格林童話:the Twelve Brothers十二兄弟

the Twelve Brothers

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Once upon a time there were a king and a queen. They lived happily together and had twelve children, all boys. One day the king said to his wife, "If our thirteenth child, which you are soon going to bring into the world, is a girl, then the twelve others shall die, so that her wealth may be GREat, and so that she alone may inherit the kingdom."

Indeed, he had twelve coffins made. they were filled with wood shavings and each was fitted with a coffin pillow. He had them put in a locked room, and gave the key to the queen, ordering her to tell no one about them.

the mother sat and mourned the entire day, until the youngest son —— who was always with her, and who was named Benjamin after the Bible —— said to her, "Dear mother, why are you so sad?"

"Dearest child," she answered, "I cannot tell you."

However, he would not leave her in peace, until she unlocked the room and showed him the coffins, already filled with wood shavings.

then she said, "My dearest Benjamin, your father had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers. If I bring a girl into the world, you are all to be killed and buried in them."

As she spoke and cried, her son comforted her, saying, "Don't cry, dear mother. We will take care of ourselves and run away."

then she said, "Go out into the woods with your eleven brothers. One of you should climb the highest tree that you can find. Keep watch there and look toward the castle tower. If I give birth to a little son, I will raise a white flag. If I give birth to a little daughter, I will raise a red flag, and then you should escape as fast as you can, and may God protect you. I will get up every night and pray for you, in the winter that you may warm yourselves near a fire, and in the summer that you may not suffer from the heat."

After she had blessed her children, they went out into the woods. One after the other of them kept watch, sitting atop the highest oak tree and looking toward the tower. After eleven days had passed, and it was Benjamin's turn, he saw that a flag had been raised. It was not the white one, but instead the red blood-flag, decreeing that they all were to die.

When the boys heard this they became angry and cried out, "Are we to suffer death for the sake of a girl! We swear that we will take revenge. Wherever we find a girl, her red blood shall flow."

then they went deeper into the woods, and in its middle, where it was darkest, they found a little bewitched house that was empty.

they said, "We will live here. You, Benjamin, you are the youngest and weakest. You shall stay at home and keep house. We others will go and get things to eat."

Thus they went into the woods and shot rabbits, wild deer, birds, and doves, and whatever they could eat. These they brought to Benjamin, and he had to prepare them to satisfy their hunger. They lived together in this little house for ten years, but the time passed quickly for them.

the little daughter that their mother, the queen, had given birth to was now grown up. She had a good heart, a beautiful face, and a golden star on her forehead.

Once on a large washday she saw twelve men's shirts in the laundry and asked her mother, "Whose are these twelve shirts? They are much too small for father."

the queen answered with a heavy heart, "Dear child, they belong to your twelve brothers."

the girl said, "Where are my twelve brothers? I have never even heard of them."

She answered, "Only God knows where they are. They are wandering about in the world."

then she took the girl, unlocked the room for her, and showed her the twelve coffins with the wood shavings and the coffin pillows.

"these coffins," she said, "were intended for your brothers, but they secretly ran away before you were born," and she told her how everything had happened.

then the girl said, "Dear mother, don't cry. I will go and look for my brothers."

then she took the twelve shirts and went forth into the GREat woods. She walked the entire day, in the evening coming to the bewitched little house.

She went inside and found a young lad, who asked, "Where do you come from, and where are you going?"

He was astounded that she was so beautiful, that she was wearing royal clothing, and that she had a star on her forehead.

"I am a princess and am looking for my twelve brothers. I will walk on as long as the sky is blue, until I find them." She also showed him the twelve shirts that belonged to them.

Benjamin saw that it was his sister, and said, "I am Benjamin, your youngest brother."

She began to cry for joy, and Benjamin did so as well. they kissed and embraced one another with GREat love.

then he said, "Dear sister, I must warn you that we have aGREed that every girl whom we meet must die."

She said, "I will gladly die, if I can thus redeem my twelve brothers."

"No," he answered, "you shall not die. Sit under this tub until our eleven brothers come, and I will make it right with them."

She did this, and when night fell they came home from the hunt. As they sat at the table eating, they asked, "What is new?"

Benjamin said, "Don't you know anything?"

"No," they answered.

He continued speaking, "You have been in the woods while I stayed at home, but I know more than you do."

"then tell us," they shouted.

He answered, "If you will promise me that the next girl we meet shall not be killed."

