The Strange Musician
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Once upon a time there was a strange musician who was walking through the woods all by himself, thinking about this and that. When there was nothing left for him to think about, he said to himself, "It is boring here in the woods. I am going to get myself a good companion."
Then he took his fiddle from his back, and played a tune that sounded through the trees.
Before long a wolf came trotting through the thicket toward him.
"Ah, a wolf is coming. I have no desire for him," said the musician, but the wolf came nearer and said to him, "Ah, dear musician, you play very well. I too would like to learn to play."
"You can learn quickly," answered the musician. "You will only have to do what I tell you."
"Oh, musician," said the wolf, "I will obey you like a pupil obeys his teacher."
The musician told him to come along with him, and when they had walked some distance together, they came to an old oak tree. It was hollow inside and split up the middle.
"Look," said the musician, "if you want learn to play the fiddle, put your forepaws into this crack."
The wolf obeyed, and the musician quickly picked up a stone, and with one blow wedged his two paws so firmly that he had to stay lying there like a prisoner.
"Wait here until I return," said the musician, and went on his way.
After a while he again said to himself, "It is boring here in the woods. I will get myself another companion."
He took his fiddle and again played into the woods. Before long a fox came creeping through the trees toward him.
"Ah, a fox is coming," said the musician. "I have no desire for him."
The fox came up to him and said, "Oh, dear musician, you play very well. I too would like to learn to play."
"You can learn quickly," said the musician. "You will only have to do what I tell you."
"Oh, musician," answered the fox, "I will obey you like a pupil obeys his teacher."
"Follow me," said the musician, and when they had gone some distance together, they came to a footpath with tall saplings on both sides. There the musician stood still, and from one side he bent a young hazelnut tree down to the ground and put his foot on the end of it. Then he bent down another young tree from the other side, and said, "Now little fox, if you want to learn something, give me your left front paw."
The fox obeyed, and the musician tied his paw to the left stem. "Little fox," he said, "now give me your right paw."
He tied this one to the right stem. After making sure that the knots in the cord were tight enough, he let go. The trees sprang upright and jerked the little fox upward, leaving him hanging there struggling in the air.
"Wait here until I return," said the musician, and went on his way.
Once again he said to himself, "It is boring here in the woods. I will get myself another companion. So he took his fiddle, and music sounded through the woods. Then a little hare came jumping toward him.
"Ah, a hare is coming," said the musician. "I do not want him."
"Oh, dear musician," said the hare, "You play very well. I too would like to learn to play."
"You can learn quickly," said the musician. "You will only have to do what I tell you."
"Oh, musician," replied the little hare, "I will obey you like a pupil obeys his teacher."
When they had gone some distance together, they came to an aspen tree in a clearing in the woods. The musician tied a long string around the little hare's neck, then tied the other end of the string to the tree.
"Now quickly, little hare, run twenty times around the tree," shouted the musician, and the little hare obeyed. When he had run around twenty times, he had wound the string twenty times around the trunk of the tree, and the little hare was caught. The more the hare tugged and pulled, the more the string cut into his tender neck.
"Wait here until I return," said the musician, and went on his way.
The wolf, in the meantime, had pushed and pulled and bitten at the stone, and had worked so long that he freed his feet from the crack. Full of anger and rage he rushed after the musician, wanting to tear him to pieces.
When the fox saw him running by, he began to wail, crying out with all his might, "Brother wolf, come help me. The musician has tricked me."
The wolf pulled down the trees, bit the cord in two, and freed the fox, who went with him to take revenge on the musician. They found the tied-up hare, whom they rescued as well, then all together they set forth to find their enemy.
The musician had played his fiddle once again as he went on his way, and this time he had been more fortunate. The sound reached the ears of a poor woodcutter, who instantly, whether he wanted to or not, stopped working and, with his ax under his arm, came toward the musician to listen to the music.
"At last the right companion is coming," said the musician, "for I was seeking a human being, not wild animals." And he began to play so beautifully and delightfully that the poor man stood there enraptured, his heart filled with pleasure.
While he was thus standing there, the wolf, the fox, and the hare approached. He saw well that they had evil intentions, so he raised his shining axe and placed himself before the musician, as if to say, "Anyone who wants to harm him beware, for he will have to deal with me."
Then the beasts took fright and ran back into the woods. The musician, however, played one more tune for the man to thank him, and then went on his way.
