There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little peasant. He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money to buy one, and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. One day he said to her: ‘Listen, I have a good idea, there is our gossip the carpenter, he shall make us a wooden calf, and paint it brown, so that it looks like any other, and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow.’ the woman also liked the idea, and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf, and painted it as it ought to be, and made it with its head hanging down as if it were eating.
有个村庄，里面住的都是些非常富有的农民，只有一个穷人，大家叫他小农夫。他连一头牛都没有，更不用说有钱买一头了，但他和妻子却特别想要一头牛。有一天他对妻子说：‘听着，我有个好主意。我们的邻居是个木匠，让他给我们做一头木制的小牛犊，把它漆成棕色，这样看起来就和真的一样，过些日子它自然会长大，变成一头真正的牛。’妻子也觉得这个主意不错，于是他们的邻居木匠便动手把小牛犊锯好、刨平，按应有的样子涂上颜色，还特意把它的头低垂着，仿佛正在吃草。
Next morning when the cows were being driven out, the little peasant called the cow-herd in and said: ‘Look, I have a little calf there, but it is still small and has to be carried.’ The cow-herd said: ‘All right,’ and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture, and set it among the grass. The little calf always remained standing like one which was eating, and the cow-herd said: ‘It will soon run by itself, just look how it eats already!’ At night when he was going to drive the herd home again, he said to the calf: ‘If you can stand there and eat your fill, you can also go on your four legs; I don’t care to drag you home again in my arms.’ But the little peasant stood at his door, and waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the cows through the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it was. The cow-herd answered: ‘It is still standing out there eating. It would not stop and come with us.’ But the little peasant said: ‘Oh, but I must have my beast back again.’ Then they went back to the meadow together, but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. The cow-herd said: ‘It must have run away.’ The peasant, however, said: ‘Don’t tell me that,’ and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away.
第二天早晨，当牛群被赶出去时，小农夫把牧牛人叫来，说：‘看，我那里有一头小牛犊，但它还很小，需要抱着。’牧牛人说：‘好吧。’于是把它抱在怀里，带到牧场，放在草地上。那头小牛犊总是站着不动，仿佛正在吃草，牧牛人说：‘它很快就会自己跑了，你看它现在吃得多么香！’晚上，当他准备把牛群赶回家时，他对小牛犊说：‘如果你能站在这里吃饱，就能用四条腿走路了；我可不想再把你抱回家了。’但小农夫站在门口，等着他的小牛犊。当牧牛人赶着牛群穿过村庄时，发现小牛犊不见了，便问它在哪里。牧牛人回答说：‘它还在那边站着吃草呢，不肯停下来跟我们一起走。’小农夫却说：‘不，我必须把我的牲畜要回来。’于是他们一起回到草地，但有人偷走了小牛犊，已经不知去向。牧牛人说：‘它一定是跑掉了。’农夫却反驳道：‘别拿这种话糊弄我。’他拉着牧牛人去找镇长，镇长因牧牛人的疏忽，判他赔偿农夫一头奶牛，以抵偿那头走失的小牛犊。
And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. They salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds. On the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with broken wings, and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin. But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind, he could go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter. The miller’s wife was alone in the house, and said to the peasant: ‘Lay yourself on the straw there,’ and gave him a slice of bread and cheese. The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin beside him, and the woman thought: ‘He is tired and has gone to sleep.’ In the meantime came the parson; the miller’s wife received him well, and said: ‘My husband is out, so we will have a feast.’ The peasant listened, and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese. Then the woman served up four different things, roast meat, salad, cakes, and wine.