"Yes," they all shouted. "We will show her mercy. Just tell us."

then he said, "Our sister is here," and lifted up the tub. The princess came forth in her royal clothing and with the golden star on her forehead, so beautiful, delicate, and fine.

they all rejoiced, falling around her neck and kissing her, and they loved her with all their hearts.

Now she stayed at home with Benjamin and helped him with the work. The eleven went into the woods and captured wild game, deer, birds, and doves, so they would have something to eat. Their sister and Benjamin prepared it all. They gathered wood for cooking, herbs for the stew, and put the pot onto the fire so a meal was always ready when the eleven came home. She also kept the house in order, and made up the beds white and clean. The brothers were always satisfied, and they lived happily with her.

One time the two of them had prepared a good meal at home, and so they sat together and ate and drank and were ever so happy. Now there was a little garden next to the bewitched house, and in it there were twelve lilies, the kind that are called "students." Wanting to bring some pleasure to her brothers, she picked the twelve flowers, intending to give one to each of them when they were eating. But in the same instant that she picked the flowers, the twelve brothers were transformed into twelve ravens, and they flew away above the woods. The house and the garden disappeared as well.

Now the poor girl was alone in the wild woods. Looking around, she saw an old women standing next to her.

the old woman said, "My child, what have you done?" Why did you not leave the twelve white flowers standing? Those were your brothers, and now they have been transformed into ravens forever."

the girl said, crying, "Is there no way to redeem them?"

"No," said the old woman, "There is only one way in the world, and it is so difficult that you will never redeem them. You must remain silent for twelve whole years, neither speaking nor laughing. If you speak a single word, even if all but one hour of the seven years has passed, then it will all be for nothing, and your brothers will be killed by that one word."

then the girl said in her heart, "I know for sure that I will redeem my brothers."

She went and found a tall tree and climbed to its top, where she sat and span, without speaking and without laughing.

Now it came to pass that a king was hunting in these woods. He had a large GREyhound that ran to the tree where the girl was sitting. It jumped about, yelping and barking up the tree. The king came, saw the beautiful princess with the golden star on her forehead, and was so enchanted by her beauty that he shouted up to her, asking her to become his wife. She gave him no answer, but nodded with her head. Then he himself climbed the tree, carried her down, set her on his horse, and took her home with him.

their wedding was celebrated with GREat pomp and joy, but the bride neither spoke nor laughed.

After they had lived a few years happily together, the king's mother, who was a wicked woman, began to slander the young queen, saying to the king, "You have brought home a common beggar woman for yourself. Who knows what kind of godless things she is secretly doing. Even if she is a mute and cannot speak, she could at least laugh. Anyone who does not laugh has an evil conscience."

At first the king did not want to believe this, but the old woman kept it up so long, accusing her of so many wicked things, that the king finally let himself be convinced, and he sentenced her to death.

A GREat fire was lit in the courtyard, where she was to be burned to death. The king stood upstairs at his window, looking on with crying eyes, for he still loved her dearly. She had already been bound to the stake, and the fire was licking at her clothing with its red tongues, when the last moment of the seven years passed.

A whirring sound was heard in the air, and twelve ravens approached, landing together. As they touched the earth, it was her twelve brothers, whom she had redeemed. They ripped the fire apart, put out the flames, and freed their sister, kissing and embracing her.

Now that she could open her mouth and speak, she told the king why she had remained silent and had never laughed.

the king rejoiced to hear that she was innocent, and they all lived happily together until they died. The wicked stepmother was brought before the court and placed in a barrel filled with boiling oil and poisonous snakes, and she died an evil death.

從前有一個國王和一個王后，他們幸福地生活在一起，並且生了十二個孩子，可這十二個孩子全是男孩。國王對王后說：「你快要生第十三個孩子了。要是這個孩子是個女孩，我就下令殺掉那十二個男孩，好讓她得到更多的財產，並且讓她繼承王位。」國王不只是說說而已，他甚至讓人做了十二副棺材，在棺材裏裝滿刨花，還在裏面放上一個小壽枕。他讓人把棺材全部鎖進一個密室，把祕室的鑰匙交給王后，不許她告訴任何人。

