叢林中的守財奴

　　Once upon a time there was a rich man who had a servant who served him diligently and honestly. Every morning he was the first one out of bed, and at night the last one to go to bed. Whenever there was a difficult job that nobody wanted to do, he was always the first to volunteer. He never complained at any of this, but was contented with everything and always happy.

　　When his year was over, his master gave him no wages, thinking, "That is the smartest thing to do, for it will save me something. He won't leave me, but will gladly stay here working for me."

　　The servant said nothing, but did his work the second year as he had done before, and when at the end of this year he again received no wages, he still stayed on without complaining. When the third year had passed, the master thought it over, then put his hand into his pocket, but pulled out nothing.

　　However, this time the servant said, "Master, I have served you honestly for three years. Be so good as to give me what by rights I have coming to me. I would like to be on my way and see something else of the world."

　　"Yes, my good servant," answered the old miser, "you have served me without complaint, and you shall be kindly rewarded."

　　With this he put his hand into his pocket, then counted out three hellers one at a time, saying, "There, you have a heller for each year. That is a large and generous reward. Only a few masters would pay you this much."

　　The good servant, who understood little about money, put his wealth into his pocket, and thought, "Ah, now that I have a full purse, why should I worry and continue to plague myself with hard work?"

　　So he set forth, uphill and down, singing and jumping for joy.

　　Now it came to pass that as he was passing by a thicket a little dwarf stepped out, and called to him, "Where are you headed, Brother Merry? You don't seem to be burdened down with cares."

　　"Why should I be sad?" answered the servant. "I have everything I need. Three years' wages are jingling in my pocket.

　　"How much is your treasure?" the dwarf asked him.

　　"How much? Three hellers in real money, precisely counted."

　　"Listen," said the dwarf, "I am a poor and needy man. Give me your three hellers. I can no longer work, but you are young and can easily earn your bread."

　　Now because the servant had a good heart and felt pity for the dwarf, he gave him his three hellers, saying, "In God's name, I won't miss them."

　　Then the dwarf said, "Because I see that you have a good heart I will grant you three wishes, one for each heller. They shall all be fulfilled."

　　"Aha," said the servant. "You are a miracle worker. Well, then, if it is to be so, first of all I wish for a blowpipe that will hit everything I aim at; second, for a fiddle, that when I play it, anyone who hears it will have to dance; and third, that whenever I ask a favor of anyone, it will be granted."

　　"You shall have all that," said the dwarf. He reached into the bush, and what do you think, there lay a fiddle and a blowpipe, all ready, just as if they had been ordered. He gave them to the servant, saying, "No one will ever be able to deny any request that you might make."

　　"What more could my heart desire?" said the servant to himself, and went merrily on his way.

　　Soon afterward he met a Jew with a long goatee, who was standing listening to a bird singing high up in the top of a tree.

　　"One of God's own miracles," he shouted, "that such a small creature should have such a fearfully loud voice. If only it were mine! If only someone would sprinkle some salt on its tail!"

　　"If that is all you want," said the servant, "then the bird shall soon be down here." He took aim, hit it precisely, and the bird fell down into a thorn hedge.

　　"Rogue," he said to the Jew, "Go and fetch the bird out for yourself."

　　"My goodness," said the Jew, "don't call me a rogue, sir, but I will be the dog and get the bird out for myself. After all, you're the one who shot it."

　　Then he lay down on the ground and began crawling into the thicket. When he was in the middle of the thorns, the good servant could not resist the temptation to pick up his fiddle and begin to play.

　　The Jew's legs immediately began to move, and he jumped up. The more the servant fiddled the better went the dance. However, the thorns ripped apart the Jew's shabby coat, combed his beard, and pricked and pinched him all over his body.

　　"My goodness," cried the Jew, "what do I want with your fiddling? Stop playing, sir. I don't want to dance."

　　But the servant did not listen to him, and thought, "You have fleeced people often enough, and now the thorn hedge shall do the same to you." He began to play all over again, so that the Jew had to jump even higher, leaving scraps from his coat hanging on the thorns.

　　"Oh, woe is me!" cried the Jew. "I will give the gentleman anything he asks, if only he quits fiddling, even a purse filled with gold."

　　"If you are so generous," said the servant, "then I will stop my music. But I must praise the singular way that you dance to it." Then he took his purse he went on his way.

　　The Jew stood there quietly watching the servant until he was far off and out of sight, and then he screamed out with all his might, "You miserable musician, you beer-house fiddler! Wait until I catch you alone. I will chase you until you wear the soles off your shoes. You ragamuffin, just put a groschen in your mouth, so that you will be worth six hellers." He continued to curse as fast as he could speak. As soon as he had thus refreshed himself a little, and caught his breath again, he ran into the town to the judge.

　　"Judge, sir," he said, "Oh, woe is me! See how a godless man has robbed me and abused me on the open road. A stone on the ground would feel sorry for me. My clothes are ripped into shreds. My body is pricked and scratched to pieces. And what little I owned has been taken away with my purse —— genuine ducats, each piece more beautiful than the others. For God's sake, let the man be thrown into prison."

