The wedding of Mrs. Fox


狐狸太太的婚事


FIRST STORY
There was once on a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed that his wife was not faithful to him, and wished to try her. He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb, and behaved as if he were stone dead. Mrs. Fox went up to her room, shut herself in, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat by the fire, and did the cooking. When it became known that the old fox was dead, wooers presented themselves. The maid heard some one standing at the house-door, knocking. She went and opened it, and it was a young fox, who said,
"What may you be about, Miss Cat.?
Do you sleep or do you wake?"
She answered,
"I am not sleeping, I am waking,
Wouldst thou know what I am making?
I am boiling warm beer with butter so nice,
Will the gentleman enter and drink some likewise?"
"No, thank you, miss," said the fox, "what is Mrs. Fox doing?" The maid replied,
"She sits all alone,
And makes her moan,
Weeping her little eyes quite red,
Because old Mr. Fox is dead."
"Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to woo her." - "Certainly, young sir."
The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap,
The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap,
"Mistress Fox, are you inside?"
"Oh yes, my little cat," she cried.
"A wooer he stands at the door out there."
"Tell me what he is like, my dear?"
"But has he nine as beautiful tails as the late Mr. Fox?" - "Oh, no," answered the cat, "he has only one."
"Then I will not have him." Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away. Soon afterwards there was another knock, and another fox was at the door who wished to woo Mrs. Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare better than the first. After this still more came, each with one tail more than the other, but they were all turned away, until at last one came who had nine tails, like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that, she said joyfully to the cat,
"Now open the gates and doors all wide,
And carry old Mr. Fox outside."
But just as the wedding was going to be solemnized, old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them and Mrs. Fox out of the house.
SECOND STORY
When old Mr. Fox was dead, the wolf came as a wooer, and knocked at the door, and the cat who was servant to Mrs. Fox, opened it for him. The wolf greeted her, and said,
"Good day, Mrs. Cat of Kehrewit,
"How comes it that alone you sit?
What are you making good?"
The cat replied,
"In milk I'm breaking bread so sweet,
Will the gentleman please come in and eat?"
"No, thank you, Mrs. Cat," answered the wolf. "Is Mrs. Fox not at home?"
The cat said,
"She sits upstairs in her room,
Bewailing her sorrowful doom,
Bewailing her trouble so sore,
For old Mr. Fox is no more."
The wolf answered,
"If she's in want of a husband now,
Then will it please her to step below?"
The cat runs quickly up the stair,
And lets her tail fly here and there,
Until she comes to the parlour door.
With her five gold rings at the door she knocks,
"Are you within, good Mistress Fox?
If you're in want of a husband now,
Then will it please you to step below?
Mrs. Fox asked, "Has the gentleman red stockings on' and has he a pointed mouth?" - "No," answered the cat. "Then he won't do for me."
When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other. But one of the good points which old Mr. Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and the cat had continually to send the wooers away. At length came a young fox. Then Mrs. Fox said, "Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a little pointed mouth?" - "Yes," said the cat, "he has." - "Then let him come upstairs," said Mrs. Fox, and ordered the servant to prepare the wedding-feast.
"Sweep me the room as clean as you can,
Up with the window, fling out my old man!
For many a fine fat mouse he brought,
Yet of his wife he never thought,
But ate up every one he caught."
Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr. Fox, and there was much rejoicing and dancing; and if they have not left off, they are dancing still.
从前,有一只狡猾的老狐狸,他很想知道自己的妻子对自己是不是真心真意的。 所以,有一天他直挺挺地躺在长凳下面装死,那样子就像是一只死老鼠。
狐狸太太走进自己的房间里,把门关上了,她的女仆猫小姐则坐在厨房的火炉旁做饭。 老狐狸死了的消息很快就传开了,不久来了一只年青的狐狸敲着门说道:
"猫咪小姐!猫咪小姐!
你今天过得好吗?
你是在睡觉还是在打发时间呢? "
猫走过去打开门,看见门口站着一只年青的狐狸,所以她对他问:
"不,不,狐狸先生,
这大白天我没有睡觉,
我在调制上等的白酒,
阁下有空来吃午饭吗? "
狐狸说道:"不了,谢谢你,请问可怜的狐狸太太怎样了?"
