旁白：In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a King whose daughters

　　在遥远的古代，人们心中的美好愿望往往能够变成现实。就在那个令人神往的时代，曾经有

　　were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen

　　过一位国王。国王有好几个女儿，个个都长得非常美丽；尤其是他的小女儿，更是美如天仙，

　　so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the King’s castle lay

　　就连见多识广的太阳，每次照在她脸上时，都对她的美丽感到惊诧不已。国王的宫殿附近，

　　a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the

　　有一片幽暗的大森林。在这片森林中的一棵老椴树下，有一个水潭，水潭很深。在天热的时

　　day was very warm, the King’s child went out into the forest and sat down by the side

　　候，小公主常常来到这片森林，坐在清凉的水潭边上。她坐在那里感到无聊的时候，就取出

　　of the cool fountain, and when she was dull she took a golden ball, and threw it up on

　　一只金球，把金球抛向空中，然后再用手接住。这成了她最喜爱的游戏。

　　high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite plaything.

　　Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess’s golden ball did not fall into

　　不巧的是，有一次，小公主伸出两只小手去接金球，金球却没有落进她的手里，而是掉到了

　　the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and

　　地上，而且一下子就滚到了水潭里。小公主两眼紧紧地盯着金球，可是金球忽地一下子在水

　　rolled straight into the water. The King’s daughter followed it with her eyes, but it

　　潭里就没影儿了。因为水潭里的水很深，看不见底，小公主就哭了起来，她的哭声越来越大，

　　vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen.On this

　　哭得伤心极了。哭着哭着，小公主突然听见有人大声说

　　she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented someone said to her,

　　青蛙：“What’s wrong with you, King’s daughter? You weep so that even a stone

　　“哎呀，公主，您这是怎么啦？您这样嚎啕大哭，就连石头听了都会心疼的呀。”would show pity.”

　　公主：“Ah! Old water-splasher, is it you?” “I am weeping for my golden ball, which

　　“啊！原来是你呀，游泳健将，我在这儿哭，是因为我的金球掉进水潭里去了。”

　　has fallen into the well.”

　　青蛙：“Be quiet, and do not weep, I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring

　　“好啦，不要难过，别哭了，我有办法帮助您。要是我帮您把您的金球捞出来，您拿

　　the plaything up again?”

　　什么东西来回报我呢？”

　　公主：“Whatever you will have, dear frog, my clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even

　　“亲爱的青蛙，你要什么东西都成，我的衣服、我的珍珠和宝石、甚至我头上戴着的

　　the golden crown which I am wearing.”

　　这顶金冠，都可以给你。”

　　青蛙：“I do not care for the clothes, the pearls and jewels, or the golden crown, but if

　　“您的衣服、您的珍珠、您的宝石，还有您的金冠，我哪样都不想要。不过，要是您

　　you will love me and let me be the companion and play-fellow, and sit by you

　　喜欢我，让我做您的好朋友，我们一起游戏，吃饭的时候让我和您同坐一张餐桌，

　　at the little table, and eat off the little golden plate, and drink out of the little

　　用您的小金碟子吃东西，用您的小高脚杯饮酒，晚上还让我睡在您的小床上；要是

　　cup, and sleep in the little bed — if you will promise me this I will go down

　　您答应所有这一切的话，我就潜到水潭里去，把您的金球捞出来。

　　below, and bring you the golden ball up again.”

　　公主：“Oh, yes, I promise you all you wished, if you will bring me my ball back

　　“好的，太好了，只要你愿意把我的金球捞出来，你的一切要求我都答应。

　　again.”

　　（然而她想：）

　　“How the silly frog does talk! He lives in the water with the other frogs,

　　“这只青蛙可真够傻的，尽胡说八道！他只配蹲在水潭里，和其他青蛙一起呱呱叫，

　　and croaks, and can be no companion to any human being.”

　　怎么可能做人的好朋友呢？

　　旁白：

　　But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank

　　青蛙得到了小公主的许诺之后，把脑袋往水里一扎，就潜入了水潭。过了不大一会儿，青蛙

　　down, and in a short time came swimming up again with the ball in his mouth, and

　　嘴里衔着金球，浮出了水面，然后把金球吐在草地上。小公主重又见到了自己心爱的玩具，

　　threw it on the grass. The King’s daughter was delighted to see her pretty plaything

　　心里别提有多高兴了。她把金球拣了起来，撒腿就跑。

　　once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it.

　　青蛙：“Wait, wait, take me with you. I can’t run as you can.”

　　“别跑！别跑！带上我呀！我可跑不了您那么快。”

　　旁白：

　　But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could?

　　尽管青蛙扯着嗓子拼命叫喊，可是没有一点儿用。小公主对青蛙的喊叫根本不予理睬，而是

　　She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to

　　径直跑回了家，并且很快就把可怜的青蛙忘记得一干二净。青蛙只好蹦蹦跳跳地又回到水潭

　　go back into his well again.

