English Original
There was once a rich man who had a servant. The servant worked diligently and honestly: he was the first up in the morning and the last to bed at night. He willingly took on the hardest tasks, never complained, and was always content and merry.
After a year, the master gave him no wages, thinking, "This is clever; I save money, and he won't leave." The servant said nothing and worked a second year, again receiving no pay. He remained happy and stayed on.
When the third year ended, the master reached into his pocket but gave nothing. The servant finally said, "Master, I have served you honestly for three years. Please give me my due, as I wish to leave and see more of the world."
"Yes, my good fellow," answered the old miser. "You have served me industriously and shall be cheerfully rewarded." He put his hand in his pocket and counted out only three farthings. "Here is a farthing for each year—a large and liberal pay from a master."
The honest servant, who knew little of money, pocketed his fortune. "Ah! Now my purse is full. Why should I trouble myself with hard work?" he thought. He went on his way, singing and jumping happily.
As he passed a thicket, a little man stepped out. "Where are you going, merry brother? You seem carefree," said the dwarf.
"Why be sad?" replied the servant. "I have enough; three years' wages are jingling in my pocket."
"How much is your treasure?" asked the dwarf.
"Three farthings sterling," said the servant.
"Look here," said the dwarf. "I am poor and needy. Give me your three farthings. I can no longer work, but you are young and can earn your bread."
The servant, having a good heart, pitied the old man and gave him the three farthings. "Take them in Heaven's name. It will do me no harm."
Then the little man said, "Since you have a good heart, I grant you three wishes—one for each farthing. They shall all be fulfilled."
"Aha! You are one who works wonders!" said the servant. "Well then, I wish first for a gun that hits everything I aim at; secondly, for a fiddle that compels all who hear it to dance; and thirdly, that if I ask a favor of anyone, they cannot refuse."
"All that you shall have," said the dwarf. He reached into the bush and pulled out a fiddle and a gun, ready as if ordered. He gave them to the servant and said, "Whatever you ask, no man in the world shall deny you."
"Heart alive! What more could one desire?" said the servant to himself, and went merrily on.
Soon he met a Jew with a long goat's beard, standing and listening to a bird singing at the top of a tree. "Good heavens!" exclaimed the Jew. "Such a small creature with such a loud voice! If only it were mine! If only someone would sprinkle salt on its tail!"
"If that's all," said the servant, "the bird shall soon be down here." He took aim, pulled the trigger, and down fell the bird into the thorn-bushes. "Go, you rogue, and fetch the bird yourself!"
"Oh!" said the Jew. "Leave out 'rogue,' my master. I will fetch it at once, since you hit it." He lay down and began to crawl into the thicket.
When the Jew was stuck among the thorns, the servant was tempted by humor. He took up his fiddle and began to play. Immediately, the Jew's legs began to move and jump into the air. The more the servant fiddled, the better the dance. But the thorns tore his shabby coat, combed his beard, and pricked him all over.
"Oh dear!" cried the Jew. "What do I want with your fiddling? Leave the fiddle alone, master; I do not want to dance."
The servant did not listen. He thought, "You have fleeced people often enough; now the thorn-bushes shall do the same to you." He began to play again, making the Jew jump higher than ever, leaving scraps of his coat on the thorns.
"Oh, woe's me!" cried the Jew. "I will give the gentleman whatsoever he asks if only he leaves off fiddling—a purse full of gold!"
"If you are so liberal," said the servant, "I will stop my music. But I must say, you dance to it so well it's quite an art." He took the purse and went on his way.
The Jew stood still, watching until the servant was out of sight. Then he screamed with all his might, "You miserable musician, you beer-house fiddler! Wait till I catch you alone! I will hunt you till the soles of your shoes fall off! You ragamuffin!" After abusing him, he caught his breath and ran to town to see the justice.
"My lord judge," he said, "I come to make a complaint. See how a rascal has robbed and ill-treated me on the highway! A stone might pity me. My clothes are torn, my body pricked and scratched, and my little all is gone with my purse—good ducats, each better than the last. For God's sake, throw the man into prison!"
"Was it a soldier who cut you with his sabre?" asked the judge.
"Nothing of the sort!" said the Jew. "He had no sword, but a gun on his back and a fiddle at his neck. The wretch is easily known."
The judge sent his men after the servant. They found him walking slowly, with the purse of money. Brought before the judge, the servant said, "I did not touch the Jew nor take his money. He gave it to me of his own free will so I would stop fiddling, because he could not bear my music."
"Heaven defend us!" cried the Jew. "His lies are as thick as flies on the wall!"