　　The judge asked, "Was it a soldier who cut you up like that with his saber?"

　　"God forbid," said the Jew. "He didn't have a naked dagger, but rather a blowpipe hanging from his back, and a fiddle from his neck. The scoundrel can easily be recognized."

　　The judge sent his people out after him. They found the good servant, who had been walking along quite slowly. And they found the purse with the money on him as well.

　　When he was brought before the judge he said, "I did not touch the Jew, nor take his money. He offered it to me freely, so that I would stop fiddling, because he could not stand my music."

　　"God forbid!" cried the Jew. "He is reaching for lies like flies on the wall."

　　The judge did not believe his story, and said, "That is a poor excuse. No Jew would do that." And because he had committed robbery on the open road, the good servant was sentenced to the gallows.

　　As he was being led away, the Jew screamed after him, "You good-for-nothing. You dog of a musician. Now you will receive your well earned reward."

　　The servant walked quietly up the ladder with the hangman, but on the last rung he turned around and said to the judge, "Grant me just one request before I die."

　　"Yes," said the judge, "if you do not ask for your life."

　　"I do not ask for life," answered the servant, "but let me play my fiddle one last time."

　　The Jew cried out miserably, "For God's sake, do not allow it! Do not allow it!"

　　But the judge said, "Why should I not grant him this short pleasure? It has been promised to him, and he shall have it." In any event, he could not have refused because of the gift that had been bestowed on the servant.

　　The Jew cried, "Oh, woe is me! Tie me up. Tie me up tightly."

　　The good servant took his fiddle from his neck, and made ready. As he played the first stroke, they all began to quiver and shake: the judge, the clerks, and the court officials. The rope fell out of the hand of the one who was going to tie up the Jew.

　　At the second stroke they all lifted their legs. The hangman released the good servant and made ready to dance.

　　At the third stroke everyone jumped up and began to dance. The judge and the Jew were out in front and were the best at jumping. Soon everyone who had gathered in the marketplace out of curiosity was dancing with them, old and young, fat and thin, all together with each other. Even the dogs that had run along with the crowd stood up on their hind legs and hopped along as well. The longer he played, the higher the dancers jumped, until they were knocking their heads together and crying out terribly.

　　Finally the judge, quite out of breath, shouted, "I will give you your life, but just stop fiddling."

　　The good servant listened to this, then took his fiddle, hung it around his neck again, and climbed down the ladder. He went up to the Jew, who was lying upon the ground gasping for air, and said, "You rogue, now confess where you got the money, or I will take my fiddle off my neck and begin to play again."

　　"I stole it. I stole it," he cried. "But you have honestly earned it."

　　With that the judge had the Jew led to the gallows and hanged as a thief.

　　一個農(nóng)場主有一個忠誠的仆人,這個仆人辛辛苦苦地給他干了三年的活,而他卻沒有給仆人付過任何工錢。最后仆人打定主意,如果農(nóng)場主再不付給他工錢,他就不再干下去了。

　　他找到農(nóng)場主說:“我為你勤勤懇懇地做了這么久的事,相信你會根據(jù)我的勞動付給我應(yīng)得的工錢。”農(nóng)場主是一個極其吝惜的守財奴,他知道這個仆人頭腦非常簡單,所以,只拿出三便士給他,也就是一年一便士的工錢。可憐的仆人竟以為這是一筆大數(shù)目的錢財,自言自語地說:“我為什么還要在這兒拚命干活,還要在生活這么差的地方待下去呢?我現(xiàn)在可以到外面廣闊的世界里去游玩,去尋找自己的快樂呀!”說完,他把錢放進自己的錢袋里,離開了農(nóng)莊,開始了他的漫游旅程。

　　一天,當(dāng)他翻過山嶺,獨自又唱又跳地走在一片田野上時,他遇到了一個小矮人。小矮人問他是什么事使得他這么高興愉快,他回答說:“嗨!為什么要愁眉苦臉呢?我身體健康,口袋里有我三年儲蓄的一大筆工錢,還有什么好擔(dān)心的呢?”小矮人說道:“到底有多少錢呀?”仆人回答道:“整整三便士。”小矮人試探道:“我太窮困了,真希望你能把那些錢給我。”仆人心地很善良,看到他個子這么矮,的確是個貧困的樣子,對他很同情,就把自己的錢都給了他。作為回報,小矮人對他說:“你有這么一顆善良的心,我將滿足你三個愿望——一便士一個,你喜歡什么就選擇什么。”仆人很高興自己交上了好運,說道:“我喜歡的東西很多,但并不是錢。第一,我要一張弓,用這張弓,任何被我瞄準(zhǔn)的東西都會掉下來;第二,我要一架小提琴,當(dāng)我演奏時,每個聽到琴聲的人都會跳起舞來;第三,我希望每個人都會滿足我提出的要求。”小矮人說他就會有他希望的東西,說完,就像變戲法似地拿出一副弓箭和一架小提琴給了他,然后就不見了。

