Choosing a Bride挑媳婦

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　there was a young herdsman who wanted very much to marry, and was acquainted with three sisters. Each one was just as beautiful as the other, so it was difficult for him to make a choice, and he could not decide to give the preference to any one of them. Then he asked his mother for advice, and she said, "Invite all three, and set some cheese before them, and watch how they cut off a slice."

　　the youth did so. The first one ate the cheese with the rind on. The second one hastily cut the rind off the cheese, but she cut it so quickly that she left much good cheese with it, and threw that away also. The third peeled the rind off carefully, and cut neither too much nor too little. The shepherd told all this to his mother, who said, "Take the third for your wife."

　　This he did, and lived contentedly and happily with her.

　　從前，有個牧羊人急於想娶個老婆。他一下子認識了三姐妹，發現個個貌美，哪個也不差。這下他可為難了，一時不知該選哪一個好。他只好去問他母親，母親說：請她們三個一塊兒來我們家，在她們面前擺些奶餅，看看她們怎么個吃法，年輕人照做了。第一個連皮把奶餅一口吞了下去；第二個想先削皮，但一時匆忙，削去的皮上還留有許多奶酪，就把它給扔了；第三個去皮時很仔細，切得不多也不少。牧羊人把這一切都看在眼里，然后告訴了他母親，母親說：“就挑第三個做你的媳婦吧！”牧羊人照辦了，從此他倆過著幸福美滿的生活。