English Original
There was once a man named Frederick and a woman named Catherine who were married. One day, Frederick said, "I will go and plough. When I return, there must be roast meat and fresh beer for me." "Just go," answered Catherine, "I will have everything ready."
When dinner-time neared, she took a sausage, put it in a frying pan with butter, and set it on the fire. As it sizzled, she thought, "I could go draw beer from the cellar while it cooks." So she left the pan on the fire, took a can, and went to the cellar.
As the beer flowed, she remembered, "Oh dear! The dog is loose and might steal the sausage!" She rushed upstairs, but the dog already had the sausage in its mouth and ran into the field. Catherine chased it but couldn't catch it. "What's gone is gone!" she said, and walked back, tired.
Meanwhile, the beer kept flowing because she forgot to turn off the tap. The can overflowed, and the entire cask emptied into the cellar. Seeing the mess, she cried, "How can I hide this from Frederick?" She remembered a sack of fine flour in the garret. "He who saves a thing when he ought, has it when he needs it," she thought. She fetched the flour and threw it onto the beer to soak it up, but knocked over the can in the process.
"It is all right," she said, "where one is, the other should be too," and she spread the flour all over the cellar. Pleased, she said, "How clean and wholesome it looks!"
At midday, Frederick returned. "Wife, what have you ready?" "Ah," she replied, "I was frying a sausage, but while drawing your beer, the dog stole it. While chasing the dog, the beer all ran out. While drying the beer with flour, I knocked over the can. But don't worry, the cellar is dry again."
Frederick said, "Catherine, you should not have done that! You let the sausage be stolen, the beer run out, and wasted all our flour!" "Indeed, Frederick," she said, "I did not know. You should have told me."
Frederick thought, "If my wife is like this, I must be more careful." He had saved many thalers, which he changed into gold. He told Catherine, "Look, these are game counters. I will bury them in a pot under the cow's manger. Do not go near them." "Oh, no," she said, "I certainly will not."
After Frederick left, pedlars came to the village selling cheap pots. They asked Catherine if she wanted to trade. "I have no money," she said, "but if you want yellow counters, I can trade. Go dig under the cow's manger; you'll find them. I'm not allowed to go." The rogues went, dug up the gold, and ran away, leaving their pots behind.
Catherine decided to use the new pots. Having no need for them in the kitchen, she knocked out their bottoms and set them as ornaments on the fence around the house.
When Frederick saw them, he asked, "Catherine, what have you done?" "I bought them with the counters under the manger. The pedlars dug them up themselves." "Ah, wife," said Frederick, "those were not counters, but pure gold—all our wealth! You should not have done that." "Indeed, Frederick," she said, "I did not know. You should have warned me."
After a while, Catherine said, "Listen, we can get the gold back. Let's chase the thieves." "Very well," said Frederick, "but take some butter and cheese to eat on the way." They set out, with Frederick walking faster ahead.
Catherine came to a hill with deep cart ruts. Feeling compassion for the earth, she smeared butter into the ruts to protect them from wheels. As she bent down, a cheese rolled out of her pocket down the hill. "I won't go down after it," she thought, and rolled another cheese down to fetch the first. When none returned, she rolled down the rest, one by one, thinking they were waiting for company or had lost their way. Angry, she finally said, "I won't wait any longer!" and went on.
She found Frederick waiting to eat. She gave him dry bread. "Where is the butter and cheese?" he asked. "I smeared the ruts with butter," she said, "and the cheeses will come soon; one ran away, so I sent the others after it." Frederick said, "You should not have smeared butter on the road and let the cheeses roll away!" "Really," she replied, "you should have told me."
They ate the bread, and Frederick asked, "Did you secure the house when you left?" "No," she said, "you should have told me." "Then go back, secure it, and bring more food. I'll wait here."
Catherine returned home, thinking, "Frederick wants more food; he doesn't like butter and cheese. I'll take dried pears and a pitcher of vinegar." She bolted the upper half of the door but took the lower half off its hinges and carried it on her back, believing this secured the house.
She took her time, thinking Frederick would rest longer. When she reached him, she said, "Here is the house-door. Now you can guard the house." "Oh, heavens!" he cried. "You unhinged the lower door so anyone can enter, and bolted the upper one! It's too late to return. Since you brought the door, you shall carry it further." "I will," she said, "but the pears and vinegar are too heavy. I'll hang them on the door."
They went into the forest to find the thieves but failed. At dark, they climbed a tree to spend the night. Soon, the very thieves sat beneath them, lit a fire, and prepared to divide their loot.
Frederick climbed down, gathered stones, and climbed back to throw at them, but missed. The thieves said, "Morning must be near; the wind is shaking down fir-cones."
The door was heavy on Catherine's back. Thinking it was the pears, she said, "Frederick, I must throw down the pears." "No, they might betray us." "But they weigh too much!" "Do it, then!" The pears rolled down. The thieves below said, "Leaves are falling."
