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1. The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
1.《巫師和跳跳堝》
There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbours.
從前，有一位善良的老巫師，他總是慷慨而智慧地利用自己的魔法，幫助周圍的鄰居們。
Rather than reveal the true source of his power, he pretended that his potions, charm and antidotes sprang ready-made from the little cauldron he called his lucky cooking pot.
他沒有告訴別人他的力量來自哪里，而是謊稱他的魔藥、咒語和解藥都是從一口小坩堝里現成地跳出來的。他管這口堝叫他的幸運堝。
From miles around people came to him with their troubles, and the wizard was pleased to give his pot a stir and put things right.
方圓幾里的人們有了麻煩都來找他，老巫師總是很樂意地攪拌一下他的坩堝，讓事情迎刃而解。
This well-beloved wizard lived to a goodly age, then died, leaving all his chattels to his only son.
這位深受愛戴的巫師活了很久，去世后，他所有的財產都留給了他唯一的兒子。
This son was of a very different disposition to his gentle father.
這個兒子跟他性情溫和的父親完全不一樣。
Those who could not work magic were, to the son's mind, worthless, and he had often quarreled with his father's habit of dispensing magical aid to their neighbours.
在兒子看來，那些不會魔法的人都是廢物，他經常因父親用魔法幫助鄰居的習慣而跟父親吵架。
Upon the father's death, the son found hidden inside the old cooking pot a small package bearing his name.
父親死后，兒子發現那口舊坩堝里藏著一個小包裹，上面寫著他的名字。
He opened it, hoping for gold, but found instead a soft, thick slipper, much too small to wear, and with no pair.
他打開包裹，以為會發現金子，卻只找到了一只又厚又軟的拖鞋，小得根本不能穿，而且找不到另一只。
A fragment of parchment within the slipper bore the words “In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it.”
鞋子里有一小片羊皮紙，上面寫著：“我真心地希望，我的兒子，你永遠用不著它。”
The son cursed his father's age-softened mind then threw the slipper back into the cauldron, resolving to use it henceforth as a rubbish pail.
兒子咒罵父親老糊涂了，把鞋子扔回了坩堝里，決定從此把這坩堝當成垃圾桶。
That very night a peasant woman knocked on the front door.
就在那天夜里，一個老農婦敲響了他的大門。
“My granddaughter is afflicted by a crop of warts, sir,” she told him.
“我孫女身上長了很多疣，先生，”老農婦對他說。
“Your father used to mix a special poultice in that old cooking pot -”
“你父親以前會在那口舊坩堝里調制一種特殊的膏藥——”
“Begone!” cried the son. “What care I for your brat's warts?”
“走開！”兒子嚷道，“你家小孩長疣跟我有什么關系？”
And he slammed the door in the old woman's face.
他當著老農婦的面，把門重重地關上了。
At once there came a loud clanging and banging from his kitchen.
就在那時，他的廚房里傳出了哐啷、哐啷的響聲。
The wizard lit his wand and opened the door, and there, to his amazement, he saw his father's old cooking pot:
巫師點亮魔杖推開門，在廚房里，他驚訝地看到了父親的舊坩堝：
It had sprouted a single foot of brass, and was hopping on the spot, in the middle of the floor, making a fearful noise upon the flagstones.
坩堝已經長出一只黃銅腳，正在廚房中央的地板上跳著，跳得石板地發出了可怕的聲響。
The wizard approached it in wonder, but fell back hurriedly when he saw that the whole of the pot's surface was covered in warts.
巫師驚奇地走上前去，但當看見坩堝的表面布滿了疣，他趕緊退了回來。
“Disgusting object!” he cried, and he tried firstly to Vanish the pot, then to clean it by magic, and finally to force it out of the house.
“令人惡心的東西！”他嚷道。他先試圖用咒語讓坩堝消失，接著試圖用魔法把它弄干凈，最后又試圖把它趕出房子。
None of his spells worked, however, and he was unable to prevent the pot hopping after him out of the kitchen, and then following him up to bed, clanging and banging loudly on every wooden stair.
可是他的魔法統統不管用，坩堝跟在他身后跳出廚房，跟著他跳上樓去睡覺，在每一級木頭樓梯上發出吵鬧的聲音：哐啷、哐啷、哐啷，他完全拿它沒有辦法。
The wizard could not sleep all night for the banging of the warty old pot by his bedside, and next morning the pot insisted upon hopping after him to the breakfast table.
巫師整整一夜沒睡著覺，因為長滿肉瘤的舊坩堝在他床邊不停地吵，第二天早晨，坩堝不依不饒地跟著他跳到早餐桌旁。
Clang, clang, clang, went the brass-footed pot, and the wizard had not even started his porridge when there came another knock on the door.
哐啷、哐啷、哐啷，那只黃銅獨腳不停地跳著，巫師還沒開始喝粥，外面又有人敲門了。
An old man stood on the doorstep. “Tis my old donkey, sir,” he explained.
一個老頭兒站在門口。“先生，我的老驢子，”老頭兒說道。
“Lost, she is, or stolen, and without her I cannot take my wares to market, and my family will go hungry tonight.”
“我的老驢子丟了，也可能被人偷了。沒了驢子，我就沒法把我的貨物馱到市場上去賣，今晚我們全家就要挨餓了。”
“And I am hungry now!” roared the wizard, and he slammed the door upon the old man.
“我現在還餓著呢！”巫師吼道，當著老人的面把門重重地關上了。