The judge did not believe the servant's tale. "This is a bad defense; no Jew would do that," he said. Because the servant was accused of robbery on the highway, the judge sentenced him to be hanged.
As he was led away, the Jew screamed after him, "You vagabond! You dog of a fiddler! Now you will receive your well-earned reward!"
The servant walked quietly with the hangman up the ladder. On the last step, he turned and said to the judge, "Grant me just one request before I die."
"Yes, if you do not ask for your life," said the judge.
"I do not ask for life," answered the servant. "But as a last favor, let me play once more upon my fiddle."
The Jew cried out, "Murder! Murder! For goodness' sake, do not allow it!"
But the judge said, "Why should I not let him have this short pleasure? It has been granted to him, and he shall have it." He could not have refused because of the gift bestowed on the servant.
Then the Jew cried, "Oh! Woe's me! Tie me, tie me fast!"
The good servant took his fiddle from his neck and made ready. At the first scrape, they all began to quiver and shake—the judge, his clerk, the hangman, and his men. The cord fell from the hand of the one who was to tie the Jew.
At the second scrape, all raised their legs. The hangman let go of the servant and made ready to dance.
At the third scrape, they all leaped up and began to dance. The judge and the Jew jumped the best. Soon, all who had gathered in the marketplace out of curiosity joined them—old and young, fat and lean. Even the dogs got up on their hind legs and capered about. The longer he played, the higher the dancers sprang, knocking their heads and shrieking terribly.
At length, the judge cried, quite out of breath, "I will give you your life if you will only stop fiddling!"
The good servant had compassion. He took his fiddle, hung it round his neck again, and stepped down the ladder. He went to the Jew, who was lying on the ground panting for breath, and said, "You rascal, now confess where you got the money, or I will take my fiddle and begin to play again."
"I stole it, I stole it!" cried the Jew. "But you have honestly earned it."
So the judge had the Jew taken to the gallows and hanged as a thief.
中文翻译
从前有个富人，他有一个仆人。这个仆人勤勉恳恳、诚实可靠：每天第一个起床，最后一个睡觉。他总是主动承担最困难的工作，从不抱怨，总是心满意足、快快乐乐的。
一年过去了，主人没有给他工钱，心想：“这招真聪明；我省了钱，他也不会走。”仆人什么也没说，又干了第二年，同样没拿到报酬。他依然很快乐，继续留了下来。
