THERE was once upon a time a couple of poor folks who lived in a wretched hut, far away from everyone else, in a wood. —
从前有一对穷人住在森林中一个破烂的小屋里，远离其他人。 —

They only just managed to live from hand to mouth, and had great difficulty in doing even so much as that, but they had three sons, and the youngest of them was called Cinderlad, for he did nothing else but lie and poke about among the ashes.
他们勉强能过活，甚至连这都很困难，但他们有三个儿子，最小的叫做灰山娃，因为他除了躺在火灰中东捡西拾别无所长。

One day the eldest lad said that he would go out to earn his living; —
一天，大哥说他要外出谋生。 —

he soon got leave to do that, and set out on his way into the world. —
他很快得到了许可，踏上了人生的道路。 —

He walked on and on for the whole day, and when night was beginning to fall he came to a royal palace. —
他走了整整一天，当夜幕开始降临时，他来到了一座皇宫。 —

The King was standing outside on the steps, and asked where he was going.
国王站在门阶上，询问他要去哪里。

‘Oh, I am going about seeking a place, my father,’ said the youth.
‘哦，我在四处寻找一个工作地点，父亲。’年轻人说。

‘Wilt thou serve me, and watch my seven foals? —
‘你愿意为我服务，照看我的七匹小马吗？ —

’ asked the King. ‘If thou canst watch them for a whole day and tell me at night what they eat and drink, thou shalt have the Princess and half my kingdom, but if thou canst not, I will cut three red stripes on thy back.’
“你能不能整整一天看住它们并且告诉我晚上它们吃了什么喝了什么，如果能做到，我就把公主和我一半的王国给你，但如果做不到，我会在你的背上划上三道红痕。”国王问道。

The youth thought that it was very easy work to watch the foals, and that he could do it well enough.
年轻人觉得看住小马驹是非常容易的工作，他自认为完全能够胜任。

Next morning, when day was beginning to dawn, the King’s Master of the Horse let out the seven foals; —
第二天早上，天刚刚破晓，国王的马厩师傅放出了七匹小马驹。 —

and they ran away, and the youth after them just as it chanced, over hill and dale, through woods end bogs. —
它们跑掉了，年轻人则在后面不停追赶，穿过山丘，穿过树林，穿过泥潭。 —

When the youth had run thus for a long time he began to be tired, and when he had held on a little longer he was heartily weary of watching at all, and at the same moment he came to a cleft in a rock where an old woman was sitting spinning with her distaff in her hand.
当年轻人追了很长一段时间后，他开始感到疲劳。再坚持一会儿后，他已经厌倦了整个看守过程。就在这时，他来到了一个岩石裂缝前，一个老妇人坐在那里纺纱，手中拿着纺锤。

As soon as she caught sight of the youth, who was running after the foals till the perspiration streamed down his face, she cried:
她一看到那个年轻人，正满头大汗地追着小马驹跑，就大声喊道：

‘Come hither, come hither, my handsome son, and let me comb your hair for you.’
“来吧，来吧，我英俊的儿子，让我给你梳头发。”

The lad was willing enough, so he sat down in the cleft of the rock beside the old hag, and laid his head on her knees, and she combed his hair all day while he lay there and gave himself up to idleness.
这个小伙子很愿意，所以他坐在岩石的裂缝中，把头放在那老婆婆的膝上，而她整天都在给他梳头发，他完全沉溺于懒散之中。

When evening was drawing near, the youth wanted to go.
快到晚上的时候，年轻人想要走了。

‘I may just as well go straight home again,’ said he, ‘for it is no use to go to the King’s palace.’
“我还是直接回家吧，”他说，“没必要去国王的宫殿了。”

‘Wait till it is dusk,’ said the old hag, ‘and then the King’s foals will pass by this place again, and you can run home with them; —
“等到天黑再走，”老婆婆说，“国王的小马会再次经过这里，你可以跟它们一起跑回家； —

no one will ever know that you have been lying here all day instead of watching the foals.’
没人会知道你整天躺在这里，而不是看着这些小马。”

