The Gifts of the Little People

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A tailor and a goldsmith were journeying together when one evening, just as the sun had sunk behind the mountains, they heard the sound of distant music. It grew more and more distinct. It had a strange sound, but was so pleasing that they forgot their fatigue and walked speedily ahead. The moon had already risen when they arrived at a hill, upon which they viewed a large number of small men and women who were holding hands and dancing around and cheerfully singing with the greatest pleasure and happiness. That was the music that the wanderers had heard.

An old man, somewhat larger than the others, sat in their midst. He wore a brightly colored jacket, and his ice-gray beard hung down over his chest. Filled with amazement, the two wanderers stopped and watched the dance. The old man motioned to them that they too should join in, and the little people voluntarily opened their circle.

The goldsmith, who had a hump on his back, and —— like all hunchbacks —— was forward enough, stepped right up. The tailor was at first a little shy and held back, but as soon as he saw what fun it was, he too took heart and joined in.

They closed the circle again, and the little people sang and danced wildly forth. However, the old man took a broad knife, that had been hanging from his belt, sharpened it, and as soon as it was sufficiently sharpened, looked at the strangers. They were frightened, but they did not have to worry for long. The old man grabbed the goldsmith and with the greatest speed smoothly shaved off his beard and the hair from his head. Then the same thing happened to the tailor.

Their fear disappeared when the old man patted them friendly on their shoulders as if he wanted to say that they had done well by letting it all happen without resisting. With his finger he pointed toward a pile of coal that lay nearby, and indicated to them through gestures that they should fill their pockets with it. They both obeyed, although they did not know of what use the coal would be to them. Then they went on their way to seek out a place to spend the night.

They had just arrived in the valley when the bell from a neighboring monastery struck twelve. The singing ceased instantly. Everyone disappeared, and the hill lay in lonely moonlight.

The two wanderers found shelter. Lying on beds of straw, they covered themselves with their jackets. They were so tired that they forgot to take the coal out of their pockets first.

They were awakened earlier than normal by a heavy weight pressing down on their limbs. They reached into their pockets, and could hardly believe their eyes when they saw that they were not filled with coal, but with pure gold. Further, their hair and their beards had also been fully restored.

Now they were rich. However, the goldsmith had twice as much as the tailor, because —— true to his greedy nature —— he had filled his pockets better. However much a greedy person has, he always wants more, so the goldsmith proposed to the tailor that they stay there another day in order to be able to gain even more wealth from the old man on the mountain that evening.

The tailor did not want to do this, and said: "I have enough and am satisfied. I am going to become a master, marry my pleasant object (as he called his sweetheart), and be a happy man."

However, to please the goldsmith, he agreed to stay one more day. That evening the goldsmith hung several pockets over his shoulders in order to be able to carry everything, and set off for the hill.

As had happened the night before, he found the little people dancing and singing. The old man shaved him smooth once again, and indicated that he should take some coal. Without hesitating he packed away as much as his pockets would hold, and then happily returned home. Covering himself with his jacket he said: "I can bear it, if the gold presses down on me." With the sweet premonition that he would awaken tomorrow as a very rich man, he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes, he got up quickly in order to examine his pockets. How astounded he was, that he pulled out nothing but black coal, however often he reached inside. "Anyway, I still have the gold from the night before," he thought, and reached for it. Horrified, he saw that it too had turned back into coal. He struck himself on the forehead with his grimy hand, and felt that his entire head was as bald and smooth as his beardless chin.

Nor was that the end of his misfortune. Only now did he notice that in addition the hump on his back, a second one, of the same size, had grown onto his chest. Now he recognized the punishment for his greed and began to cry aloud.

The good tailor, who had been awakened by all this, consoled the unhappy man as best he could, saying: "You were my traveling companion, and you can stay with me now and live from my treasure."

He kept his word, but the poor goldsmith had to bear two humps and cover his bald head with a cap as long as he lived.