猫小姐回答说:
"她整天坐在自己的房间里,
泪水涟涟地哀叹自己命苦,
连漂亮的眼睛都哭红了,
哎! 都是因为狐狸老先生死了。 "
年青的狐狸说道:
"请你去对她说,
来了一只年青的狐狸,
他来的目的,
是向她求婚的。 "
猫听了,踏着轻快的脚步上楼来到狐狸太太的房间,轻轻地敲着门说道:
"狐狸太太,你在里面吗?"
"哎!我可爱的猫咪,你找我有事吗?"
"门口来了一位求婚者。"
狐狸太太马上回答说:
"亲爱的,他长得怎样?
他个头高,身子挺直吗?
他有九条尾巴吗?
一定要有九条尾巴,
如果没有,
他就不能向我求婚。 "
"哎呀!他只有一条尾巴。"猫说道,"那我不会接受他。"
狐狸太太回答说。 猫小姐下楼送走了这位求婚者。
不久,另一只狐狸来敲门,这只狐狸只有二条尾巴,他的遭遇不比第一位求婚者好多少,也被猫小姐打发走了。 接着一连来了几只狐狸,都被狐狸太太拒绝了。 最后来了一只和老狐狸一样长着九条尾巴的狐狸。
寡妇听到这个消息,立刻跳起来说道:
"啊!我可爱的猫咪,
打开窗户和门,
把我所有的朋友都邀来,
参加我的结婚典礼,
将我那令人作呕的老家伙,
从窗子里仍到大街上去。 "
但是,当结婚宴会准备好时,老狐狸突然跳了起来,抓起一根棍棒,把所有的来宾,包括狐狸太太一起都赶出了门。
过了一段时间,老狐狸真的死了,很快有一只狼来问候,他敲着门说:
"猫小姐,你好,你的胡须多整洁啊!
你怎么独自规规矩矩地坐在这儿呢?
你是在做好吃的东西,
我说的对不对呀? "
猫回答说:
"对了,这是我今天的午餐。
面包加牛奶,
阁下愿意留下来吃饭还是去给你倒一杯酒来喝? "
狼说道:"谢谢你,别客气!我想知道狐狸太太是不是在家。"猫回答说:
"她整天孤零零地坐着,
悲伤地哭泣,
哎呀,哎呀!
都是因为狐狸先生过世了。 "
狼说道:
"哎--,亲爱的猫咪小姐这的确是一件伤心的事,
但你认为我怎么样?
她能同意我作她的丈夫吗? "
猫回答道:
"狼先生,我可不知道她的意思,
你在这儿坐一坐,
我上楼去看一看。 "
猫搬了一把椅子,非常乐意地摇着耳朵,轻快地上楼去了。 她来到狐狸太太的门前,用戴在脚爪上的戒指敲着门说道:"狐狸太太,你在里面吗?"
寡妇说道:"喔!我在,请进来!我的乖乖,我听见厨房里有说话声,告诉我那是谁呀?"
猫回答说:
"那时一只漂亮的狼,
他长着一身光滑的皮毛,
他正打这儿经过,
走进来看了看(因为老狐狸先生死了),
说你是否愿意,
嫁给他做他的妻子。 "
狐狸太太说问:"可他有红红的脚,尖尖的嘴鼻吗?"猫说:"没有。""那他不适合做我的丈夫。"
狼很快就被打发走了。 接着来了一条狗,然后是山羊,再接着是一头熊、一头狮子,所有的兽类动物都来过,一个接一个,它们都只有老狐狸具有的某些特征,都不合狐狸太太的意,猫奉命把他们送走了。
最后,终于有一只年青的狐狸来了,狐狸太太问:"他有四条红红的脚和尖尖的嘴鼻吗?"猫回答说:"是的。"
狐狸太太吩咐道:
"那么,猫咪,把客厅打扫一下,
看起来要干净整洁。
把老家伙仍到街上去,
这个愚蠢的老无赖,
他死了我真高兴。
我现在就要嫁给,
一只年青可爱的狐狸。 "
婚礼举行了,欢乐的钟声敲响了。 朋友和亲戚们都唱起了歌,跳起了舞,举杯畅饮,谁也不知道他们欢跳了多久,也许现在他们还在跳呢!