格林童話:the Seven Ravens七隻烏鴉

the Seven Ravens

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A man had seven sons, but however much he wished for a daughter, he did not have one yet. Finally his wife gave him hope for another child, and when it came into the world it was indeed a girl. GREat was their joy, but the child was sickly and small, and because of her weakness, she was to be given an emergency baptism.

the father sent one of the boys to run quickly to the well and get some water for the baptism. The other six ran along with him. Because each one of them wanted to be first one to dip out the water, the jug fell into the well. There they stood not knowing what to do, and not one of them dared to go home.

When they did not return the father GREw impatient, and said, "They have forgotten what they went after because they were playing, those godless boys."

Fearing that the girl would die without being baptized, he cried out in anger, "I wish that those boys would all turn into ravens."

He had hardly spoken these words when he heard a whirring sound above his head, and looking up, he saw seven coal-black ravens flying up and away.

the parents could not take back the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they were still somewhat comforted because of their dear little daughter, who soon gained strength and became more beautiful every day.

For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents took care not to mention them to her. However, one day she accidentally overheard some people talking about her. They said that she was beautiful enough, but that in truth she was to blame for her seven brothers' misfortune. This troubled her GREatly, and she went to her father and mother and asked them if she indeed had had brothers, and what had happened to them.

Her parents could no longer keep the secret, but said that it had been heaven's fate, and that her birth had been only the innocent cause. However, this ate at the girl's conscience every day, and she came to believe that she would have to redeem her brothers.

She had neither rest nor peace until she secretly set forth and went out into the wide world, hoping to find her brothers and to set them free, whatever it might cost. She took nothing with her but a little ring as a remembrance from her parents, a loaf of bread for hunger, a little jug of water for thirst, and a little chair for when she got tired.

She walked on and on —— far, far to the end of the world. She came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and ate little children. She hurried away, and ran to the moon, but it was much too cold, and also frightening and wicked, and when it saw the child, it said, "I smell, smell human flesh."

then she hurried away, and came to the stars, and they were friendly and good to her, each one sitting on its own little chair. When the morning star arose, it gave her a chicken bone, and said, "Without that chicken bone you cannot open the glass mountain, and your brothers are inside the glass mountain."

the girl took the bone, wrapped it up well in a cloth, and went on her way again until she came to the glass mountain. The door was locked, and she started to take out the chicken bone, but when she opened up the cloth, it was empty. She had lost the gift of the good stars.

What could she do now? She wanted to rescue her brothers, but she had no key to the glass mountain. The good little sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it into the door, and fortunately the door opened.

After she had gone inside a little dwarf came up to her and said, "My child, what are you looking for?"

"I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens," she replied.

the dwarf said, "The lord ravens are not at home, but if you want to wait here until they return, step inside."

then the dwarf carried in the ravens' dinner on seven little plates, and in seven little cups. The sister ate a little bit from each plate and took a little sip from each cup. Into the last cup she dropped the ring that she had brought with her.

Suddenly she heard a whirring and rushing sound in the air, and the dwarf said, "The lord ravens are flying home now."

they came, wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their plates and cups. Then one after the other of them said, "Who has been eating from my plate? Who has been drinking from my cup? It was a human mouth."

When the seventh one came to the bottom of his cup, the ring rolled toward him. Looking at it, he saw that it was a ring from their father and mother, and said, "God grant that our sister might be here; then we would be set free."

the girl was listening from behind the door, and when she heard this wish she came forth. Then the ravens were restored to their human forms again. They hugged and kissed one another, and went home happily.

據傳說，以前有一戶人家，父母生了八個孩子，其中七個是兒子，最小的一個是女兒。這個女兒生下來以後，儘管非常漂亮可愛，但她太纖弱太瘦小，他們認爲她可能活不下來，決定馬上給她施行洗禮。

父親派了一個兒子要他趕快到井裏去打點水來，其他六個一看，也一窩蜂似地跟了去，每一個都爭先恐後地要第一個汲水，你爭我奪之中，他們把大水罐給掉到井裏去了。這一下，他們可就傻眼了，你看看我，我看看你，癡呆呆地站在井邊不知如何是好，都不敢回屋裏去。此時，父親正心急火燎的地等着他們把水提來，見他們去了很久還沒有回來，就說道：「他們一定是鬧着玩把這事給忘了。」他左等右等仍不見他們回來，氣得大罵起來，說他們都該變成烏鴉。話音剛落就聽見頭上一陣呱呱的叫聲傳來，他擡頭一看，發現有七隻煤炭一樣的黑色烏鴉正在上面盤旋着。看到自己的氣話變成了現實，他後悔了，不知道該怎麼辦纔好。他失去了七個兒子，心裏非常悲傷，好在小女兒在接受洗禮之後一天比一天強壯起來，而且越長越漂亮了，總算對他這個父親有了一點安慰。