            一个裁缝和一个金匠一起外出旅行。一天傍晚太阳下山后，他们听到远处传来了歌声，而且声音越来越清晰。乐声很怪但又如此悦耳，以致他们忘记了疲劳，赶紧向前走去。月亮升起时，他们走到了山顶，在那儿看到一大帮个子矮小的男男女女手拉手儿围着圈，在尽情跳舞。

他们唱的歌非常动听，刚才两人听到的就是这歌声。在那些人中间坐着一位长者，他比其他人都要高，身穿一件杂色外套，花白的鬍子垂至胸前。那两个人还站在那儿，满脸惊讶地看着他们跳舞呢，老人示意他们加入，那些小人们也热心地散开了一个口子。那个金匠背上有个瘤，就像所有的驼背一样，他大胆地加入了跳舞者的圈子，而裁缝开始还有些害怕，想退缩，但他看到所有人都玩得那样开心，便也鼓起勇气加入了他们的行列。舞圈马上又合拢了，小人们又继续载歌载舞，欢乐无比。只见那位老者从腰间抽出把大刀，把刀磨得锋利无比，既而把目光转向了两位陌生人。他们都吓坏了，他俩还没来得及思索，就见老人抓住了金匠，以迅雷不及掩耳之速把他的头发和鬍子给剃得个精光，裁缝同样也未能逃脱此劫。等完事后，两人又马上感到恐惧荡然无存了。因为老人友好地拍了拍他俩的肩膀，奇怪的是，他俩觉得是自愿地让老人把头发剃下来的，毫无反抗。他指了指堆在一边的煤堆，示意他俩用煤渣填满口袋，虽然他俩不知道这些东西对他们有甚么用，二话没说便照着老人说的去做了。接着他们就动身去找一间过夜的小屋，当他们到达山谷时，附近僧院的钟声刚刚响过十二点，人们都停止了歌唱。过了一会儿一切都结束了，这座山在月光下显得幽寂而静谧。

两个旅行者找到一家小酒店，躺在了草垫床上，用大衣盖住了身体，他们毕竟太累了，忘了把煤块拿出来，沉重的负担把他俩早早地压醒了。他们把手伸进口袋，简直不能相信自己的眼睛，袋里装的不是煤块，而是金子。更可喜的是，他俩的头发、鬍子变得又长又浓又密，和以前没有甚么两样了。

现在他俩都成了有钱的人，但是那位金匠由於贪婪成性，顺便多装了些煤块，自然比裁缝富得多了。贪婪的人即使拥有很多，希望得到的也越多。所以金匠建议他俩多呆一天，晚上再出去到老人那儿，以便得到更多的金银财宝。裁缝没有答应，他说：「我知足了，现在我将成为一个财主，娶一个我心爱的恋人，而且我也是个幸福的人。」但为了朋友，他决定多呆一天。为了能装回更多财宝，当晚金匠肩上背着许多大包，乐滋滋地上了路。正如前天晚上一样，他发现小人们又在唱歌跳舞，老人又给他剃了个光头，让他带走一些煤块。他毫不犹豫地把包装得满满的，满心喜悦地走回来，身上全是大包小包。「即使金子背起来很重，」他说，「我也能承受。」最后他甜甜地进入了梦乡，梦见自己清晨醒来变成了一个大富翁。

当他睁开双眼伸手来摸口袋时，发现自己甚么也没摸到，只摸到一些黑煤块，不禁惊讶万分。「前天晚上我得到的那些金子一定还在那儿。」他心想，然后把那个口袋拿了出来，结果惊奇的发现它们也变成了煤块。他又用又黑又髒的手摸了摸前额，突然发现他的整个脑袋又秃又平，长鬍子的地方也同样如此。但是他的噩运还没完，他突然注意到他胸部也长出了一块和背上一样大的东西。那时他才意识到这一切都是对他贪婪成性的惩罚，便开始大哭起来。哭声一下把好心的裁缝给闹醒了，裁缝马上安慰那个可怜的人，并说：「旅行时咱们一直结伴而行，你应当和我一起分享我的财产。」他许下了诺言，但那个可怜的金匠不得不带着两个肿块度过余生，并不时用帽子遮住他那光光的脑袋。