做母親的現在整天坐在那裏傷心，終於有一天，一直和她呆在一起的最小的兒子——她給他起了個《聖經》上的名字便雅明——問她：「親愛的媽媽，你爲甚麼這樣憂傷？」「親愛的孩子，」她回答，「我不能告訴你。」可是便雅明老是纏着王后，終於逼得她打開了密室，讓他看了那十二副裏面裝滿了刨花的棺材。她隨後說：「我親愛的便雅明，這些棺材是你父親爲你和你的十一個哥哥準備的，因爲如果我生下一個小妹妹，你們就會被殺死，用這些棺材埋葬掉。」她邊說邊哭，便雅明安慰她說：「別哭了，親愛的媽媽，我們不會被殺死的。我們可以逃走。」可是王后說：「你和十一個哥哥逃到森林裏去吧！你們要時刻派人在能找到的最高的樹上放哨，注視城堡裏的高塔。如果我生下的是個小弟弟，我就升起一面白旗，你們就可以回來了。如果我生下的是個小妹妹，我就升起一面紅旗，你們就趕緊遠走高飛，願上帝保佑你們。我每天晚上都會起來爲你們祈禱，祈禱你們在冬天能有爐火暖暖身子，祈禱你們在夏天不要中暑。」

在接受了母親的祝福之後，十二位王子便來到了森林裏。他們一個個輪流放哨，坐在最高的橡樹上，望着王宮裏的高塔。十一天過去了，輪到便雅明放哨。他看到高塔上升起了一面旗子，可這旗子不是白色的，而是血紅色的，這意味着他們只有死路一條。當便雅明的哥哥們聽到這個消息後都氣壞了，說：「難道要我們大家爲一個女孩去死嗎？我們發誓要爲自己報仇，不管在甚麼地方，只要見到女孩，就一定讓她流出鮮紅的血液！」

於是，他們便向森林的深處走去，在森林中最黑暗的地方發現了一座被人使了魔法的小空屋。他們說：「我們就住在這裏。便雅明，你是我們當中年紀最小、身子最弱的，所以你就呆在家裏看家，我們其他人出去找吃的東西。」隨後，他們走進林子去射野兔、野鹿、各種各樣的鳥和鴿子，並且尋找任何可以吃的東西，一起帶回來給便雅明，讓他做好了給大家填肚子。他們在這小屋子裏一起生活了十年，並沒有感到時間很長。

王后生下的小姑娘現在也長大了。她心地善良，美麗可愛，額頭上還有一顆金色的星星。一天大掃除，她看到洗的衣服裏有十二件男襯衣，便問她的媽媽：「這些襯衣是誰穿的呀？它們太小了，肯定不是爸爸穿的。」王后心情沉重地回答：「親愛的孩子，這些是你十二個哥哥的衣服。」小姑娘說：「我的十二個哥哥在哪裏呀？我怎麼從來沒有聽說過他們呀？」王后回答：「他們四處流浪，只有上帝才知道他們在哪裏。」說着，王后把小姑娘帶到密室那裏，打開門，讓她看了裏面裝着刨花和壽枕的十二副棺材。她說：「這些棺材是爲你的哥哥們準備的，但他們在你出世前偷偷逃跑了。」王后把事情的的經過原原本本地告訴了小姑娘，而小姑娘則說：「不要傷心，親愛的媽媽。我去把哥哥們找回來。」

於是，她帶上那十二件襯衣，逕直向森林走去。她走了整整一天，傍晚時來到了這座被人使了魔法的小屋。她走進小屋，看到裏面有個少年。看到她長得非常漂亮，而且身上穿着華麗的衣服，額頭上還有一顆金色的星星，少年感到很驚訝，便問：「你從哪裏來？要到哪裏去？」她回答：「我是公主，在尋找我的十二個哥哥。哪怕是走到天涯海角，我也一定要找到他們。」她說着便拿出他們的十二件襯衣給他看，便雅明這才知道她是他的妹妹。他說：「我叫便雅明，是你最小的哥哥。」公主高興得哭了起來，便雅明也流下了熱淚。他們親熱地又是親吻又是擁抱。過了一會兒，便雅明說：「親愛的妹妹，我們還有一件麻煩事。我們十二個人發過誓，要殺掉我們見到的任何一個姑娘，因爲我們就是爲了一個女孩而被迫逃離王國的。」她說：「只要能救我的十二個哥哥，我願意去死。」

「不行，」便雅明回答，「你不會死的。你先躲在這隻桶下面，等十一個哥哥回來，我會說服他們的。」

於是，公主便躲到了桶下面。晚上，另外十一位王子打獵回來時，便雅明已經把晚飯做好了。他們在桌子旁坐下來，邊吃邊問：「有甚麼新聞嗎？」便雅明說：「難道你們甚麼也不知道？」「沒有，」他們回答。便雅明說：「你們去了森林，我一個人呆在家裏，可我知道的卻比你們知道的還要多。」「快告訴我們吧，」他們嚷道。他說：「不過你們得向我保證，決不殺死見到的第一個女孩。」「好的，」他們一起說，「我們饒了她。快把新聞告訴我們吧。」

