Tatterhood

Once on a time there was a king and a queen who had no children, and that gave the queen much grief; she scarce had one happy hour. She was always bewailing and bemoaning herself, and saying how dull and lonesome it was in the palace.

从前有个国王和王后，膝下没有子女，这让王后十分伤心；她几乎没有一个钟头是快活的。她总是唉声叹气，怨天尤人，说宫里的日子过得多么沉闷、多么冷清。

“If we had children there’d be life enough”, she said.

“要是我们有孩子，这日子该多有生气啊，”她说道。

Wherever she went in all her realm she found God’s blessing in children, even in the vilest hut; and wherever she came she heard the Goodies scolding the bairns, and saying how they had done that and that wrong. All this the queen heard, and thought it would be so nice to do as other women did. At last the king and queen took into their palace a stranger lassie to rear up, that they might have her always with them, to love her if she did well, and scold her if she did wrong, like their own child.

无论她走到王国的哪个角落，都能看见上帝赐福的孩子，哪怕是最破败的茅屋里也是如此；无论她走到哪儿，都能听见主妇们责骂孩子，说他们这个也做错了、那个也做错了。这一切王后都听在耳里，心想要是自己也能像别的女人那样，那该多好啊。最后，国王和王后便收养了一个陌生的小姑娘，把她带进宫中抚养，好让她时时刻刻陪在身边，若她做得好便疼爱她，若她做错了便责骂她，就像对待自己亲生的孩子一样。

So one day the little lassie whom they had taken as their own, ran down into the palace yard, and was playing with a gold apple. Just then an old beggar wife came by, who had a little girl with her, and it wasn’t long before the little lassie and the beggar’s bairn were great friends, and began to play together, and to toss the gold apple about between them.

于是有一天，这个被他们收养为己出的小姑娘跑到宫廷的院子里，正玩着一个金苹果。这时来了一个乞讨的老婆子，身边带着一个小女孩，没过多久，这养女和乞丐的孩子便成了好朋友，一块儿玩了起来，把那金苹果你抛我接地传来传去。

When the Queen saw this, as she sat at a window in the palace, she tapped on the pane for her foster-daughter to come up. She went at once, but the beggar-girl went up too; and as they went into the Queen’s bower, each held the other by the hand. Then the Queen began to scold the little lady, and to say:

王后坐在宫中的窗边，看见了这一幕，便敲了敲窗玻璃，叫她的养女上楼来。养女立刻应声上楼，可那乞丐家的女孩也跟着一块儿上来了；她们走进王后的闺房时，还手拉着手。于是王后便开始责骂这位小小姐，说道：

“You ought to be above running about and playing with a tattered beggar’s brat.”

“你怎么能这样，和一个衣衫褴褛的乞丐野丫头一块儿玩耍呢。”

And so she wanted to drive the lassie downstairs.

说着便要把这小姑娘赶下楼去。

“If the Queen only knew my mother’s power, she’d not drive me out”, said the little lassie; and when the Queen asked what she meant more plainly, she told her how her mother could get her children if she chose. The Queen wouldn’t believe it, but the lassie held her own, and said every word of it was true, and bade the Queen only to try and make her mother do it. So the Queen sent the lassie down to fetch up her mother.

“要是王后知道我母亲的本事，就不会把我赶出去了，”那小姑娘说道；王后追问她这话是什么意思，她便说，她母亲只要愿意，便能让王后得到孩子。王后不肯相信，可小姑娘坚持己见，说这话句句属实，还请王后不妨试试，让她母亲施展这本事。于是王后便打发这小姑娘下去，把她母亲请上来。

“Do you know what your daughter says?” asked the Queen of the old woman, as soon as ever she came into the room.

“你知道你女儿说了什么吗？”王后一见那老婆子进屋，便问道。

No; the beggar wife knew nothing about it.

不，那乞丐婆子对此一无所知。

“Well, she says you can get me children if you will”, answered the Queen.

