There was once upon a time a soldier who for many years had served the king faithfully, but when the war came to an end could serve no longer because of the many wounds which he had received. —
从前有一位士兵，多年来忠诚地为国王服务，但当战争结束时，由于他所受的伤势，他无法再继续服役。 —

The king said to him: —
国王对他说： —

‘You may return to your home, I need you no longer, and you will not receive any more money, for he only receives wages who renders me service for them. —
“你可以回到家中，我不再需要你，并且你将不再得到任何报酬，因为只有为我提供服务的人才能获得工资。” —

’ Then the soldier did not know how to earn a living, went away greatly troubled, and walked the whole day, until in the evening he entered a forest. —
然后士兵不知道如何谋生，忧心忡忡地离开了，他走了一整天，直到傍晚进入了一片森林。当天黑时， —

When darkness came on, he saw a light, which he went up to, and came to a house wherein lived a witch. —
他看到了一盏灯，他走近一看，来到了一间住着一位巫婆的房子。 —

‘Do give me one night’s lodging, and a little to eat and drink, ’ said he to her, ‘or I shall starve. —
“请给我一晚的住宿，还有一点吃的和喝的，”他对她说，“否则我会饿死。” “噢呵！”她回答道，“谁会给逃兵什么东西呢？然而，如果你愿意做我想要的事， —

’ ‘Oho! —
我会心存怜悯收留你。” —

’ she answered, ‘who gives anything to a run-away soldier? —
— —

Yet will I be compassionate, and take you in, if you will do what I wish. —

’ ‘What do you wish?’ said the soldier. —
“你希望什么？”士兵问道。” —

‘That you should dig all round my garden for me, tomorrow. —
明天你要帮我挖一下我花园周围的土。” —

’ The soldier consented, and next day laboured with all his strength, but could not finish it by the evening. —
士兵答应了，第二天全力以赴地努力，但到晚上还没完成。 —

‘I see well enough,’ said the witch, ‘that you can do no more today, but I will keep you yet another night, in payment for which you must tomorrow chop me a load of wood, and chop it small. —
“我明白了，”女巫说道，” 我看得出你今天已经没力气了，但作为报酬，你明天要给我劈一车木柴，并且要劈得碎。” —

’ The soldier spent the whole day in doing it, and in the evening the witch proposed that he should stay one night more. —
士兵花了一整天的时间劈木柴，到晚上女巫提议他再多留一晚。 —

‘Tomorrow, you shall only do me a very trifling piece of work. —
“明天，你只需要给我完成一个非常小的任务。” —

Behind my house, there is an old dry well, into which my light has fallen, it burns blue, and never goes out, and you shall bring it up again. —
“我的房子后面有一口旧的干井，我的灯掉进去了，它会持续发蓝光，从不熄灭，你要把它从井底取出来。” —

’ Next day the old woman took him to the well, and let him down in a basket. —
第二天，老太婆带他去了井口，然后他被放入一个篮子里下到了井底。 —

He found the blue light, and made her a signal to draw him up again. —
他找到了蓝灯，并向她发出信号让她把他拉上来。 —

She did draw him up, but when he came near the edge, she stretched down her hand and wanted to take the blue light away from him. —
她的确拉住了他，但当他靠近边缘时，她伸出手想要把蓝色光芒从他手中夺走。 —

‘No,’ said he, perceiving her evil intention, ‘I will not give you the light until I am standing with both feet upon the ground. —
“不，”他察觉到她邪恶的意图，“除非我双脚踏在地上，否则我不会把光芒给你。” —

’ The witch fell into a passion, let him fall again into the well, and went away.
女巫勃然大怒，让他再次掉进井里，然后离开了。

The poor soldier fell without injury on the moist ground, and the blue light went on burning, but of what use was that to him? —
可怜的士兵毫发无伤地落在湿漉漉的地面上，蓝色光芒仍然燃烧着，但对他有什么用呢？ —

He saw very well that he could not escape death. —
他非常清楚自己逃不过死亡的命运。 —

He sat for a while very sorrowfully, then suddenly he felt in his pocket and found his tobacco pipe, which was still half full. —
他愁苦地坐了一会儿，突然在口袋里摸到了还剩一半的烟斗。 —

