十二兄弟的故事.doc

十二兄弟的故事 story十二兄弟的故事 The Twelve Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Once upon a time there were a king and a queen. They lived happily together and had twelve children, all boys. One day the king said to his wife, If our thirteenth child, which you are soon going to bring into the world, is a girl, then the twelve others shall die, so that her wealth may be great, and so that she alone may inherit the kingdom. Indeed, he had twelve coffins made. They were filled with wood shavings and each was fitted with a coffin pillow. He had them put in a locked room, and gave the key to the queen, ordering her to tell no one about them. The mother sat and mourned the entire day, until the youngest son —— who was always with her, and who was named Benjamin after the Bible —— said to her, Dear mother, why are you so sad? Dearest child, she answered, I cannot tell you. However, he would not leave her in peace, until she unlocked the room and showed him the coffins, already filled with wood shavings. Then she said, My dearest Benjamin, your father had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers. If I bring a girl into the world, you are all to be killed and buried in them. As she spoke and cried, her son comforted her, saying, Dont cry, dear mother. We will take care of ourselves and run away. Then she said, Go out into the woods with your eleven brothers. One of you should climb the highest tree that you can find. Keep watch there and look toward the castle tower. If I give birth to a little son, I will raise a white flag. If I give birth to a little daughter, I will raise a red flag, and then you should escape as fast as you can, and may God protect you. I will get up every night and pray for you, in the winter that you may warm yourselves near a fire, and in the summer that you may not suffer from the heat. After she had blessed her children, they went out into the woods. One after the other of them kept watch, sitting atop the highest oak tree and loo