“唔，她说只要你愿意，就能让我得到孩子，”王后答道。

“Queens shouldn’t listen to beggar lassies’ silly stories”, said the old wife, and strode out of the room.

“王后不该听信乞丐丫头的胡言乱语，”老婆子说道，说完便大步走出了房间。

Then the Queen got angry, and wanted again to drive out the little lassie; but she declared it was true every word that she had said.

王后一听大为恼怒，又想把这小姑娘赶出去；可她仍旧坚称自己说的句句是实话。

“Let the Queen only give my mother a drop to drink,” said the lassie; “when she gets merry she’ll soon find out a way to help you.”

“不如请王后赏我母亲一口酒喝，”小姑娘说道；“等她高兴起来，自然就会想出办法来帮您的。”

The Queen was ready to try this; so the beggar wife was fetched up again once more, and treated both with wine and mead as much as she chose; and so it was not long before her tongue began to wag. Then the Queen came out again with the same question she had asked before.

王后愿意一试；于是又把那乞丐婆子请了上来，随她愿意地请她喝酒喝蜜酒；没过多久，她的舌头便开始松动了。于是王后又提出了先前那个问题。

“One way to help you perhaps I know”, said the beggar wife. “Your Majesty must make them bring in two pails of water some evening before you go to bed. In each of them you must wash yourself, and afterwards throw away the water under the bed. When you look under the bed next morning, two flowers will have sprung up, one fair and one ugly. The fair one you must eat, the ugly one you must let stand; but mind you don’t forget the last.”

“或许有一个法子能帮上您，”乞丐婆子说道。“陛下您得在某天晚上就寝之前，让人端来两桶水。您要在这两桶水里都洗一洗身子，随后把水都倒在床底下。到了第二天早晨，您往床底下一瞧，会看见长出两朵花来，一朵美，一朵丑。那朵美的您得吃掉，那朵丑的您得留着不动；不过您可千万别忘了这最后一句话。”

That was what the beggar wife said.

这便是那乞丐婆子说的话。

Yes; the Queen did what the beggar wife advised her to do; she had the water brought up in two pails, washed herself in them, and emptied them under the bed; and lo! when she looked under the bed next morning, there stood two flowers; one was ugly and foul, and had black leaves; but the other was so bright, and fair, and lovely, she had never seen its like; so she ate it up at once. But the pretty flower tasted so sweet, that she couldn’t help herself. She ate the other up too, for, she thought, “it can’t hurt or help one much either way, I’ll be bound”.

是的，王后照着乞丐婆子的吩咐做了；她让人端来两桶水，在里面都洗了身子，随后把水倒在了床底下；瞧啊！第二天早晨她往床底下一看，果然长出了两朵花来；一朵又丑又难看，长着黑色的叶子；可另一朵却如此娇艳、美丽、可爱，她这辈子从没见过这样的花；于是她立刻把它吃掉了。可这朵美丽的花味道实在太甜美了，她怎么也忍不住。于是她把另一朵也吃掉了，因为，她心想，“反正吃了它也不会有什么害处，也不会有什么好处，我想不打紧的”。

Well, sure enough, after a while the Queen was brought to bed. First of all, she had a girl who had a wooden spoon in her hand, and rode upon a goat; loathly and ugly she was, and the very moment she came into the world, she bawled out “Mamma”.

好了，果不其然，过了一段时间，王后便临盆了。头一胎生下的是个女孩，手里拿着一把木勺，骑在一只山羊背上；她长得又丑又难看，可她一来到这世上，便立刻大声嚷嚷着叫“妈妈”。

“If I’m your mamma”, said the Queen, “God give me grace to mend my ways.”

“既然我是你妈妈，”王后说道，“愿上帝赐我恩典，让我改过自新。”

“Oh, don’t be sorry”, said the girl, who rode on the goat, “for one will soon come after me who is better looking.”

