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CHAPTER 1
第一章
Centuries ago there lived-- "A king!" my little readers will say immediately.
從前有…“有一個國王！”我的小讀者馬上要說。
No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.
不對，小朋友，你們錯了，從前有一段木頭。
It was not an expensive piece of wood.
這段木頭并不是什么貴重木頭。
Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.
恰恰相反。就是柴堆里的普通柴火塊兒，那些粗壯、堅硬的，冬天用來生火，讓房間變得溫暖愜意的木頭中的一根。
I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter.
我也不知道是怎么回事，總之有一天，這段木頭碰巧到了一位老木匠的鋪子里。
His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry.
這位老木匠名叫安東尼奧，大伙兒卻管他叫櫻桃師傅，叫他櫻桃師傅，因為他的鼻尖紅得發紫，再加上亮光光的，活像一個熟透了的櫻桃。
As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy.
櫻桃師傅看見這段木頭，高興極了。
Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself:
他滿意得一個勁兒搓著手，低聲嘟嚷說：
"This is coming in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table."
“這段木頭來得正好，我要拿它做條桌子腿。”
He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood.
說干就干，他馬上拿起一把鋒利的斧子，動手就要削掉樹皮，先大致砍出條桌子腿的樣子。
But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone:
可他第一斧正要砍下去，手舉在頭頂上卻一下子停住不動了，因為他聽見一個很細很細的聲音央求他說：
"Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!"
“可別把我砍得太重了！”
What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry's face! His funny face became still funnier.
櫻桃師傅這位善良的老頭兒該是多么驚訝啊！他那滑稽的臉變得更加滑稽了。
He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one!
他一雙眼睛嚇傻了，滿屋子骨碌碌轉了一圈，要看看這個微弱的聲音是打哪兒來的，可他一個人也沒有看見！
He looked under the bench-no one! He peeped inside the closet-no one! He searched among the shavings-no one!
他往工作臺底下看看，沒有人；他打開一直關著的柜子看看，沒有人；他往一簍刨花和碎木片里面看看，也沒有人；
He opened the door to look up and down the street-and still no one!
他甚至打開鋪子門往街上看看，還是沒有人！那么...?