　　誠實的仆人懷著驚奇而又興奮的心情上路了。要是說他前一陣子是十分快樂的話,那他現(xiàn)在可以說是一百分的快樂,他唱得比剛才更歡,跳得更起勁了。不久,他遇見了一個老守財奴,在他們相遇的地方有一棵樹,樹梢的嫩枝上站著一只鳥兒,鳥兒叫得正歡。守財奴說道:“喲!多么漂亮的鳥啊!要是能買到這樣一只鳥,花多少錢我也愿意。”仆人聽見后說道:“如果真是這樣,我很快就會要它下來。”說罷,他舉起他的弓,望上瞄準(zhǔn),那鳥兒馬上掉下來落進了樹下的灌木叢中。守財奴一見,也不談錢的事,馬上爬進樹叢中去找鳥兒,但他剛剛爬到里面時,仆人拿起小提琴拉了起來。隨著琴聲的傳出,守財奴開始跳起舞來,他在樹叢中跳來跳去,越跳越高,樹叢中的荊棘很快就鉤破了他的衣裳,使他渾身的衣裳都成了破布條,身上也被劃破,傷痕累累,鮮血淋漓。守財奴哭道:“哎喲!看在上帝的份上!大師,大師呀!請別再拉小提琴了,我做了什么要遭受這份罪啊?”仆人說道:“你吝嗇小氣,剝削了許許多多的貧窮人們,這只是你得到的報應(yīng)。”說完,他拉起了另一首曲子。守財奴開始哀求他,答應(yīng)給他錢,讓他能停止跳舞、爬出樹叢。但他卻又不肯多給錢。

　　仆人就把琴聲拉得更響了,守財奴跟著跳得越來越劇烈,出的錢也越來越多,最后他答應(yīng)把錢袋里的整整一百個金幣都給仆人,這些金幣都是他剛剛從窮人那兒榨取來的。當(dāng)仆人看到這么多錢,說道:“我就同意你的請求了。”于是,他拿起錢袋,收好提琴,高高興興地又踏上了旅途。

　　仆人一走,守財奴慢慢地從樹叢中爬了出來,他渾身衣不遮體,一副凄凄慘慘的樣子,不禁憤恨不已,開始考慮起怎樣進行報復(fù)來,他要用奸計來對付仆人。最后他跑到法官那里,控告說有一個惡棍強迫他進行交易,騙搶了他的錢財,這個家伙的背后掛著一張弓,脖子上挎著一架小提琴。法官聽了,派出巡警到處去找,說不管在哪里找到都要把他帶到法庭來。巡警們不久就抓到了這個仆人,并把他帶到了法庭,要對他進行審判。

　　守財奴開始了他的控告,說仆人騙搶了他的錢財。仆人分辯說:“不是這樣,事實是我為你演奏一首曲子后你給我的報酬。”但是法官說這是不可能的事情,駁回了仆人的辯護詞,判了他絞刑,草草地將這個案子結(jié)了。

　　仆人被帶了出去,但當(dāng)他站在絞刑架臺子上時,他說道:“法官大人,請答應(yīng)我最后一個心愿。”法官回答說:“只要你的要求不是赦免你,我都可以答應(yīng)。”“我不是要求你赦免我,只是想請你允許我最后演奏一次小提琴。”守財奴一聽,大叫道:“啊,不!不!看在上帝的份上,千萬不要聽他演奏!千萬不要讓他演奏!”法官卻說道:“就讓他演奏吧,他很快就會演奏完的。”其實,這完全是小矮人送給他的第三件禮物,沒有人能夠拒絕他的要求。

　　這時,守財奴叫道:“快把我捆起來,快把我捆起來!我不想再遭受這種痛苦。”但仆人已經(jīng)拿好了小提琴,開始奏響了曲子。當(dāng)琴發(fā)出第一聲音調(diào)時,法官、書記員和監(jiān)管人以及所有的人都開始擺動起來,此時已沒有人能夠去捆那個守財奴了。第二聲音調(diào)傳來,行刑的人放開仆人,也跳了起來。到他奏完曲子的第一小節(jié),所有的人——法官、法庭理事和守財奴,包括所有的旁觀者——都一同跳起舞來,開始他們跳得很愉快,很興奮,但不一會兒就累壞了。演奏沒停下來,他們跳舞也不能停下來。他們開始叫喊,開始乞求他不要再拉琴了,但他對他們的乞求置若罔聞,一刻也沒有停止,一直到法官不僅赦免了他的死罪,而且還答應(yīng)把那一百塊金幣歸還給他,他才放下小提琴。

　　接著,他叫住守財奴說:“現(xiàn)在告訴大家,你這個流氓,無賴,你在哪兒得來的這些金幣?不然的話,我就只拿你一個人來消遣。”說罷又把小提琴拿了起來,守財奴嚇壞了,只好當(dāng)著大家的面承認(rèn)說:“我是侵吞得來的,我承認(rèn)都是巧取豪奪得來的。你是公平合理掙得的。”仆人放下小提琴,走下了絞刑架,守財奴則被推了上去,取代了仆人的位置。