教父先生
A poor man had so many children that he had already asked everyone in the world to be godfather， and when still another child was born， no one else was left whom he could invite. He knew not what to do， and， in his perplexityperplexity n.困惑混乱， he lay down and fell asleep. Then he dreamt that he was to go outside the gate， and ask the first person he met to be godfathergodfather n.教父. When he awoke， he determined to obey his dream， and went outside the gate， and asked the first person who came up to him to be godfather. The stranger presented him with a little glass of water， and said， “This is a wonderful water， with it you can heal the sick， only you must see where death is standing. If he is standing by the patients head， give the patient some of the water and he will be healed， but if death is standing by his feet， all trouble will be in vainin vain adv.徒然， for the sick man must die.” From this time forth， the man could always say whether a patient could be saved or not， and became famous for his skill， and earned a great deal of money. Once he was called in to the child of the king， and when he entered， he saw death standing by the childs head and cured it with the water， and he did the same a second time， but the third time death was standing by its feet， and then he knew the child had to die.
一个穷人有许多孩子，他已经请了所有能请的人来作他们的教父，当他又添了一个孩子时，就再没有谁可请了。他不知怎么办好，苦闷得倒在床上，一会儿便睡着了。在他的梦里，他梦见自己出了家门，并且让他遇见的第一个人当孩子的教父。他醒来后决定照梦里办。出了门，碰见第一个人，向他提出了自己的请求。这个陌生人送给他一小杯水，说：“这是一杯神水，你可以用它治好病人。你只须看清楚死神站在哪里：要是在头，你给病人一点水喝他就会恢复健康；可要是在脚，一切努力都白费，他只好死了。”从这以后，穷人总能够预言一个病人是有救还是没救。渐渐地，他凭这本事出了名，发了财。一天，他被召去替国王的孩子看病。他进了病房，看见死神正站在孩子的脑袋旁边，就用神水治好了他。后来他第二次替王子看病，情况也一样。可是第三次，死神站在脚旁边，王子就死了。
Once the man thought he would visit the godfather， and tell him how he had succeeded with the water. But when he entered the house， the strangest things were going on within. On the first flight of stairs， the broombroom n.扫帚 and shovelshovel n.铲， 铁铲 were disputing， and knocking each other about violently. He asked them， “Where does the godfather live？” The broom replied， “One flight of stairs higher up.” When he came to the second flight， he saw a heap of dead fingers lying. He asked， “Where does the godfather live？” One of the fingers replied， “One flight of stairs higher.” On the third flight lay a heap of dead heads， which again directed him to the flight beyond. On the fourth flight， he saw fishes on the fire， which frizzledfrizzle vi.卷曲， 炸得吱吱响 in pans and baked themselves. They， too， said， “One flight of stairs higher.” And when he had ascended the fifth， he came to the door of a room and peeped through the keyholekeyhole n.锁眼， and there he saw the godfather who had a pair of long horns. When he opened the door and went in， the godfather got into bed in a great hurry and covered himself up. Then said the man， “Sir godfather， what a strange household you have. When I came to your first flight of stairs， the shovel and broom were quarreling， and beating each other violently.”“How stupid you are.” said the godfather， “That was the boy and the maid talking to each other.” “But on the second flight I saw dead fingers lying.” “Oh， how silly you are. Those were some roots of scorzonerascorzonera n.［植］鸦葱.” “On the third flight lay a heap of dead mens heads.”“Foolish man， those were cabbages.”“On the fourth flight I saw fishes in a pan， which were hissinghiss v.嘶嘶作声， 用嘘声表示 and baking themselves.” When he had said that， the fishes came and served themselves up. “And when I got to the fifth flight， I peeped through the keyhole of a door， and there， godfather， I saw you and you had long， long horns.”“Oh， that is not true.”The man became alarmed， and ran out， and if he had not， who knows what the godfather would have done to him.
于是，他认为应该去拜访那位教父，给他讲使用神水的情况。谁想他跨进教父住的房子，里边的东西都稀奇古怪的。在第一道楼梯上，铲子和扫帚正你扑向我，我扑向你，打得不可开交。他问它们：“教父先生在哪里？”扫帚回答：“在上面的其中一层楼。”他来到第二道楼梯，看见躺着许多死人的手指，又问：“教父先生在哪里？”一根手指回答：“在上面的其中一层楼。”在第三道楼梯上，躺着一堆骷髅头，它们也叫他再上一层楼。到了第四道楼梯，他看见火炉上架着一只锅子，锅里有一些鱼正在滋儿滋儿煎自己。它们还是讲：“再上一层楼。”爬上了第五道楼梯，他终于走到一间斗室前，透过锁孔往里一瞅，看见了教父，奇怪的是头上长着一对长长的角。他推开门，走进去，教父却飞快躺在床上，用被子把自己蒙起来。客人于是说：“教父先生，您府上怎么这样奇怪？我走上第一道楼梯，就看见铲子和扫帚在打架，打得难解难分。”“你头脑真简单，”教父回答，“那是男仆和女仆，他俩正在谈情说爱。”“可在第二道楼梯上，我看见一些死人的手指。”“嗨，你好蠢！那是一把大葱。”“第三道楼梯上躺着些骷髅头。”“傻瓜！那是圆白菜！”“在第四道楼梯上，一只锅子里有许多鱼，它们正滋儿滋儿煎自己。”他刚说完，那些鱼就来了，并且自己上了桌子。“当我爬上第五道楼梯，透过房门上的锁孔一瞅，就看见您，教父，头上长了一对长长的角。”“哎，胡说八道！”客人害怕起来，连忙逃走了。谁知道教父先生会怎样整治他呢。