The Seven Ravens
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A man had seven sons, but however much he wished for a daughter, he did not have one yet. Finally his wife gave him hope for another child, and when it came into the world it was indeed a girl. GREat was their joy, but the child was sickly and small, and because of her weakness, she was to be given an emergency baptism.
The father sent one of the boys to run quickly to the well and get some water for the baptism. The other six ran along with him. Because each one of them wanted to be first one to dip out the water, the jug fell into the well. There they stood not knowing what to do, and not one of them dared to go home.
When they did not return the father GREw impatient, and said, "They have forgotten what they went after because they were playing, those godless boys."
Fearing that the girl would die without being baptized, he cried out in anger, "I wish that those boys would all turn into ravens."
He had hardly spoken these words when he heard a whirring sound above his head, and looking up, he saw seven coal-black ravens flying up and away.
The parents could not take back the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they were still somewhat comforted because of their dear little daughter, who soon gained strength and became more beautiful every day.
For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents took care not to mention them to her. However, one day she accidentally overheard some people talking about her. They said that she was beautiful enough, but that in truth she was to blame for her seven brothers' misfortune. This troubled her GREatly, and she went to her father and mother and asked them if she indeed had had brothers, and what had happened to them.
Her parents could no longer keep the secret, but said that it had been heaven's fate, and that her birth had been only the innocent cause. However, this ate at the girl's conscience every day, and she came to believe that she would have to redeem her brothers.
She had neither rest nor peace until she secretly set forth and went out into the wide world, hoping to find her brothers and to set them free, whatever it might cost. She took nothing with her but a little ring as a remembrance from her parents, a loaf of bread for hunger, a little jug of water for thirst, and a little chair for when she got tired.
She walked on and on —— far, far to the end of the world. She came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and ate little children. She hurried away, and ran to the moon, but it was much too cold, and also frightening and wicked, and when it saw the child, it said, "I smell, smell human flesh."
Then she hurried away, and came to the stars, and they were friendly and good to her, each one sitting on its own little chair. When the morning star arose, it gave her a chicken bone, and said, "Without that chicken bone you cannot open the glass mountain, and your brothers are inside the glass mountain."
The girl took the bone, wrapped it up well in a cloth, and went on her way again until she came to the glass mountain. The door was locked, and she started to take out the chicken bone, but when she opened up the cloth, it was empty. She had lost the gift of the good stars.
What could she do now? She wanted to rescue her brothers, but she had no key to the glass mountain. The good little sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it into the door, and fortunately the door opened.
After she had gone inside a little dwarf came up to her and said, "My child, what are you looking for?"
"I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens," she replied.
The dwarf said, "The lord ravens are not at home, but if you want to wait here until they return, step inside."
Then the dwarf carried in the ravens' dinner on seven little plates, and in seven little cups. The sister ate a little bit from each plate and took a little sip from each cup. Into the last cup she dropped the ring that she had brought with her.
Suddenly she heard a whirring and rushing sound in the air, and the dwarf said, "The lord ravens are flying home now."
They came, wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their plates and cups. Then one after the other of them said, "Who has been eating from my plate? Who has been drinking from my cup? It was a human mouth."
When the seventh one came to the bottom of his cup, the ring rolled toward him. Looking at it, he saw that it was a ring from their father and mother, and said, "God grant that our sister might be here; then we would be set free."
The girl was listening from behind the door, and when she heard this wish she came forth. Then the ravens were restored to their human forms again. They hugged and kissed one another, and went home happily.