　　里去。

　　The next day when she had seated herself at table with the King and all the courtiers,

　　第二天，小公主跟国王和大臣们刚刚坐上餐桌，才开始用她的小金碟进餐，突然听见啪啦啪

　　and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash,

　　啦的声音。随着声响，有个什么东西顺着大理石台阶往上跳，到了门口时，便一边敲门一边

　　splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the

　　大声嚷嚷：

　　door and cried,

　　青蛙：“Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me.”

　　“小公主，快开门！”

　　(She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in

　　听到喊声，小公主急忙跑到门口，想看看是谁在门外喊叫。打开门一看，原来是那只青蛙，

　　front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and

　　正蹲在门前。小公主见是青蛙，猛然把门关上，转身赶紧回到座位，心里害怕极了。

　　was quite frightened.)

　　国王：“My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who

　　“孩子，你怎么会吓成这个样子？该不是门外有个巨人要把你抓走吧？”

　　wants to carry you away?”

　　公主：“Ah, no, it is no giant, but a disgusting frog.”

　　“啊，不是的，不是什么巨人，而是一只讨厌的青蛙。”

　　国王：“What does a frog want with you?”

　　“青蛙想找你做什么呢？”

　　公主：“Ah, dear father, yesterday when I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing,

　　“唉！我的好爸爸，昨天，我到森林里去了。坐在水潭边上玩的时候，金球掉到水潭

　　my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so the frog brought it out

　　里去了，于是我就哭了。我哭得很伤心，青蛙就替我把金球捞了上来。因为青蛙请求

　　again for me, and because he insisted so on it, I promised him he should be my

　　我做他的朋友，我就答应了，可是我压根儿没有想到，他会从水潭里爬出来，爬这么

　　companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! And

　　远的路到这儿来。现在他就在门外呢，想要上咱这儿来。

　　now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me.”

　　（正说着话的当儿，又听见了敲门声，接着是大声的喊叫：）

　　青蛙：“Princess, youngest princess! “小公主啊我的爱，

　　Open the door for me! 快点儿把门打开！

　　Do thou not know what thou saidst to me你不知道你跟我说了什么吗

　　Yesterday by the cool waters of the fountain? 昨天老椴树下水潭边

　　Princess, youngest princess! 小公主啊

　　Open the door for me!” 快点儿把门打开！

　　国王：“That which you had promised must you perform. Go and let him in.”

　　“你决不能言而无信，快去开门让他进来。”

　　(小公主走过去把门打开，青蛙蹦蹦跳跳地进了门，然后跟着小公主来到座位前，接着大声叫道)

　　青蛙：“Lift me up beside you.”

　　“把我抱到你身旁呀！”

　　(小公主听了吓得发抖，国王却吩咐她照青蛙说的去做。青蛙被放在了椅子上，可心里不太高兴，想到桌子上去。上了桌子之后又说)

　　青蛙 ：“Now, push the little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together.”

　　“把您的小金碟子推过来一点儿好吗？这样我们就可以一快儿吃啦。”

　　(很显然，小公主很不情愿这么做，可她还是把金碟子推了过去。青蛙吃得津津有味，可小公主却一点儿胃口都没有。终于，青蛙开口说)

　　青蛙：“I’m full; now I am tired, carry me into the little room and make the little silken

　　“我已经吃饱了。现在我有点累了，请把我抱到您的小卧室去，铺好您的缎子被盖，

　　bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep.”

　　然后我们就寝吧。”

　　(小公主害怕这只冷冰冰的青蛙，连碰都不敢碰一下。一听他要在自己整洁漂亮的小床上睡觉，就哭了起来。)

　　国王：“He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be

　　“在我们困难的时候帮助过我们的人，不论他是谁，过后都不应当受到鄙视。”

　　despised by you.”

　　(于是，小公主用两只纤秀的手指把青蛙挟起来，带着他上了楼，把他放在卧室的一个角落里。可是她刚刚在床上躺下，青蛙就爬到床边对她说)

　　青蛙：“I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father.”

　　“我累了，我也想在床上睡觉。 请把我抱上来，要不然我就告诉您父亲。”

　　(一听这话，小公主勃然大怒，一把抓起青蛙，朝墙上死劲儿摔去。)

　　公主：“Now, you will be quiet, odious frog,”

　　“现在你想睡就去睡吧，你这个丑陋的讨厌鬼！”

　　旁白：

　　But when he fell down he was no frog but a king’s son with beautiful, kind eyes. He

　　谁知他一落地，已不再是什么青蛙，却一下子变成了一位王子：一位两眼炯炯有神、满面笑

　　by her father’s will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how

　　容的王子。直到这时候，王子才告诉小公主，原来他被一个狠毒的巫婆施了魔法，除了小公

　　he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him

　　主以外，谁也不能把他从水潭里解救出来。于是，遵照国王的旨意，他成为小公主亲密的朋

　　from the well but herself, and that tomorrow they would go together into his kingdom.

　　友和伴侣，明天，他们将一道返回他的王国。