“哦，别难过，”骑在山羊上的女孩说道，“因为紧接着我出生的那个，长得会好看得多。”

So, after a while, the Queen had another girl, who was so fair and sweet, no one had ever set eyes on such a lovely child, and with her you may fancy the Queen was very well pleased. The elder twin they called “Tatterhood”, because she was always so ugly and ragged, and because she had a hood which hung about her ears in tatters. The Queen could scarce bear to look at her, and the nurses tried to shut her up in a room by herself, but it was all no good; where the younger twin was, there she must also be, and no one could ever keep them apart.

于是过了一会儿，王后又生下了一个女孩，长得如此美丽可爱，谁都不曾见过这样可爱的孩子，你可以想见，王后自然是欢喜得很。这对双胞胎里年长的那个，大家都叫她“破帽兜”，因为她总是长得又丑又破烂，还因为她戴着一顶破破烂烂垂在耳边的兜帽。王后简直不忍多看她一眼，奶妈们想把她单独关进一间屋子里，可怎么也没用；不管妹妹在哪儿，她也非得在哪儿不可，谁也没法把这对姐妹分开。

Well, one Christmas eve, when they were half grown up, there rose such a frightful noise and clatter in the gallery outside the Queen’s bower. So Tatterhood asked what it was that dashed and crashed so out in the passage.

好了，有一年圣诞前夜，她们已经长到半大不小的年纪，忽然宫外走廊里传来一阵可怕的喧闹和乒乒乓乓的声响。于是“破帽兜”便问，外面走廊里这般乒乒乓乓、乱七八糟的是什么动静。

“Oh!” said the Queen, “it isn’t worth asking about.”

“哦！”王后说道，“这事儿不值得问。”

But Tatterhood wouldn’t give over till she found out all about it and so the Queen told her it was a pack of Trolls and witches who had come there to keep Christmas. So Tatterhood said she’d just go out and drive them away; and in spite of all they could say, and however much they begged and prayed her to let the Trolls alone, she must and would go out to drive the witches off; but she begged the Queen to mind and keep all the doors close shut, so that not one of them came so much as the least bit ajar.

可“破帽兜”偏不罢休，非要问个究竟，王后便告诉她，那是一群巨怪和女巫，来这儿过圣诞节的。于是“破帽兜”便说，她这就出去把它们赶走；不管大家怎么劝她，怎么苦苦哀求她别去招惹那些巨怪，她还是执意要出去把那些女巫赶走；不过她请王后千万留意，把所有的门都关得严严实实，一丝缝隙都不许留。

Having said this, off she went with her wooden spoon, and began to hunt and sweep away the hags; and all this while there was such a pother out in the gallery, the like of it was never heard. The whole Palace creaked and groaned as if every joint and beam were going to be torn out of its place.

说完这话，她便拿着她的木勺出去了，四处搜寻、追赶，把那些老妖婆一扫而空；这一路上，外面走廊里闹哄哄的，那阵势前所未闻。整座宫殿都嘎吱作响、呻吟不已，仿佛每一处接缝、每一根梁木都要被生生扯脱一般。

Now, how it was, I’m sure I can’t tell; but somehow or other one door did get the least bit ajar, then her twin sister just peeped out to see how things were going with Tatterhood, and put her head a tiny bit through the opening. But, POP! up came an old witch, and whipped off her head, and stuck a calf’s head on her shoulders instead; and so the Princess ran back into the room on all-fours, and began to “moo” like a calf.

至于后来到底是怎么回事，我实在说不清楚；可不知怎么的，有一扇门竟留出了一丝缝隙，于是她的双胞胎妹妹便探出头去，想看看“破帽兜”那边情形如何，把头稍稍探出了那道缝隙。可是，“砰”的一声！一个老巫婆冲了上来，一把揪掉了她的头，把一只小牛的头安在了她的肩膀上；于是这位公主便四脚着地地跑回了屋里，开始像小牛一样“哞哞”地叫起来。

When Tatterhood came back and saw her sister, she scolded them all round, and was very angry because they hadn’t kept better watch, and asked them what they thought of their heedlessness now, when her sister was turned into a calf.