So when they came she gave the lad a bottle of water and a bit of moss, and told him to show these to the King and say that this was what his seven foals ate and drank.
当小马们来的时候，她给了小伙子一瓶水和一块苔藓，并告诉他把这些拿给国王，并说这是他的七匹马吃的东西和喝的水。

‘Hast thou watched faithfully and well the whole day long? —
“你整天都好好地、忠实地看着吗？”国王在晚上年轻人到达时问道。 —

’ said the King, when the lad came into his presence in the evening.
他们进入国王面前时，国王说，“那些我们育的七匹马吃了什么东西和喝了什么水？告诉我。”

‘Yes, that I have!’ said the youth.
‘是的，我有!’年轻人说道。

‘Then you are able to tell me what it is that my seven foals eat and drink,’ said the King.
‘那么你能告诉我我的七匹马吃什么喝什么。’国王说道。

So the youth produced the bottle of water and the bit of moss which he had got from the old woman, saying:
于是年轻人拿出了他从老婆婆那里得到的水瓶和苔藓，说道：

‘Here you see their meat, and here you see their drink.’
‘在这里你可以看到它们的食物，这里是它们的饮料。’

Then the King knew how his watching had been done, and fell into such a rage that he ordered his people to chase the youth back to his own home at once; —
于是国王明白了他是如何守夜的，愤怒之下，他命令他的人立刻把年轻人赶回家， —

but first they were to cut three red stripes in his back, and rub salt into them.
但首先他们要在他的背上划三道红色条纹，并且撒盐在上面。

When the youth reached home again, anyone can imagine what a state of mind he was in. —
当年轻人再次回到家时，可以想象他的状态。 —

He had gone out once to seek a place, he said, but never would he do such a thing again.
他曾经出去寻找一份工作，但再也不会这样做了。

Next day the second son said that he would now go out into the world to seek his fortune. —
第二天，二儿子说他现在要出去闯荡天涯。 —

His father and mother said ‘No,’ and bade him look at his brother’s back, but the youth would not give up his design, and stuck to it, and after a long, long time he got leave to go, and set forth on his way. —
他的父母说：“不”，叫他看他兄弟的背，但那个年轻人不愿放弃自己的计划，坚持了下来，经过很长时间他得到了离开的允许，踏上了他的旅程。 —

When he had walked all day he too came to the King’s palace, and the King was standing outside on the steps, and asked where he was going; —
当他整天走路后，他也来到了国王的宫殿，国王正站在外面的台阶上，问他要去哪里。 —

and when the youth replied that he was going about in search of a place, the King said that he might enter into his service and watch his seven foals. —
当年轻人回答说他正在四处寻找一个地方时，国王说他可以进入他的服务，并照看他的七匹小马驹。 —

Then the King promised him the same punishment and the same reward that he had promised his brother.
然后国王许诺给他和他兄弟一样的惩罚和奖励。

The youth at once consented to this and entered into the King’s service, for he thought he could easily watch the foals and inform the King what they ate and drank.
年轻人立即同意了这个提议，并进入了国王的服务，因为他认为自己可以轻松看守这些小马驹，并告诉国王它们吃什么和喝什么。

In the grey light of dawn the Master of the Horse let out the seven foals, and off they went again over hill and dale, and off went the lad after them. —
黎明的灰色光线中，马师傅放出了七匹小马驹，它们再次飞奔过山丘和山谷，年轻人则紧随其后。 —

But all went with him as it had gone with his brother. —
但一切和他的兄弟经历的一样。 —

When he had run after the foals for a long, long time and was hot and tired, he passed by a cleft in the rock where an old woman was sitting spinning with a distaff, and she called to him:
当他追着小马奔跑了很长很长时间，又热又累的时候，他经过一个岩石裂缝，一个老妇人坐在那里用纺锤纺线，她喊道：

