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The Six Swans
六只天鹅
Once upon a time, a king, hunting in a great forest, chased a wild boar so eagerly, that none of his people could follow him.
从前，有一个国王在森林里打猎，他奋力追赶着一头野兽，随从都跟不上他。
When evening came, he stopped to look about him, and saw that he had lost himself.
到了晚上，他停下来环顾四周，发现自己迷路了。
He sought everywhere for a way out of the wood, but could find none.
他想从树林里出来，但怎么也找不到路。
Then he perceived coming towards him an old woman, whose head kept constantly shaking. She was a witch.
然后他看到一个老妇人朝他走来，她的头一直在颤抖。那是个女巫。
"My good woman," said he to her,
“这位女士，”他对她说，
"cannot you show me the way through the wood?"
“你能告诉我走出树林的路吗？”
"O yes, your majesty," answered she,
“哦，可以，陛下，”她回答说，
"that I can, but only on one condition,
“我当然能告诉你，不过有一个条件，
and if you do not agree to it, you will never get out,
如果你不答应的话，你就永远出不去，
and must die here of hunger."
而且一定会饿死在这里的。”
"What is the condition?" asked the king.
“什么条件呢？”国王问。
"I have an only daughter," said the old woman,
“我有一个独生女，”老妇人说，
"she is as beautiful as any one you could find in the wide world, and well deserves to be your wife;
“她的美貌无与伦比，她当之无愧可以成为你的妻子；
if you will make her your queen, I will show you the way out of the wood."
如果你愿意娶她做王后，我就给你指路。”
The king, in the fear of his heart, consented, and the old woman led him to her house, where her daughter sat by the fire.
国王心里害怕，只好答应。老巫婆把国王领到她家，只见女儿正坐在火炉旁。
She received the king as if she had expected him, and he saw that she was very beautiful;
她接见了国王，仿佛她期待着他的到来，国王觉得她的确长的美丽非凡，
but still she did not please him, and he could not look at her without a secret shudder.
可是他并不喜欢她，一看到她就不由得心惊胆战。
After he had lifted up the maiden beside him on his horse, the old woman showed him the way,
等他把姑娘抱上了马，老妇人才给他指路，
and the king arrived again at his royal castle, where the wedding was celebrated.
国王回到皇宫之后，便和姑娘举行了婚礼。
