There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little peasant. —
在一个村庄里，只住着非常富有的农民，还有一个贫困的农民，人们称他为小农民。 —

He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money to buy one, and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. —
他甚至连一头奶牛都没有，更别提买一头了，但他和妻子非常希望有一头奶牛。 —

One day he said to her: —
一天他对妻子说： —

‘Listen, I have a good idea, there is our gossip the carpenter, he shall make us a wooden calf, and paint it brown, so that it looks like any other, and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow. —
“听着，我有个好主意，我们的亲戚木匠可以给我们做一只木制小牛犊，把它涂成棕色，看起来跟真的一样，时间长了它一定会长大变成一头奶牛。” —

’ the woman also liked the idea, and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf, and painted it as it ought to be, and made it with its head hanging down as if it were eating.
妻子也喜欢这个主意，他们的亲戚木匠削平小牛犊，并涂上合适的颜色，还让它头低下来好像在吃东西。

Next morning when the cows were being driven out, the little peasant called the cow-herd in and said: —
第二天早上放牛的时候，小农民把放牛人叫过来说： —

‘Look, I have a little calf there, but it is still small and has to be carried. —
“看，我这儿有只小牛犊，它还小，得拿着它。 —

’ The cow-herd said: —
”放牛人说： —

‘All right,’ and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture, and set it among the grass. —
“好的”，然后把小牛犊抱在怀里，放到了牧场里，让它在草地上吃草。 —

The little calf always remained standing like one which was eating, and the cow-herd said: —
小小的小牛一直站着吃草，牧人说道： —

‘It will soon run by itself, just look how it eats already! —
“它很快就会自己奔跑了，瞧它已经会吃草了！” —

’ At night when he was going to drive the herd home again, he said to the calf: —
晚上他要再次赶回家的时候，对小牛说道： —

‘If you can stand there and eat your fill, you can also go on your four legs; —
“如果你能站在那儿吃饱，也能用四条腿走路； —

I don’t care to drag you home again in my arms. —
我可不想再抱着你回家了。” —

’ But the little peasant stood at his door, and waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the cows through the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it was. —
而小农民站在门口，等待着他的小牛，当牧人把牛赶过村子，小牛不见了，他问牧人它在哪里。 —

The cow-herd answered: —
牧人回答说：” —

‘It is still standing out there eating. —
它还在那里站着吃草。 —

It would not stop and come with us. —
它不肯停下来跟我们一起走。” —

’ But the little peasant said: —
而小农民说： —

‘Oh, but I must have my beast back again. —
“哦，但我必须把我的牲口找回来。” —

’ Then they went back to the meadow together, but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. —
于是他们一起回到了草地，但有人偷了小牛，它消失了。 —

The cow-herd said: ‘It must have run away. —
牧人说：”它一定跑掉了。” —

’ The peasant, however, said: —
然而，小农民说： —

‘Don’t tell me that, ’ and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away.
‘别对我说这些’，并把牛群赶到了市长面前，市长因他的粗心大意判决他给农民一头母牛作为那只小牛逃跑的赔偿。

And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. —
现在小农民和他的妻子终于得到了他们渴望已久的牛，他们非常高兴，但是他们没有牛的食物，也无法给它喂养，所以不久就不得不将它宰杀了。 —

They salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds. —
他们把牛肉腌制起来，农民走进镇上，想在那里卖掉皮革，然后用卖皮革得到的钱买一头新牛犊。 —

On the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with broken wings, and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin. —
在路上，他经过一个磨坊，看到一只断翅的乌鸦，出于同情，他把它裹在皮革里。 —

But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind, he could go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter. —
但天气变得非常糟糕，刮起了暴雨和大风，他无法继续前行，只能返回磨坊，请求避难。 —

The miller’s wife was alone in the house, and said to the peasant: —
磨坊主的妻子独自在屋子里，对农民说： —

‘Lay yourself on the straw there, ’ and gave him a slice of bread and cheese. —
“在那里躺在稻草上吧”，还给了他一片面包和奶酪。 —

The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin beside him, and the woman thought: —
农民吃了它，躺在一旁，女人心想：“他累了， —

‘He is tired and has gone to sleep. —
睡着了。” —

’ In the meantime came the parson; —
与此同时，牧师来了； —

the miller’s wife received him well, and said: —
磨坊主的妻子热情地接待了他，并说： —

‘My husband is out, so we will have a feast. —
“我丈夫不在家，所以我们可以大吃一顿。” —

’ The peasant listened, and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese. —
农民听着，当他听到他们在谈论享受美食时，他为自己只能凑合着吃了一片面包和奶酪而感到烦恼。 —

Then the woman served up four different things, roast meat, salad, cakes, and wine.
然后女人准备了四种不同的东西，烤肉，沙拉，蛋糕和葡萄酒。