‘Come hither, come hither, my handsome son, and let me comb your hair.’
‘来这里，来这里，我的帅气儿子，让我给你梳头。’

The youth liked the thought of this, let the foals run where they chose, and seated himself in the cleft of the rock by the side of the old hag. —
青年喜欢这个主意，让小马们随便跑去，他坐在岩石裂缝旁边，和那个老巫婆一起。 —

So there he sat with his head on her lap, taking his ease the livelong day.
于是他坐在那里，把头放在老巫婆的膝上，整天就那样舒服地躺着。

The foals came back in the evening, and then he too got a bit of moss and a bottle of water from the old hag, which things he was to show to the King. But when the King asked the youth: —
晚上小马回来了，然后他也从老巫婆那里得到了一点苔藓和一瓶水，他要把这些东西给国王看。但是当国王问青年： —

‘Canst thou tell me what my seven foals eat and drink? —
‘你能告诉我我的七匹小马吃什么喝什么吗？ —

’ and the youth showed him the bit of moss and the bottle of water, and said: —
‘青年给他看了一点苔藓和一瓶水，并说：’ —

‘Yes here may you behold their meat, and here their drink,’ the King once more became wroth, and commanded that three red stripes should be cut on the lad’s back, that salt should be strewn upon them, and that he should then be instantly chased back to his own home. —
‘是的，这里可以看到他们的肉，还有他们的饮料，’国王再次发怒，命令在小伙子的背上割三道红痕，并撒上盐，然后立即追赶他回自己的家。 —

So when the youth got home again he too related all that had happened to him, and he too said that he had gone out in search of a place once, but that never would he do it again.
于是，当年轻人再次回到家，他也讲述了发生在他身上的一切，他也说他曾经出去寻找过一个地方，但再也不会这样做了。

On the third day Cinderlad wanted to set out. —
第三天，灰儿准备出发。 —

He had a fancy to try to watch the seven foals himself, he said.
他想亲自去看着那七匹小马，他说。

The two others laughed at him, and mocked him. —
其他两个人嘲笑他，嘲弄他。 —

‘What I when all went so ill with us, do you suppose that you are going to succeed? —
‘什么？当我们遭遇那么多困难的时候，你以为你能成功吗？ —

You look like succeeding — you who have never done anything else but lie and poke about among the ashes!’ said they.
看上去你会成功吗？你一直只会撒谎和在灰烬中瞎闹！’他们说。

‘Yes, I will go too,’ said Cinderlad, ‘for I have taken it into my head.’
‘是的，我也要去，’灰儿说，‘因为我有这个念头。’

The two brothers laughed at him, and his father and mother begged him not to go, but all to no purpose, and Cinderlad set out on his way. —
两兄弟嘲笑他，他的父母恳求他不要去，但无济于事，灰姑娘还是踏上了自己的道路。 —

So when he had walked the whole day, he too came to the King’s palace as darkness began to fall.
当天黑下来时，他走了一整天，也来到了国王的宫殿前。

There stood the King outside on the steps, and he asked whither he was bound.
国王就站在台阶外问他要去哪里。

‘I am walking about in search of a place,’ said Cinderlad.
“我在四处寻找一个地方”，灰姑娘说。

‘From whence do you come, then?’ inquired the King, for by this time he wanted to know a little more about the men before he took any of them into his service.
“那你从哪里来？”国王问道，此时他想更了解一下这些人，然后再决定雇佣谁。

So Cinderlad told him whence he came, and that he was brother to the two who had watched the seven foals for the King, and then he inquired if he might be allowed to try to watch them on the following day.
于是灰姑娘告诉他自己来自何方，还是那两个为国王看守七匹小马的人的兄弟，然后询问是否可以在明天再次尝试看守它们。

‘Oh, shame on them!’ said the King, for it enraged him even to think of them. —
“哦，他们真是可耻！”国王说，因为一想起他们就让他恼火。 —

