The Frog Prince
英漢對照
In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite play thing.
Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented1 someone said to her, What ails2 you, king's daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity.
She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth3 its big, ugly head from the water. Ah, old water-splashier, is it you, she said, I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well. Be quiet, and do not weep, answered the frog, I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your play thing up again? Whatever you will have, dear frog, said she, My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing. The frog answered, I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed - if you will promise me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up again.
Oh yes, said she, I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again. But she thought, How the silly frog does talk. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak4. He can be no companion to any human being.
But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank down; and in a short while came swimming up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The king's daughter was delighted to see her pretty play thing once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. Wait, wait, said the frog. Take me with you. I can't run as you can. But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could. She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again.
The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the TOP, it knocked at the door and cried, Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me. She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?
Ah, no, replied she. It is no giant but a disgusting frog.
What does a frog want with you?
Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me.
In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried, Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me, do you not know what you said to me yesterday by the cool waters of the well. Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me.
Then said the king, That which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in. She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped5 in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried, Lift me up beside you. She delayed, until at last the king commanded her to do it. once the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together. She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said, I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep.
The king's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by you. So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner, but when she was in bed he crept to her and said, I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father. At this she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. Now, will you be quiet, odious6 frog, said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a king's son with kind and beautiful eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but herself, and that tomorrow they would go together into his kingdom.