Just as they were about to sit down and eat, there was a knocking outside. The woman said: —
正当他们准备坐下来吃的时候，门外传来了敲门声。女人说：“哦， —

‘Oh, heavens! It is my husband! —
天哪！是我丈夫！” —

’ she quickly hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove, the wine under the pillow, the salad on the bed, the cakes under it, and the parson in the closet on the porch. —
她迅速把烤肉藏在瓦炉里，葡萄酒放在枕头下面，沙拉放在床上，蛋糕放在床下，牧师放在门廊的衣橱里。 —

Then she opened the door for her husband, and said: ‘Thank heaven, you are back again! —
然后她为丈夫打开了门，说：“谢天谢地，你又回来了！外面风暴这么大，看起来就像世界末日一样。” —

There is such a storm, it looks as if the world were coming to an end. —
The ermine had followed the woman, and had witnessed it all. So he went to the peasant and told him how the woman had behaved. The peasant thanked him, and said: ‘You have helped me out of great trouble, and as a reward, take these five pieces of gold.’ ‘This is a golden opportunity!’ thought the ermine, and glided away with the gold. Henceforth he was held in great honour by all the beasts, and he who has the ermine for his friend has nothing to wish for. —

’ The miller saw the peasant lying on the straw, and asked, ‘What is that fellow doing there? —
磨坊主看到农民躺在稻草上，问道：“那个家伙在那儿做什么？” —

’ ‘Ah,’ said the wife, ‘the poor knave came in the storm and rain, and begged for shelter, so I gave him a bit of bread and cheese, and showed him where the straw was. —
“啊，”妻子说，“这个可怜的家伙被暴风雨淋湿了，向我乞求遮蔽所以我给了他一些面包和奶酪，并告诉他稻草在哪里。” —

’ The man said: ‘I have no objection, but be quick and get me something to eat. —
男人说：“我没有反对，但快点给我找点吃的。 —

’ The woman said: ‘But I have nothing but bread and cheese. —
”女人说：“但我只有面包和奶酪。” —

’ ‘I am contented with anything, ’ replied the husband, ‘so far as I am concerned, bread and cheese will do, ’ and looked at the peasant and said: —
“我对任何东西都满足，”丈夫回答，“就我而言，面包和奶酪就行。”他看着农民说道： —

‘Come and eat some more with me. —
“过来和我一起吃些。 —

’ The peasant did not require to be invited twice, but got up and ate. —
”农民不需要再邀请第二次，起身就吃起来。 —

After this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was, lying on the ground, and asked: —
之后，磨坊主看到了装有乌鸦的皮囊躺在地上，问道： —

‘What have you there? —
“那是什么？ —

’ The peasant answered: —
”农民回答道： —

‘I have a soothsayer inside it. —
“我里面有一个预言家。 —

’ ‘Can he foretell anything to me? —
” “他能给我预测什么吗？ —

’ said the miller. ‘Why not? —
”磨坊主问道。“为什么不呢？ —

’ answered the peasant: —
”农民回答道。 —

‘but he only says four things, and the fifth he keeps to himself. —
‘然而他只说了四件事情，第五件他自己保留了。 —

’ The miller was curious, and said: —
’磨坊主很好奇，说道： —

‘Let him foretell something for once. —
‘让他再预言一次吧。 —

’ Then the peasant pinched the raven’s head, so that he croaked and made a noise like krr, krr. The miller said: —
’然后农民掐了一下乌鸦的脑袋，它便发出了类似咯咯的声音。磨坊主问道： —

‘What did he say? —
‘它说了什么？ —

’ The peasant answered: ‘In the first place, he says that there is some wine hidden under the pillow. —
’农民回答道：‘首先，它说枕头下面藏着一些酒。 —

’ ‘Bless me! —
’‘天啊！ —

’ cried the miller, and went there and found the wine. ‘Now go on, ’ said he. The peasant made the raven croak again, and said: —
’磨坊主叫道，然后去那里找到了酒。‘继续说，’他说道。农民又让乌鸦发出咯咯的声音，说道： —

‘In the second place, he says that there is some roast meat in the tiled stove. —
‘其次，它说壁炉里有一些烤肉。’‘我的天啊！ —

’ ‘Upon my word! —
—

’ cried the miller, and went thither, and found the roast meat. —
’磨坊主叫道，然后过去找到了烤肉。 —

The peasant made the raven prophesy still more, and said: —
农民让乌鸦再预言了更多，说道： —

‘Thirdly, he says that there is some salad on the bed. —
‘第三，它说床上有一些沙拉。 —

’ ‘That would be a fine thing! —
’‘那可真是太好了！ —

’ cried the miller, and went there and found the salad. —
’磨坊主叫道，然后去那里找到了沙拉。 —

At last the peasant pinched the raven once more till he croaked, and said: —
最后农夫又捏了乌鸦一下，直到它咯咯作响，并说道： —