‘This shall be my last pleasure,’ thought he, pulled it out, lit it at the blue light and began to smoke. —
“这将是我最后的享受了，”他心想，拿出烟斗，用蓝色光芒点燃了它，开始吸烟。 —

When the smoke had circled about the cavern, suddenly a little black dwarf stood before him, and said: ‘Lord, what are your commands? —
当烟雾在洞穴中蔓延时，突然一位小黑矮人站在他面前，说：“主人，有何吩咐？” —

’ ‘What my commands are? —
“‘我的指令是什么？ —

’ replied the soldier, quite astonished. —
’士兵回答说，相当惊讶。 —

‘I must do everything you bid me, ’ said the little man. —
‘我必须照你的吩咐去做，’小人说。 —

‘Good,’ said the soldier; —
‘很好，’士兵说； —

‘then in the first place help me out of this well. —
‘首先帮我从这口井里出来。 —

’ The little man took him by the hand, and led him through an underground passage, but he did not forget to take the blue light with him. —
’小人拉着他的手，带他穿过一个地下通道，但他没有忘记带上蓝灯。 —

On the way the dwarf showed him the treasures which the witch had collected and hidden there, and the soldier took as much gold as he could carry. —
在路上，小矮人给他看了女巫收集和隐藏在那里的宝藏，士兵带走了尽可能多的黄金。 —

When he was above, he said to the little man: —
当他出来时，他对小人说： —

‘Now go and bind the old witch, and carry her before the judge. —
‘现在去捆绑那个老巫婆，把她带到法官面前。 —

’ In a short time she came by like the wind, riding on a wild tom-cat and screaming frightfully. —
不久后，她像风一样赶来，骑在一只野生的公猫上，发出可怕的尖叫声。 —

Nor was it long before the little man reappeared. —
小人很快就回来了。 —

‘It is all done,’ said he, ‘and the witch is already hanging on the gallows. —
‘都完成了，’他说，‘巫婆已经被绞死在绞架上了。 —

What further commands has my lord? —
我的主人还有其他指令吗？ —

’ inquired the dwarf. —
’小矮人询问道。 —

‘At this moment, none,’ answered the soldier; —
‘此刻还没有,’士兵回答道; —

‘you can return home, only be at hand immediately, if I summon you. —
‘你可以回家，但如果我召唤你，必须立刻赶到。 —

’ ‘Nothing more is needed than that you should light your pipe at the blue light, and I will appear before you at once. —
’ ‘你只需要在蓝灯上点燃你的烟斗，我就会立刻出现在你面前。 —

’ Thereupon he vanished from his sight.
然后他就从他的视线中消失了。

The soldier returned to the town from which he came. —
士兵回到了他来的城镇。 —

He went to the best inn, ordered himself handsome clothes, and then bade the landlord furnish him a room as handsome as possible. —
他去了最好的旅馆，订了漂亮的衣服，然后要求店主给他一个尽可能漂亮的房间。 —

When it was ready and the soldier had taken possession of it, he summoned the little black manikin and said: —
当房间准备好并且士兵已经占据了房间后，他召唤了小黑人，并说道： —

‘I have served the king faithfully, but he has dismissed me, and left me to hunger, and now I want to take my revenge. —
‘我一直忠心地为国王效劳，但他却把我解雇了，让我挨饿，现在我想要报复。 —

’ ‘What am I to do? —
’ ‘我该怎么做？ —

’ asked the little man. ‘Late at night, when the king’s daughter is in bed, bring her here in her sleep, she shall do servant’s work for me. —
‘小人啊，’他问道。 ‘晚上很晚，当国王的女儿睡觉时，把她带到这里，她将为我做仆人的工作。 —

’ The manikin said: —
‘木偶说： —

‘That is an easy thing for me to do, but a very dangerous thing for you, for if it is discovered, you will fare ill. —
“这对我来说很容易，但对你来说非常危险，如果被发现，你将遭受不幸。” —

