English Original
Then the diver came up for the last time, and the pearl that he brought with him was fairer than all the pearls of Ormuz, for it was shaped like the full moon, and whiter than the morning star. But his face was strangely pale, and as he fell upon the deck the blood gushed from his ears and nostrils. He quivered for a little, and then he was still. The negroes shrugged their shoulders, and threw the body overboard.
And the master of the galley laughed, and, reaching out, he took the pearl, and when he saw it he pressed it to his forehead and bowed. 'It shall be,' he said, 'for the sceptre of the young King,' and he made a sign to the negroes to draw up the anchor.
And when the young King heard this he gave a great cry, and woke, and through the window he saw the long grey fingers of the dawn clutching at the fading stars.
And he fell asleep again, and dreamed, and this was his dream.
He thought that he was wandering through a dim wood, hung with strange fruits and with beautiful poisonous flowers. The adders hissed at him as he went by, and the bright parrots flew screaming from branch to branch. Huge tortoises lay asleep upon the hot mud. The trees were full of apes and peacocks.
On and on he went, till he reached the outskirts of the wood, and there he saw an immense multitude of men toiling in the bed of a dried-up river. They swarmed up the crag like ants. They dug deep pits in the ground and went down into them. Some of them cleft the rocks with great axes; others grabbled in the sand. They tore up the cactus by its roots, and trampled on the scarlet blossoms. They hurried about, calling to each other, and no man was idle.
From the darkness of a cavern Death and Avarice watched them, and Death said, 'I am weary; give me a third of them and let me go.'
But Avarice shook her head. 'They are my servants,' she answered.
And Death said to her, 'What hast thou in thy hand?'
'I have three grains of corn,' she answered; 'what is that to thee?'
'Give me one of them,' cried Death, 'to plant in my garden; only one of them, and I will go away.'
'I will not give thee anything,' said Avarice, and she hid her hand in the fold of her raiment.
And Death laughed, and took a cup, and dipped it into a pool of water, and out of the cup rose Ague. She passed through the great multitude, and a third of them lay dead. A cold mist followed her, and the water-snakes ran by her side.
And when Avarice saw that a third of the multitude was dead she beat her breast and wept. She beat her barren bosom and cried aloud. 'Thou hast slain a third of my servants,' she cried, 'get thee gone. There is war in the mountains of Tartary, and the kings of each side are calling to thee. The Afghans have slain the black ox, and are marching to battle. They have beaten upon their shields with their spears, and have put on their helmets of iron. What is my valley to thee, that thou should'st tarry in it? Get thee gone, and come here no more.'
'Nay,' answered Death, 'but till thou hast given me a grain of corn I will not go.'
But Avarice shut her hand, and clenched her teeth. 'I will not give thee anything,' she muttered.
And Death laughed, and took up a black stone, and threw it into the forest, and out of a thicket of wild hemlock came Fever in a robe of flame. She passed through the multitude, and touched them, and each man that she touched died. The grass withered beneath her feet as she walked.
And Avarice shuddered, and put ashes on her head. 'Thou art cruel,' she cried; 'thou art cruel. There is famine in the walled cities of India, and the cisterns of Samarcand have run dry. There is famine in the walled cities of Egypt, and the locusts have come up from the desert. The Nile has not overflowed its banks, and the priests have cursed Isis and Osiris. Get thee gone to those who need thee, and leave me my servants.'
'Nay,' answered Death, 'but till thou hast given me a grain of corn I will not go.'
'I will not give thee anything,' said Avarice.
And Death laughed again, and he whistled through his fingers, and a woman came flying through the air. Plague was written upon her forehead, and a crowd of lean vultures wheeled round her. She covered the valley with her wings, and no man was left alive.
中文翻译
潜水员最后一次浮出水面，他带回的珍珠比霍尔木兹的所有珍珠都要美丽，因为它形如满月，比晨星更白。但他的脸色异常苍白，倒在甲板上时，鲜血从他的耳朵和鼻孔中喷涌而出。他颤抖了一会儿，便静止不动了。黑人们耸了耸肩，将尸体抛入海中。
帆船的船长笑了，伸手拿过珍珠。看到它时，他将珍珠按在额头上，鞠了一躬。“它将用于，”他说，“为少年国王的权杖。”他示意黑人们起锚。
少年国王听到这里，发出一声大叫，醒了过来。透过窗户，他看到黎明灰色的长指正攫住渐逝的星辰。
他再次入睡，做了个梦，这就是他的梦。
他梦见自己漫步在一片幽暗的森林中，树上挂着奇异的果实和美丽的有毒花朵。他经过时，蝰蛇对他嘶嘶作响，色彩鲜艳的鹦鹉尖叫着在枝头飞来飞去。巨大的乌龟躺在热泥上沉睡。树上满是猿猴和孔雀。
他不停地走，直到抵达森林的边缘，在那里，他看到一大群人在一条干涸的河床上辛苦劳作。他们像蚂蚁一样蜂拥上峭壁。他们在地上挖出深坑，然后下到坑里。有些人用大斧劈开岩石；另一些人在沙地里摸索。他们连根拔起仙人掌，践踏着猩红色的花朵。他们匆忙地来回走动，互相呼唤，没有一个人闲着。
在一个洞穴的黑暗中，死神和贪婪注视着他们。死神说：“我厌倦了；把他们三分之一给我，让我走吧。”
但贪婪摇了摇头。“他们是我的仆人，”她回答。
死神对她说：“你手里有什么？”
“我有三粒谷子，”她回答；“这与你何干？”
“给我一粒，”死神喊道，“种在我的花园里；只要一粒，我就离开。”
“我什么也不会给你，”贪婪说，并将手藏进衣服的褶皱里。
死神笑了，拿起一个杯子，浸入一池水中，从杯中升起了疟疾。她穿过庞大的人群，三分之一的人倒地而死。一股寒雾跟随着她，水蛇在她身旁游走。
贪婪看到三分之一的人死去，捶胸哭泣。她捶打着自己贫瘠的胸膛，大声哭喊。“你杀死了我三分之一的仆人，”她喊道，“走开。鞑靼的山中正在打仗，双方的国王都在召唤你。阿富汗人已宰杀了黑牛，正进军战场。他们用长矛敲击盾牌，戴上了铁盔。我的山谷对你算什么，你竟要在此逗留？走开，别再来了。”
“不，”死神回答，“除非你给我一粒谷子，否则我不会走。”
但贪婪握紧手，咬紧牙关。“我什么也不会给你，”她咕哝道。
死神笑了，拾起一块黑石，扔进森林。从一片野生毒芹的灌木丛中，走出一位身着火焰长袍的“热病”。她穿过人群，触摸他们，凡被她触摸的人都死了。她走过之处，脚下的青草都枯萎了。
贪婪战栗着，把灰撒在头上。“你真残忍，”她哭道；“你真残忍。印度的围城里有饥荒，撒马尔罕的蓄水池已经干涸。埃及的围城里有饥荒，蝗虫已从沙漠中涌来。尼罗河没有泛滥，祭司们诅咒了伊西斯和奥西里斯。去找那些需要你的人吧，把我的仆人留给我。”
“不，”死神回答，“除非你给我一粒谷子，否则我不会走。”
“我什么也不会给你，”贪婪说。
死神再次笑了，他用手指吹了声口哨，一个女人从空中飞来。她的额头上写着“瘟疫”二字，一群瘦削的秃鹫在她周围盘旋。她用翅膀覆盖了山谷，没有一个人存活下来。