‘Fourthly, he says that there are some cakes under the bed. —
“第四，他说床底下有些蛋糕。 —

’ ‘That would be a fine thing! —
”“那可真是好啊！” —

’ cried the miller, and looked there, and found the cakes.
磨坊主大叫着往床底下一看，果然找到了蛋糕。

And now the two sat down to the table together, but the miller’s wife was frightened to death, and went to bed and took all the keys with her. —
接着两人一起坐下来吃饭，但是磨坊主的妻子吓得要死，上床带上了所有的钥匙。 —

The miller would have liked much to know the fifth, but the little peasant said: —
磨坊主很想知道第五个预言是什么，但小农民说道： —

‘First, we will quickly eat the four things, for the fifth is something bad. —
“首先，我们先迅速吃完前四个东西，因为第五个是件坏事。” —

’ So they ate, and after that they bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy, until they agreed on three hundred talers. —
于是他们吃了饭，然后商量起磨坊主该为第五个预言付多少钱，最后他们商定三百泰勒。 —

Then the peasant once more pinched the raven’s head till he croaked loudly. —
然后农夫再次捏了乌鸦的脑袋，直到它大声咯咯作响。 —

The miller asked: ‘What did he say? —
磨坊主问道：“它说了什么？ —

’ The peasant replied: —
”农夫回答道： —

‘He says that the Devil is hiding outside there in the closet on the porch. —
“他说魔鬼就藏在外面的门廊橱柜里。 —

’ The miller said: —
”磨坊主说： —

‘The Devil must go out, ’ and opened the house-door; —
“魔鬼必须滚出去，”他打开了房门； —

then the woman was forced to give up the keys, and the peasant unlocked the closet. —
然后妇人被迫交出钥匙，农民解开了橱柜。 —

The parson ran out as fast as he could, and the miller said: ‘It was true; —
牧师尽快跑了出去，磨坊主说：“真的， —

I saw the black rascal with my own eyes. —
我亲眼看到那个黑鬼。” —

’ The peasant, however, made off next morning by daybreak with the three hundred talers.
然而，第二天清晨，农民带着三百塔勒逃走了。

At home the small peasant gradually launched out; —
小农民在家逐渐变得富有； —

he built a beautiful house, and the peasants said: —
他建了一座漂亮的房子，农民们说： —

‘The small peasant has certainly been to the place where golden snow falls, and people carry the gold home in shovels. —
“小农民肯定去了那个金雪飘落的地方，人们用铲子把金子搬回家。” —

’ Then the small peasant was brought before the mayor, and bidden to say from whence his wealth came. —
然后小农民被带到市长面前，被要求解释他的财富来自何处。他回答道： —

He answered: —
—

‘I sold my cow’s skin in the town, for three hundred talers. —
“我在城里卖了一头牛的皮，卖了三百塔勒。” —

’ When the peasants heard that, they too wished to enjoy this great profit, and ran home, killed all their cows, and stripped off their skins in order to sell them in the town to the greatest advantage. —
农民们听到后，也希望享受这样的巨额利润，他们跑回家，杀死所有的牛，剥下它们的皮，为了以最大的优势在城里卖掉。 —

The mayor, however, said: —
然而，市长说： —

‘But my servant must go first. —
“但我的仆人必须先去。 —

’ When she came to the merchant in the town, he did not give her more than two talers for a skin, and when the others came, he did not give them so much, and said: —
”当她来到镇上的商人那里时，他只给了她两个金币的价格，而当其他人来时，他却没有给他们那么多，并说：“我能用这么多皮做什么呢？” —

‘What can I do with all these skins?’
于是农民们对小农民的聪明办法感到懊恼，想要向他报复，并在市长面前指控他的欺骗行为。

Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus outwitted them, wanted to take vengeance on him, and accused him of this treachery before the mayor. —
无辜的小农民被一致判处死刑，并要在一个打满洞的木桶中滚入水中。 —

The innocent little peasant was unanimously sentenced to death, and was to be rolled into the water, in a barrel pierced full of holes. —
他被带到外面，一位牧师被带来为他祈祷安魂。 —

He was led forth, and a priest was brought who was to say a mass for his soul. —
其他人都被迫退到远处，当小农民看着牧师时，他认出这个人是曾和磨坊主的妻子在一起的人。 —

The others were all obliged to retire to a distance, and when the peasant looked at the priest, he recognized the man who had been with the miller’s wife. —
他对他说：“我把你从壁橱里放出来，你把我从木桶里放出来。” —

He said to him: ‘I set you free from the closet, set me free from the barrel. —
—

