By Command of the Prince Daniel

Once upon a time there was an aged queen who had a son and a daughter, who were fine, sturdy children. But there was also an evil witch who could not bear them, and she began to lay plots how she might contrive their overthrow.

从前有一位年迈的王后，她有一儿一女，都是健壮可爱的孩子。可是有一个邪恶的女巫容不下他们，便开始盘算该如何设计害死他们。

So she went to the old Queen and said: “Dear Gossip, I am giving you a ring. Put it on your son’s hand, and he will then be rich and generous: only he must marry the maiden whom this ring fits.”

于是她去见老王后，说道：“亲爱的老姐妹，我送你一枚戒指。把它戴到你儿子手上，他就会变得富有而慷慨：只不过他必须娶那个戒指正好合适的姑娘为妻。”

The mother believed her and was extremely glad, and at her death bade her son marry only the woman whom the ring fitted.

母亲相信了她的话，十分欢喜，临终时嘱咐儿子只能娶那枚戒指恰好合适的女子。

Time went by and the boy grew up: he became a man and looked at all the maidens. Very many of them he liked, only as soon as he put the ring on their finger it was either too broad or too narrow. So he travelled from village to village and from town to town, and searched out all the fair damsels, but he could not find his chosen one, and returned home in a reflective mood.

时光流逝，男孩渐渐长大：他成了一名男子汉，遍览了所有的姑娘。他喜欢过许多姑娘，可只要一把戒指戴到她们的手指上，不是太宽就是太窄。于是他从一个村子走到另一个村子，从一座城镇走到另一座城镇，找遍了所有美丽的姑娘，却始终找不到那位命中注定的人，只好满怀心事地回到家中。

“What’s the matter, brother?” his sister asked him. So he told her of his trouble, explained his sorrow. “What a wonderful ring you have!” said the sister. “Let me try it on.” She tried it on her finger, and the ring was firmly fixed as if it had been soldered on, as though it had been made for her.

“怎么了，哥哥？”他的妹妹问他。于是他把自己的苦恼告诉了她，说出了心中的忧愁。“你这枚戒指真是奇妙极了！”妹妹说道。“让我试戴一下。”她把戒指戴到自己的手指上，那戒指竟牢牢地嵌合在上面，仿佛是焊上去的一般，好像本就是为她量身打造的。

“Oh, sister! you are my chosen bride, and you must be my wife.”

“哦，妹妹！你就是我命中注定的新娘，你必须做我的妻子。”

“What a horrible idea, brother! That would be a sin.”

“这是多么可怕的想法啊，哥哥！那可是要遭天谴的。”

But the brother would not listen to a word she said. He danced for joy and told her to make ready for the wedding. She wept bitter tears, went in front of the house, and sat on the threshold and let her tears flow.

可哥哥根本不听她的一句话。他高兴得手舞足蹈，让她准备婚礼。她伤心地流下苦涩的泪水，走到屋子前面，坐在门槛上，任凭泪水流淌。

Two old beggars came up, and she gave them to eat and to drink. They asked what her trouble was, and she needs must tell the two. “Now, weep no more, but do what we say. Make up four dolls and put them in the four corners of the room. After your brother calls you in for the betrothal, go; and if he calls you into the bridal chamber, ask for time, trust in God, and follow our advice.” And the beggars departed.

这时来了两个年老的乞丐，她给了他们吃的喝的。他们问她有什么烦恼，她只得把苦楚一五一十地告诉了这两位老人。“好了，别再哭了，照我们说的做。做四个布娃娃，放到房间的四个角落里。等你哥哥叫你进去订婚时，你就进去；要是他叫你进洞房，就想办法拖延时间，信赖上帝，照我们的话去做。”说完这两个乞丐便离开了。

The brother and sister were betrothed, and he went into the room and cried out, “Sister mine, come in!”

兄妹二人订了婚，哥哥走进房间，喊道：“妹妹，进来吧！”

“I will come in in a moment, brother; I am only taking off my earrings.”

“我马上就进来，哥哥；我正在摘耳环呢。”

And the dolls in the four corners began to sing:

于是四个角落里的布娃娃便唱了起来：

Coo-Coo—Prince Danílo Coo-Coo—Govorílo Coo-Coo—’Tis a brother Coo-Coo—Weds his sister: Coo-Coo—Earth must split asunder Cooo—And the sister lie hid under.

