English Original
There once was a princess who lived in a palace and had all kinds of pearls, agates and other gems. Being an only daughter, she was pampered by the king and queen, and was never in need of anything.
One day, as she was watching the rain from her balcony, the raindrops hit the surface of the nearby lake, creating myriads of bubbles that glittered in beautiful colors when illuminated by the sunbeams. Enchanted by this spectacle, the princess said to the king, "I want a necklace made of these bubbles!"
"That cannot be! If you want pearls, I can get you bigger ones. All right?" said the king.
"No! No!" exclaimed the princess.
"If you will settle for diamonds, I can also give you plenty," said the king. But the princess refused to be compromised.
You know there's no way you can coax such spoiled children, and being at a complete loss, the king summoned his officials, but no one could offer a solution. No one knew how to satisfy the princess's adamant demand for the bubbles. She then cried loudly and made a big fuss, refusing to eat or drink. Very soon, she became emaciated and fell ill. Everyone was at their wits' end. Not even the best doctor in the country could cure her. As a last resort, the king issued a public decree, stating, "Whoever can cure the princess will receive half of His Majesty's kingdom."
Then one day, an old man came forward with a solution and the king let him in to see the princess. When the old man told the princess that he could realize her wish by making her a bubble necklace, she jumped up in delight and her illness vanished immediately. Then the old man said, "I am old and my eyes are failing me. I cannot see which bubble is more beautiful. Would Your Highness please go down and bring me the beautiful bubbles so that I can string them into a necklace for you?"
The two of them - the old man and the child thus beguiled - went together to the lakeside. The princess tried in vain to hold the bubbles in her hands, while, afraid to laugh out loud, the palace maids by their side snickered stealthily. Embarrassed, the princess said to the king, "Father, I don't want these bubbles anymore. I'm content with pearls and diamonds. I cannot hold these bubbles." Looking at his lovely daughter, the king replied, "You're right! They are merely bubbles." They then returned to the palace, with the princess fully cured.
中文翻译
从前，有一位住在宫殿里的公主，她拥有各种各样的珍珠、玛瑙和其他宝石。作为独生女，她被国王和王后纵容着，从不缺少任何东西。
一天，公主在阳台上看雨。雨滴落在附近湖面上，在阳光的照耀下，形成了无数闪烁着美丽色彩的水泡。公主被这景象迷住了，她对国王说：“我想要一条用这些水泡做成的项链！”
“那不可能！如果你想要珍珠，我可以给你更大的。好吗？”国王说。
“不！不！”公主喊道。
“如果你愿意要钻石，我也可以给你很多，”国王说。但公主拒绝妥协。
你知道，你无法哄诱这样被宠坏的孩子。国王束手无策，召来了他的官员，但没有人能提出解决办法。没有人知道如何满足公主对水泡的固执要求。她随后大哭大闹，拒绝吃喝。很快，她变得憔悴并病倒了。所有人都无计可施。就连全国最好的医生也治不好她。作为最后的办法，国王发布了一道公开法令，宣布：“谁能治好公主，将得到国王陛下的一半王国。”
后来有一天，一位老人提出了一个解决办法，国王让他去见公主。当老人告诉公主，他可以通过为她制作一条水泡项链来实现她的愿望时，她高兴地跳了起来，病也立刻好了。然后老人说：“我老了，眼睛不行了。我看不出哪个水泡更漂亮。殿下能否亲自下去，把漂亮的水泡带来给我，我好把它们串成项链给你？”
于是，老人和这个被哄骗的孩子一起去了湖边。公主徒劳地试图用手捧住水泡，而旁边的宫女们想笑又不敢笑出声，只能偷偷窃笑。公主尴尬地对国王说：“父王，我不想要这些水泡了。我满足于珍珠和钻石。我抓不住这些水泡。”国王看着他可爱的女儿，回答说：“你说得对！它们只是水泡而已。”他们随后返回了宫殿，公主也完全康复了。