The Little Donkey
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Once there lived a king and a queen who were rich and had everything that they could wish for, but no children. She complained day and night about this, and said, "I am like a field that nothing will grow in."
Finally God fulfilled her desires, but when the child came to the world it did not look like a human child, but instead it was a young donkey. When the mother saw it she wept and wailed. She would sooner have no child at all than a donkey, and she said that they should throw it into the water and let the fish eat it.
But the king said, "No, God has given him to us. He shall be my son and heir, and following my death he shall sit on the royal throne and wear the royal crown."
Thus they raised the little donkey. He got bigger, and his ears grew up straight and tall. He was a very cheerful sort, jumped about, and played. He was especially fond of music, so he went to a famous minstrel and said, "Teach me to play the lute as well as you do."
"Oh, my little master," answered the minstrel, "that will be difficult for you, because you don't have quite the right fingers; they are too large. And I am afraid that the strings would not hold up."
But no excuse would do. The little donkey insisted on learning to play the lute. He kept at it and practiced hard, and in the end he learned to play just as well as his teacher.
One day while taking a contemplative walk he came to a well, looked into it, and saw his donkey shape in the mirror-like water. This made him so sad that he set forth into the wide world, taking only a single loyal companion with him. They went this way and that way, finally coming to a kingdom where an old king ruled. He had only one daughter, but she was very beautiful.
The little donkey said, "This is where we will stay." He knocked at the gate and called out, "There is a guest out here. Open up and let him in." But they did not open the gate, so he took his lute and began to play it most beautifully with his two front feet.
That opened the gatekeeper's eyes, and he ran to the king, saying, "A little donkey is sitting outside the gate playing the lute as good as an accomplished master."
"Then let the musician in," said the king.
When the little donkey entered, they all began to laugh at the lute player. They sent him below to sit and eat with the servants, but he refused, saying, "I am not a common stall donkey, I am a noble one."
"If that is the case, then you can sit with the soldiers," they said.
"No," he replied, "I want to sit next to the king."
The king laughed and said with good humor, "So be it. If you insist, then just come here to me." Then he asked, "Little donkey, how do you like my daughter?"
The donkey turned his head toward her, looked her over, nodded, and then said, "Beyond all measure. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
"Then you should sit next to her," said the king.
"It is all right with me," said the little donkey, then took a seat at her side and ate, behaving himself like a real gentleman.
After the noble animal had stayed at the king's court for a good while, he thought to himself, "What is the use? I have to go home again." He sadly bowed his head, went to the king, and asked for his leave.
But the king, who liked him a great deal, said, "Little donkey, what is the matter with you. You look as sour as a vinegar jug. I will give you whatever you ask for. Do you want gold?"
"No."
"Do you want precious things and jewelry?"
"No."
"Do you want half of my kingdom?"
"Oh, no."
Then the king said, "If I only knew what would make you happy. Would you like to have my beautiful daughter as your wife?"
"Oh, yes," said the little donkey, and was suddenly happy and content, for that was exactly what he had wanted.
So they had a large and splendid wedding. That evening when the bride and the bridegroom were led into their bedroom, the king wanted to know if the little donkey would behave himself like a gentleman, so he had a servant hide himself there. When the couple was inside, the bridegroom bolted the door shut, looked around, and thinking that they were all alone, he pulled off his donkey skin and stood there as a handsome young man of royalty.
He said, "Now you see who I am, and that I have been worthy of you."
The bride was delighted, kissed him, and loved him with all of her heart. The next morning he jumped up, put his animal skin on again, and no one would have thought what he was like beneath it.
The old king soon came by. "Aha," he said. "The little donkey is awake already!" Then he said to his daughter, "Are you sad that you do not have an ordinary human for a husband?"
"Not at all, father dear. I love him just as much as if he were the handsomest man, and I want to keep him as long as I live."
This surprised the king, but then the servant who had hid himself came and revealed everything to him. The king said, "That cannot be true!"