’ When twelve o’clock had struck, the door sprang open, and the manikin carried in the princess. ‘Aha! —
‘当十二点钟敲响时，门突然打开，木偶抱着公主进来了。“啊哈！你在这儿吗？ —

are you there? —
—

’ cried the soldier, ‘get to your work at once! —
’士兵叫道：“立即开始工作！ —

Fetch the broom and sweep the chamber. —
拿把扫帚扫屋子。 —

’ When she had done this, he ordered her to come to his chair, and then he stretched out his feet and said: —
当她做完这件事后，他命令她来到他的椅子边，然后伸出脚说： —

‘Pull off my boots, ’ and then he threw them in her face, and made her pick them up again, and clean and brighten them. —
‘给我脱鞋子，’然后他把鞋子扔在她脸上，让她再次捡起来，并把它们擦亮。 —

She, however, did everything he bade her, without opposition, silently and with half-shut eyes. —
然而，她默默地、半闭着眼睛，毫无异议地完成了他吩咐的一切事情。 —

When the first cock crowed, the manikin carried her back to the royal palace, and laid her in her bed.
当第一只公鸡啼叫时，木偶把她带回了皇宫，并把她放在了她的床上。

Next morning when the princess arose she went to her father, and told him that she had had a very strange dream. —
第二天早上，公主起床后去找她的父亲，告诉他她做了一个非常奇怪的梦。 —

‘I was carried through the streets with the rapidity of lightning, ’ said she, ‘and taken into a soldier’s room, and I had to wait upon him like a servant, sweep his room, clean his boots, and do all kinds of menial work. —
“我被迅猛地从街头带走，像闪电一样，”她说，“被带进了一个士兵的房间，我得像仆人一样侍候他，打扫他的房间，擦洗他的靴子，做各种家务事。” —

It was only a dream, and yet I am just as tired as if I really had done everything. —
“那只是一个梦，可我感到像真的做了所有事情一样疲倦。 —

’ ‘The dream may have been true,’ said the king. —
”“梦可能是真实的，”国王说。 —

‘I will give you a piece of advice. —
“我给你一条建议。 —

Fill your pocket full of peas, and make a small hole in the pocket, and then if you are carried away again, they will fall out and leave a track in the streets. —
把口袋装满豌豆，在口袋上做个小洞，这样如果你再次被带走，豌豆会掉出来，在街上留下一条痕迹。” —

’ But unseen by the king, the manikin was standing beside him when he said that, and heard all. —
但国王没有注意到，就在他说这话的时候，小矮人就站在他身旁，听到了一切。 —

At night when the sleeping princess was again carried through the streets, some peas certainly did fall out of her pocket, but they made no track, for the crafty manikin had just before scattered peas in every street there was. —
当睡美人再次被带离时，的确有一些豌豆从她的口袋里掉出来，但它们没有留下任何痕迹，因为狡猾的小矮人刚才在每条街上撒下了豌豆。 —

And again the princess was compelled to do servant’s work until cock-crow.
公主再次被迫做仆人的工作，直到鸡鸣时分。

Next morning the king sent his people out to seek the track, but it was all in vain, for in every street poor children were sitting, picking up peas, and saying: —
第二天早上，国王派他的人出去寻找踪迹，但是都毫无结果，因为在每条街上都有贫困的孩子们坐在那里捡起豌豆，说道: —

‘It must have rained peas, last night. —
‘昨晚肯定下过豌豆雨。 —

’ ‘We must think of something else, ’ said the king; —
’‘我们必须想些别的办法，’国王说道； —

‘keep your shoes on when you go to bed, and before you come back from the place where you are taken, hide one of them there, I will soon contrive to find it. —
‘你们上床睡觉时要穿着鞋子，并且在你们离开被带去的地方之前，把一只鞋藏在那里，我很快就能找到它。 —

’ The black manikin heard this plot, and at night when the soldier again ordered him to bring the princess, revealed it to him, and told him that he knew of no expedient to counteract this stratagem, and that if the shoe were found in the soldier’s house it would go badly with him. —
’黑人魔仙听到这个计划，当夜再次被士兵命令去带来公主时，告诉了他这个阴谋，并告诉他自己不知道有什么办法来对抗这个计谋，如果鞋子在士兵的房子里被发现，他的日子会很难过。 —