咕咕——达尼洛王子 咕咕——他这么说道 咕咕——这是个哥哥 咕咕——要娶自己的妹妹： 咕咕——大地必须裂开 咕咕——好让妹妹藏身其中。

Then the earth rose up and slowly swallowed the sister.

这时大地隆起，慢慢地把妹妹吞了进去。

And the brother cried out again, “Sister mine, come in to the feather-bed!”

哥哥又喊道：“妹妹，进羽毛床来吧！”

“In a minute, brother. I am undoing my girdle.”

“再等一会儿，哥哥。我正在解腰带呢。”

Then the dolls began to sing:

于是布娃娃又唱了起来：

Coo-Coo—Prince Danílo Coo-Coo—Govorílo Coo-Coo—’Tis a brother Coo-Coo—Weds his sister: Coo-Coo—Earth must split asunder; Cooo—And the sister lie hid under.

咕咕——达尼洛王子 咕咕——他这么说道 咕咕——这是个哥哥 咕咕——要娶自己的妹妹： 咕咕——大地必须裂开； 咕咕——好让妹妹藏身其中。

Only she had vanished now, all but her head. And the brother cried out again: “Come into the feather-bed.”

这时她已经陷了下去，只剩下头露在外面。哥哥又喊道：“进羽毛床来吧。”

“In a minute, brother; I am taking off my shoes.”

“再等一会儿，哥哥；我正在脱鞋呢。”

And the dolls went on cooing, and she vanished under the earth.

布娃娃继续咕咕地唱着，她便完全陷入了地下。

And the brother kept crying, and crying, and crying. And when she never returned, he became angry and ran out to fetch her. He could see nothing but the dolls, which kept singing. So he knocked off their heads and threw them into the stove.

哥哥不停地喊着，喊着，又喊着。可她始终没有回来，他便发起怒来，跑出去找她。他什么也看不见，只看见那几个布娃娃还在不停地唱着。于是他把它们的脑袋都敲了下来，扔进了炉子里。

The sister went farther under the earth, and she saw a little hut standing on cocks’ feet and turning round. “Hut!” she cried out, “Stand as you should with your back to the wood.”

妹妹在地底下越陷越深，看见一间立在鸡爪上的小屋，正不停地转动着。“小屋！”她喊道，“照规矩站好，把背对着树林。”

So the hut stopped and the doors opened, and a fair maiden looked out. She was knitting a cloth with gold and silver thread. She greeted the guest friendlily and kindly, but sighed and said, “Oh, my darling, my sister! Oh, I am so glad to see you. I shall be so glad to look after you and to care for you as long as my mother is not here. But as soon as she flies in, woe to you and me, for she is a witch.”

于是小屋停了下来，门开了，一位美丽的姑娘探出头来。她正用金线银线织着一块布。她热情友好地迎接了这位客人，却又叹了口气说：“哦，我亲爱的，我的妹妹啊！哦，见到你我真高兴。只要我母亲不在家，我就会很乐意照顾你、疼爱你。可她一旦飞回来，你我都要遭殃了，因为她是个女巫。”

When she heard this the maiden was frightened, but could not fly anywhere. So she sat down and began helping the other maiden at her work. So they chattered along; and soon, at the right time before the mother came, the fair maiden turned her guest into a needle, stuck her into the besom and put it on one side. But scarcely had this been done, when Bába Yagá came in.

姑娘听了这话吓坏了，可她已经无处可逃。于是她坐了下来，开始帮着另一位姑娘做手中的活计。她们就这样聊着天；很快，趁母亲还没回来，那位美丽的姑娘便在恰当的时候把客人变成了一根针，插进了扫帚里，放到了一旁。可这事刚办完，芭芭雅嘎就进来了。

“Now, my fair daughter, my little child, tell me at once, why does the room smell so of Russian bones?”

“好了，我美丽的女儿，我的小宝贝，快告诉我，这屋子里怎么这么一股俄罗斯人骨头的味道？”

“Mother, there have been strange men journeying past who wanted a drink of water.”

