There was once a miller who had one beautiful daughter, and as she was grown up, he was anxious that she should be well married and provided for. He said to himself, ‘I will give her to the first suitable man who comes and asks for her hand.’ Not long after a suitor appeared, and as he appeared to be very rich and the miller could see nothing in him with which to find fault, he betrothed his daughter to him. But the girl did not care for the man as a girl ought to care for her betrothed husband. She did not feel that she could trust him, and she could not look at him nor think of him without an inward shudder. One day he said to her, ‘You have not yet paid me a visit, although we have been betrothed for some time.’ ‘I do not know where your house is,’ she answered. ‘My house is out there in the dark forest,’ he said. She tried to excuse herself by saying that she would not be able to find the way thither. Her betrothed only replied, ‘You must come and see me next Sunday; I have already invited guests for that day, and that you may not mistake the way, I will strew ashes along the path.’
从前有个磨坊主，他有一个美丽的女儿。女儿长大后，他一心盼着她能嫁个好人家，得到妥善的安置。他对自己说：‘谁要是上门来求婚，我就把女儿嫁给第一个合适的人。’没过多久，果然来了一个求婚者。那人看起来非常富有，磨坊主也挑不出他的毛病，便把女儿许配给了他。可是姑娘并不像未婚妻那样真心喜欢这位未婚夫。她无法信任他，一见到他或想到他，心里就不由得一阵发颤。有一天他对她说：‘我们订婚已经有一段时间了，你还没来我家坐坐呢。’‘我不知道你家在哪里，’她回答说。‘我家在那片黑暗的森林里，’他说。姑娘想推脱，说自己找不到路。未婚夫却只说：‘下周日你必须来一趟。那天我已经邀请了客人，为了让你不会走错路，我会在小路上撒满灰。’
When Sunday came, and it was time for the girl to start, a feeling of dread came over her which she could not explain, and that she might be able to find her path again, she filled her pockets with peas and lentils to sprinkle on the ground as she went along. On reaching the entrance to the forest she found the path strewed with ashes, and these she followed, throwing down some peas on either side of her at every step she took. She walked the whole day until she came to the deepest, darkest part of the forest. There she saw a lonely house, looking so grim and mysterious, that it did not please her at all. She stepped inside, but not a soul was to be seen, and a great silence reigned throughout. Suddenly a voice cried:
周日到了，女孩准备出发时，一种无法解释的恐惧笼罩了她。为了能够再次找到归途，她把口袋装满了豌豆和扁豆，打算沿途撒在地上。到达森林入口时，她发现小径上铺满了灰烬，于是她沿着灰烬前行，每走一步就在两侧撒下一些豌豆。她一直走到森林最深、最幽暗的地方，那里有一座孤零零的房子，看起来阴森而神秘，令她十分不安。她走进屋内，却不见任何人影，四周一片死寂。突然，一个声音喊道：
‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’
“回头吧，回头吧，美丽的少女，莫要在这群凶手的巢穴中逗留。”
The girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird hanging in a cage on the wall. Again it cried:
女孩抬起头，看见声音来自墙上笼子里的一只鸟。它再次叫了起来：
‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’
“回头吧，回头吧，美丽的少女，莫要在这群凶手的巢穴中逗留。”
The girl passed on, going from room to room of the house, but they were all empty, and still she saw no one. At last she came to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep her head from shaking. ‘Can you tell me,’ asked the girl, ‘if my betrothed husband lives here?’
女孩继续前行，一间间屋子地查看，但所有房间都空无一人，她依然没有看到任何人。最后她来到地下室，那里坐着一位非常、非常老的老妇人，她的头不停地摇晃着。‘您能告诉我吗？’女孩问道，‘我的未婚夫是否住在这里？’
‘Ah, you poor child,’ answered the old woman, ‘what a place for you to come to! This is a murderers’ den. You think yourself a promised bride, and that your marriage will soon take place, but it is with death that you will keep your marriage feast. Look, do you see that large cauldron of water which I am obliged to keep on the fire! As soon as they have you in their power they will kill you without mercy, and cook and eat you, for they are eaters of men. If I did not take pity on you and save you, you would be lost.’
