格林童話:the Good Bargain好交易

the Good Bargain

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."

從前有個農夫，趕着一頭母牛去集市出售，結果賣了七個銀幣。在回家的路上，他經過一個池塘，遠遠地就聽到青蛙們在叫：「呱——呱——呱——呱——。」「嘿，」農夫自言自語地說，「你們真是在胡說八道。我只賣了七個銀幣，不是八個。」他走到池塘邊，衝着青蛙喊道：「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！」可是青蛙還在那裏叫着：「呱，呱，呱，呱。」「我說，要是你們真的不相信，我可以數給你們看。」農夫說着便從口袋裏掏出錢來數，並把二十個小錢算成一個銀幣，結果數來數去還是七個銀幣，然而青蛙們根本不管他數出來的錢是多少，只管一個勁地叫着：「呱，呱，呱，呱。」「甚麼？」農夫生氣地喊道，「要是你們自以爲懂得比我還多，那你們就自己去數吧。」他說着把錢全部扔進了水裏。他站在池塘邊，等待着青蛙們把錢數完後還給他，可是青蛙們卻固執己見，仍然叫着：「呱，呱，呱，呱。」牠們再也沒有把錢還回來。農夫在那裏等了很久，一直等到天黑，纔不得不回家。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不清！你們以爲我會一直呆在這裏等着你們把錢數清嗎？」他說完這番話就走了，而青蛙們還在喊着：

「呱，呱，呱，呱」，氣得他到家時仍然憋着一肚子氣。

過了一陣子，農夫又買了一頭牛，把牠宰了。他一算計，發現自己不僅可以掙回兩頭牛的錢，而且還白得一張牛皮。於是，他把肉運到了城裏；可是城門口有一大羣狗，領頭的是一隻大狼犬。大狼犬圍着牛肉跳來跳去，一面聞一面「汪，汪，汪」地叫着。農夫看到自己怎麼也制止不了牠，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，可要是我們肉給了你，我自己就倒黴了！」但是狼犬隻是回答「汪，汪，汪」。「那麼你願不願意答應不把肉全吃完，並且願意爲其他狗作擔保呢？」「汪，汪，汪，」狼犬叫着。「好吧，要是你硬要這麼做，我就把肉都留在這裏。我認識你，也知道你在誰家當差。我把話說在頭裏，你必須在三天內把錢還給我，不然我叫你好看！你可以把錢送到我家去。」說着，農夫就把肉卸在地上，轉身回家去了。那羣狗一下子撲到牛肉上，大聲叫着：「汪，汪，汪！」

農夫在遠處聽到牠們的叫聲，自言自語地說：「聽啊，牠們現在都想吃一點，但賬得由那頭大狼犬付。」

三天過去了，農夫想：「今晚我的錢就可以裝在我的口袋裏了。」想到這裏，他非常高興。然而誰也沒有來給他還錢。「這年月誰也不能相信！」他說。到最後他終於不耐煩了，只好進城找屠夫要錢。屠夫以爲他是在開玩笑，可是農夫說：「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？」屠夫這次真的發火了，一把抓起掃帚把農夫趕了出去。「你等着，」農夫說，「這世界上還有公道呢！」他說着就跑到王宮去喊冤，結果被帶去見國王。國王正和公主坐在一起，他問農夫有甚麼冤屈。「天哪！」他說，「青蛙和狗把我的錢拿走了，屠夫不但不認賬，還用掃帚打我。」接着，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：「這件事情我無法爲你主持公道，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；我許過願，要把她嫁給能使她發笑的人。你能交上這樣的好運，真得感謝上帝！」

「哦，」農夫回答，「我纔不想娶你女兒呢。我已經有了一個老婆，而這個老婆我都嫌多。每次我回到家裏，總覺得到處都有她似的。」國王一聽就生了氣，說：「你真是個蠢貨！」「嗨，國王老爺，」農夫說，「除了牛肉，你還能指望從牛身上得到甚麼呢？」「等等，」國王說，「我另外給你一樣獎賞吧。你現在去吧，過三天再回來。我要給你整整五百塊銀元。」

農夫從宮門出來時，衛兵問他：「你把公主逗笑了，肯定得到甚麼獎賞了吧？」「我想是吧，」農夫說，「國王要給我整整五百塊銀元呢。」「你聽我說，」衛兵說，「你要那麼多錢幹甚麼？分一點給我吧！」「既然是你嘛，」農夫說，「我就給你兩百塊吧。你三天後去見國王，讓他把錢付給你好了。」站在旁邊的一位猶太人聽到了他們的談話，趕緊追上農夫，拽着他的外衣說：「我的天哪，你的運氣真好啊！你要那些大銀元做甚麼？把它們換給我吧，我給你換成小錢。」「猶太人，」農夫說，「你還有三百塊銀元好拿，趕緊把小錢給我吧。三天後讓國王把錢給你好了。」猶太人很高興自己佔到了便宜，給農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，」農夫說道，「這五百已經不屬於我了。我把其中的兩百送給了衛兵，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，衛兵和猶太人進來向國王要錢，結果分別如數捱了板子。衛兵因爲嘗過板子的滋味，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失去了，我願意給你一些補償。你到我的寶庫去取一些錢吧！願意拿多少就拿多少。」這句話農夫一聽就懂，把他的大口袋裝得滿滿的，然後他走進一家酒店，數着他的錢。猶太人悄悄跟在他的後面，聽見他在低聲嘀咕：「那個混蛋國王到底還是把我給騙了！他幹嗎不自己把錢給我呢？這樣我就能知道他究竟給了我多少。他現在讓我自己把錢裝進口袋，我怎麼知道有多少錢呢？」「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。」

國王聽了農夫說過的話大發雷霆，命令猶太人去把農夫抓來。猶太人跑到農夫那裏，對他說：「國王讓你趕緊去見他。」「我知道怎麼去更好，」農夫回答，「我要先請裁縫給我做件新外套。你認爲口袋裏裝着這麼多錢的人能穿着這身舊衣服去見國王嗎？」猶太人看到農夫怎麼也不願意穿着舊衣服去見國王，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。爲了友愛，人可是甚麼事情都肯做的呀！」農夫對這種安排很滿意，便穿上猶太人的外套，和他一起去見國王。

國王責問農夫爲甚麼要說猶太人所告發的那些壞話。

「啊，」農夫說，「猶太人甚麼時候說過真話呢？狗嘴裏吐不出象牙來！這混蛋大概還要說我身上的外套是他的呢。」

「你說甚麼？」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？」國王聽到這裏便說：「這個猶太人肯定騙了人，不是騙了我就是騙了農夫，」然後又命令人再賞給他一些硬板子。農夫穿着漂亮的外套，口袋裏裝着鼓鼓的錢，邊往家走邊想：「這次的交易做成功了！」