等“破帽兜”回来看见妹妹这般模样，她把大家都狠狠骂了一顿，气她们没能好好看守，还问她们，如今妹妹变成了一只小牛，她们对自己这般疏忽大意作何感想。

“But still I’ll see if I can’t set her free”, she said.

“不过我还是要看看，能不能想办法救她出来，”她说道。

Then she asked the King for a ship in full trim, and well fitted with stores; but captain and sailors she wouldn’t have. No; she would sail away with her sister all alone; and as there was no holding her back, at last they let her have her own way.

于是她向国王讨了一艘装备齐全、满载物资的大船；可她不要船长和水手。不，她要独自一人带着妹妹出海；因为怎么也劝不住她，最后大家只得随她的意去了。

Then Tatterhood sailed off, and steered her ship right under the land where the witches dwelt, and when she came to the landing-place, she told her sister to stay quite still on board the ship; but she herself rode on her goat up to the witches’ castle. When she got there, one of the windows in the gallery was open, and there she saw her sister’s head hung up on the window frame; so she leapt her goat through the window into the gallery, snapped up the head, and set off with it.

于是“破帽兜”便扬帆出海，把船一直驶到女巫们居住的那片陆地下面，等她到了登陆的地方，便吩咐妹妹安安静静地待在船上；她自己则骑着她的山羊，直奔女巫们的城堡而去。她到了那儿，只见走廊里有一扇窗户开着，还看见妹妹的头被挂在了窗框上；于是她骑着山羊一跃跳进窗户，进了走廊，一把夺过那颗头，转身便走。

After her came the witches to try to get the head again, and they flocked about her as thick as a swarm of bees or a nest of ants; but the goat snorted, and puffed, and butted with his horns, and Tatterhood beat and banged them about with her wooden spoon; and so the pack of witches had to give it up. So Tatterhood got back to her ship, took the calf’s head off her sister, and put her own on again, and then she became a girl as she had been before. After that she sailed a long, long way, to a strange king’s realm.

女巫们跟在她身后，想要把头夺回去，她们像蜂群、又像蚁群一般密密麻麻地围了上来；可那山羊喷着鼻息，呼哧呼哧地用角乱撞，“破帽兜”也挥舞着她的木勺，把她们打得东倒西歪；于是这群女巫最终只得作罢。于是“破帽兜”回到了船上，把小牛的头从妹妹身上取下来，重新把她自己的头安了上去，妹妹便又变回了先前的模样，成了个姑娘。此后她们又航行了很久很久，来到了一个陌生国王的领地。

Now the king of that land was a widower, and had an only son. So when he saw the strange sail, he sent messengers down to the strand to find out whence it came, and who owned it; but when the king’s men came down there, they saw never a living soul on board but Tatterhood, and there she was, riding round and round the deck on her goat at full speed, till her elf locks streamed again in the wind.

如今这片土地上的国王是个鳏夫，膝下只有一个独生子。他看见这艘陌生的船，便打发信使到岸边去打探，这船从哪里来，又是谁的船；可国王的手下来到那儿，却发现船上除了“破帽兜”之外，再没有一个活人，只见她骑着山羊，绕着甲板飞快地转圈，转得她那乱蓬蓬的头发都随风飘扬了起来。

The folk from the palace were all amazed at this sight, and asked, were there not more on board? Yes, there were; she had a sister with her, said Tatterhood. Her, too, they wanted to see, but Tatterhood said “No”:

宫里的人见了这般景象，都惊讶不已，便问，船上是不是还有别人？是的，还有一个，“破帽兜”说，她还带着个妹妹呢。他们也想见见她妹妹，可“破帽兜”却说“不行”：

“No one shall see her, unless the king comes himself”, she said; and so she began to gallop about on her goat till the deck thundered again.

