English Original
On the day of his wedding, everyone, including Peter, was happy. He could hardly wait to show Liese the house he had built for her. At the wedding feast, he glanced at his mother and noticed for the first time how gray her hair had grown. She seemed to be aging quickly. Peter felt a pang of guilt for pulling the thread so often and resolved to use it only when strictly necessary.
Months later, Liese announced she was expecting a child. Peter was overjoyed. When the baby was born, he felt complete. Yet, whenever the child was ill or cried through sleepless nights, he gave the thread a little tug to restore its health and happiness.
Times grew hard. A harsh government imposed heavy taxes and tolerated no opposition. Known for speaking his mind, Peter was soon arrested. In jail, he tugged hard at the thread. The prison walls dissolved in a thunderous explosion—the war that had been threatening ended as quickly as a summer storm, leaving an exhausted peace. Peter returned home to his family, now a middle-aged man.
For a time, life was relatively content. One day, Peter saw the thread in his magic ball had turned from gold to silver. Looking in the mirror, he found his hair graying and face lined. Afraid, he determined to use the thread even more sparingly.
Liese bore more children, and Peter seemed happy as the head of his growing household. His stately manner gave him an air of a benevolent ruler. He hid the magic ball well, knowing discovery would be fatal.
As his family grew, the house became overcrowded. He needed money to extend it. His mother grew older and more tired each day; pulling the thread would only hasten her death. Soon, she passed away. At her graveside, Peter wondered how life passed so quickly, even without the magic thread.
One sleepless night, he thought life would be easier if his children were grown and independent. He gave the thread a mighty tug. The next day, he awoke to find his children gone, scattered across the country for work. He and Liese were alone. His hair was nearly white, and his body ached with labor. Liese, often ill, suffered. To spare her pain, he pulled the thread more frequently, but solving one trouble only seemed to breed another.
Perhaps retired life would be easier, Peter thought. He could care for Liese and avoid strenuous work. But he lacked the money. Picking up his magic ball, he was dismayed to find the thread gray and lusterless. He decided to walk in the forest to think.
It had been long since his last visit. Saplings had become tall fir trees, obscuring the old path. Eventually, he found a bench in a clearing, sat down, and fell into a light doze.
"Peter! Peter!" a voice called. He looked up to see the old woman who had given him the magic ball years ago. She looked unchanged. "So, Peter, have you had a good life?" she asked.
"I'm not sure," Peter replied. "Your magic ball is wonderful. I've never had to suffer or wait. Yet, it all passed so quickly. I've had no time to absorb what happened—good or bad. Now, little time remains. I dare not pull the thread again, for it will bring my death. I don't think your gift brought me luck."
"How ungrateful!" said the old woman. "How would you have wished things different?"
"Perhaps if you had given me a ball where I could push the thread back in, to relive the bad moments."
The old woman laughed. "You ask too much! Do you think God allows us to live twice? But I grant you one final wish, you foolish, demanding man."
"What is it?" Peter asked.
"Choose," she said.
After hard thought, Peter said, "I wish to live my life again as if for the first time, but without your magic ball. Then I will experience both good and bad without cutting them short. At least my life won't pass as swiftly and meaninglessly as a daydream."
"So be it," said the old woman. "Give me back my ball."
Peter placed the silver ball in her outstretched hand. He sat back, closed his eyes with exhaustion, and fell asleep.
He awoke in his own bed. His youthful mother was bending over him, shaking him gently. "Wake up, Peter. You'll be late for school. You were sleeping like the dead!"
He looked up in surprise and relief. "I had a terrible dream, Mother. I dreamed I was old and sick, and my life passed in the blink of an eye with nothing to show—not even memories."
His mother laughed. "That will never happen. Memories are what we all have, even when old. Now hurry and get dressed. Liese is waiting, and you'll be late for school."
Walking to school with Liese, Peter noticed the bright summer morning—the kind that made it feel good to be alive. Soon he would see friends and classmates, and even the prospect of lessons didn't seem so bad. In fact, he could hardly wait.