"Then you keep watch tonight, and you will see it with your own eyes. And do you know what, your majesty? If you take the skin away from him and throw it into the fire, then he will have to show himself in his real form."
"Your advice is good," said the king, and that evening while they slept, he crept into their room, and when he came to their bed, by the light of the moon he saw a proud young man lying there. The skin was lying on the floor. He took it away, had an enormous fire built outside, and had the skin thrown into it. He himself stayed there until it had burned entirely to ashes. He stayed awake and kept watch the entire night, because he wanted to see what the robbed man would do. When the young man awoke at the first light of morning, he got up and wanted to put on the donkey skin, but he could not find it.
Terrified, he spoke with sadness and fear, "I will have to run away."
He left the room, and the king, who was standing there, said, "My son, where are you going in such a hurry? Just what do you have in mind? Stay here. You are such a handsome man. Don't leave me. I will give you half my kingdom for now, and after my death you shall receive the other half."
"I wish a good conclusion for this good beginning," said the young man. "I shall stay here with you."
Then the old man gave him half his kingdom. He died a year later, and then he had the whole kingdom, and after the death of his father, another one as well. And he had a glorious life.
從前,有個(gè)國王和王后,他們很富有,簡直享有一切他們所希望的東西,只是沒有孩子。王后為此日夜傷感,說:“我就像塊不長莊稼的地。”上帝最后成全了他,給他了個(gè)孩子,但這孩子根本不像人,而是頭小毛驢。母親不見則已見了叫苦連天,她說自己寧可不要孩子也不愿有頭驢,并且還想把他扔進(jìn)河里讓魚吃掉。但國王卻說:“別這樣,既然上帝把他賜給我們,他就該是我的兒子和繼承人,在我死后戴上王冠坐上皇帝的寶座。”就這樣,這驢子被養(yǎng)了下來,慢慢長大了,它的耳朵又細(xì)又長,向上直伸著。這驢兒天性活潑,到處跳躍、游戲,且特別愛好音樂。於是他走到一位有名的樂師那里,說“把你的本領(lǐng)教給我吧,我要把琴彈得和你一樣好。”“啊,小少爺,”樂師說,“這對你來說就難了,你的手指實(shí)在太粗,不是塊彈琴的料。我怕琴弦經(jīng)不起。”但他的推脫沒用,驢兒要彈琴,非學(xué)彈琴不可。他學(xué)起來又勤快、又刻苦,最后練得竟和師傅一樣好了。