“谁也不许见她，除非国王亲自前来，”她说道；说着便骑着山羊在甲板上飞奔起来，跑得甲板都震得轰隆作响。

So when the servants got back to the palace, and told what they had seen and heard down at the ship, the king was for setting out at once, that he might see the lassie that rode on the goat. When he got down, Tatterhood led out her sister, and she was so fair and gentle, the king fell over head and ears in love with her as he stood. He brought them both back with him to the Palace, and wanted to have the sister for his queen; but Tatterhood said “No”; the king couldn’t have her in any way, unless the king’s son chose to have Tatterhood.

于是仆人们回到宫里，把在船上所见所闻都禀告了国王，国王便立刻动身，想去亲眼看看那位骑在山羊上的姑娘。他一到岸边，“破帽兜”便把妹妹带了出来，她生得那样美丽温柔，国王一见她便神魂颠倒，深深地坠入了爱河。他把姐妹俩都带回了宫里，还想娶她妹妹为王后；可“破帽兜”却说“不行”；国王无论如何也娶不到她妹妹，除非国王的儿子愿意娶“破帽兜”为妻。

That you may fancy the prince was very loath to do, such an ugly hussy as Tatterhood was; but at last the king and all the others in the palace talked him over, and he yielded, giving his word to take her for his queen; but it went sore against the grain, and he was a doleful man.

你可以想见，王子对此是多么不情愿，因为“破帽兜”长得那么丑陋粗野；可最后，国王和宫里的其他人都费尽口舌劝说他，他终于妥协了，答应娶她为王后；不过这事儿实在让他心里别扭得很，他成天愁眉苦脸的。

Now they set about the wedding, both with brewing and baking; and when all was ready, they were to go to church; but the prince thought it the weariest churching he had ever had in all his life. First, the king drove off with his bride, and she was so lovely and so grand, all the people stopped to look after her all along the road, and they stared at her till she was out of sight.

于是他们便开始筹备婚礼，又是酿酒又是烤饼；一切准备妥当之后，他们便要去教堂完婚；可王子觉得，这是他这辈子经历过最令人厌烦的一场婚礼。国王先带着他的新娘出发，她生得那样美丽高贵，一路上的百姓都停下脚步目送她，一直望到她的身影消失不见。

After them came the prince on horseback by the side of Tatterhood, who trotted along on her goat with her wooden spoon in her fist, and to look at him, it was more like going to a burial than a wedding, and that his own; so sorrowful he seemed, and with never a word to say.

跟在他们后面的是骑着马的王子，他身旁是骑着山羊、手里攥着木勺、一路小跑的“破帽兜”，瞧他那模样，与其说是去参加婚礼，倒更像是去参加葬礼，而且还是他自己的葬礼；他显得那样忧伤，一句话也不说。

“Why don’t you talk?” asked Tatterhood, when they had ridden a bit.

“你怎么不说话？”他们骑了一段路之后，“破帽兜”问道。

“Why, what should I talk about?” answered the prince.

“唔，我该说些什么呢？”王子答道。

“Well, you might at least ask me why I ride upon this ugly goat”, said Tatterhood.

“唔，你至少可以问问我，为什么骑着这么丑的一只山羊呀，”“破帽兜”说道。

“Why do you ride on that ugly goat?” asked the prince.

“你为什么骑着那么丑的一只山羊？”王子问道。

“Is it an ugly goat? why, it’s the grandest horse bride ever rode on”, answered Tatterhood; and in a trice the goat became a horse, and that the finest the prince had ever set eyes on.