‘啊，可怜的孩子，’老妇人回答说，‘你竟来到这种地方！这是个强盗窝。你以为自己是被许配的新娘，以为婚礼很快就会举行，但你将与死神共结连理。看，你看见我不得不一直烧着的那口大锅吗？一旦他们把你抓到手，就会毫不留情地杀死你，煮了吃掉，因为他们吃人。要不是我可怜你、救了你，你就完了。’
Thereupon the old woman led her behind a large cask, which quite hid her from view. ‘Keep as still as a mouse,’ she said; ‘do not move or speak, or it will be all over with you. Tonight, when the robbers are all asleep, we will flee together. I have long been waiting for an opportunity to escape.’
于是，老妇人把她领到一个大桶后面，将她完全遮住了。'像老鼠一样安静，'她说，'不要动也不要说话，否则你就完了。今晚，当强盗们都睡着时，我们就一起逃走。我早就在等一个逃跑的机会了。'
The words were hardly out of her mouth when the godless crew returned, dragging another young girl along with them. They were all drunk, and paid no heed to her cries and lamentations. They gave her wine to drink, three glasses full, one of white wine, one of red, and one of yellow, and with that her heart gave way and she died. Then they tore off her dainty clothing, laid her on a table, and cut her beautiful body into pieces, and sprinkled salt upon it.
她话音未落，那群无神论的船员便回来了，拖着一名年轻女孩。他们个个酩酊大醉，对她的哭喊和哀求置若罔闻。他们强行灌她喝下三杯酒：一杯白葡萄酒，一杯红葡萄酒，一杯黄葡萄酒。酒入喉后，她的心脏再也支撑不住，当场毙命。随后，他们撕碎她精致的衣裳，将她尸体置于桌上，割裂她美丽的躯体，并撒上盐。
The poor betrothed girl crouched trembling and shuddering behind the cask, for she saw what a terrible fate had been intended for her by the robbers. One of them now noticed a gold ring still remaining on the little finger of the murdered girl, and as he could not draw it off easily, he took a hatchet and cut off the finger; but the finger sprang into the air, and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl who was hiding there. The robber took a light and began looking for it, but he could not find it. ‘Have you looked behind the large cask?’ said one of the others. But the old woman called out, ‘Come and eat your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won’t run away.’
那位可怜的未婚姑娘蜷缩在酒桶后面，浑身颤抖发抖，因为她看到了强盗们原本打算给她带来的可怕命运。其中一个强盗注意到被杀女孩的小指上仍戴着一枚金戒指，由于无法轻易取下，他便拿起一把斧头将手指砍断；但那根手指却弹向空中，落在酒桶后面的那位藏身姑娘的膝上。强盗点起灯开始寻找，却怎么也找不到。'你们有没有查看大酒桶后面？'其中一人问道。但老妇人喊道：'过来吃晚饭吧，这事留到明天再说，手指又不会跑掉。'
‘The old woman is right,’ said the robbers, and they ceased looking for the finger and sat down.
“老妇人说得对，”强盗们说道，于是他们不再寻找手指，坐了下来。
The old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine, and before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar, fast asleep and snoring. As soon as the girl was assured of this, she came from behind the cask. She was obliged to step over the bodies of the sleepers, who were lying close together, and every moment she was filled with renewed dread lest she should awaken them. But God helped her, so that she passed safely over them, and then she and the old woman went upstairs, opened the door, and hastened as fast as they could from the murderers’ den. They found the ashes scattered by the wind, but the peas and lentils had sprouted, and grown sufficiently above the ground, to guide them in the moonlight along the path. All night long they walked, and it was morning before they reached the mill. Then the girl told her father all that had happened.
老妇人随后将安眠药混入他们的酒中，不久之后，所有人都躺在酒窖的地板上，沉沉睡去并打着呼噜。女孩确认他们熟睡后，便从木桶后走出来。她不得不跨过那些紧挨着躺在一起的人体，每走一步都担心会惊醒他们。但上帝保佑了她，让她安全地走过了他们，随后她和老妇人走上楼梯，打开门，以最快的速度逃离了这处凶徒的巢穴。她们发现被风吹散的灰烬，但豌豆和扁豆已经发芽，长出了地面，在月光下指引着她们沿着小路前行。她们整夜赶路，直到天亮才到达磨坊。随后，女孩将发生的一切告诉了父亲。
The day came that had been fixed for the marriage. The bridegroom arrived and also a large company of guests, for the miller had taken care to invite all his friends and relations. As they sat at the feast, each guest in turn was asked to tell a tale; the bride sat still and did not say a word.
