In past times there were a king and a queen, who said every day, "Oh, if only we had a child!" but they never received one.以前，有个国王和王后一直没有孩子，他们为此非常伤心苦恼。 

　　
  then it happened one day while the queen was sitting in her bath, that a frog crept out of the water onto the ground and said to her, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, and before a year passes you will bring a daughter into the world."有一天，王后正在河边散步，一条小鱼把头浮出水面对她说：「你的愿望就会实现了，不久你就会生下一个女儿的。」
　　
    What the frog said did happen, and the queen gave birth to a girl who was so beautiful that the king could not contain himself for joy, and he ordered a GREat celebration. He invited not only his relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women so that they would be kindly disposed toward the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but because he had only twelve golden plates from which they were to eat, one of them had to remain at home.过了一段时间，那条小鱼所预言的情况真的实现了，王后真的生下了一个非常漂亮的女儿。国王高兴得时时刻刻爱不释手，决定举行一个大型宴会。他不仅邀请了他的亲戚、朋友和外宾，而且邀来了几乎所有的女巫师，让她们为他的女儿送来善良美好的祝愿。他的王国里一共有十三个女巫师，而他只有十二个金盘子来招待她们进餐，所以他只邀请了十二个女巫师，留下一个没有邀请。

　　the feast was celebrated with GREat splendor, and at its conclusion the wise women presented the child with their magic gifts. The one gave her virtue, the second one beauty, the third one wealth, and so on with everything that one could wish for on earth.盛大的宴会结束后，各位来宾都给这个小公主送上了最好的礼物。女巫师们一个送给她美德，另一个送给她美貌，还有一个送给她富有，她们把世人所希望的，世上所有的优点和期盼都送给了她。
　　
     the eleventh one had just pronounced her blessing when the thirteenth one suddenly walked in. She wanted to avenge herself for not having been invited, and without GREeting anyone or even looking at them she cried out with a loud voice, "In the princess's fifteenth year she shall prick herself with a spindle and fall over dead." And without saying another word she turned around and left the hall.当第十一个女巫师刚刚为她祝福之后，第十三个女巫师，也就是那个没有被邀请的女巫师走了进来，她对没有被邀请感到非常愤怒，她要对此进行报复，要献上她恶毒的咒语。所以她进来后就大声叫道：「国王的女儿在十五岁时会被一个纺锤弄伤，最后死去。」

     Everyone was horrified, and the twelfth wise woman, who had not yet offered her wish, stepped foreward. Because she was unable to undo the wicked wish, but only to soften it, she said, "It shall not be her death. The princess will only fall into a hundred-year deep sleep."所有在场的人都大惊失色。可是第十二个女巫师还没有献上她的礼物，便走上前来说：「这个凶险的咒语的确会应验，但公主能够化险为夷。她不会死去，而只是昏睡过去，而且一睡就是一百年。」

      the king, wanting to rescue his dear child, issued an order that all spindles in the entire kingdom should be burned. The wise women's gifts were all fulfilled on the girl, for she was so beautiful, well behaved, friendly, and intelligent that everyone who saw her had to love her.国王为了不使他的女儿遭到那种不幸，命令将王国里的所有纺锤都收上来，又把它们全部销毁。随着时间的流逝，女巫师们的所有祝福都在公主身上应验了：她聪明美丽，性格温柔，举止优雅，真是人见人爱。
　　
     Now it happened that on the day when she turned fifteen years of age the king and the queen were not at home, and the girl was all alone in the castle. She walked around from one place to the next, looking into rooms and chambers as her heart desired. Finally she came to an old tower. She climbed up the narrow, winding stairs and arrived at a small door. In the lock there was a rusty key, and when she turned it the door sprang open. There in a small room sat an old woman with a spindle busily spinning her flax.但恰恰在她十五岁的那一天，国王和王后都不在家，公主单独一个人被留在王宫里。她在宫里到处穿来穿去，大小房间都看完了，最后，她来到了一个古老的宫楼。宫楼里面有一座很狭窄的楼梯，楼梯尽头有一扇门，门上插着一把金钥匙。当她转动金钥匙时，门一下子就弹开了，一个老太婆坐在里面在忙着纺纱。
　　
"Good day, old woman," said the princess. "What are you doing there?" 公主见了说道：「喂！老妈妈，您好！您这是在干甚么呀？」
　　
"I am spinning," said the old woman, nodding her head.
          「纺纱。」老太婆回答说，接着又点了点头。
　
　"What is that thing that is so merrily bouncing about?" asked the girl, taking hold of the spindle, for she too wanted to spin.「这小东西转起来真有意思！」说着，公主上前也想拿起纺锤纺纱。

     She had no sooner touched the spindle when the magic curse was fulfilled, and she pricked herself in the finger. The instant that she felt the prick she fell onto a bed that was standing there, and she lay there in a deep sleep.但她刚一碰到它，立即就倒在地上失去了知觉，以前的咒语真的应验了。

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