“母亲，刚才有几个陌生人路过，想讨口水喝。”

“Why did you not keep them?”

“你怎么不把他们留下来？”

“They were too old, mother; much too tough a snack for your teeth.”

“他们太老了，母亲；对您的牙齿来说，这样的点心未免太硬了些。”

“Henceforth, entice them all into the house and never let them go. I must now get about again and look out for other booty.”

“往后，凡是遇上他们，都要哄进屋里来，千万别让他们跑了。我这就得再出去找找别的猎物了。”

As soon as ever she had gone, the maidens set to work again knitting, talking and laughing.

她一走，两位姑娘便又开始干活，一边织布一边说笑。

Then the witch came into the room once more. She sniffed about the house, and said, “Daughter, my sweet daughter, my darling, tell me at once, why does it so smell of Russian bones?”

不多时，女巫又走进屋来。她在屋里四处嗅了嗅，说道：“女儿啊，我的乖女儿，我的心肝，快告诉我，怎么这么一股俄罗斯人骨头的味道？”

“Old men who were just passing by who wanted to warm their hands. I did my best to keep them, but they would not stay.”

“是几个路过的老头儿，想烤烤手取暖。我尽力想把他们留下，可他们不肯留下来。”

So the witch was angry, scolded her daughter, and flew away. In the meantime her unknown guest was sitting in the besom.

于是女巫生了气，把女儿骂了一顿，便飞走了。这时候，她那位陌生的客人正藏在扫帚里坐着呢。

The maidens once more set to work, sewed, laughed, and thought how they might escape the evil witch. This time they forgot how the hours were flying by, and suddenly the witch stood in front of them.

两位姑娘又开始干起活来，一边缝纫，一边说笑，一边盘算着该如何逃脱这个邪恶的女巫。这一回，她们竟忘了时间飞逝，忽然间女巫已经站在了她们面前。

“Darling, tell me, where have the Russian bones crept away?”

“心肝，告诉我，那俄罗斯人的骨头都溜到哪儿去了？”

“Here, my mother; a fair maiden is waiting for you.”

“就在这儿，母亲；有位美丽的姑娘正等着您呢。”

“Daughter mine, darling, heat the oven quickly; make it very hot.”

“我的女儿，我的心肝，快把炉子烧起来；烧得旺旺的。”

So the maiden looked up and was frightened to death. For Bába Yagá with the wooden legs stood in front of her, and to the ceiling rose her nose. So the mother and daughter carried firewood in, logs of oak and maple; made the oven ready till the flames shot up merrily.

姑娘抬头一看，吓得魂飞魄散。只见那长着木头腿的芭芭雅嘎就站在她面前，鼻子高高地翘到了天花板。于是母女二人便搬来柴火，橡木和枫木的木柴，把炉子烧得旺旺的，火苗欢快地蹿了起来。

Then the witch took her broad shovel and said in a friendly voice: “Go and sit on my shovel, fair child.”

这时女巫拿起她那把宽大的铲子，用亲切的声音说道：“来吧，坐到我的铲子上来，好孩子。”

So the maiden obeyed, and the Bába Yagá was going to shove her into the oven. But the girl stuck her feet against the wall of the hearth.

姑娘只得照做，芭芭雅嘎便要把她铲进炉子里去。可这姑娘却把脚顶住了炉膛的墙壁。

“Will you sit still, girl?”

“你到底坐不坐得住，丫头？”

But it was not any good. Bába Yagá could not put the maiden into the oven. So she became angry, thrust her back and said, “You are simply wasting time! Just look at me and see how it is done.” Down she sat on the shovel with her legs nicely trussed together. So the maidens instantly put her into the oven, shut the oven door, and slammed her in; took their knitting with them, and their comb and brush, and ran away.

可怎么也不管用。芭芭雅嘎怎么也没法把姑娘塞进炉子里去。于是她生起气来，把姑娘推到一边，说道：“你简直是在浪费时间！瞧我是怎么做的。”说着她便自己坐到了铲子上，把两条腿好好地并拢起来。两位姑娘见状，立刻把她塞进炉子里，关上炉门，狠狠地把她关在了里面；随后她们带上自己织的布、梳子和刷子，拔腿就跑。

They ran hard away, but when they turned round there was Bába Yagá running after them. She had set herself free. “Hoo, Hoo, Hoo! there run the two!” So the maidens, in their need, threw the brush away, and a thick, dense coppice arose which she could not break through. So she stretched out her claws, scratched herself a way through, and again ran after them. Whither should the two poor girls flee?

