English Original
First Story
A little girl received a bowl of milk and bread each afternoon from her mother. She would sit in the yard to eat. One day, a snake crept from a crevice in the wall, dipped its head into her dish, and shared her meal. The girl delighted in this. If the snake was late, she would sing:
"Snake, snake, come swiftly,
Hither come, thou tiny thing,
Thou shalt have thy crumbs of bread,
Thou shalt refresh thyself with milk."
The snake would hurry to join her. In gratitude, it brought her beautiful gifts from its hidden treasures: bright stones, pearls, and golden toys. The snake, however, only drank the milk, leaving the breadcrumbs.
One day, the girl gently tapped the snake's head with her spoon, saying, "Eat the bread-crumbs as well, little thing." Her mother, standing in the kitchen, heard her talking. Seeing the snake, she rushed out with a log and killed the creature.
From that moment, the child changed. While the snake ate with her, she had grown strong and healthy. Now, she lost her rosy cheeks and wasted away. Soon, the night bird cried, and the redbreast gathered twigs for a funeral garland. Not long after, the child lay on her bier.
Second Story
An orphan girl sat spinning on the town wall when she saw a snake emerge from a hole below. Knowing snakes have a strong liking for blue silk handkerchiefs—the only surface they will crawl upon—she quickly spread one beside it.
The snake saw the handkerchief, retreated, then returned carrying a small golden crown, which it placed on the cloth before leaving. The girl picked up the crown; it glittered with delicate filigree work.
When the snake returned and found the crown gone, it crept to the wall and, in its grief, smote its head against the stone until it died. Had the girl left the crown, the snake would likely have brought more treasures from its hole.
中文翻译
第一个故事
一个小女孩每天下午都会从母亲那里得到一碗牛奶和面包。她总坐在院子里吃。一天，一条蛇从墙上的裂缝中爬出，将头探入她的碗中，与她共餐。女孩很喜欢这样。如果蛇来晚了，她就会唱：
“小蛇，小蛇，快快来，
快到这儿来，你这小东西，
你会得到你的面包屑，
你可以用牛奶提神。”
蛇便会匆匆赶来。出于感激，它从自己隐藏的宝藏中给她带来美丽的礼物：闪亮的石头、珍珠和金制玩具。然而，蛇只喝牛奶，不吃面包屑。
一天，女孩用勺子轻轻敲了敲蛇的头，说：“也吃点面包屑吧，小东西。”她的母亲正站在厨房里，听到她在说话。看到蛇后，母亲拿着木柴冲出来，杀死了这个小生物。
从那时起，女孩发生了变化。当蛇与她共餐时，她长得强壮健康。现在，她失去了红润的脸颊，日渐消瘦。不久，夜鸟开始啼叫，知更鸟为葬礼花环收集树枝。没过多久，女孩便躺在了她的灵柩上。
第二个故事
一个孤儿女孩坐在城墙边纺纱，看到一条蛇从墙下的一个洞里钻出来。她知道蛇对蓝色丝质手帕有强烈的喜好——这是它们唯一愿意在上面爬行的东西——便迅速在旁边铺了一块。
蛇看到手帕，退了回去，然后回来时带着一顶小金冠，放在手帕上便离开了。女孩拾起王冠；它闪闪发光，是精美的金丝细工。
当蛇再次回来发现王冠不见时，它爬到墙边，在悲伤中，用头猛撞墙壁，直到力竭而死。如果女孩把王冠留在原处，蛇很可能会从洞里拿出更多的宝藏。