‘If thou art brother to those two, thou too art not good for much. —
“如果你是那两个人的兄弟，那你也不怎么样。 —

I have had enough of such fellows.’
我已经受够了这样的家伙。”

‘Well, but as I have come here, you might just give me leave to make the attempt,’ said Cinderlad.
“嗯，既然我已经来了，你可以让我试一试。”辛德拉德说。

‘Oh, very well, if thou art absolutely determined to have thy back flayed, thou may’st have thine own way if thou wilt,’ said the King.
“噢，好吧，如果你非要让你的背被鞭打，那你就按你的方式做吧。”国王说。

‘I would much rather have the Princess,’ said Cinderlad.
“我宁愿娶公主。”辛德拉德说。

Next morning, in the grey light of dawn, the Master of the Horse let out the seven foals again, and off they set over hill and dale, through woods and bogs, and off went Cinderlad after them. —
第二天早上，在黎明的灰光中，马夫又放出了七匹小马，它们驰骋在山岗和峡谷间，穿过树林和沼泽，而辛德拉德则紧随其后。 —

When he had run thus for a long time, he too came to the cleft in the rock. —
当他跑了很长一段时间后，他也来到了石缝。 —

There the old hag was once more sitting spinning from her distaff, and she cried to Cinderlad;
老婆婆又坐在那里纺织，她对辛德拉德喊道：

‘Come hither, come hither, my handsome son, and let me comb your hair for you.’
“过来，过来，我英俊的儿子，让我给你梳头发。”

‘Come to me, then; come to me!’ said Cinderlad, as he passed by jumping and running, and keeping tight hold of one of the foals’ tails.
“那就过来吧，过来吧！”辛德拉德说着，一边跳跃奔跑，紧紧抓住一匹小马的尾巴。

When he had got safely past the cleft in the rock, the youngest foal said:
当他安全地通过了石缝后，最小的小马说：

‘Get on my back, for we have still a long way to go.’ So the lad did this.
‘上我的背吧，我们还有很长的路要走。’小伙子于是就这样做了。

And thus they journeyed onwards a long, long way.
于是他们继续旅程，走了很长很长的一段路。

‘Dost thou see anything now?’ said the Foal.
‘你现在看到什么了吗？’小马驹问道。

‘No,’ said Cinderlad.
‘没有，’灰姑娘说。

So they journeyed onwards a good bit farther.
于是他们继续走了一段路。

‘Dost thou see anything now?’ asked the Foal.
‘你现在看到什么了吗？’小马驹问道。

‘Oh, no,’ said the lad.
‘哦，没有，’小伙子说。

When they had gone thus for a long, long way, the Foal again asked:
他们走了很久很久的路后，小马驹又问道：

‘Dost thou see anything now?’
‘你现在看到什么了吗？’

‘Yes, now I see something that is white,’ said Cinderlad. —
‘是的，现在我看到了一些白色的东西，’灰姑娘说。 —

‘It looks like the trunk of a great thick birch tree.’
‘看起来像一棵粗壮的白桦树的树干。’

‘Yes, that is where we are to go in,’ said the Foal.
‘是的，我们就要进去那里，’小马驹说。

When they got to the trunk, the eldest foal broke it down on one side, and then they saw a door where the trunk had been standing, and inside this there was a small room, and in the room there was scarcely anything but a small fire-place and a couple of benches, but behind the door hung a great rusty sword and a small pitcher.
当他们走到树干旁边时，年长的小马驹把它折断了一边，然后他们看到了树干原本的地方有一扇门，门内是个小房间，房间里几乎没有什么，只有一个小火炉和一对凳子，但门后挂着一把锈迹斑斑的大剑和一个小瓶子。