“这是丑山羊吗？哎呀，这可是新娘骑过的最气派的骏马呢，”“破帽兜”答道；转眼间，那山羊便变成了一匹骏马，是王子平生所见过的最俊美的一匹马。

Then they rode on again a bit, but the prince was just as woeful as before, and couldn’t get a word out. So Tatterhood asked him again why he didn’t talk, and when the Prince answered he didn’t know what to talk about, she said:

于是他们又骑行了一段路，可王子仍旧和先前一样愁眉不展，一句话也说不出来。于是“破帽兜”又问他为什么不说话，王子答道他不知道该说些什么，她便说道：

“You can at least ask me why I ride with this ugly spoon in my fist.”

“你至少可以问问我，为什么手里攥着这么丑的一把勺子呀。”

“Why do you ride with that ugly spoon? “asked the prince.

“你为什么攥着那么丑的一把勺子？”王子问道。

“Is it an ugly spoon? why, it’s the loveliest silver wand bride ever bore”, said Tatterhood; and in a trice it became a silver wand, so dazzling bright, the sunbeams glistened from it.

“这是丑勺子吗？哎呀，这可是新娘拿过的最漂亮的一根银杖呢，”“破帽兜”说道；转眼间，那勺子便变成了一根银杖，光彩夺目，连阳光照在上面都熠熠生辉。

So they rode on another bit, but the Prince was just as sorrowful, and said never a word. In a little while, Tatterhood asked him again why he didn’t talk, and bade him ask why she wore that ugly grey hood on her head.

于是他们又骑行了一段路，可王子仍旧一样愁苦，一句话也不说。过了一会儿，“破帽兜”又问他为什么不说话，还让他问问，她头上为什么戴着这么丑的一顶灰兜帽。

“Why do you wear that ugly grey hood on your head?” asked the Prince.

“你头上为什么戴着那么丑的一顶灰兜帽？”王子问道。

“Is it an ugly hood? why, it’s the brightest golden crown bride ever wore”, answered Tatterhood, and it became a crown on the spot.

“这是丑兜帽吗？哎呀，这可是新娘戴过的最灿烂的一顶金冠呢，”“破帽兜”答道，话音刚落，那兜帽便立刻变成了一顶金冠。

Now, they rode on a long while again, and the Prince was so woeful, that he sat without sound or speech just as before. So his bride asked him again why he didn’t talk, and bade him ask now, why her face was so ugly and ashen-grey?

如今他们又骑行了好长一段路，王子仍旧愁苦不堪，一声不响地坐在马上，跟先前一模一样。于是他的新娘又问他为什么不说话，还让他问问，她的脸为什么长得这么丑陋、灰败。

“Ah!” asked the Prince, “why is your face so ugly and ashen-grey?”

“啊！”王子问道，“你的脸为什么长得这么丑陋、灰败？”

“I ugly”, said the bride; “you think my sister pretty, but I am ten times prettier”; and lo! when the Prince looked at her, she was so lovely, he thought there never was so lovely a woman in all the world. After that, I shouldn’t wonder if the Prince found his tongue, and no longer rode along hanging down his head.

“我丑吗，”新娘说道；“你觉得我妹妹漂亮，可我比她漂亮十倍呢”；瞧啊！王子这一看，只见她美得惊人，他心想，这世上从没有过如此美丽的女子。此后，我倒不觉得奇怪，王子终于开了口，一路骑行也不再垂头丧气了。

So they drank the bridal cup both deep and long, and, after that, both Prince and King set out with their brides to the Princess’s father’s palace, and there they had another bridal feast, and drank anew, both deep and long. There was no end to the fun; and, if you make haste and run to the King’s palace, I dare say you’ll find there’s still a drop of the bridal ale left for you.

于是他们畅饮了一大杯又一大杯的喜酒，随后，王子和国王便带着各自的新娘，一同前往公主父亲的宫殿，在那儿又摆了一场婚宴，重新畅饮了一番，喝得又痛快又尽兴。这场热闹简直没个尽头；要是你赶紧跑到那国王的宫殿去，我敢说，你一定还能讨到一杯剩下的喜酒喝呢。