婚礼定下的日子终于到了。新郎如期而至，还有一大群宾客，因为磨坊主特意邀请了所有的朋友和亲戚。大家围坐宴席时，主人依次请每位宾客讲一个故事；新娘却静坐一旁，一言不发。
‘And you, my love,’ said the bridegroom, turning to her, ‘is there no tale you know? Tell us something.’
“还有你，我的爱人，”新郎转向她说道，“难道你没有故事可讲吗？给我们讲一个吧。”
‘I will tell you a dream, then,’ said the bride. ‘I went alone through a forest and came at last to a house; not a soul could I find within, but a bird that was hanging in a cage on the wall cried:
“那我就告诉你一个梦吧，”新娘说，“我独自穿过一片森林，最后来到一所房子前；里面连一个人都没有，只有一只挂在墙上笼子里的鸟在啼叫：
‘Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, Linger not in this murderers’ lair.’
“回头吧，回头吧，美丽的少女，莫要在这群凶手的巢穴中逗留。”
and again a second time it said these words.’
第二次又说了这些话。
‘My darling, this is only a dream.’
“亲爱的，这只是一场梦。”
‘I went on through the house from room to room, but they were all empty, and everything was so grim and mysterious. At last I went down to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep her head still. I asked her if my betrothed lived here, and she answered, “Ah, you poor child, you are come to a murderers’ den; your betrothed does indeed live here, but he will kill you without mercy and afterwards cook and eat you.”’
我穿过房子，一间接一间地走，但所有房间都空无一人，一切都显得阴森而神秘。最后我下到地下室，那里坐着一位非常、非常老的老妇人，她的头不停地晃动。我问她我的未婚妻是否住在这里，她回答说：‘啊，可怜的孩子，你来到了一个杀人犯的巢穴；你的未婚妻确实住在这里，但她会毫不留情地杀死你，然后把你煮了吃掉。’
‘My darling, this is only a dream.’
“亲爱的，这只是一场梦。”
‘The old woman hid me behind a large cask, and scarcely had she done this when the robbers returned home, dragging a young girl along with them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink, white, red, and yellow, and with that she died.’
老妇人把我藏在一个大桶后面，她刚做完这件事，强盗们就回来了，拖着一个年轻女孩。他们给了她三种酒喝：白葡萄酒、红葡萄酒和黄葡萄酒，喝完她就死了。
‘My darling, this is only a dream.’
“亲爱的，这只是一场梦。”
‘Then they tore off her dainty clothing, and cut her beautiful body into pieces and sprinkled salt upon it.’
“随后他们撕碎了她的精致衣物，将她的美丽躯体肢解，并撒上盐。”
‘My darling, this is only a dream.’
“亲爱的，这只是一场梦。”
‘And one of the robbers saw that there was a gold ring still left on her finger, and as it was difficult to draw off, he took a hatchet and cut off her finger; but the finger sprang into the air and fell behind the great cask into my lap. And here is the finger with the ring.’ And with these words the bride drew forth the finger and shewed it to the assembled guests.
其中一个强盗看见她手指上仍戴着一枚金戒指，由于难以取下，他便拿起斧头将她的指头砍下；但那指头却弹向空中，落在大桶后面，正好掉进我的怀里。现在，这枚带着戒指的指头就在这里。”说着，新娘便取出那根指头，展示给在场的宾客看。
The bridegroom, who during this recital had grown deadly pale, up and tried to escape, but the guests seized him and held him fast. They delivered him up to justice, and he and all his murderous band were condemned to death for their wicked deeds.
新郎在听这个故事的过程中脸色变得惨白，试图逃跑，但宾客们将他抓住并牢牢控制住。他们将他移交给司法机关，他和他的所有同伙因恶行被判处死刑。