格林童話:the Tailor in Heaven走進天堂的裁縫

the Tailor in Heaven

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

It came to pass that one beautiful day God wished to take a stroll in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints with him, leaving no one in heaven but Saint Peter. The Lord had commanded him to allow no one to enter during his absence, so Peter stood by the gate and kept watch. Before long someone knocked. Peter asked who was there, and what he wanted.

"I am a poor, honest tailor who is requesting admission," replied a pleasant voice.

"Honest indeed," said Peter. "Like the thief on the gallows. You have been sticky-fingered and have robbed people of their cloth. You will not get into heaven. The Lord has forbidden me to let anyone in as long he is out."

"Oh, please be merciful," cried the tailor. "Little scraps that fall off the table by themselves are not stolen, and are not worth mentioning. See here, I am limping and have blisters on my feet from walking here. I cannot possibly go back again. Just let me in, and I will do all the dirty work. I will tend the children, wash their diapers, wipe off and clean the benches on which they have been playing, and patch all their torn clothes."

Saint Peter let himself be moved by pity and opened heaven's gate just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip his lean body inside. He had to take a seat in a corner behind the door, and was told to stay there quietly and peacefully, so that the Lord would not notice him when he returned, and become angry.

the tailor obeyed, but one time when Saint Peter stepped outside the door, he got up, and full of curiosity, looked into every corner of heaven, seeing what was there. Finally he came to a place where there were many beautiful and costly chairs. At their center was a seat made entirely of gold and set with glistening precious stones. It stood much higher than the other chairs, and a golden footstool stood in front of it. This was the seat on which the Lord sat when he was at home, and from which he could see everything that was happening on earth.

the tailor stood still, and looked at the seat for a long time, for he liked it better than all the rest. Finally he could control his curiosity no longer, and he climbed up and sat down on it. From there he saw everything that was happening on earth.

He noticed an ugly old woman who was standing beside a stream doing the laundry. She secretly set two scarves aside. Seeing this made the tailor so angry that he took hold of the golden footstool and threw it at the old thief, through heaven down to earth. Unable to bring the stool back again, he quietly sneaked down from the seat, sat back down in his place behind the door, and pretended that he had done nothing at all.

When the Lord and Master returned with his heavenly attendants, he did not notice the tailor behind the door, but when he sat down on his seat, the footstool was missing. He asked Saint Peter what had become of the footstool, but he did not know. Then he asked if he had admitted anyone.

"I know of no one who has been here," answered Peter, "except for a lame tailor, who is still sitting behind the door."

then the Lord had the tailor brought before him, and asked him if he had taken the footstool, and where he had put it.

"Oh, Lord," answered the tailor joyously, "In my anger I threw it down to earth at an old woman whom I saw stealing two scarves while doing the laundry."

"Oh, you scoundrel," said the Lord, "if I were to judge as you judge, how would it have gone with you? I would have long since had no chairs, benches, seats, no, not even a stove-poker, but would have thrown everything down at the sinners. You can no longer stay in heaven, but must go outside the gate again. From there watch where you are going. Here no one metes out punishment, except for me alone, the Lord."

Peter had to take the tailor out of heaven again, and because his shoes were worn out and his feet were covered with blisters, he took a stick in his hand and went to Wait-a-While, where the good soldiers sit and make merry.

有一天，天氣晴朗，仁慈的上帝想到御花園裏散散心，於是帶着所有使徒和聖人去了，只留下聖彼得留在天堂看家。上帝臨行前吩咐說在他外出期間不得有人進入天堂，於是聖彼得站在天堂門口守着。可不一會兒就聽到有人敲門，彼得問是誰，要幹甚麼？「我是個可憐的、誠實的裁縫，請求讓我進去。」一個平靜的聲音回答。「好一個誠實的人！」彼得說，「就像絞架上的小偷那樣！你一直小偷小摸，還偷了別人的衣服，你進不了天堂。天父說他外出期間嚴禁任何人入內。」「行行好吧，」裁縫求道，「揀點桌上掉下來的東西算不上偷，根本不值得一提。你看，我是個跛子，爲了走到這兒來，我腳上已經打起泡來了，不可能再走回去。我願意幹最髒最累的活，只求你讓我進來。我會背孩子，給他們洗衣補衣、把他們玩髒的板凳擦乾淨。」彼得被他的話打動了，把天堂的門開了一條窄窄的縫，讓瘦小的瘸腿裁縫溜了進來。彼得要他安安靜靜地坐在門后角落裏，以免上帝回來的時候發現了發脾氣。可彼得一出門，他就充滿好奇地到處走、到處看，把天堂各處都看了個遍。最後他來到一個地方，那裏擺滿了各種珍貴的椅子，其中有一把是純金的，上面鑲滿了寶石，而且比其它椅子高多了，前面還有張腳凳。上帝在家時就是坐在那張椅子上，觀察地上所發生的一切的。裁縫站在那兒，久久盯着那張椅子，根本沒心再看別的東西了。最後他忍不住好奇地爬到那椅子上坐了下來。這一下，他可看到了地上的每件事情了。他看到一個又醜又老的婦人在小溪邊洗東西時將兩條絲巾悄悄抽出來藏到一邊，裁縫一看氣壞了，一把抓起金腳凳朝那老小偷砸了下去。他一看沒法將那凳子拿回來放回原處了，趕忙悄悄從椅子上溜下來，仍舊回到門后角落裏坐着，裝作沒有動過的樣子。

天堂的主人上帝回來時沒有發現門後的裁縫。可是當他坐到椅子上時，發現擱腳的凳子不見了。他問彼得凳子哪兒去了，彼得說不知道。上帝又問彼得有沒有人來過。「沒人到這兒來過，」彼得回答說，「只有一個跛腳裁縫，這會兒還在門後面坐着呢。」

上帝叫人把裁縫叫來，問他是不是拿了那張凳子，放到哪兒去了？「殿下，」裁縫高興地回答說：「我看到一個老婦人在洗衣服的時候偷絲巾。我一氣之下就把凳子砸下去了。」

「你這個無賴！」上帝說，「假如我也像你那樣判是非，你還有今天？假如我也像你那樣判是非，這些椅子、凳子甚至連叉子也該早扔沒了。你不能再呆在天堂了，必須立刻出去。想上哪兒上哪兒吧，這裏除了我，誰也沒權治別人的罪。」

彼得只好把裁縫帶出天堂。裁縫的鞋子也破了，腳上全是泡，只好柱着柺杖到那些好士兵尋歡作樂的「等候」處去了。