女兒慢慢長大了，她一直不知道自己曾經有過七個哥哥，爸爸和媽媽都很小心，從來不在她面前提起。終於有一天，她偶然聽到人們談起有關她的事情，他們說：「她的的確確很漂亮，但可惜的是她的七個哥哥卻因爲她的緣故而遭到不幸。」她聽到這些後非常傷心，就去問自己的父母她是不是有哥哥，他們到底怎麼樣了。父母親不好再對她隱瞞事情的真像。爲了安慰她，他們說這一切都是上帝的意願，她的出生降臨都是上帝的安排，她是無罪的。但小姑娘仍然爲此吃不下飯，睡不好覺，天天傷痛不已，她暗下決心，一定要想方設法把自己的七個哥哥找回來。有一天，她從家裏偷偷地跑了出去，來到外面廣闊的世界，到處尋訪自己的哥哥。她想：無論他們到了甚麼地方，她不惜自己的生命，也要讓他們恢復本來面目，獲得做人的自由！

出門的時候，她只帶了爸爸媽媽以前送給她的一隻小戒指，加上一塊用來充飢的長條麵包和一壺用來解渴的水，一張疲倦時用來休息的小凳子。她走啊，找啊，不停地尋訪着，一直找到遙遠的天邊，來到太陽面前。但太陽太熱太兇猛了，她急忙跑開，又來到月亮面前。可月亮又太寒冷太冷酷，還說道：「我聞到人肉和血腥味了！」她趕緊又跑到了星星那裏。星星對她很友好，很和氣，每顆星都坐在他們自己的小凳子上。當啓明星站起來往上飛時，他給了小姑娘一片小木塊，說道：「如果你沒有這片小木塊，就不能打開玻璃山上那座城堡的門。你的哥哥正是住在那座城堡裏。」小妹妹接過小木塊，把它用布包好，告別星星，起程又繼續尋找她的哥哥去了。

經過艱苦跋涉，她終於找到了玻璃山。來到城門前一看，門是鎖着的，她拿出布包解開，發現裏面的小木塊不見了，不知是甚麼時候自己把好心的啓明星送的禮物失落了。怎麼辦呢？她要救哥哥，可又沒有了玻璃山城堡的鑰匙。這位堅定忠實的小妹妹一咬牙，從口袋裏掏出一把小刀把自己的小指頭切了下來，那指頭的大小正好和失落的木塊相同，她將指頭插進門上的鎖孔，門被打開了。

她走進城堡，迎面遇到了一個小矮人，他問道：「你來找甚麼呀？」小妹妹回答說：「我來找那七隻烏鴉，他們是我的哥哥。」小矮人說道：「我的主人不在家，如果你非要等他們回來的話，就請進來吧。」這時，小矮人正在爲烏鴉們準備晚餐，他在桌子上擺了七個盤子，在盤子裏放好食物，又端來七杯水放在盤子旁邊。小妹妹把每個盤子裏的東西都吃了一小塊，把每個小杯子裏的水也喝了一小口，又將她隨身帶來的小戒指放進了最後一隻杯子中。

忽然，她聽到空中傳來了翅膀拍擊的聲音和呱呱的叫聲，小矮人馬上說道：「我的主人們回來了。」她連忙躲到門後面，想聽聽他們會說些甚麼。七隻烏鴉一進來，就急於找自己的盤子和杯子想要吃東西喝水，他們一個接一個的叫道：「誰吃了我盤子裏的東西？誰把我杯子裏的水喝了一點點？

呱呱呱！呱呱呱！

我知道了呀，這一定是人的嘴巴。」

第七隻烏鴉喝完水，發現杯子裏有一隻戒指，他仔細一瞧，認出了這是他們父母親的東西，就說道：「噯！我們的小妹妹來了！我們就會得救了。」小妹妹聽到這裏，馬上跑了出來。她一露面，七隻烏鴉立即都恢復了他們的人形。他們互相緊緊擁抱，親吻，一起高高興興地回到了他們的爸爸媽媽的身邊。