‘Canst thou wield that sword?’ asked the Foal.
‘你能挥舞那把剑吗？’小马驹问道。

Cinderlad tried, but could not do it; so he had to take a draught from the pitcher, and then one more, and after that still another, and then he was able to wield the sword with perfect ease.
小灰灰尽力了，但无法做到，因此他不得不从水罐中喝了一口，然后又一口，再接着一口，然后他就能轻松地挥舞剑了。

‘Good,’ said the Foal; ‘and now thou must take the sword away with thee, and with it shalt thou cut off the heads of all seven of us on thy wedding-day, and then we shall become princes again as we were before. —
“好吧，”小马说，“现在你必须带着这把剑离开，婚礼那天你要用它砍掉我们七个人的头，然后我们将再次成为王子，就像以前一样。” —

For we are brothers of the Princess whom thou art to have when thou canst tell the King what we eat and drink, but there is a mighty Troll who has cast a spell over us. —
“因为我们是王子的兄弟，你只有在你能告诉国王我们吃什么和喝什么的时候，才能娶到公主，但是有一个强大的巨魔给我们施了魔法。” —

When thou hast cut off our heads, thou must take the greatest care to lay each head at the tail of the body to which it belonged before, and then the spell which the Troll has cast upon us will lose all its power.’
“当你砍下我们的头后，你必须小心将每个头放在原来它所属的身体的尾部，然后那个巨魔施在我们身上的魔法将失去所有力量。”

Cinderlad promised to do this, and then they went on farther,
小灰灰答应了，然后他们继续向前走。

When they had travelled a long, long way, the Foal said:
当他们走了很长很长的路后，小马问：“你看见什么吗？”

‘Dost thou see anything?’
“没有，”小灰灰说。

‘No,’ said Cinderlad.
他们继续前行。

So they went on a great distance farther.
所以他们又走了很远的路。

‘And now?’ inquired the Foal, ‘seest thou nothing now?’
‘现在呢？’小马驹问道，‘你现在看见什么了吗？’

‘Alas! no,’ said Cinderlad.
‘哎呀！没有，’灰姑娘说。

So they travelled onwards again, for many and many a mile, over hill and dale.
于是他们又继续旅行了很多很多英里，穿越山陵和山谷。

‘Now, then,’ said the Foal, ‘dost thou not see anything now?’
‘现在呢，’小马驹说道，‘你现在看见什么了吗？’

‘Yes,’ said Cinderlad; ‘now I see something like a bluish streak, far, far away.’
‘是的，’灰姑娘说道，‘现在我看见一个蓝色的线条，远远的，很远很远。’

‘That is a river,’ said the Foal, ‘and we have to cross it.’
‘那是一条河，’小马驹说道，‘我们需要跨过它。’

There was a long, handsome bridge over the river, and when they had got to the other side of it they again travelled on a long, long way, and then once more the Foal inquired if Cinderlad saw anything. —
河上有一座漂亮而长的桥，当他们走到桥的另一边时，他们又继续行走了好长好长的路程，然后小马驹再次询问灰姑娘是否看见了什么。 —

Yes, this time he saw something that looked black, far, far away, and was rather like a church tower.
是的，这次他看见了一个远远看起来黑色的东西，有点像教堂的塔。

‘Yes,’ said the Foal, ‘we shall go into that.’
‘是的，’小马驹说道，‘我们会进去那里。’

When the Foals got into the churchyard they turned into men and looked like the sons of a king, and their clothes were so magnificent that they shone with splendour, and they went into the church and received bread and wine from the priest, who was standing before the altar, and Cinderlad went in too. —
当小马进入教堂墓地时，它们变成了男人，看起来像国王的儿子，他们的衣服非常华丽，闪耀着光彩，然后他们进了教堂，从面前的祭坛上的牧师那里拿到了面包和葡萄酒，灰光少年也进了教堂。 —

But when the priest had laid his hands on the princes and read the blessing, they went out of the church again, and Cinderlad went out too, but he took with him a flask of wine and some consecrated bread. —
但是当牧师给王子们按手并读了祝福后，他们又走出了教堂，灰光少年也跟着出来，但他带着一瓶酒和一些圣餐面包。 —

