Going Traveling

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Once upon a time there was a poor woman who had a son who wanted very much to travel. His mother said, "How can you travel? We have no money at all for you to take with you."

Then the son said, "I will take care of myself. I will always say, 'Not much, not much, not much.'"

So he walked for a long time, always saying, "Not much, not much, not much."

Then he came to a group of fishermen, and said, "God be with you. Not much, not much, not much."

"What do you say, fellow? Not much?"

And when they pulled up their net, they had not caught many fish. So one of them fell on the boy with a stick, saying, "Have you ever seen me thrash?"

"What should I say, then?" asked the boy.

"You should say, "Catch a lot. Catch a lot."

Then he again walked a long time, saying, "Catch a lot. Catch a lot," until he came to a gallows, where they were about to hang a poor sinner. Then said he, "Good morning. Catch a lot. Catch a lot."

"What do you say, fellow? Catch a lot? Should there be even more wicked people in the world? Isn't this enough?" And he again got it on his back.

"What should I say, then?" he asked.

"You should say, "May God comfort the poor soul."

Again the boy walked on for a long while, saying, "May God comfort the poor soul." Then he came to a ditch where a knacker was skinning a horse. The boy said, "Good morning. May God comfort the poor soul."

"What do you say, you disgusting fellow?" said the knacker, hitting him about the ears with his skinning hook until he could not see out of his eyes.

"What should I say, then?"

"You should say, 'Lie in the ditch, you carcass.'"

So he walked on, saying, "Lie in the ditch, you carcass. Lie in the ditch, you carcass." He came to a coach filled with people, and said, "Lie in the ditch, you carcass."

Then the coach tipped over into the ditch, and the driver took his whip and beat the boy until he had to crawl back to his mother, and as long as he lived he never went traveling again.

　从前，有位穷女人，她有一个儿子。这儿子总想出去旅行，母亲说：“你怎样去旅行呢？我们没有一点钱能让你路上用。”儿子说：“我会自己想办法的。我会说：不多，不多，不多。”

他就是这样走了好些日子，嘴里总是“不多，不多，不多”地说个不停。一次他打一群渔夫那儿经过，说：“愿上帝保佑你们！不多，不多，不多。”“你说甚么来着，乡巴佬，'不多'？”说着他们拖起网来，打着的鱼果然不多。因此一个人就操起根棍子朝这年轻人打来，口中说道，“你没瞧见我正打鱼吗？”“那我该怎么说？”年轻人问。“你得说：'打一满网，打一满网'.”於是，他又走了很长时间，口里不断念道：“打一满网，打一满网。”最后他来到一个绞架旁，那儿正要处决一个可怜的罪犯。於是他说：“早上好，打一满网，打一满网。”“你这傢伙说甚么？'打一满网'，难道世上坏蛋还多的是？绞死一个还不够吗？”这样他背上又挨了几下打。“那么，我该怎么说呢？”他问。“你得说'愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧！'”

年轻人又走了很长时间，口里念道：“愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧！”他又来到了一条水沟边。那儿站着个人，正在给一匹马剥皮，只听这年轻人说：“早上好，愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧！”“你这浑小子，说甚么来着？”这剥皮者给了他的耳朵重重一拳，痛得他眼冒金星，一时分不出哪是东南西北。“那么，我该说甚么？”“你得说'你这殭屍，快躺进沟里吧！ '”

於是，他又继续往前走，口中念道：“你这殭屍，快躺进沟里吧！你这殭屍，快躺进沟里吧！”这时，他来到一辆乘满人的马车旁，说：“早上好，你这殭屍，快躺进沟里吧！”话刚出口，马车果然翻进了水沟里，车伕操起马鞭，给了他一顿猛抽，痛得他只好回到他母亲那儿去了。从此，他一辈子再也不出去旅行了。