中文翻译
婚礼当天，包括彼得在内的所有人都很开心。他迫不及待地想向莉丝展示为她建造的房子。在婚宴上，他瞥了一眼母亲，第一次注意到她的头发变得多么灰白。她似乎老得很快。彼得因频繁拉动魔法线而感到一阵内疚，决心只在绝对必要时使用它。
几个月后，莉丝宣布她怀孕了。彼得欣喜若狂。孩子出生时，他感到人生圆满。然而，每当孩子生病或在不眠之夜哭泣时，他就会轻轻拉一下线，让孩子恢复健康和快乐。
时局变得艰难。一个严苛的政府征收重税，不容反对。彼得以直言不讳闻名，很快被捕入狱。在狱中，他用力拉扯魔法线。监狱墙壁在一场雷鸣般的爆炸中消散——那场一直威胁着的战争像夏日的暴风雨一样迅速结束，留下了一片疲惫的和平。彼得回到了家人身边，此时已是个中年男人。
有一段时间，生活相对满足。一天，彼得发现魔法球里的线从金色变成了银色。照镜子时，他看到头发开始变白，脸上也有了皱纹。他感到害怕，决心比以前更谨慎地使用魔法线。
莉丝又生了几个孩子，彼得作为日益壮大的家庭的一家之主，似乎很幸福。他庄严的举止让他看起来像一位仁慈的统治者。他把魔法球藏得很好，知道被发现将是致命的。
随着家庭成员增加，房子变得拥挤不堪。他需要钱来扩建。母亲一天天变老、更疲惫；拉动魔法线只会加速她的死亡。不久，她去世了。站在母亲的墓旁，彼得想知道，即使没有魔法线，生命为何也流逝得如此之快。
一个不眠之夜，他想，如果孩子们都长大独立了，生活该多轻松啊。他大力拉了一下线。第二天醒来，他发现孩子们都已离开，分散在全国各地工作。只剩下他和莉丝。他的头发几乎全白，身体因劳作而疼痛。莉丝经常生病，备受折磨。为了减轻她的痛苦，他更频繁地拉动魔法线，但解决一个麻烦似乎只会滋生另一个。
彼得想，也许退休生活会轻松些。他可以照顾莉丝，不用再做繁重的工作。但他没有足够的钱。拿起魔法球，他沮丧地发现线已变成灰色，失去了光泽。他决定去森林里散步思考。
他已很久没来过这片森林了。树苗已长成高大的冷杉，遮蔽了旧路。最终，他在一片空地的长椅上坐下休息，陷入了浅睡。
“彼得！彼得！”一个声音呼唤着。他抬头看到了多年前给他魔法球的老妇人。她看起来一点没变。“那么，彼得，你过得好吗？”她问。
“我不确定，”彼得回答。“你的魔法球很神奇。我从未受过苦，也无需等待。然而，一切都过得太快了。我根本没时间去体会发生的一切——无论是好是坏。现在，时间所剩无几。我不敢再拉线了，那只会带来死亡。我不认为你的礼物给我带来了好运。”
“多么忘恩负义！”老妇人说。“你希望事情有什么不同呢？”
“也许如果你给我一个不同的球，一个我既能拉出线又能把线推回去的球。那样我就能重温那些糟糕的时刻了。”
老妇人笑了。“你要求太多了！你以为上帝会让我们活两次吗？但我可以满足你最后一个愿望，你这愚蠢又贪心的人。”
“是什么？”彼得问。
“选择吧，”她说。
经过深思熟虑，彼得说：“我希望重新活一次，就像第一次一样，但没有你的魔法球。那样我就能完整地经历好事和坏事，至少我的人生不会像白日梦一样迅速而无意义地流逝。”
“如你所愿，”老妇人说。“把我的球还给我。”
彼得将银球放在她伸出的手中。他向后靠去，疲惫地闭上眼睛，睡着了。
他在自己的床上醒来。年轻的母亲正俯身轻轻摇他。“醒醒，彼得。你要迟到了。你睡得跟死了一样！”
他惊讶而宽慰地抬起头。“我做了一个可怕的梦，妈妈。我梦见自己又老又病，一生眨眼即逝，什么都没留下——连记忆都没有。”
母亲笑着摇摇头。“那永远不会发生，”她说。“记忆是我们都拥有的东西，即使老了也一样。现在快点穿衣服。莉丝在等你，上学要迟到了。”
和莉丝一起走在上学的路上，彼得注意到这是一个明媚的夏日早晨——那种让人感觉活着真好的早晨。很快他就能见到朋友和同学了，甚至连上课的前景似乎也不那么糟糕了。事实上，他几乎等不及了。