No sooner had the seven princes come out into the churchyard than they became foals again, and Cinderlad got upon the back of the youngest, and they returned by the way they had come, only they went much, much faster.
七个王子一走出教堂墓地，立刻又变成了小马，灰光少年骑在最小的那匹背上，他们沿着原路返回，只是速度快得多。

First they went over the bridge, and then past the trunk of the birch tree, and then past the old hag who sat in the cleft of the rock spinning, and they went by so fast that Cinderlad could not hear what the old hag screeched after him, but just heard enough to understand that she was terribly enraged.
首先他们过了桥，然后经过白桦树的树干，绕过坐在石缝中纺纱的老妇人，他们过得很快，灰姑娘听不到老妇人在他身后尖声喊叫，但听到足以明白她非常愤怒。

It was all but dark when they got back to the King at nightfall, and he himself was standing in the courtyard waiting for them.
天色几乎黑了当他们在傍晚回到了国王那里，国王本人站在庭院等他们。

‘Hast thou watched well and faithfully the whole day?’ said the King to Cinderlad.
“你整天好好地观察了吗？”国王对灰姑娘说。

‘I have done my best,’ replied Cinderlad.
“我尽力了，”灰姑娘回答。

‘Then thou canst tell me what my seven foals eat and drink?’ asked the King.
“那么你能告诉我我的七匹马吃什么喝什么吗？”国王问道。

So Cinderlad pulled out the consecrated bread and the flask of wine, and showed them to the King. ‘Here may you behold their meat, and here their drink,’ said he.
于是灰姑娘拿出了圣餐和酒瓶，向国王展示了它们。 “这是它们的食物，这是它们的饮料，”他说。

‘Yes, diligently and faithfully hast thou watched,’ said the King, ‘and thou shalt have the Princess and half the kingdom.’
“是的，你观察得很勤奋可靠，”国王说，”你将得到公主和一半的王国。”

So all was made ready for the wedding, and the King said that it was to be so stately and magnificent that everyone should hear of it, and everyone inquire about it.
所以一切都为婚礼准备好了，国王说这场婚礼要豪华而盛大，让每个人都听说，每个人都询问。

But when they sat down to the marriage-feast, the bridegroom arose and went down to the stable, for he said that he had forgotten something which he must go and look to. —
但是当他们坐下来参加婚宴时，新郎站起来去了马厩，因为他说他忘记了要去照看的事情。 —

When he got there, he did what the foals had bidden him, and cut off the heads of all the seven. —
当他到那里时，他按照小马崽的吩咐，砍下了它们所有七只的头。 —

First the eldest, and then the second, and so on according to their age, and he was extremely careful to lay each head at the tail of the foal to which it had belonged, and when that was done, all the foals became princes again. —
先是最大的，然后是第二个，依此类推，他非常小心地把每个头放在它所归属的小马崽的尾巴处，当这样做完之后，所有的小马崽又变成了王子。 —

When he returned to the marriage-feast with the seven princes, the King was so joyful that he both kissed Cinderlad and clapped him on the back, and his bride was still more delighted with him than she had been before.
当他带着这七个王子回到婚宴时，国王非常高兴，他不仅亲吻了灰马上的灰马小子，还在他后背上拍了一下，他的新娘对他的喜爱更甚于之前。

‘Half my kingdom is thine already,’ said the King, ‘and the other half shall be thine after my death, for my sons can get countries and kingdoms for themselves now that they have become princes again.’
“我的王国一半已经属于你了，”国王说，“另一半将在我去世后归给你，因为我的儿子们现在已经重新成为王子，可以为自己争取国家和王国。”

Therefore, as all may well believe, there was joy and merriment at that wedding.[31]
因此，正如所有人所信以为真的，那场婚礼上充满了喜悦和欢愉。

[31] From J. Moe.
《J·穆》来源。