Later, still burdened, she said, "I must pour out the vinegar." "No, it might betray us." "But it's too heavy!" "Do it, then!" She poured the vinegar, sprinkling the thieves. They said, "Dew is falling."
Finally, she realized the door itself was heavy. "Frederick, I must throw down the door." "No, it will discover us." "But it's too heavy!" "Hold it fast!" "I'm letting it fall!" "Let it go, then!" The door fell with a clatter. The thieves cried, "The devil is coming down the tree!" and fled, leaving everything.
Next morning, Frederick and Catherine came down, found their gold, and carried it home.
Back home, Frederick said, "Now, Catherine, you must be industrious. Go cut corn in the field." In the field, Catherine wondered, "Shall I eat or sleep first? I'll eat." After eating, she grew sleepy and began cutting corn, but in her drowsiness, she cut all her clothes—apron, gown, and shift—to pieces.
Waking later half-naked, she said, "Is it I, or is it not I? Alas, it is not I." At night, she ran to the village, knocked on her husband's window, and cried, "Frederick!" "What is it?" "I want to know if Catherine is home." "Yes," he replied, "she must be in and asleep." "'Tis well," she said, "then I am certainly home already," and ran off.
Outside, she met vagabonds planning to steal. "I will help you steal," she said. Thinking she knew the area, they agreed. Catherine went in front of houses and called, "Good folks, have you anything? We want to steal!" The thieves were dismayed and wished to be rid of her.
They told her, "The pastor has turnips in his field. Go pull some for us." She went but was so idle she didn't gather them. A man passing by saw her and thought the devil was rooting up turnips. He ran to the pastor and said, "The devil is in your turnip field!" "Alas," said the pastor, "I have a lame foot and cannot drive him away." "I will carry you," said the man, and he did.
When they arrived, Catherine stood up to her full height. "Ah, the devil!" cried the pastor. Both ran away in terror, the pastor with his lame foot outrunning the man who had carried him.
中文翻译
从前，有一个名叫弗雷德里克的男人和一个名叫凯瑟琳的女人结了婚。一天，弗雷德里克说：“我要去耕地。我回来时，桌上必须有烤肉和新鲜的啤酒。”“去吧，”凯瑟琳回答，“我会把一切都准备好。”
快到晚餐时间时，她拿出一根香肠，放进煎锅加了黄油，放在火上。香肠滋滋作响时，她想：“我可以趁它煮着的时候去地窖打啤酒。”于是她把锅留在火上，拿了一个罐子去了地窖。