有一个技艺一流的乐师，他的小提琴演奏令人赏心悦耳，激动不已。一次，他怀着愉快的心情到森林里去漫游，走了一段路，觉得一个人太无聊，就自言自语地说：「一个人太沉闷了，我得找一个夥伴来。」於是，他拿起小提琴拉了起来。
顷刻间，森林里回荡起了他那美妙的乐声。
一只狼出现了，乐师看到后说道：「哎呀！是一只狼来看我了。」狼走到他面前说：「您的琴拉得太动听了！但愿您能教教我。」乐师说：「这很容易，只要你按我的吩咐做就行了。」狼回答说：「好的，我将是一个非常善於用功的学生。」这样，他们一起走上了小路，最后来到了一棵大树前。这是一棵里面空了的老栎树，树干中间裂了一条大缝。乐师对狼说：「看这儿，如果你想学拉小提琴，就把你的前脚伸进这条裂缝去。」狼按照他说的做了，乐师拾起一块大石头把它的两只前脚牢牢地卡在了裂缝里，就像一个被铐着的囚犯。「现在，你给我乖乖地在这儿等着我回来。」乐师说完，迈着悠闲的步子扬长而去。
过了一会儿，他又自言自语地说：「一个人太沉闷了，我得再找一个夥伴来。」於是，他又拉起了小提琴，悠扬的提琴声再次在森林里传了开去。接着一只狐狸慢慢地来到了他身边，他说道：「哎呀！来了一只狐狸。」狐狸上前说道：「您真是一个一流的乐师，提琴拉的多棒啊！我一定要向您学习拉提琴。」乐师说：「你很快就可以学会，只要你按照我教你的去做就成。」狐狸马上应声道：「好的，我会按您的吩咐去做的。」他们一起上路了。当他们来到一条窄窄的小路时，乐师望了望小路两旁高高的树丛，然后将小路一边的一棵矮壮的榛树干弯下靠近路面，用脚踩住树尖，又弯下小路另一边的一棵榛树对狐狸说：「机灵的狐狸，如果你想学拉小提琴，就把你的左前爪让我握住。」狐狸马上伸出了左前爪，乐师将狐狸爪子绑到一棵榛树的树梢。「现在把你的右前爪伸过来给我。」狐狸又按乐师的吩咐做了，他将这只爪子绑在了另一棵榛树的树梢，随后放开自己的脚，两边的榛树「哗啦」向上弹了起来，狐狸也跟着被弹起，四脚张开被挂了起来，来回在空中不停地摇晃着。乐师说道：「现在你好好地呆在这儿，等着我回来。」说完，又迈着悠闲的步子扬长而去。
可是，不久他又自言自语地说：「又沉闷起来了，我得找一个夥伴。」於是，他拉起了小提琴，琴声飘扬，跑来了一只野兔。乐师说道：「哎呀，是只野兔。」野兔对他说：「您不愧是一个优秀的琴师。您的琴真是拉绝了。您教我好吗？」乐师回答说：「好吧，如果你按我的指挥来做，我就教你。」野兔马上说道：「好的，我会是一个好学生。」然后他们一起走了很长一段时间。当来到森林里一片开阔地带时，乐师用一根绳子在野兔的脖子上系好，将绳子的另一头拴在一棵树上，说道：「好了，灵巧的野兔，跳起来，迅速地绕树跑二十圈。」愚蠢的野兔按乐师的吩咐跑了起来。当兔子围着树跑完二十圈后，牠也将系着牠的绳子在树干上绕了二十圈，像一个被套在树上的囚犯。跑完后，野兔兴緻勃勃地又拉又扯，但只要一拉，绳子将牠的脖子勒得更紧。这时乐师说道：「现在等在这儿，直到我回来。」说完就走了。
再说狼被卡住后，又是拉自己的脚，又是咬树干，还跳起来用后脚抓石头。花了好些时间，费了好大的劲，最后才将脚抽出来。牠愤恨到了极点，说道：「我一定要赶上那卑鄙的乐师，把他撕成碎片。」说完追了上去。狐狸看见狼从身边跑过，叫道：「哎！狼兄，请把我放下来，那乐师用诡计把我弄成了这个样子。」於是狼在榛树下面忙乎起来，咬断了两棵树后，牠俩又一起去找那位乐师。当牠们来到野兔旁边时，野兔也叫喊要牠们帮忙。牠们把牠解脱后，一起向牠们的仇人追去。
此时，乐师为了再找一个夥伴，他又拉起了小提琴，一个贫穷的樵夫听到他这欢快的琴声，兴奋不已，禁不住将斧头夹在胳膊下寻声而来。这回，乐师看见是一个人来了，非常高兴，对这位樵夫非常有礼貌，没有用诡计作弄他，而且拉起了他最善长的曲调，直听得那樵夫如醉如癡，心中洋溢着欢喜。就在樵夫站在旁边凝神静听时，他看到狼、狐狸和野兔走上前来。从牠们面部狂怒的表情，樵夫知道牠们来这儿是不怀好意的，所以他站在乐师的前面，端起斧子，就像是在说：「有我这把斧子在，谁也别想伤害乐师！」这些野兽看到这情形，吓得急忙跑回了森林。乐师此刻又为樵夫拉起他最拿手的曲子，以答谢他为自己鼎力相助，赶走了野兽。拉完后他与樵夫话别，继续他的漫游。
