There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.
从前有一位国王，他有十二个美丽的女儿。她们睡在同一个房间里的十二张床上；每晚就寝后，房门都会关上并锁好；但第二天早晨，人们发现她们的鞋子都磨穿了，仿佛整夜都在跳舞；然而却无人能查明这是如何发生的，也不知道她们去了哪里。
Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person could discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death.
于是国王向全国宣布：若有人能揭开这个秘密，找出公主们夜间跳舞的地点，他就可以娶其中一位他最喜欢的公主为妻，并在国王去世后继承王位；但凡是尝试者若未能成功，三昼夜之后便会被处死。
A king’s son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it, the door of his chamber was left open. But the king’s son soon fell asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes. The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same manner.
不久，一位王子前来应聘。他受到热情款待，傍晚时被带到紧邻公主们睡房的房间过夜。他需要坐在那里观察她们去向何处跳舞；为了确保不漏掉任何动静，他的房门被特意留开。然而这位王子很快便睡着了；次日清晨醒来时，他发现公主们果然整夜都在跳舞，因为她们鞋子的鞋底都磨出了洞。第二晚和第三晚也发生了同样的情况：于是国王下令将王子的头颅斩下。随后又有几位其他人前来尝试，但他们的命运都一样，最终都以同样的方式丧命。
Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going. ‘I hardly know where I am going, or what I had better do,’ said the soldier; ‘but I think I should like very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then in time I might be a king.’ ‘Well,’ said the old dame, ‘that is no very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.’
碰巧一位曾在战场上负伤、再也无法作战的老兵路过这位国王统治的国家；当他穿过一片树林时，遇到一位老妇人，老妇人问他要去哪里。‘我几乎不知道要去哪儿，也不知道该做什么才好，’士兵回答说，‘但我很想弄清楚公主们究竟在哪里跳舞，说不定日后还能当上国王。’‘好吧，’老妇人说，‘这并不难：只要记住，晚上其中一位公主会给你送酒来，千万别喝；一旦她离开，你就假装熟睡。’
Then she gave him a cloak, and said, ‘As soon as you put that on you will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go.’ When the soldier heard all this good counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task.
随后，她给了他一件斗篷，并说：‘你一旦穿上它，就会变得隐形，从而能够跟随公主们去任何地方。’士兵听到这些良言后，决定试一试运气，于是他去见国王，表示愿意接受这项任务。
He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loud as if he was fast asleep. When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, ‘This fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!’ Then they rose up and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing. But the youngest said, ‘I don’t know how it is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some mischance will befall us.’ ‘You simpleton,’ said the eldest, ‘you are always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings’ sons have already watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.’
他受到的接待与其他人一样好，国王命令赐给他华丽的皇家礼服；到了晚上，他被领到外室。正当他准备躺下时，大公主端来一杯酒递给他，但士兵悄悄将酒倒掉，一滴也未喝。随后他躺在床上，不一会儿便打起呼噜，仿佛睡得很沉。十二位公主听到后哈哈大笑，大公主说：‘这家伙本可以做件更明智的事，而不是这样白白送命！’接着她们起身打开抽屉和箱子，取出所有华服，对着镜子梳妆打扮，欢快地跳起舞来，似乎迫不及待要开始跳舞。但小公主说：‘不知怎么回事，你们如此开心，我却感到不安；我确信我们会遭遇不幸。’大公主道：‘你这个傻瓜，你总是害怕；难道你忘了有多少王子的儿子已经徒劳地守候了吗？至于这个士兵，即使我没有给他安眠药，他也照样会睡得很香。’
When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open. The soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, ‘All is not right; someone took hold of my gown.’ ‘You silly creature!’ said the eldest, ‘it is nothing but a nail in the wall.’ Then down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, ‘I am sure all is not right--did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.’ But the eldest said, ‘It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our approach.’