第三年结束时，主人把手伸进口袋，却什么也没给。仆人终于开口了：“主人，我诚心诚意服侍了您三年。请把我应得的给我吧，我想离开，去看看更广阔的世界。”
“好的，我的好伙计，”老吝啬鬼答道。“你勤勤恳恳地为我服务，理应得到愉快的回报。”他把手伸进口袋，只数出三枚法寻。“给，每年一枚法寻——这可是主人给的大方又慷慨的报酬。”
这个老实的仆人不太懂钱，他把这笔财富放进口袋，心想：“啊！现在我的钱包鼓了，何必再为辛苦的工作烦恼呢？”他继续上路，开心地唱着跳着。
当他经过一片灌木丛时，一个小矮人走了出来。“去哪儿啊，快乐的兄弟？你看起来无忧无虑的，”小矮人说。
“为什么要难过？”仆人回答。“我钱够用；三年的工钱在我口袋里叮当作响呢。”
“你的财宝有多少？”小矮人问。
“三枚法寻，”仆人说。
“听着，”小矮人说。“我又穷又困。把你的三枚法寻给我吧。我干不动活了，但你年轻，可以挣面包吃。”
仆人心地善良，可怜这个老人，就把三枚法寻给了他。“以天国的名义拿去吧。这对我没什么坏处。”
小矮人接着说：“既然你心地这么好，我满足你三个愿望——每枚法寻一个。它们都会实现。”
“啊哈！你是个会施魔法的人！”仆人说。“那好吧，我首先想要一把枪，能击中我瞄准的任何东西；第二，想要一把小提琴，我一拉它，所有听到的人都得跳舞；第三，如果我向任何人提出请求，他都不能拒绝。”
“这些你都会拥有，”小矮人说。他把手伸进灌木丛，拿出了一把小提琴和一把枪，就像预定好的一样现成。他把它们交给仆人，说：“无论你要求什么，世界上没有人能拒绝你。”
“天哪！一个人还能奢求什么呢？”仆人自言自语道，又高高兴兴地上路了。
不久，他遇到了一个留着长长山羊胡的犹太人，那人正站着听一只鸟在树梢唱歌。“天哪！”犹太人惊叹道。“这么小的家伙，声音却这么大！要是它是我的就好了！要是有人能在它尾巴上撒点盐就好了！”
“如果只是这样，”仆人说，“鸟儿马上就会下来。”他瞄准目标，扣动扳机，鸟儿应声掉进了荆棘丛。“去，你这个无赖，自己去把鸟捡出来！”
“哦！”犹太人说。“别叫‘无赖’，我的主人。我马上去捡，既然你打中了它。”他趴下身子，开始往灌木丛里爬。
当犹太人被荆棘卡住时，仆人玩心大起。他拿起小提琴开始拉奏。立刻，犹太人的腿开始动起来，跳到了空中。仆人拉得越起劲，舞就跳得越好。但荆棘扯破了他破旧的外套，梳理了他的胡子，把他全身刺得生疼。
“哦，天哪！”犹太人喊道。“我要你的琴声干什么？别拉琴了，主人；我不想跳舞。”
仆人不听。他想：“你经常敲诈别人；现在该让荆棘丛也这么对待你了。”他又开始拉琴，让犹太人跳得比之前更高，外套的碎片都挂在了荆棘上。
“哦，我真倒霉啊！”犹太人大叫。“只要他停止拉琴，我愿意给这位先生任何他想要的东西——一袋金子！”
“既然你这么大方，”仆人说，“我就停止演奏。但我必须说，你跟着它跳舞跳得真好，简直是门艺术。”他拿过钱袋，继续赶路。
犹太人一动不动地站着，直到仆人走得看不见了。然后他用尽全力尖叫：“你这个可恶的乐师，你这个酒馆里拉琴的！等我单独抓到你！我要追得你鞋底都磨掉！你这个流浪汉！”骂完之后，他喘了口气，跑进城去找法官。
“法官大人，”他说，“我来告状。看看一个无赖是怎么在公路上抢劫和虐待我的！连石头都会可怜我。我的衣服破了，身上被刺伤抓伤，我所有的东西连同我的钱袋都没了——那可是上好的达克特金币，一枚比一枚好。看在上帝的份上，把那个人关进监狱吧！”
“是个士兵用军刀砍伤你的吗？”法官问。
“根本不是！”犹太人说。“他没有剑，但背着一把枪，脖子上挂着一把小提琴。这个坏蛋很容易认出来。”
法官派人去追捕仆人。他们发现他正慢悠悠地走着，身上带着那袋钱。被带到法官面前时，仆人说：“我没有碰这个犹太人，也没拿他的钱。是他自愿给我的，好让我停止拉琴，因为他受不了我的音乐。”
“天理难容啊！”犹太人大叫。“他的谎话像墙上的苍蝇一样多！”
法官不相信仆人的话。“这个辩护很糟糕；没有犹太人会那么做，”他说。因为仆人被指控在公路上抢劫，法官判处他绞刑。
当他被带走时，犹太人在他身后尖叫：“你这个流浪汉！你这个拉琴的狗东西！现在你要得到你应得的报应了！”
仆人平静地和刽子手走上梯子。在最后一级台阶上，他转身对法官说：“在我死前，请答应我一个请求。”
“可以，只要你不要求饶命，”法官说。
“我不要求饶命，”仆人回答。“但作为最后一个恩惠，让我再拉一次我的小提琴。”
犹太人大喊：“谋杀！谋杀！行行好，别让他拉！”
但法官说：“我为什么不让他享受这短暂的快乐呢？已经答应他了，他应该得到。”由于仆人被赋予的礼物，法官也无法拒绝。
这时犹太人大叫：“哦！我真倒霉！把我绑起来，绑紧！”
好心的仆人从脖子上取下小提琴，做好准备。第一声琴弦响起，所有人都开始颤抖摇晃——法官、书记员、刽子手和他的手下。准备绑犹太人的绳子从那人手中掉了下来。
第二声琴弦响起，所有人都抬起了腿。刽子手放开了仆人，准备跳舞。
第三声琴弦响起，所有人都跳了起来开始跳舞。法官和犹太人跳得最好。很快，所有出于好奇聚集在集市上的人都加入了他们——老老少少，胖的瘦的。连狗都用后腿站起来蹦跳。他拉得越久，舞者跳得越高，头撞在一起，发出可怕的尖叫。
最后，法官上气不接下气地喊道：“只要你停止拉琴，我就饶你一命！”
好心的仆人心生怜悯。他拿起小提琴，重新挂在脖子上，走下了梯子。他走到躺在地上喘不过气来的犹太人面前，说：“你这个无赖，现在坦白钱是哪儿来的，不然我就拿起小提琴再开始拉。”
“我偷的，我偷的！”犹太人大叫。“但你是光明正大挣到的。”
于是法官命人把犹太人带到绞刑架，作为小偷绞死了。