Then they went to sleep, and the next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white ostrich7 feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young king's servant Faithful Henry.
Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young king into his kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of joy because of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the king's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, Henry, the carriage is breaking.
No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned8 in the well. Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the king's son thought the carriage was breaking, but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of Faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.
在遙遠的古時候，大家心中的美好愿望總是可以變成現實。就在那個讓人神往的年代，過去有過一位國王。國王有好幾個女兒，個個都長得很漂亮；特別是他的小女兒，更是美如天仙，就連見多識廣的太陽，每次照在她臉上時，都對她的漂亮感到驚詫不已。
國王的宮殿附近，有一片幽暗的大森林。在這片森林中的一棵老椴樹下，有一個水潭，水潭非常深。在天熱的時候，小公主常常來到這片森林，坐在清涼的水潭邊上。她坐在那里感到無聊的時候，就取出一只金球，把金球拋向空中，然后再用手接住。這成了她最喜歡的游戲。
有一次，小公主伸手去接金球，金球卻沒落進她的手里，而是掉到了地上，而且一下子就滾到了水潭里。小公主兩眼緊緊地盯著金球，可是金球忽地一下子在水潭里就沒影兒了。由于水潭里的水非常深，看不見底，小公主就哭了起來，她的哭聲愈加大，哭得傷心極了。
哭著哭著，聽見有人說：哎呀，公主，你這是如何啦？你哭得如此傷心，就連石頭聽了都會心疼的呀。聽了這話，小公主四處張望，想弄了解話是從什么地方傳來的，卻發現一只青蛙，從水里伸出他那丑陋不堪的大腦袋。啊！原來是你呀，游泳健將小公主對青蛙說道，我在這兒哭，是由于我的金球掉進水潭里去了。好啦，不要難過，別哭了，青蛙回答說，我有方法幫助你，如果我幫你把金球撈出來，你拿什么東西來回報我呢？親愛的青蛙，你要什么東西都成，小公主回答說，我的衣服、我的珍珠和寶石、甚至我頭上戴著的這頂金冠，都可以給你。
聽了這話，青蛙對小公主說：你的衣服、你的珍珠、你的寶石，還有你的金冠，我哪樣都不想要。不過，如果你喜歡我，讓我做你的好朋友，大家一塊游戲，吃飯的時候讓我和你同坐一張餐桌，用你的小金碟子吃東西，用你的小高腳杯飲酒，晚上還讓我睡在你的小床上；如果你答應的話，我就潛到水潭里，把你的金球撈出來。好的，太好了，小公主說，只須你想把我的金球撈出來，你的所有需要我都答應。小公主雖然嘴上這么說，心里卻想：這只青蛙可真夠傻的，盡胡說八道！他只配蹲在水潭里，和其他青蛙一塊呱呱叫，如何可能做人的好朋友呢？
青蛙得到了小公主的許諾后，把腦袋往水里一扎，就潛入了水潭。過了一會兒， 青蛙嘴里銜著金球，浮出了水面，把金球吐在草地上。小公主又得到自己心愛的玩具，心里別提有多開心了。她把金球揀了起來，撒腿就跑。
別跑！別跑！青蛙大聲叫道，帶上我呀！我可跑不了那樣快。盡管青蛙扯著嗓子拼命叫喊，可是沒一點兒用。小公主對青蛙的喊叫根本不予理睬，而是徑直跑回了家，非常快就把可憐的青蛙忘記得一干二凈。青蛙只好蹦蹦跳跳地又回到水潭里去。
第二天，小公主跟國王和大臣們剛剛坐上餐桌，才開始用她的小金碟進餐，忽然聽見啪啦啪啦的聲音。伴隨聲響，有個什么東西順著大理石臺階往上跳，到了門口時，便一邊敲門一邊大聲嚷嚷：小公主，快開門！聽到喊聲，小公主急忙跑到門口，想看看是哪個在門外喊叫。打開門一看，原來是那只青蛙，正蹲在門前。小公主見是青蛙，猛然把門關上，轉身快點回到座位，心里害怕極了。
國王發現小公主一副心慌意亂的樣子，就問她：孩子，你如何會嚇成這個樣子？該不是門外有個巨人要把你抓走吧？啊，不是的，小公主回答說，不是什么巨人，而是一只討厭的青蛙。青蛙想找你干什么呢？唉！我的好父親，昨天，我到森林里去了。坐在水潭邊上玩時，金球掉到水潭里去了，我就哭了，青蛙就替我把金球撈了上來。由于青蛙請求我做他的朋友，我就答應了，可是我壓根兒沒想到，他會從水潭里爬出來，爬這么遠的路到這兒來。目前他就在門外呢，想要上這兒來。
正說話時，又聽見了敲門聲，接著大聲的喊叫：小公主啊！我的愛，快點兒把門打開！愛你的人已到來，快點兒把門打開！你不會忘記昨天，老椴樹下水潭邊，潭水深深球不見，是你親口許答應的。國王聽了之后對小公主說，你決不可以言而無信，快去開門讓他進去。小公主走過去把門打開，青蛙蹦蹦跳跳地進了門，然后跟著小公主來到座位前，接著大聲叫道，把我抱到你身旁呀！
小公主聽了嚇得發抖，國王卻吩咐她照青蛙說的去做。青蛙被放在了椅子上，可心里不太開心，想到桌子上去。上了桌子之后又說，把你的小金碟子推過來一點兒怎么樣？如此大家就能一快兒吃啦。非常顯然，小公主非常不情愿這么做，可她還是把金碟子推了過去。青蛙吃得津津有味，可小公主卻一點兒胃口都沒。
終于，青蛙開口說，我已經吃飽了。目前我有點累了，請把我抱到你的小臥室去，鋪好你的緞子被，大家睡覺吧。小公主害怕這只冷冰冰的青蛙，連碰都不敢碰一下。一聽他要在自己整潔好看的小床上睡覺，就哭了起來。
國王見小公主這個樣子，就生氣地對她說：在你最困難時幫助過你的人，不論他是哪個，都不應當鄙視人家。于是，小公主用兩只纖秀的手指把青蛙挾起來，攜帶他上了樓，把他放在臥室的一個角落里。可是她剛剛在床上躺下，青蛙就爬到床邊對她說，我累了，我也想在床上睡覺。
請把我抱上來，要不然我就告訴你爸爸。一聽這話，小公主勃然大怒，一把抓起青蛙，朝墻上死勁兒摔去。目前你想睡就去睡吧，你這個丑陋的討厭鬼！哪個知他一落地，已不再是青蛙，卻一下子變成了一位王子：一位兩眼炯炯有神、滿面笑容的王子。
直到這個時候，王子才告訴小公主，原來他被一個狠毒的巫婆施了魔法，除去小公主以外，哪個也不可以把他從水潭里拯救出來。于是，遵照國王的旨意，他成為小公主親密的朋友和伴侶，明天他們將一道返回他的王國。
第二天早上，太陽爬上山的時候，一輛八匹馬拉的大馬車已停在了門前，馬頭上都插著潔白的羽毛，一晃一晃的，馬身上套著金光閃閃的馬具。車后邊站著王子的仆人--忠心耿耿的亨利。亨利的主人被變成一只青蛙之后，他悲痛欲絕，于是他在我們的胸口套上了三個鐵箍，免得他的心由于悲傷而破碎了。
馬車來接年輕的王子回國去，忠心耿耿的亨利扶著他的主人和王妃上了車廂，然后自己又站到了車后邊去。他們上路后剛走了不遠，忽然聽見噼噼啦啦的響聲，仿佛有哪些東西斷裂了。路上噼噼啦啦聲響了一次又一次，每次王子和王妃聽見響聲，都以為是車上的什么東西壞了。其實不然，忠心耿耿的亨利見主人那樣幸福，因而感到欣喜若狂，于是那幾個鐵箍就從他的胸口上一個接一個地崩掉了。