Frau Trude

　　Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　Once upon a time there was a small girl who was strong willed and forward, and whenever her parents said anything to her, she disobeyed them. How could anything go well with her?

　　One day she said to her parents: "I have heard so much about Frau Trude. Someday I want to go to her place. People say such amazing things are seen there, and such strange things happen there, that I have become very curious.

　　Her parents strictly1 forbade her, saying: "Frau Trude is a wicked woman who commits godless acts. If you go there, you will no longer be our child.

　　But the girl paid no attention to her parents and went to Frau Trude's place anyway.

　　When she arrived there, Frau Trude asked: "Why are you so pale?"

　　"Oh," she answered, trembling all over, "I saw something that frightened me."

　　"What did you see?"

　　"I saw a black man on your steps."

　　"That was a charcoal2 burner."

　　"Then I saw a green man."

　　"That was a huntsman."

　　"Then I saw a blood-red man."

　　"That was a butcher."

　　"Oh, Frau Trude, it frightened me when I looked through your window and could not see you, but instead saw the devil with a head of fire."

　　"Aha!" she said. "So you saw the witch properly outfitted3. I have been waiting for you and wanting you for a long time. Light the way for me now!"

　　With that she turned to girl into a block of wood and threw it into the fire. When it was thoroughly4 aglow5 she sat down next to it, and warmed herself by it, saying: "It gives such a bright light!"

　　從前，有個(gè)又固執(zhí)好奇心又強(qiáng)的小姑娘，無論她父母要她干甚么她總是不服從。這樣的孩子會(huì)有甚么好結(jié)果呢？

　　有一天她問父母：「我總聽人們說起特魯?shù)锰?，說她的一切都與眾不同，她家里盡是些希奇古怪的東西。我太好奇了，哪天我一定得去看看?！顾改笀?jiān)決反對(duì)，說：「特魯?shù)檬莻€(gè)壞女人，盡干壞事。你要是去了就不是我們的孩子了?！箍墒枪媚锊]因父母的阻止而回心轉(zhuǎn)意。當(dāng)她來到特魯?shù)锰視r(shí)，特魯?shù)脝査骸改愕哪樕趺催@么蒼白啊？」「唉呀，」她渾身發(fā)抖地回答說，「我被見到的那些東西嚇壞了?！埂改憧吹绞裁戳耍俊埂肝以谂_(tái)階上看到一個(gè)黑色的人?！埂改鞘菬康?。」「后來看到一個(gè)綠色的人。」「那是獵人?！埂负髞磉€看到一個(gè)血紅血紅的人?！埂改鞘峭婪??！埂赴ρ?，特魯?shù)锰?，我從窗口望進(jìn)來，看到的不是你，而是火頭魔鬼本人。我不會(huì)看錯(cuò)的，真嚇?biāo)懒?！?/p>

　　「哦！」特魯?shù)谜f，「看來你的確看到了穿著平常服飾的巫婆了。我早就想要你了，已等了這么久，你可以讓我這兒亮一點(diǎn)呢?！拐f罷將姑娘變成了一段木頭，扔進(jìn)了火堆。木頭熊熊燃燒起來，巫婆靠近火堆取暖，說：「它亮一陣子就會(huì)熄滅的?！?/p>