began to wrestle with Death. It was a long, violent battle, andfinally the giant got the upper hand, and knocked Death down with his fist, causing him tocollapse by a stone. The giant went on his way, and Death lay there conquered, so weak thathe could not get up again.

"What is to come of this?" he said. "If I stay lying here in a corner, no one will die in theworld, and it will become so filled with people that they won't have room to stand beside oneanother."

Meanwhile a young man came down the road. Vigorous and healthy, he was singing a songand looking this way and that. Seeing the half-conscious individual, he approached him withcompassion, raised him up, gave him a refreshing drink from his flask, and waited until heregained his strength.

"Do you know," asked the stranger, as he stood up, "who I am, and whom you have helpedonto his legs again?"

"No," answered the youth, "I do not know you."

"I am Death," he said. "I spare no one, nor can make an exception with you. However, soyou may see that I am grateful, I promise you that I will not attack you without warning, butinstead will send my messengers to you before I come and take you away."

"Good," said the youth. "It is to my benefit that I shall know when you are coming, andthat I will be safe from you until then."

then he went on his way, and was cheerful and carefree, and lived one day at a ver, youth and good health did not last long. Soon came sickness and pain, whichtormented him by day and deprived him of his rest by night.

"I shall not die," he said to himself, "for Death will first send his messengers, but I do wishthat these wicked days of sickness were over."

Regaining his health, he began once more to live cheerfully. then one day someone tappedon his shoulder.

He looked around, and death was standing behind him, who said, "Follow me. the hour ofyour departure from this world has come."

"What?" replied the man. "Are you breaking your word? Did you not promise me that youwould send your messengers to me before you yourself would come? I have not seen a one ofthem."

"Be still!" answered Death. "Have I not sent you one messenger after another? Did notfever come and strike you, and shake you, and throw you down? Has not dizziness numbedyour head? Has not gout pinched your limbs? Did your ears not buzz? Did toothache not biteinto your cheeks? Did your eyes not darken? And furthermore, has not my own brother Sleepreminded you every night of me? During the night did you not lie there as if you were alreadydead?"

the man did not know how to answer, so he surrendered to his fate and went away withDeath.

古時後，有個巨人漫步在鄉間的大道上，突然一個陌生人跳到他跟前說：“站住，不許再往前走一步!”“甚麼?”巨人叫道，“你這小東西，我兩根指頭就能把你捏死，你敢擋我的路?你是甚麼人，敢口吐狂言?”“我是死神，”他回答說，“沒有人能反抗我，你也必須服從我的命令。”但巨人拒絕了，和死神打鬥起來，這是一場持久而激烈的戰鬥，最後巨人佔了上風，一拳擊倒了死神，使他癱倒在一塊石頭旁。巨人凱旋而去，死神倒在那兒屈服了，他太虛弱了，竟爬不起來了。“現在我該怎麼辦呢?”他說，“如果就縮在這個角落裏，世上就沒人會死，那麼必定會擠滿人而無處容身了。”這時來了位年輕人，朝氣蓬勃，一路高歌，並且在舉目四顧。一看見這個半死半活的人，馬上關切地走了上來，扶起他，從自己的瓶中倒了口水給他，看着他恢復了幾分力氣。那陌生人邊爬起邊說：“你可知道我是誰嗎?你知道你幫了誰嗎?”“不，”年輕人說，“我不認識你。”“我是死神，我從不放過任何人，你也不例外。但爲了表示我的感激之情，我向你保證我絕不出其不意地降臨於你，我會在來取你性命之前派我的報信使者通知你。”“好的，”年輕人說，“能知道自己的死期就足夠了，至少在這以前我不用提心吊膽的。”然後他愉快地走了，無憂無慮地生活着。但青春和健康不會長久，很快病痛與悲哀都來了，它們開始一天天地折磨他。他自言自語道：“我不會死的，因爲死神還沒來，我真希望這病痛纏身的痛苦日子趕快結束。”後來他的病好了，他又過上了開心的日子。有一天，有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他扭頭一看，發現死神就站在他身後。“跟我來，你和這個世界告別的時刻已經到了。”“甚麼?”這人問道，“你怎能食言?你不是保證說你本人來之前會派信使來嗎?”“別作聲!”死神說，“我不是接二連三地差信使到這裏了嗎?寒熱不是來打你、推你、摔倒你了嗎?暈眩不是弄得你頭昏腦脹嗎?痛風病不是折磨你四肢嗎?耳鳴有過嗎?牙痛時不曾使面頰發腫嗎?而且，我的兄弟'睡神'不是每晚向你提起我嗎?夜裏，你難道不是像死人那樣地躺在那嗎?”

這人無話可說，只得聽天由命，跟着死神走了。

格林童話