’ At this same moment up came, with a flock of sheep, the very shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor, so he cried with all his might: —
就在这时，一位牧羊人带着一群羊走了过来，这正是农民所知道的一位一直想成为市长的牧羊人，于是他大声喊道：“不，我不会这样做；就算全世界都要求，我也不会这样做！” —

‘No, I will not do it; —
听到这话， —

if the whole world insists on it, I will not do it!’ The shepherd hearing that, came up to him, and asked: —
牧羊人走近他，问道：“你在干什么？你不会做什么？” 农民说： —

‘What are you about? —
“他们想让我当市长， —

What is it that you will not do? —
只要我进入这个木桶，但我不会这样做。 —

’ The peasant said: —
” 牧羊人说： —

‘They want to make me mayor, if I will but put myself in the barrel, but I will not do it. —
“如果成为市长只需要那么一点事情，我立刻就进入木桶。 —

’ The shepherd said: —
” 农民说： —

‘If nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor, I would get into the barrel at once. —
“如果你愿意进去，你就会成为市长。” 牧羊人愿意，他进了桶， —

’ The peasant said: —
农民把桶盖关上； —

‘If you will get in, you will be mayor. —
然后他把牧羊人的羊群据为己有， —

’ The shepherd was willing, and got in, and the peasant shut the top down on him; —
赶走了。 牧师向人群宣布弥撒已经结束。 —

then he took the shepherd’s flock for himself, and drove it away. The parson went to the crowd, and declared that the mass had been said. —
—

Then they came and rolled the barrel towards the water. —
他们过来，把桶推向了水边。 —

When the barrel began to roll, the shepherd cried: ‘I am quite willing to be mayor. —
当桶开始滚动时，牧羊人喊道：“我很愿意做市长。” —

’ They believed no otherwise than that it was the peasant who was saying this, and answered: —
他们对此深信不疑，以为是农民在说这句话，回答道：“这正是我们的意图，但你得先在下面好好看看。”然后他们把桶推进了水里。 —

‘That is what we intend, but first you shall look about you a little down below there, ’ and they rolled the barrel down into the water.
之后，农民们回家了，当他们进村子的时候，小农民也悄悄地过来了，带着一群羊，看起来很满足。

After that the peasants went home, and as they were entering the village, the small peasant also came quietly in, driving a flock of sheep and looking quite contented. —
农民们感到很惊讶，问道：“农民，你是从哪儿来的？你是从水里出来的吗？” —

Then the peasants were astonished, and said: —
“是的，真的，”小农民回答道，“我沉到了很深、很深的地方，最后到达了底部； —

‘Peasant, from whence do you come? —
我把桶的底部推开，爬了出来，那里有美丽的草地， —

Have you come out of the water? —
上面有很多小羊在吃草，我就把它们带了出来。” —

’ ‘Yes, truly,’ replied the peasant, ‘I sank deep, deep down, until at last I got to the bottom; —
农民们惊讶不已，说：“农民，你从哪儿来的？你是从水里出来的吗？” —

I pushed the bottom out of the barrel, and crept out, and there were pretty meadows on which a number of lambs were feeding, and from thence I brought this flock away with me. —
“是的，真的，”小农民回答道，“我沉到了很深、很深的地方，最后到达了底部；我把桶的底部推开，爬了出来，那里有美丽的草地，上面有很多小羊在吃草，我就把它们带了出来。” —

’ Said the peasants: —
农民们说： —

‘Are there any more there?’ ‘Oh, yes, ’ said he, ‘more than I could want. —
“那里还有吗？”他说：“哦，是的，比我想要的多。” —

’ Then the peasants made up their minds that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves, a flock apiece, but the mayor said: —
然后农民们下定决心要为自己也弄来一些羊，每人一群，但市长说：“我先来。 —

‘I come first. —
” —

’ So they went to the water together, and just then there were some of the small fleecy clouds in the blue sky, which are called little lambs, and they were reflected in the water, whereupon the peasants cried: —
所以他们一起去了水边，就在那时，天空中有一些小绒毛般的云朵，被称为小羊羔，在水中反射出来，于是农民们喊道： —

‘We already see the sheep down below! —
“我们在下面已经看到羊了！ —

’ The mayor pressed forward and said: —
”市长冲了上前说： —

‘I will go down first, and look about me, and if things promise well I’ll call you. —
“我会先下去看看，如果情况好的话我会叫你们。”于是他跳了下去； —

’ So he jumped in; splash! —
扑通一声！ —

went the water; —
水声响起； —

it sounded as if he were calling them, and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man. —
听起来他好像在叫他们，于是整群人跟着他一起跳下水。 —

Then the entire village was dead, and the small peasant, as sole heir, became a rich man.
于是整个村庄都死去了，这位小农民作为唯一的继承人成了富人。