她们全都准备好后，便去查看士兵的情况，但他依旧鼾声如雷，手脚未动：于是她们以为万无一失；大公主走到自己的床边拍手，床随即沉入地板，一个活板门打开。士兵看见她们一个接一个地通过活板门下去，大公主走在最前面；他心想不能再耽搁，便跳起来穿上老妇人给他的斗篷，跟随她们而去；但在楼梯中间，他踩到了小公主的裙摆，她惊呼道：‘事情不对，有人抓住了我的裙子。’大公主说：‘你这个蠢货！那不过是墙上的钉子罢了。’于是她们全都下去了，来到底部时，发现自己置身于一片极其迷人的树林中；树叶全是银色的，闪闪发光，美丽无比。士兵想带走一件信物，便折下一小枝，树上随即发出巨大的声响。小公主再次说道：‘我确信事情不对——你们没听到那声音吗？以前从未发生过这种事。’但大公主说：‘那只是我们的王子们，他们因我们的到来而欢呼雀跃。’
Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes, who were crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses.
随后她们来到另一片树林，那里的树叶全是金色的；接着又来到第三片树林，树叶全是闪闪发光的钻石。士兵从每片树林中都折下一枝，每次都会发出巨大的声响，吓得小公主浑身发抖；但大公主仍说，那只是王子们因她们的到来而欢呼。于是她们继续前行，直到来到一片大湖边；湖边停着十二艘小船，船里坐着十二位英俊的王子，他们似乎正在等待公主们的到来。
One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said, ‘I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite tired: the boat seems very heavy today.’ ‘It is only the heat of the weather,’ said the princess: ‘I feel it very warm too.’
其中一位公主走进一艘船，士兵也登上同一艘船，与最小的公主同乘。当他们划船穿过湖面时，与最小公主和士兵同船的王子说道：‘我不明白为何如此，尽管我拼尽全力划桨，却不如往常走得快，而且我感到十分疲惫：今天这船似乎格外沉重。’‘只是天气炎热罢了，’公主答道，‘我也觉得非常闷热。’
On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced with them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but the eldest always silenced her. They danced on till three o’clock in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, the princesses promising to come again the next night.
湖的对岸矗立着一座灯火辉煌的城堡，从中传出号角与长笛的欢快乐曲。他们全体登岸，进入城堡，每位王子都与自己的公主共舞；而士兵始终隐身其中，也与他们一同起舞。每当有公主面前摆上一杯葡萄酒，他便将其一饮而尽，待她举杯入口时，杯子已空。对此，最小的妹妹吓得魂飞魄散，但姐姐们总是让她安静下来。他们一直跳到凌晨三点，此时所有人的鞋子都已磨破，不得不停止舞蹈。王子们又将她们划船送回湖对岸（这一次，士兵选择与最年长的公主同船）；在对岸，众人互道告别，公主们承诺次日夜晚再来。
When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly came up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they said, ‘Now all is quite safe’; then they undressed themselves, put away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed. In the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again the second and third night; and every thing happened just as before; the princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.
当他们来到楼梯口时，士兵抢先跑在前面，躺下装睡；十二位公主缓缓上楼，疲惫不堪，听见他床上发出鼾声，便说道：‘现在一切安全了。’随后她们脱下外衣，收起华服，脱掉鞋子，上床就寝。次日清晨，士兵对昨夜发生的事只字未提，却决心进一步探寻这桩奇事，于是第二夜和第三夜再次前往；每夜情形皆与先前无异：公主们每次跳舞直至鞋履磨破，然后返回家中。然而，在第三夜，士兵带走了一只金杯，作为他曾到过的凭证。
As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say. And when the king asked him. ‘Where do my twelve daughters dance at night?’ he answered, ‘With twelve princes in a castle under ground.’ And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him. Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he would choose for his wife; and he answered, ‘I am not very young, so I will have the eldest.’--And they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king’s heir.
到了他必须揭秘密的时刻，他被带到国王面前，带着那三根树枝和金杯；十二位公主躲在门后聆听他将如何作答。当国王问他：‘我的十二个女儿夜晚在哪里跳舞？’他回答：‘与十二位王子在地下的一座城堡中。’随后，他将所有经过告知国王，并展示了他带来的三根树枝和金杯。于是国王召来公主们，询问士兵所言是否属实；当她们发现自己已被识破，明白否认已无意义时，便全盘招供。国王问士兵愿娶其中哪一位为妻，他答道：‘我已不再年轻，因此我要娶最年长的那位。’——他们当日便举行了婚礼，士兵也被立为王位继承人。