The Hare¹'s Bride

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　There was once a woman and her daughter who had a beautiful garden with cabbages. A hare got into it, and during the winter he ate all the cabbages. So the mother said to the daughter, "Go to the garden, and chase² the hare away."

　　The girl said to the hare, "Shoo, shoo, hare! You're eating all our cabbages."

　　The hare said, "Come, girl, sit on my tail, and come with me to my hut."

　　The girl would not do that.

　　The next day the hare came again and ate cabbages, so the woman said to her daughter, "Go to the garden, and chase the hare away."

　　The girl said to the hare, "Shoo, shoo, hare! You're eating all our cabbages."

　　The hare said, "Come, girl, sit on my tail, and come with me to my hut."

　　The girl would not do that.

　　On the third day the hare came again and ate cabbages, so the woman said to her daughter, "Go to the garden and chase the hare away."

　　The girl said, "Shoo, shoo, hare! You're eating all our cabbages."

　　The hare said, "Come, girl, sit on my tail, and come with me to my hut."

　　So the girl sat on the hare's tail, and the hare took her far away to his little hut, and then said, "Now cook some green cabbage and millet³. "I'm going out to invite guests to our wedding."

　　Then all the wedding guests arrived. Who were the wedding guests? I can tell you, because someone else told me. They were all hares⁴, and the crow was there as parson to marry the bride and bridegroom, and the fox served as sexton, and their altar was under the rainbow.

　　But the girl was sad, for she was all alone.

　　The hare came up to her and said, "Open the door! Open the door! The wedding guests are making merry."

　　The bride cried and said nothing. The hare went away. Then the hare came back and said, "Open the door! Open the door! The wedding guests are hungry."

　　The bride continued to cry, and said nothing. The hare went away. Then he came back and said, "Open the door! Open the door! The wedding guests are waiting."

　　The bride said nothing, and the hare went away. Then she dressed a straw doll in her clothes, gave it a stirring-spoon, and stood it next to the millet pot. Then she went back to her mother.

　　The hare came once more and said, "Open the door! Open the door!" Then he opened the door himself and struck the doll on the head so that its cap fell off. Then the hare saw that this was not his bride, and he sadly went away.

　　从前有个妇人，她带着女儿住在一座漂亮的花园里，院子里种了许多卷心菜。冬天，有只兔子来到院子里偷吃卷心菜，妈妈对女儿说：「去把那兔子赶走。」小姑娘就出来对兔子说：「喂！兔子，你快把我们家的卷心菜吃光了。」兔子对小姑娘说：「小姑娘，来坐到我尾巴上来吧，我带你上我家去。」

　　小姑娘不肯。

　　第二天，兔子又来吃卷心菜了。妈妈又对女儿说：「到院子里去把那只兔子赶走。」小姑娘就出来对兔子说：「喂！兔子，你快把我们家的卷心菜吃光了。」兔子对小姑娘说：「小姑娘，来坐到我尾巴上来吧，我带你上我家去。」小姑娘还是拒绝了。

　　第三天，兔子又来了，坐在卷心菜上面。妈妈对女儿说：「去把那兔子赶走。」小姑娘就出来对兔子说：「喂！兔子，你快把我们家的卷心菜吃光了。」兔子对小姑娘说：「小姑娘，来坐到我尾巴上来吧，我带你上我家去。」小姑娘坐到兔子尾巴上，被带到了很远的兔子家。它对姑娘说：「现在动手烧饭吧，用青菜和小米，我去请来参加婚礼的客人。」接着，所有的客人都到了（谁是客人？我把别人告诉我的说给你听吧：全是兔子！奶牛是牧师，为新郎新娘主持婚礼；狐狸是司仪，祭坛在彩虹下面。）

　　姑娘十分难过，因为只有她是人。小兔子走来说：「开门开门快开门，客人们都很有兴趣。」被当成新娘的姑娘一言不发地抽泣起来，兔子走了出去。它再回来时又说：「开饭开饭快开饭，客人们肚子都很饿了。」新娘还是一声不吭，顾自流泪，兔子又走了。它第三次回来时对小姑娘说：「揭开锅盖快揭开，客人已经不耐烦。」新娘沉默着，兔子又出去了。於是姑娘将自己的衣服套在一个稻草人身上，给它一把勺子装成搅拌锅里煮的东西的样子，然后把它摆在锅边，自己回家找妈妈去了。小兔子又回来喊：「快开饭，快开饭！」然后站起来，对着新娘就是一拳，结果把稻草人的帽子给打掉了。

　　小兔子发现这不是它要的新娘，十分难过地离开了那里。