如今，那小农夫和他的妻子终于得到了他们长久期盼的奶牛，心中无比欢喜，但他们却没有任何饲料喂它，无法给它食物，所以不久便不得不将它宰杀。他们将肉腌好，农夫带着牛皮进城，打算卖掉牛皮后用所得的钱买一头新的小牛犊。途中他经过一座磨坊，看见一只翅膀受伤的乌鸦坐在里面，出于怜悯，他便将乌鸦包在牛皮里带走。然而天气骤变，风雨交加，他无法继续前行，只好折返磨坊请求借宿。当时磨坊主妇独自在家，她对农夫说：‘你躺在那边的草堆上吧，’并给了他一片面包和奶酪。农夫吃完后，带着他的牛皮躺下休息，那女人心想：‘他累了，已经睡着了。’这时牧师来了，磨坊主妇热情接待了他，说道：‘我丈夫不在家，我们好好吃一顿吧。’农夫在一旁听着，听到他们谈论盛宴时，心中懊恼自己只能将就着吃一片面包和奶酪。随后，那女人端上了四样菜肴：烤肉、沙拉、蛋糕和葡萄酒。
Just as they were about to sit down and eat, there was a knocking outside. The woman said: ‘Oh, heavens! It is my husband!’ she quickly hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove, the wine under the pillow, the salad on the bed, the cakes under it, and the parson in the closet on the porch. Then she opened the door for her husband, and said: ‘Thank heaven, you are back again! There is such a storm, it looks as if the world were coming to an end.’ The miller saw the peasant lying on the straw, and asked, ‘What is that fellow doing there?’ ‘Ah,’ said the wife, ‘the poor knave came in the storm and rain, and begged for shelter, so I gave him a bit of bread and cheese, and showed him where the straw was.’ The man said: ‘I have no objection, but be quick and get me something to eat.’ The woman said: ‘But I have nothing but bread and cheese.’ ‘I am contented with anything,’ replied the husband, ‘so far as I am concerned, bread and cheese will do,’ and looked at the peasant and said: ‘Come and eat some more with me.’ The peasant did not require to be invited twice, but got up and ate. After this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was, lying on the ground, and asked: ‘What have you there?’ The peasant answered: ‘I have a soothsayer inside it.’ ‘Can he foretell anything to me?’ said the miller. ‘Why not?’ answered the peasant: ‘but he only says four things, and the fifth he keeps to himself.’ The miller was curious, and said: ‘Let him foretell something for once.’ Then the peasant pinched the raven’s head, so that he croaked and made a noise like krr, krr. The miller said: ‘What did he say?’ The peasant answered: ‘In the first place, he says that there is some wine hidden under the pillow.’ ‘Bless me!’ cried the miller, and went there and found the wine. ‘Now go on,’ said he. The peasant made the raven croak again, and said: ‘In the second place, he says that there is some roast meat in the tiled stove.’ ‘Upon my word!’ cried the miller, and went thither, and found the roast meat. The peasant made the raven prophesy still more, and said: ‘Thirdly, he says that there is some salad on the bed.’ ‘That would be a fine thing!’ cried the miller, and went there and found the salad. At last the peasant pinched the raven once more till he croaked, and said: ‘Fourthly, he says that there are some cakes under the bed.’ ‘That would be a fine thing!’ cried the miller, and looked there, and found the cakes.
他们刚要坐下吃饭，外面就传来了敲门声。女人说：‘哎呀！是我丈夫回来了！’她迅速把烤肉藏进瓷砖炉里，把酒藏在枕头下，把沙拉放在床上，把蛋糕藏在床下，还把牧师藏进了门廊的壁橱里。随后她打开门迎接丈夫，说道：‘谢天谢地，您终于回来了！这风暴真大，简直像是世界末日要来了。’磨坊主看见农夫躺在稻草上，便问：‘那家伙在那儿干什么？’妻子答道：‘唉，可怜的人在大风雨中进来，请求避雨，所以我给了他一点面包和奶酪，并告诉他稻草在哪里。’那人说：‘我没什么意见，但快给我弄点吃的吧。’女人说：‘可我只有面包和奶酪。’‘我不挑，’丈夫回答说，‘只要是我自己，有面包和奶酪就足够了。’他看着农夫说道：‘过来再吃点吧。’农夫不用邀请两次，便起身吃了起来。此后，磨坊主看见地上那只乌鸦所在的皮囊，便问道：'你那里有什么？'农夫回答：'里面藏着一位预言家。''他能给我预言些什么吗？'磨坊主问。'为什么不呢？'农夫答道：'不过它只说四件事，第五件它自己留着不说。'磨坊主起了好奇心，说道：'那就让它预言一次吧。'于是农夫捏了捏乌鸦的头，乌鸦便呱呱叫起来，发出类似'克勒、克勒'的声音。磨坊主问：'它说了什么？'农夫回答：'首先，它说枕头底下藏着一些酒。''天哪！'磨坊主惊呼道，走过去一看，果然找到了酒。'继续说吧，'他说。农夫又让乌鸦叫了一声，说道：'其次，它说瓷砖炉里藏着烤肉。''我的老天！'磨坊主喊道，走过去一查，果然有烤肉。农夫让乌鸦继续预言，说道：'第三，它说床上放着一些沙拉。''那可真是妙极了！'磨坊主叫道，走过去一看，果然找到了沙拉。最后，农夫再次捏了乌鸦一下，乌鸦叫了起来，说道：‘第四点，它说床底下有些蛋糕。’‘那可太好了！’磨坊主喊道，于是四处查看，果然找到了那些蛋糕。
And now the two sat down to the table together, but the miller’s wife was frightened to death, and went to bed and took all the keys with her. The miller would have liked much to know the fifth, but the little peasant said: ‘First, we will quickly eat the four things, for the fifth is something bad.’ So they ate, and after that they bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy, until they agreed on three hundred talers. Then the peasant once more pinched the raven’s head till he croaked loudly. The miller asked: ‘What did he say?’ The peasant replied: ‘He says that the Devil is hiding outside there in the closet on the porch.’ The miller said: ‘The Devil must go out,’ and opened the house-door; then the woman was forced to give up the keys, and the peasant unlocked the closet. The parson ran out as fast as he could, and the miller said: ‘It was true; I saw the black rascal with my own eyes.’ The peasant, however, made off next morning by daybreak with the three hundred talers.
