The Mouse King Chooses a Bridegroom   鼠王选婿

Long, long ago, the Mouse King had a beautiful daughter. When she was old enough to be married, he called together all of his advisers to consult them.

很久很久以前，鼠王有个美丽的女儿。她长到该出嫁的时候，鼠王召集了他所有的谋士来商量这件事。

“My daughter,” he said, “is far too lovely and noble to marry just anyone. I have decided to marry her to the greatest thing in the world. Now, who shall it be?”

他说：“我的女儿太可爱、太尊贵了，她不能随便和什么人结婚。我要她嫁给世上最伟大的事物，那么，他是谁呢”？

“The sun,” said the first adviser. “is the greatest thing in the world. Even the Emperor wears the sun as his symbol.”

“Why, then, I shall marry her to the sun,” said the Mouse King.

“太阳”，第一个谋士说，“太阳是世界上最伟大的事物，即使皇帝也把它当作自己的象征”。

“好吧，那么，我将把她嫁给太阳”。鼠王说。

“But,” objected the second, “a cloud can cover the sun.” 

“Then, she must be married to be cloud.”

“但是”，第二个谋士反驳说，“一片云可以遮盖住太阳”。

“那么，她得和云彩结婚”。

“But,” squeaked the third, “the rain bursts through the clouds and destroys them.”

“That is true. I must marry her to the rain.”

“但是”，第三个说到：“雨可以穿透并毁坏云层”。

“那不错，我得把她嫁给雨”。

“But,” cried the fourth, waving his tail, “no matter how hard the rain falls, it cannot wash away the trees.”

“The solution is simple then. She must marry the tree. ”

“但是”，第四个摇着尾巴叫道：“不管雨下多大，它冲不走树”。

“那么，答案很简单，她得和树结婚”。

“But,” pointed out the fifth, “a strong wind can blow down the trees.”

“Very true. Then the wind must be her husband.”

“但是”，第五个指出，“一阵强风可以吹倒树”。

“非常正确。那么风将成为她的丈夫”。

“But,” remembered the sixth, scratching his ear, “no matter how hard the wind blows, it cannot blow away the earth.”

“Then, I must marry her to the earth.”

“但是”，第六个谋士想起了什么，搔搔耳朵：“不管风有多大，它吹不走大地”。

“那么，我得把她嫁给大地”。

“But,” said the seventh, “the earth is buried and imprisoned under the wooden floors of men’s houses.”

“Then she shall wed the wooden floor at once.”

“但是”，第七个说，“大地被埋在并禁锢于人类房屋的木地板之下”。

“那么，她将立即与木地板结婚”。

“But,” said the last, his eyes glittering, “no matter how strong the wooden floor is, a mouse can bite his way through it.”

“There is no doubt that a mouse is the greatest thing in the world.”

And that is how the Mouse King’s daughter happened to marry a mouse.

“但是”，最后一位谋士眼睛闪闪发光，他说：“不管木地板多坚硬，老鼠可以咬穿它前进”。

“毫无疑问，老鼠是世上最伟大的事物”。

因此鼠王的女儿又恰好嫁给了老鼠。

英语童话：鼠王选婿