据传说，以前有一户人家，父母生了八个孩子，其中七个是儿子，最小的一个是女儿。这个女儿生下来以后，尽管非常漂亮可爱，但她太纤弱太瘦小，他们认为她可能活不下来，决定马上给她施行洗礼。
父亲派了一个儿子要他赶快到井里去打点水来，其他六个一看，也一窝蜂似地跟了去，每一个都争先恐后地要第一个汲水，你争我夺之中，他们把大水罐给掉到井里去了。这一下，他们可就傻眼了，你看看我，我看看你，癡呆呆地站在井边不知如何是好，都不敢回屋里去。此时，父亲正心急火燎的地等着他们把水提来，见他们去了很久还没有回来，就说道：「他们一定是闹着玩把这事给忘了。」他左等右等仍不见他们回来，气得大骂起来，说他们都该变成乌鸦。话音刚落就听见头上一阵呱呱的叫声传来，他抬头一看，发现有七只煤炭一样的黑色乌鸦正在上面盘旋着。看到自己的气话变成了现实，他后悔了，不知道该怎么办才好。他失去了七个儿子，心里非常悲伤，好在小女儿在接受洗礼之后一天比一天强壮起来，而且越长越漂亮了，总算对他这个父亲有了一点安慰。
女儿慢慢长大了，她一直不知道自己曾经有过七个哥哥，爸爸和妈妈都很小心，从来不在她面前提起。终於有一天，她偶然听到人们谈起有关她的事情，他们说：「她的的确确很漂亮，但可惜的是她的七个哥哥却因为她的缘故而遭到不幸。」她听到这些后非常伤心，就去问自己的父母她是不是有哥哥，他们到底怎么样了。父母亲不好再对她隐瞒事情的真像。为了安慰她，他们说这一切都是上帝的意愿，她的出生降临都是上帝的安排，她是无罪的。但小姑娘仍然为此吃不下饭，睡不好觉，天天伤痛不已，她暗下决心，一定要想方设法把自己的七个哥哥找回来。有一天，她从家里偷偷地跑了出去，来到外面广阔的世界，到处寻访自己的哥哥。她想：无论他们到了甚么地方，她不惜自己的生命，也要让他们恢复本来面目，获得做人的自由！
出门的时候，她只带了爸爸妈妈以前送给她的一只小戒指，加上一块用来充饥的长条麵包和一壶用来解渴的水，一张疲倦时用来休息的小凳子。她走啊，找啊，不停地寻访着，一直找到遥远的天边，来到太阳面前。但太阳太热太凶猛了，她急忙跑开，又来到月亮面前。可月亮又太寒冷太冷酷，还说道：「我闻到人肉和血腥味了！」她赶紧又跑到了星星那里。星星对她很友好，很和气，每颗星都坐在他们自己的小凳子上。当启明星站起来往上飞时，他给了小姑娘一片小木块，说道：「如果你没有这片小木块，就不能打开玻璃山上那座城堡的门。你的哥哥正是住在那座城堡里。」小妹妹接过小木块，把它用布包好，告别星星，起程又继续寻找她的哥哥去了。
经过艰苦跋涉，她终於找到了玻璃山。来到城门前一看，门是锁着的，她拿出布包解开，发现里面的小木块不见了，不知是甚么时候自己把好心的启明星送的礼物失落了。怎么办呢？她要救哥哥，可又没有了玻璃山城堡的钥匙。这位坚定忠实的小妹妹一咬牙，从口袋里掏出一把小刀把自己的小指头切了下来，那指头的大小正好和失落的木块相同，她将指头插进门上的锁孔，门被打开了。
她走进城堡，迎面遇到了一个小矮人，他问道：「你来找甚么呀？」小妹妹回答说：「我来找那七只乌鸦，他们是我的哥哥。」小矮人说道：「我的主人不在家，如果你非要等他们回来的话，就请进来吧。」这时，小矮人正在为乌鸦们准备晚餐，他在桌子上摆了七个盘子，在盘子里放好食物，又端来七杯水放在盘子旁边。小妹妹把每个盘子里的东西都吃了一小块，把每个小杯子里的水也喝了一小口，又将她随身带来的小戒指放进了最后一只杯子中。
忽然，她听到空中传来了翅膀拍击的声音和呱呱的叫声，小矮人马上说道：「我的主人们回来了。」她连忙躲到门后面，想听听他们会说些甚么。七只乌鸦一进来，就急於找自己的盘子和杯子想要吃东西喝水，他们一个接一个的叫道：「谁吃了我盘子里的东西？谁把我杯子里的水喝了一点点？
呱呱呱！呱呱呱！
我知道了呀，这一定是人的嘴巴。」
第七只乌鸦喝完水，发现杯子里有一只戒指，他仔细一瞧，认出了这是他们父母亲的东西，就说道：「嗳！我们的小妹妹来了！我们就会得救了。」小妹妹听到这里，马上跑了出来。她一露面，七只乌鸦立即都恢复了他们的人形。他们互相紧紧拥抱，亲吻，一起高高兴兴地回到了他们的爸爸妈妈的身边。
