English Original
There was once an old castle in the midst of a large and thick forest, where an old witch lived alone. By day, she transformed into a cat or a screech-owl, but by evening, she resumed her human form. She could lure wild beasts and birds to her, then kill and cook them. Anyone who came within a hundred paces of the castle was forced to stand still until she released them. However, if an innocent maiden entered this circle, the witch would change her into a bird, lock her in a wicker cage, and place it in a room within the castle. She had about seven thousand cages of rare birds there.
There was a maiden named Jorinda, fairer than all other girls. She and a handsome youth named Joringel were betrothed and happiest when together. One day, to talk in peace, they went for a walk in the forest. "Take care," said Joringel, "not to go too near the castle."
It was a beautiful evening. The sun shone brightly between the tree trunks onto the dark green forest, and turtle-doves sang mournfully from the young boughs of birch trees.
Jorinda wept now and then, sitting sorrowfully in the sunshine. Joringel was also sorrowful; they felt as sad as if about to die. Looking around, they were lost, unsure of the way home. The sun was half above the mountain and half set.
Peering through the bushes, Joringel saw the old castle walls close at hand. He was horror-stricken and filled with deadly fear. Jorinda was singing:
"My little bird, with the necklace red,
Sings sorrow, sorrow, sorrow,
He sings that the dove must soon be dead,
Sings sorrow, sor—jug, jug, jug."
Joringel looked for Jorinda. She had changed into a nightingale, singing "jug, jug, jug." A screech-owl with glowing eyes flew three times around her, crying three times, "to-whoo, to-whoo, to-whoo!"
Joringel could not move. He stood like a stone, unable to weep, speak, or move hand or foot.
The sun had set. The owl flew into a thicket, and immediately a crooked old woman emerged—yellow, lean, with large red eyes and a hooked nose whose point reached her chin. Muttering to herself, she caught the nightingale and took it away in her hand.
Joringel could neither speak nor move; the nightingale was gone. Finally, the woman returned and said in a hollow voice, "Greet thee, Zachiel. If the moon shines on the cage, Zachiel, let him loose at once." Then Joringel was freed. He fell to his knees, begging for his Jorinda back, but she said he would never have her again and went away. He called, wept, and lamented, all in vain. "Ah, what is to become of me?"
Joringel left and eventually came to a strange village, where he kept sheep for a long time. He often walked around the castle but never too close. One night, he dreamt of finding a blood-red flower with a beautiful large pearl in its center. He picked it, went to the castle, and everything he touched with the flower was freed from enchantment. In the dream, he also recovered his Jorinda.
Upon waking, he searched hill and dale for such a flower. On the ninth day, early in the morning, he found the blood-red flower. In its center was a large dewdrop, as big as the finest pearl.
Day and night, he journeyed with the flower to the castle. Within a hundred paces, he was not held fast and walked to the door. Overjoyed, Joringel touched the door with the flower, and it sprang open. He entered the courtyard, listening for the sound of birds. At last, he heard it and found the room from which it came. There, the witch was feeding the birds in the seven thousand cages.
Seeing Joringel, she grew very angry, scolding and spitting poison and gall at him, but she could not come within two paces. Ignoring her, he looked at the bird cages, but there were hundreds of nightingales. How would he find his Jorinda?
Just then, he saw the old woman quietly take a cage with a bird and head for the door.
Swiftly, he sprang towards her, touching both the cage and the old woman with the flower. She could no longer bewitch anyone, and Jorinda stood there, clasping him round the neck, as beautiful as ever!
中文翻译
从前，在一片茂密的大森林中央有一座古老的城堡，里面住着一个老巫婆，独自一人。白天，她会变成一只猫或一只鸣角鸮，但到了晚上，她又会恢复人形。她能引诱野兽和鸟儿到她身边，然后把它们杀死、煮熟或烤熟。任何人走到离城堡一百步以内，就会被定住，直到她下令释放才能动弹。然而，如果一个无辜的少女进入这个范围，巫婆就会把她变成一只鸟，关进柳条笼子里，然后把笼子放进城堡的一个房间。她那里大约有七千个装着珍稀鸟类的笼子。
有一位名叫约琳德的少女，比所有其他女孩都美丽。她和一个名叫约林格尔的英俊青年订了婚，两人在一起时最快乐。一天，为了能安静地说话，他们去森林里散步。"小心点，"约林格尔说，"别离城堡太近。"
那是一个美丽的傍晚。阳光明亮地穿过树干，照在墨绿的森林上，斑鸠在桦树的嫩枝上哀伤地歌唱。
约琳德不时哭泣，她坐在阳光下，悲伤不已。约林格尔也很悲伤；他们难过得好似快要死去。环顾四周，他们迷路了，不知道哪条路能回家。太阳半悬在山腰，半已落下。
透过灌木丛望去，约林格尔看到了近在咫尺的古老城堡墙壁。他惊恐万分，充满了致命的恐惧。约琳德正在唱：
"我的小鸟，戴着红项链，
唱着悲伤，悲伤，悲伤，
它唱道鸽子即将死去，
唱着悲伤，悲——咕，咕，咕。"
约林格尔寻找约琳德。她已变成一只夜莺，唱着"咕，咕，咕"。一只眼睛发光的鸣角鸮绕着她飞了三圈，叫了三声："呜——呼，呜——呼，呜——呼！"
约林格尔无法动弹。他像石头一样站着，不能哭、不能说，也不能动手动脚。
太阳已经落山。猫头鹰飞进灌木丛，紧接着一个驼背的老太婆走了出来——她又黄又瘦，长着大红眼睛和一个鹰钩鼻，鼻尖几乎碰到下巴。她自言自语地嘟囔着，抓住了夜莺，用手把它带走了。
约林格尔既不能说话也不能移动；夜莺不见了。最后，那女人回来，用空洞的声音说："问候你，扎希尔。如果月光照在笼子上，扎希尔，立刻放了他。" 约林格尔这才被释放。他跪在女人面前，乞求她还回他的约琳德，但她说他再也得不到她了，然后便离开了。他呼喊、哭泣、哀悼，但一切都是徒劳。"啊，我该怎么办？"
约林格尔离开了，最终来到一个陌生的村庄，在那里放了很长时间的羊。他经常绕着城堡走，但从不敢靠得太近。一天晚上，他梦见自己找到了一朵血红色的花，花心有一颗美丽的大珍珠。他摘下花，带着它去了城堡，凡是被这朵花触碰到的东西都解除了魔法。在梦中，他也找回了他的约琳德。
醒来后，他开始翻山越岭寻找这样的花。第九天清晨，他找到了那朵血红色的花。花心有一大颗露珠，如同最精美的珍珠一般大。
他日夜兼程，带着花赶往城堡。走到离城堡一百步内时，他没有被定住，径直走到了门口。约林格尔满心欢喜；他用花碰了碰门，门砰地打开了。他穿过庭院，仔细聆听鸟儿的叫声。终于，他听到了，并找到了声音传来的房间。在那里，巫婆正在给七千个笼子里的鸟儿喂食。
看到约林格尔，她非常生气，对他咒骂并吐出毒液和胆汁，但她无法走到离他两步以内。他没有理会她，而是去看那些鸟笼，但那里有数百只夜莺。他该如何找到他的约琳德？
就在这时，他看到老太婆悄悄地拿起一个装有鸟儿的笼子，朝门口走去。
他迅速跳向她，用花触碰了笼子，也碰到了老太婆。她现在不能再对任何人施魔法了；而约琳德就站在那里，搂着他的脖子，和从前一样美丽！