English Original
In former days, every sound had its meaning. The smith's hammer cried, "Strike away!" The carpenter's plane said, "Here goes!" The mill wheel clacked, "Help, Lord God!" And if the miller was a cheat, it would speak in High German, revealing his theft.
At that time, birds also had a language all understood. Now it's mere chirping and whistling. The birds decided to choose a king from among themselves. Only the green plover opposed, crying, "Where shall I go?" before retreating to a solitary marsh.
On a fine May morning, all birds gathered: eagles, owls, larks, sparrows, cuckoos, and even a tiny, nameless bird. It was decided that whoever flew highest would be king. The eagle soared highest, but the little bird, hidden in his feathers, flew even higher and cried, "I am King!"
The birds, angered by his trick, set another contest: to go lowest into the ground. The goose flapped, the cock scratched, the duck sprained her leg, but the little bird slipped into a mouse-hole and again declared, "I am King!"
Furious, the birds imprisoned him in the hole, with the owl as guard. The owl tried to watch with one eye at a time but fell asleep. The little bird escaped.
Since then, the owl hides by day, fearing other birds. The little bird, now called 'King of the hedges' (Zaunkönig) in mockery, hides in hedges, only crying "I am King" when safe. Only the lark is happy not to obey him, soaring at sunrise and singing, "Ah, how beautiful that is!"
中文翻译
从前，每一种声音都有其含义。铁匠的锤子呼喊着：“使劲打！使劲打！”木匠的刨子说着：“干起来啦！干起来啦！”磨坊的轮子咔嗒作响：“帮帮忙，上帝！帮帮忙，上帝！”如果磨坊主是个骗子，它甚至会说起高地德语，揭发他的偷窃行为。
那时，鸟儿们也拥有一种大家都懂的语言。如今只剩下叽喳和哨音。鸟儿们决定从它们中间选出一位国王。只有绿鸻反对，它叫着“我该去哪儿？”随后便退隐到一片偏僻的沼泽里。
在一个美好的五月清晨，所有的鸟儿都聚集起来：鹰、猫头鹰、云雀、麻雀、布谷鸟，甚至还有一只没有名字的小鸟。大家决定，谁飞得最高，谁就是国王。鹰飞得最高，但那小鸟藏在它的胸羽里，飞得更高，并喊道：“我是国王！”
鸟儿们被它的诡计激怒了，又设了一场比赛：看谁能钻到地下最深。鹅扑腾着胸脯，公鸡飞快地刨坑，鸭子跳进沟里扭伤了脚，但那只小鸟却溜进一个老鼠洞，再次宣称：“我是国王！”
愤怒的鸟儿们把它囚禁在洞里，让猫头鹰看守。猫头鹰想轮流睁一只眼闭一只眼看守，却睡着了。小鸟逃走了。
从此，猫头鹰白天不敢露面，怕其他鸟儿拔光它的羽毛。那只小鸟，被其他鸟儿嘲弄地称为“篱笆王”（Zaunkönig），躲在树篱里，只在安全时才叫“我是国王”。只有云雀因为不必服从它而高兴，在日出时高飞，歌唱着：“啊，多么美好！”