于是两人一同坐到桌边，但磨坊主夫人吓得魂飞魄散，逃回床上并带走了所有的钥匙。磨坊主很想得知第五个预言的内容，可小农夫说：‘先让我们把四样东西吃完吧，因为第五样是个坏消息。’于是他们吃了起来，随后便商量磨坊主该为第五个预言付多少钱，最终商定三百塔勒。接着，农夫再次捏住乌鸦的头，直到它大声呱呱叫。磨坊主问：‘它说了什么？’农夫答道：‘它说魔鬼正躲在门廊的柜子里。’磨坊主说：‘魔鬼必须出去！’于是打开房门；这时夫人不得不交出钥匙，农夫便打开了柜子。牧师趁机拼命逃了出去，磨坊主说道：‘果然没错，我亲眼看见那个黑心的家伙了。’而农夫则在次日黎明时分带着三百塔勒离开了。
At home the small peasant gradually launched out; he built a beautiful house, and the peasants said: ‘The small peasant has certainly been to the place where golden snow falls, and people carry the gold home in shovels.’ Then the small peasant was brought before the mayor, and bidden to say from whence his wealth came. He answered: ‘I sold my cow’s skin in the town, for three hundred talers.’ When the peasants heard that, they too wished to enjoy this great profit, and ran home, killed all their cows, and stripped off their skins in order to sell them in the town to the greatest advantage. The mayor, however, said: ‘But my servant must go first.’ When she came to the merchant in the town, he did not give her more than two talers for a skin, and when the others came, he did not give them so much, and said: ‘What can I do with all these skins?’
在家里，小农民逐渐发迹了；他盖起了一座漂亮的房子，村民们都说：‘小农民一定去过那个下雪如金、人们用铲子把金子运回家的地方。’随后，小农民被带到市长面前，被要求说明财富的来源。他回答说：‘我在城里把我的牛皮卖给了商人，得了三百塔勒。’村民们听到这话后，也都想获得这份巨额利润，于是跑回家杀死了所有的牛，剥下牛皮，打算在城里以最高的价格出售。然而市长说：‘但我的仆人必须先去。’当她的仆人来到城里的商人那里时，商人只给了她两张塔勒买一张皮；当其他人也来卖皮时，商人给的钱更少，并说道：‘我拿这么多牛皮有什么用呢？’
Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus outwitted them, wanted to take vengeance on him, and accused him of this treachery before the mayor. The innocent little peasant was unanimously sentenced to death, and was to be rolled into the water, in a barrel pierced full of holes. He was led forth, and a priest was brought who was to say a mass for his soul. The others were all obliged to retire to a distance, and when the peasant looked at the priest, he recognized the man who had been with the miller’s wife. He said to him: ‘I set you free from the closet, set me free from the barrel.’ At this same moment up came, with a flock of sheep, the very shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor, so he cried with all his might: ‘No, I will not do it; if the whole world insists on it, I will not do it!’ The shepherd hearing that, came up to him, and asked: ‘What are you about? What is it that you will not do?’ The peasant said: ‘They want to make me mayor, if I will but put myself in the barrel, but I will not do it.’ The shepherd said: ‘If nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor, I would get into the barrel at once.’ The peasant said: ‘If you will get in, you will be mayor.’ The shepherd was willing, and got in, and the peasant shut the top down on him; then he took the shepherd’s flock for himself, and drove it away. The parson went to the crowd, and declared that the mass had been said. Then they came and rolled the barrel towards the water. When the barrel began to roll, the shepherd cried: ‘I am quite willing to be mayor.’ They believed no otherwise than that it was the peasant who was saying this, and answered: ‘That is what we intend, but first you shall look about you a little down below there,’ and they rolled the barrel down into the water.