有一次,這小主人出去散步,腦子正在思考著甚么,不覺來到了一口井邊。他往水中一瞧,見水面清澈如鏡,那兒有自己的驢子模樣。他懊喪極了,便帶了忠實(shí)的仆人離家出走,到了很遠(yuǎn)的地方。他們四處漂泊,最后來到了一個(gè)王國,統(tǒng)治這個(gè)國家的是位年邁的國王,不過他有一位美麗絕倫的獨(dú)身女。驢兒說:“我們就在這兒呆下吧!”說著就去敲城門,“外邊有客,快開門讓他進(jìn)來!”有人說但是大門沒有打開。他於是坐了下來,取出他的琴,伸出兩只前腿彈起琴來,音樂非常優(yōu)美動(dòng)聽。守城門的人聽得睜大了眼,趕忙跑去報(bào)告國王:“門外坐著頭驢子,琴兒彈得有大師那么棒。”“讓那位音樂家到我這兒來吧!”國王說。當(dāng)那驢兒一進(jìn)來,所有的人都稱贊起這位彈琴的來,他們讓他坐下來和仆人一塊兒吃飯,他卻很不樂意,說:“我可不是頭普通的驢子,我可是位貴族。”他們說:“如果你真是位貴族,就和武士們坐一起吧。”“不,我要坐在國王身旁。”國王微微一笑,很幽默地說:“好吧,就照你的意思辦。小毛驢,到我這兒來吧。”然后他又問:“小毛驢,你覺得我女兒怎么樣?”驢兒轉(zhuǎn)過頭看著她,點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭,說“實(shí)在太美了!我還沒見過像她這樣漂亮的女孩。”“那么,好吧,你也該挨著她坐吧!”國王說。“那我是求之不得的呢!”驢兒一邊說,一邊緊挨著公主坐下。他又吃又喝,既舉止優(yōu)雅,又注意清潔衛(wèi)生。
這高貴的驢兒在宮里住了一些時(shí),他想:“這一切對我有何用呢?我得回家去。”於是他便難過地垂下了頭,來到國王跟前,請求能讓他走。但國王已經(jīng)喜歡上他了,便說:“小毛驢,你甚么事兒不開心?你看起來就像一缸醋一樣酸溜溜的。你要甚么我就給你甚么,你要金子嗎?”“不,”驢兒搖頭說。“你要珠寶和華貴的服裝嗎?”“不。”“我分給你半個(gè)王國,好嗎?”“啊呀,不。”於是,國王說:“甚么能教你開心,你是不是想娶我的寶貝女兒做妻子?”“啊,是的是的。”他一下子變得高興起來,那確實(shí)是他所希望的。於是他們舉行了隆重而豪華的婚禮。新婚之夜,新郎和新娘被帶進(jìn)了洞房,國王想知道驢兒是不是舉止溫文爾雅,便命一個(gè)仆人躲在那里。他們雙雙走進(jìn)了新房,新郎閂上了門,他以為只有他們倆在那里,只見他摔脫了身上的皮,站在那兒,竟是個(gè)英俊瀟灑的青年。
“現(xiàn)在你瞧我是誰,看我配不配得上你。”這時(shí)新娘非常高興,過來吻他,打心眼里愛著他。到了早上,他跳了起來,又重新披上驢皮,沒有人會想得到里面藏著個(gè)多么英俊的帥小伙子。不久老國王來了,“啊,”他叫道,“驢兒已經(jīng)起床了!女兒呀,你一定很傷心,沒能嫁一個(gè)能真正作你丈夫的人。”“哦,不,親愛的父親,我很愛他,他就像是世上最英俊瀟灑的小伙子,我會終生和他廝守在一起的。”國王感到很驚訝。但是先前藏在新房的仆人來了,向國王透露了一切。國王說:“這絕不可能是真的!”“那么今晚就請您親自去看看,你會親眼看見的。國王,你聽我說,你去把他的皮拿走,把它扔進(jìn)火里燒掉,到時(shí)他就會顯露真形的。”
國王說:“你這主意很不錯(cuò)。”到了晚上他們睡覺時(shí),他偷偷地走了進(jìn)去,來到床前,借助月光他看見了一個(gè)相貌堂堂的年輕人躺在床上,那件驢皮就放在地上。於是他把驢皮拿走了,讓人在外面生起火,然后把驢皮扔了進(jìn)去,等著看到它化為了灰燼。國王急於想看看這位丟了東西的新郎會怎樣,便徹夜沒睡,一直關(guān)注著。年輕人睡醒后,就著晨光一翻而起,想穿上那張?bào)H皮,但沒找著。這下他變得很驚恐焦慮,又非常傷心,說:“現(xiàn)在我非逃走不可了。”,但他剛走出來,但便發(fā)現(xiàn)國王正站在那兒。國王說:“我的兒,你這么匆匆忙忙上哪去?你心里有啥事?留在這里吧,你是個(gè)這樣瀟灑的小伙子,你是不會離開我的。我現(xiàn)在就把我的一半王國給你,等我死后,整個(gè)王國都?xì)w你。”“我也希望善始善終,那我就留在這兒吧!”隨后老國王給了他一半的國土,一年后國王死了,整個(gè)王國都屬於了他。他自己的父親死后,他又得到了另一個(gè)王國,從此便過著榮華富貴的生活。