‘Do what I bid you,’ replied the soldier, and again this third night the princess was obliged to work like a servant, but before she went away, she hid her shoe under the bed.
‘照我吩咐的去做，’士兵回答道，第三个晚上，公主又被迫像仆人一样工作，但在离开之前，她把鞋子藏在了床下。

Next morning the king had the entire town searched for his daughter’s shoe. —
第二天早上，国王把整个城镇都搜寻了一遍，寻找他女儿的鞋子。 —

It was found at the soldier’s, and the soldier himself, who at the entreaty of the dwarf had gone outside the gate, was soon brought back, and thrown into prison. —
它被发现在士兵的那里，士兵本人在小矮人的请求下走出了城门，很快又被带回来，并被投入监狱。 —

In his flight he had forgotten the most valuable things he had, the blue light and the gold, and had only one ducat in his pocket. —
在逃跑时，他忘记了他最有价值的东西，蓝灯和金子，只在口袋里有一枚金币。 —

And now loaded with chains, he was standing at the window of his dungeon, when he chanced to see one of his comrades passing by. —
他被锁链束缚着站在监牢的窗前，这时偶然看到一个他的同伴经过。 —

The soldier tapped at the pane of glass, and when this man came up, said to him: —
士兵敲打玻璃窗，当那个人走近时，对他说: —

‘Be so kind as to fetch me the small bundle I have left lying in the inn, and I will give you a ducat for doing it. —
‘请帮我将我在客栈遗留的小包裹取来，我会给你一枚金币作为酬谢。 —

’ His comrade ran thither and brought him what he wanted. —
‘他的同伴跑去那里，把他想要的东西带来了。 —

As soon as the soldier was alone again, he lighted his pipe and summoned the black manikin. —
士兵再次独自一人时，他点燃了烟斗，并召唤黑人小人。 —

‘Have no fear,’ said the latter to his master. —
“不要害怕，”后者对他的主人说。 —

‘Go wheresoever they take you, and let them do what they will, only take the blue light with you. —
‘不管他们带你去哪，无论他们做什么，只要带上蓝灯。 —

’ Next day the soldier was tried, and though he had done nothing wicked, the judge condemned him to death. —
第二天，士兵接受了审判，虽然他没有做任何坏事，但法官判处他死刑。 —

When he was led forth to die, he begged a last favour of the king. —
当他被带走执行死刑时，他向国王请求最后一个请求。 —

‘What is it?’ asked the king. —
国王问：“你要什么？ —

‘That I may smoke one more pipe on my way. —
”“请允许我在去死的路上再吸一支烟。” —

’ ‘You may smoke three,’ answered the king, ‘but do not imagine that I will spare your life. —
“你可以吸三支，”国王回答道，“但你不要以为我会饶了你的命。 —

’ Then the soldier pulled out his pipe and lighted it at the blue light, and as soon as a few wreaths of smoke had ascended, the manikin was there with a small cudgel in his hand, and said: —
然后士兵拿出烟斗，从那蓝色的火光中点燃了它，当几缕烟雾升起时，小矮人手持一根小棍子出现了，并说道： —

‘What does my lord command? —
“我的主人有何吩咐？ —

’ ‘Strike down to earth that false judge there, and his constable, and spare not the king who has treated me so ill. —
”“把那个虚伪的法官和他的执法官打倒在地，不要放过那个对我如此苛刻的国王。 —

’ Then the manikin fell on them like lightning, darting this way and that way, and whosoever was so much as touched by his cudgel fell to earth, and did not venture to stir again. —
然后小矮人像闪电一样扑向他们，左冲右突，无论是谁只要被他的棍子碰到，都会倒在地上，再也不敢动弹。 —

The king was terrified; —
国王被吓坏了； —

he threw himself on the soldier’s mercy, and merely to be allowed to live at all, gave him his kingdom for his own, and his daughter to wife.
他向士兵求饶，为了能够活命，他把王国让给了士兵，并且把女儿嫁给了他。