她们拼命地跑着，可回头一看，芭芭雅嘎竟又追了上来。原来她已经挣脱了出来。“呼，呼，呼！这两个丫头往哪儿跑！”于是两位姑娘情急之下把刷子扔到了身后，顿时长出一片浓密的灌木丛，怎么也穿不过去。女巫便伸出爪子，硬是抓出一条路来，又继续追了上去。这两个可怜的姑娘该往哪里逃呢？

They flung their comb behind them, and a dark, murky oak forest grew up, so thick, no fly could ever have flown its way through. Then the witch whetted her teeth and set to work. And she went on tearing up one tree after another by the roots, and she made herself a way, and again set out after them, and almost caught them up.

她们把梳子扔到了身后，顿时长出一片幽暗阴森的橡树林，密得连一只苍蝇都飞不过去。于是女巫便磨了磨牙，动起手来。她一棵接一棵地连根拔起树木，硬是给自己开出一条路来，又继续追赶上去，几乎就要追上她们了。

Now the girls had no strength left to run, so they threw the cloth behind them, and a broad sea stretched out, deep, wide and fiery. The old woman rose up, wanted to fly over it, but fell into the fire and was burned to death.

这时姑娘们已经跑得没有一点力气了，于是她们把那块布扔到了身后，顿时展开一片辽阔的大海，又深又宽，还燃烧着熊熊烈火。老太婆冲了上去，想要飞越过去，却一头栽进了火里，被活活烧死了。

The poor maidens, poor homeless doves! did not know whither to go. They sat down in order to rest, and a man came and asked them who they were. He told his master that two little birds had fluttered on to his estate; two fairest damsels similar in form and shape, eye for eye and line for line. One was his sister, but which was it? He could not guess. So the master went to both of them. One was the sister—which? The servant had not lied; he did not know them, and she was angry with him and did not say.

这两个可怜的姑娘啊，就像两只无家可归的鸽子！不知该往哪里去。她们坐下来歇息，这时来了一个男人，问她们是谁。他告诉自己的主人，说有两只小鸟飞落到了他的庄园里；两位容貌身形一模一样的绝色姑娘，眼睛像眼睛，眉眼线条也丝毫不差。其中一位是他的妹妹，可到底是哪一位呢？他猜不出来。于是主人便去见了这两位姑娘。其中一位是妹妹——可究竟是哪一位？仆人没有说谎；他也认不出来，姑娘对他很生气，也不肯说出来。

“What shall I do?” asked the master.

“我该怎么办呢？”主人问道。

“Master, I will pour blood into an ewe-skin, put that under my armpit and talk to the maiden. In the meantime I will go by and will stab you in the side with my knife; then blood will flow; then your sister will betray herself who she is.”

“主人，我这就把血灌进一张羊皮里，藏在腋下，去和那姑娘说话。趁着这个空当，我会从旁边走过，用刀子刺您的腰侧；这样血就会流出来；这样您的妹妹自然会露出破绽，暴露出她是谁来。”

“Very well!”

“好，就这么办！”

As soon as it was said it was done. The servant stabbed his master in the side, and the blood poured forth, and he fell down.

说做就做。仆人一刀刺进了主人的腰侧，鲜血涌了出来，他便倒了下去。

Then his sister flung herself over him and cried out, “Oh, my brother! my darling!”

这时他的妹妹扑到他身上，喊道：“哦，我的哥哥！我的心肝啊！”

Then the brother jumped up again healthy and well. He embraced his sister, gave her a proper husband, and he married her friend, for the ring fitted her just as well. So they all lived splendidly and happily.

于是哥哥又健健康康地跳了起来。他拥抱了妹妹，为她找了个好丈夫，自己则娶了她的朋友，因为那枚戒指戴在她手上同样合适。于是他们都过上了幸福美满的日子。