便雅明說：「我們的妹妹來了！」然後，他提起木桶，公主從裏面走出來了。只見她穿着華麗的衣服，額頭上有一顆金色的星星，顯得非常美麗、溫柔、文雅。他們一個個喜出望外，摟着她的脖子，親吻她，真心實意地愛她。

從此，她便和便雅明呆在家裏，幫他做家務。十一個哥哥去森林裏打獵，抓來鹿、斑鳩和別的鳥，讓小妹妹和便雅明仔細燒好了填肚子。小姑娘出去撿柴火，採來花草當蔬菜，把鍋子放在火塘上，總是在十一個哥哥回來之前把飯菜做好。她還收拾小屋，給小牀鋪上了漂漂亮亮、乾乾淨淨的牀單。哥哥們對她非常滿意，和她快樂地生活在一起。

有一天，留在家裏的公主和便雅明做了一頓非常豐盛的飯菜，等着哥哥們回來後一起坐下來開心地又吃又喝。這座被人使了魔法的屋子有個小花園，裏面開着十二朵百合花。公主想讓哥哥們高興一下，便摘下了那十二朵花，準備在吃晚飯時送給每位哥哥一朵。但是，就在她摘下那些百合花的同時，十二個哥哥變成了十二隻烏鴉，從森林上空飛了過去。屋子和花園也立刻消失了，荒涼的森林裏現在只剩下了公主一個人。她朝四周看了看，見身邊站着一位老太婆。老太婆說：「我的孩子，瞧你都幹了些甚麼！你爲甚麼不讓那些花長在那兒呢？那些花就是你的哥哥呀。他們現在要永遠變成烏鴉了。」

小姑娘哭着問：「難道沒有辦法救他們了嗎？」

「沒有，」老太婆說，「這個世界上只有一個辦法能救你的哥哥們，可這個辦法太難了，你不會願意用這個辦法救他們的，因爲你要做七年啞巴，不能說話也不能笑。要是你說了一個字，哪怕是離七年只有一個小時，你的一切努力都會付諸東流——他們會因你說了一個字而全部死掉。」

公主心中想：「我知道，我一定能救活我的哥哥們。」於是，她就走到一棵大樹旁，爬上去坐在上面紡紗，既不說話也不笑。說來也巧，一位年輕的國王打獵來到了這座森林。國王有條大狼犬，牠跑到公主坐着的大樹下，不停地圍着大樹跳上跳下，對着姑娘吠叫不止。國王跟了過來，看到了額頭上有金色星星的美麗公主，一下子就被她的美貌迷住了。他大聲問她願不願意做他的妻子。她沒有開口回答，但微微點了點頭。於是，國王便親自爬到樹上，把她抱下來放到馬背上，帶着她回到宮中。莊嚴的婚禮壯觀而又熱鬧，可新娘卻既不說話也不歡笑。他們一起幸福地生活了好幾年。國王的母親是個邪惡的女人，開始說新王后的壞話了，她對國王說：「你帶回來的姑娘是個窮要飯的。誰知道她在搞甚麼鬼名堂呢！就算她是個啞巴，就算她不會說話，可她總能笑一笑吧？從來不笑的人一定心腸很壞！」國王起初不相信這些話，可他的母親一直在他的面前唸叨，而且總是說王后幹了這樣那樣的壞事，到後來，國王終於被矇住了，而且判了王后死刑。

王宮的院子裏點燃了一大堆火，王后將被這堆火燒死。國王站在樓上的窗口前，眼淚汪汪地看着，因爲他仍然深深地愛着王后。就在王后被緊緊地綁在火刑架上，紅紅的火舌開始吞噬她的衣裳時，七年的最後一剎那終於過去了。空中傳來了一陣呼啦呼啦的聲音，十二隻烏鴉飛到這裏落了下來。牠們剛落地就變成了王后的十二個哥哥。他們拆掉火堆，撲滅火焰，把他們的好妹妹放了下來，並且親吻她、擁抱她。王后現在終於能開口說話了，她把自己當啞巴、從來不笑的原因告訴了國王。國王知道她清白無辜後，非常高興，與她幸福地生活在一起，直到白髮千古。國王那邪惡的母親受到了審判，被塞進一隻裝着沸油和毒蛇的大桶，死得很慘。