于是，村民们因那小农民竟如此智胜他们而恼怒，想要报复他，并向市长指控他的背叛行为。无辜的小农民被一致判处死刑，将被装入一个钻满孔洞的木桶中沉入水中。他被带出去时，一位神父前来为他做弥撒。其他人被迫退到远处，当小农民看到神父时，认出了那位曾与磨坊主妻子在一起的人。他对他说：‘你从柜子里放我出来，现在也请把我从木桶里放出来吧。’就在这时，一个赶着羊群的牧羊人走了过来，小农民知道这位牧羊人一直想当市长，于是便用尽全力喊道：‘不，我不干；就算全世界都逼我，我也不干！’牧羊人听到后走上前问道：‘你在做什么？你说不干什么？’小农民说：‘他们要让我当市长，只要我钻进木桶就行，但我不干。’牧羊人说：‘如果当市长的条件仅仅是这样，那我马上就可以钻进木桶里。’农夫说：‘只要你愿意进去，你就能当市长。’牧羊人答应了，便钻了进去，农夫随即把桶盖盖上，然后牵走牧羊人的羊群并赶走了他。牧师走到人群面前宣布弥撒已经结束。接着众人将木桶推向水边。当木桶开始滚动时，牧羊人大喊：‘我完全愿意当市长。’人们以为那是农夫在说话，便回答：‘这正是我们的打算，不过你先在下面四处看看，’于是他们将木桶滚入水中。
After that the peasants went home, and as they were entering the village, the small peasant also came quietly in, driving a flock of sheep and looking quite contented. Then the peasants were astonished, and said: ‘Peasant, from whence do you come? Have you come out of the water?’ ‘Yes, truly,’ replied the peasant, ‘I sank deep, deep down, until at last I got to the bottom; I pushed the bottom out of the barrel, and crept out, and there were pretty meadows on which a number of lambs were feeding, and from thence I brought this flock away with me.’ Said the peasants: ‘Are there any more there?’ ‘Oh, yes,’ said he, ‘more than I could want.’ Then the peasants made up their minds that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves, a flock apiece, but the mayor said: ‘I come first.’ So they went to the water together, and just then there were some of the small fleecy clouds in the blue sky, which are called little lambs, and they were reflected in the water, whereupon the peasants cried: ‘We already see the sheep down below!’ The mayor pressed forward and said: ‘I will go down first, and look about me, and if things promise well I’ll call you.’ So he jumped in; splash! went the water; it sounded as if he were calling them, and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man. Then the entire village was dead, and the small peasant, as sole heir, became a rich man.
此后，农民们回到了家。当他们进村时，那个小个子农民也悄悄跟了进来，赶着一群羊，看起来十分满足。于是众农民大为惊异，问道：‘农民，你从哪儿来？莫非是从水里出来的？’‘确实如此，’小个子农民答道，‘我沉得很深很深，一直到了水底；我把桶底顶开，爬了出来，那里有美丽的草地，上面有许多羔羊在吃草，我就把这群羊带回来了。’农民们问：‘那儿还有别的吗？’‘哦，有的，’他说，‘多得我都要用不完了。’于是农民们打定主意，也要去弄些羊回来，每人一伙；但市长说：‘我先来。’于是他们一同来到水边。这时，蔚蓝的天空中飘着几朵像小羔羊一样的薄云，倒映在水中，农民们便喊道：‘我们已经在下面看到羊了！’市长挤上前去说：‘我先下去看看，如果情况不错，我就叫你们上来。’于是他跳了下去；扑通一声水响，听起来仿佛他在招呼大家，于是众人齐刷刷地跟着跳了下去。结果全村人都死了，而那个小个子农民作为唯一的继承人，从此成了富人。