啤酒流出来时，她想起：“哎呀！狗没拴好，可能会偷香肠！”她冲上楼，但狗已经叼着香肠跑进了田野。凯瑟琳去追，但没追上。“丢了就丢了吧！”她说，然后疲惫地走回来。
与此同时，啤酒一直流着，因为她忘了关龙头。罐子满了，整个桶里的啤酒都流进了地窖。看到这乱糟糟的一幕，她叫道：“我怎么向弗雷德里克隐瞒呢？”她想起阁楼上有一袋上等面粉。“该节省时节省，需要时就有用，”她想。她取来面粉，扔到啤酒上想吸干，但过程中打翻了罐子。
“没关系，”她说，“一个在哪，另一个也该在哪，”她把面粉撒满了整个地窖。她满意地说：“看起来多干净、多卫生啊！”
中午，弗雷德里克回来了。“妻子，你给我准备了什么？”“啊，”她回答，“我在煎香肠，但打啤酒时，狗把它偷走了。追狗的时候，啤酒全流光了。用面粉吸啤酒时，我又打翻了罐子。不过别担心，地窖又干了。”
弗雷德里克说：“凯瑟琳，你不该这么做！你让香肠被偷，啤酒流光，还浪费了我们所有的面粉！”“确实，弗雷德里克，”她说，“我不知道。你该告诉我的。”
弗雷德里克想：“如果我妻子是这样，我必须更小心。”他攒了许多泰勒，换成了金子。他告诉凯瑟琳：“看，这些是游戏筹码。我要把它们装在罐子里，埋在牛槽下面。别靠近它们。”“哦，不，”她说，“我肯定不会。”
弗雷德里克走后，小贩来到村里卖便宜的罐子。他们问凯瑟琳是否想交易。“我没钱，”她说，“但如果你们想要黄色筹码，我可以交易。去牛槽下面挖吧；你们会找到的。我不准去。”无赖们去了，挖出金子，跑掉了，留下了他们的罐子。
凯瑟琳决定用这些新罐子。厨房里用不上，她就把罐底敲掉，把它们当作装饰品放在房子周围的篱笆上。
弗雷德里克看到后问：“凯瑟琳，你做了什么？”“我用牛槽下的筹码买了它们。小贩们自己挖的。”“啊，妻子，”弗雷德里克说，“那些不是筹码，是纯金——我们所有的财富！你不该那么做。”“确实，弗雷德里克，”她说，“我不知道。你该警告我的。”
过了一会儿，凯瑟琳说：“听着，我们能拿回金子。我们去追小偷吧。”“好吧，”弗雷德里克说，“但带些黄油和奶酪路上吃。”他们出发了，弗雷德里克走得快，在前面。
凯瑟琳来到一个有深深车辙的山坡。她同情大地，就把黄油涂进车辙里，以保护地面免受车轮伤害。弯腰时，一块奶酪从她口袋里滚下山坡。“我不会下去捡的，”她想，又滚下另一块奶酪去叫第一块。当没有一块回来时，她把剩下的也一块块滚下去，心想它们是在等同伴或者迷路了。她生气地说：“我不再等了！”然后继续走。
她找到等着吃东西的弗雷德里克。她给了他干面包。“黄油和奶酪呢？”他问。“我用黄油涂车辙了，”她说，“奶酪很快就来；一块跑掉了，所以我派其他的去叫它。”弗雷德里克说：“你不该把黄油涂在路上，还让奶酪滚下山！”“真的，”她回答，“你该告诉我的。”
他们吃了面包，弗雷德里克问：“你离开时锁好门了吗？”“没有，”她说，“你该告诉我的。”“那回去把门锁好，再带点食物来。我在这里等。”
凯瑟琳回到家，心想：“弗雷德里克想要更多食物；他不喜欢黄油和奶酪。我带些干梨和一壶醋吧。”她把门的上半部分闩好，却把下半部分从铰链上卸下来背在背上，以为这样房子就安全了。
她不慌不忙，心想弗雷德里克可以多休息会儿。见到他后，她说：“这是家门。现在你可以看家了。”“哦，天哪！”他喊道，“你把下门卸了，谁都能进来，却闩上了上门！现在回去太晚了。既然你带来了门，你就继续背着吧。”“好的，”她说，“但梨和醋太重了。我把它们挂在门上。”
他们进入森林寻找小偷，但没找到。天黑时，他们爬上一棵树过夜。很快，那群小偷就坐在他们下面，生起火，准备分赃。
弗雷德里克爬下去，捡了些石头，又爬上来扔向他们，但没打中。小偷们说：“快天亮了；风把冷杉球果吹下来了。”
门在凯瑟琳背上很重。她以为是梨，便说：“弗雷德里克，我必须把梨扔下去。”“不行，会暴露我们的。”“但它们太重了！”“那就扔吧！”梨子滚了下去。下面的小偷说：“树叶掉下来了。”
过了一会儿，还是觉得重，她说：“我必须把醋倒掉。”“不行，会暴露我们的。”“但它太重了！”“那就倒吧！”她倒出醋，洒在小偷身上。他们说：“露水下来了。”
最后，她意识到是门本身重。“弗雷德里克，我必须把门扔下去。”“不行，会发现我们的。”“但它太重了！”“抓紧！”“我要抓不住了！”“那就松手吧！”门哗啦一声掉下去。小偷们叫道：“魔鬼从树上下来了！”然后逃跑了，留下了一切。
第二天早上，弗雷德里克和凯瑟琳下来，找到了他们的金子，带回了家。
回到家，弗雷德里克说：“现在，凯瑟琳，你必须勤快些。去田里割麦子。”在田里，凯瑟琳想：“我是先吃还是先睡？我先吃吧。”吃完后，她困了，开始割麦子，但在昏昏欲睡中，她把所有的衣服——围裙、长袍和衬衣——都割成了碎片。
后来半裸着醒来，她说：“这是我，还是不是我？唉，这不是我。”晚上，她跑到村里，敲丈夫的窗户，喊道：“弗雷德里克！”“什么事？”“我想知道凯瑟琳在家吗。”“在，”他回答，“她一定在家睡着了。”“那好，”她说，“那我肯定已经在家了，”然后跑开了。
在外面，她遇到一群打算偷窃的流浪汉。“我帮你们偷，”她说。他们以为她熟悉地方，就同意了。凯瑟琳走到房子前喊道：“好心人，你们有什么东西吗？我们想偷！”小偷们很沮丧，希望摆脱她。
他们告诉她：“牧师田里有萝卜。去给我们拔一些。”她去了，但太懒了，没有把萝卜收起来。一个路过的人看到她，以为是魔鬼在拔萝卜。他跑到牧师那里说：“魔鬼在你的萝卜地里！”“哎呀，”牧师说，“我脚跛了，没法去赶他走。”“我背你去，”那人说，然后背着他去了。
他们到达时，凯瑟琳站了起来。“啊，魔鬼！”牧师叫道。两人惊恐地跑开了，跛脚的牧师跑得比背他的那个人还快。