这期间孩子们长大了。一次，最大的那个男孩和其他孩子一道出去捕鱼，他们不愿和他一起，说：“你这个弃儿，走一边去吧！”他十分伤心，就去问老渔夫是不是真的，老渔夫告诉他，他是有一次打鱼时从水里捞出来的。男孩说，他要去找他的亲生父亲。渔夫请求他留在这儿，他坚决不肯，直至渔夫答应了他的要求。他出发了，走了几天几夜，最后来到一条大河边，河边站着一位老太太在钓鱼。
“Good day， mother.” said the boy.
“你好，大妈！”男孩说。
“Many thanks.” said she.
“谢谢。”老太太说。
“You will fish long enough before you catch anything.”
“你要钓很长时间，才能钓到一只鱼吗？”
“And you will seek long enough before you find your father. How will you get over the water？” said the woman.
“你大概也要寻找很长时间，才能找到你的父亲。你打算怎样过这条河呢？”老太太问。
“God knows.”
“是啊，只有上帝知道喽。”
Then the old woman took him up on her back and carried him through it， and he sought for a long time， but could not find his father.
于是，老太太把他驮在背上，背他过了河。但他找了很久很久，也没能找到他的父亲。
When a year had gone by， the second boy set out to seek his brother. He came to the water， and all fared with him just as with his brother. And now there was no one at home but the daughter， and she mournedmourn v.哀悼， 忧伤， 服丧 for her brothers so much that at last she also begged the fisherman to let her set forth， for she wished to go in search of her brothers. Then she likewise came to the great stretch of water， and she said to the old woman， “Good day， mother.” “Many thanks.” replied the old woman. “May God help you with your fishing.” said the maiden. When the old woman heard that， she became quite friendly， and carried her over the water， gave her a wand， and said to her， “Go， my daughter， ever onwards by this road， and when you come to a great black dog， you must pass it silently and boldlyboldly adv.大胆地， 显眼地， without either laughing or looking at it. Then you will come to a great high castle， on the thresholdthreshold n.开始， 开端， 极限 of which you must let the wand fall， and go straight through the castle， and out again on the other side. There you will see an old fountain out of which a large tree has grown， whereon hangs a bird in a cage which you must take down. Take likewise a glass of water out of the fountain， and with these two things go back by the same way. Pick up the wand again from the threshold and take it with you， and when you again pass by the dog， strike him in the face with it， but be sure that you hit him， and then just come back here to me.” The maiden found everything exactly as the old woman had said， and on her way back she found her two brothers who had sought each other over half the world. They went together to the place where the black dog was lying on the road， she struck it in the face， and it turned into a handsome prince who went with them to the river. There the old woman was still standing. She rejoiced much to see them again， and carried them all over the water， and then she too went away， for now she was freed. The others， however， went to the old fisherman， and all were glad that they had found each other again， but they hung the bird on the wall.
一年过去了，第二个男孩又离开家，去寻找他的哥哥。他来到河边，遭遇和他的哥哥一模一样。这下只剩下小女孩一人在家了，她非常想念她的哥哥。最后，她也所示渔夫让她出去，她乞求能拢到她的哥哥们。她同样来到那条大河边，对老太太说：“你好，大妈！”“谢谢。”老太太说。“上帝保佑你钓到大鱼！”老太太一听她这句话就变得非常和蔼，把她背过河，递给她一根魔杖，说：“一直沿着这条大路往前走，我的孩子。当你走过一条大黑狗身边的时候，千万别出声，不要笑也莫打量它，要径直走过去。然后，你就来到一座敞开宫门的大宫殿前。站在门槛上，你必须丢下魔杖，迅速穿过宫殿，从一边出去。那儿有一口老井，井底长出一棵树，树上挂着一个鸟笼，里面关着一只鸟儿。你取下鸟笼，再从井里舀一杯水，然后就带着这两样东西原路返回，再从门槛拾起那根魔杖。当你再经过那条狗身边时，就抽打它的脸——一定得打着它。然后就只需回到我这儿来了。”小女孩果然找到了老妇人所说的一切。在回来的路上，她找到了两个哥哥，他们相互寻找，已走遍了大半个世界。这时兄妹三人一起往前走，到了黑狗待着的路边。少女用魔杖打它的脸，它一下变成了一位英俊的王子，和他们一道来到河边。老妇人还站在那儿，见他们四人到来非常高兴，把他们一一背过河，然后她也离开了。这下附在她身上的魔法也得到了解除。四个年轻人一起朝老渔民家走去。大伙儿再见面时都非常高兴。他们把那只鸟笼挂到了墙上。
But the second son could not settle at home， and took his crossbowcrossbow n.石弓， 弩 and went ahunting. When he was tired he took his fluteflute n.长笛， 笛状物， 凹槽， and made music. The king was hunting too， and heard that and went thither， and when he met the youth， he said， “Who has given you leave to hunt here？”
可是二儿子在家里待不住，拿起弓箭就打猎去了。当他疲倦的时候，就拿起笛子吹上一小段，碰巧国王也在打猎，听见笛声就朝青年走来，看见他就问 “谁允许你在这儿打猎的。”
“Oh， no one.”
“噢，没有谁。”
“To whom do you belong， then？”
“你是哪家的？”
“I am the fishermans son.”
“我是渔夫的儿子。”
“But he has no children.”
“可他没有孩子呀。”
“If you will not believe， come with me.”
“如果你不信，就请跟我来。”
That the king did， and questioned the fisherman， who told him everything， and the little bird on the wall began to sing—“The mother sits alone there in the prison small， o king of royal blood， these are thy children all. The sisters twain so false， they wrought the children woe， there in the waters deep where the fishermen come and go.”
国王去了，问渔夫是怎么回事。渔夫一五一十说，这时墙上的小鸟唱起歌来：
“母亲独自一人，
关在监狱里。
尊敬的国王呵，
这就是你那些好孩子。
那两个凶狠的姨妈，
想要害死孩子们，
把他们扔进河底，
多亏被渔夫救起。”
Then they were all terrified， and the king took the bird， the fisherman and the three children back with him to the castle， and ordered the prison to be opened and brought his wife out again. She had grown quite ill and weak， so the daughter gave her some of the water of the fountain to drink， and she became strong and healthy. But the two false sisters were burnt， and the daughter married the prince.
所有的人都大吃一惊，国王带上鸟儿、渔夫和三个孩子回到王宫，下令打开狱门，把妻子接出来。王后已虚弱憔悴不堪，女儿把从井里取来的水给她喝了，她又重新容光焕发起来。两个狠心的姨妈被烧死了。公主嫁给了那位王子。