English Original
One fine summer's day, Earl Mar's daughter went into the castle garden, dancing and tripping along. As she played, she would stop to listen to the birds. Sitting under a green oak tree, she spied a sprightly dove high on a branch.
"Coo-my-dove, my dear," she said, "come down to me and I will give you a golden cage. I'll take you home and pet you well."
Scarcely had she spoken when the dove flew down, settled on her shoulder, and nestled against her neck. She took it to her room.
That night, as she prepared for sleep, she found a handsome young man beside her. Startled, for the door was locked, she asked, "What are you doing here? How did you come in?"
"Hush!" he whispered. "I was the cooing dove you coaxed from the tree."
"But who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Florentine. My mother, a queen skilled in magic, turned me into a dove by day because I defied her. At night, I become a man again. Today, I crossed the sea and saw you for the first time. Unless you love me, I shall never be happy."
"But if I love you, will you not fly away one day?"
"Never," said the prince. "Be my wife, and I will be yours forever. By day a bird, by night a prince, I will always be by your side."
They married in secret and lived happily. No one knew that Coo-my-dove became Prince Florentine each night. Every year, a bonny son was born to them. Each time, Florentine carried the child over the sea to his mother, the queen.
Seven years passed. Then, Earl Mar decided to marry his daughter to a nobleman. He pressed her, but she refused, saying, "I am happy with Coo-my-dove."
Enraged, her father swore, "Tomorrow, I'll twist that bird's neck!"
"It's time I was away," said Coo-my-dove. He flew out the window, over the deep sea, to his mother's castle.
The queen saw the dove alight. "Dancers, pipe well!" she called. "My Florentine has returned, though without a bonny boy this time."
"No dancers for me, mother," said Florentine. "My wife, mother of my seven sons, is to be wed tomorrow. It is a sad day for me."
"What can I do?" asked the queen. "If my magic has power, it shall be done."
"Then," said Florentine, "turn your twenty-four dancers and pipers into twenty-four grey herons. Let my seven sons become seven white swans. And let me be a goshawk, their leader."
"Alas, my son," she said, "my magic is not that strong. But perhaps my teacher, the spaewife of Ostree, may know."
The queen hurried to Ostree's cave. She returned, muttering over burning herbs. Suddenly, Coo-my-dove changed into a goshawk. Around him flew twenty-four grey herons, and above them flew seven cygnets.
Without a word, they flew over the tossing sea. They swooped down on Earl Mar's castle just as the wedding party set out for the church.
The procession moved slowly to stately music. As they passed the trees where the birds had settled, Prince Florentine, the goshawk, gave a signal. They all rose into the air: herons below, cygnets above, and the goshawk circling above all.
The wedding guests wondered at the sight. Then, swoop! The herons scattered the men-at-arms. The young swans took charge of the bride while the goshawk tied the bridegroom to a tree.
The herons gathered into a feather bed. The cygnets placed their mother upon it, and they all rose into the air, bearing the bride safely away.
The wedding party was utterly disturbed. They could only watch as their bride was carried away until she and all the birds disappeared.
That very day, Prince Florentine brought Earl Mar's daughter to his mother's castle. The queen lifted the spell from him, and they lived happily ever after.
中文翻译
一个晴朗的夏日，马尔伯爵的女儿蹦蹦跳跳地走进了城堡花园。她玩耍时，不时停下来聆听鸟儿的歌声。坐在一棵绿橡树下，她瞥见一只活泼的鸽子高高地停在树枝上。
"咕咕-我的鸽子，亲爱的，"她说，"飞下来到我这儿来，我会给你一个金笼子。我会带你回家，好好宠爱你。"
她话音刚落，鸽子就飞了下来，落在她的肩上，依偎在她的颈边。她把它带回了自己的房间。
那天晚上，当她准备睡觉时，发现身边有一位英俊的年轻人。她吓了一跳，因为门早已锁上，她问道："你在这里做什么？你是怎么进来的？"
"嘘！"他低声说。"我就是你从树上哄下来的那只咕咕叫的鸽子。"
"但你是谁？"她问。
"我叫弗洛伦坦。我的母亲是一位精通魔法的女王，因为我不顺从她，她白天把我变成鸽子。夜晚，我又变回人形。今天，我跨越大海，第一次见到了你。除非你爱我，否则我将永远不会快乐。"
"但如果我爱你，你不会在某一天飞走吗？"
"永远不会，"王子说。"做我的妻子，我将永远属于你。白天是鸟，夜晚是王子，我将永远作为你的丈夫陪伴在你身边。"
他们秘密结婚，幸福地生活着。没有人知道每晚咕咕-我的鸽子会变成弗洛伦坦王子。每年，他们都会迎来一个非常漂亮的小儿子。每次孩子出生，弗洛伦坦都会把孩子背过大海，送到他母亲女王那里抚养。
七年过去了。后来，马尔伯爵决定将女儿嫁给一位贵族。他逼迫她，但她拒绝了，说："我和咕咕-我的鸽子在一起很快乐。"
她的父亲勃然大怒，发誓道："明天，我就拧断那只鸟的脖子！"
"我该走了，"咕咕-我的鸽子说。他飞出窗户，越过深海，飞向他母亲的城堡。
女王看到鸽子落下。"舞者们，奏乐！"她喊道。"我的弗洛伦坦回来了，虽然这次没带漂亮男孩来。"
"我不需要舞者，母亲，"弗洛伦坦说。"我的妻子，我七个儿子的母亲，明天就要被迫嫁人了。这对我来说是悲伤的一天。"
"我能做什么？"女王问。"如果我的魔法有力量，一定办到。"
"那么，"弗洛伦坦说，"将你的二十四名舞者和乐师变成二十四只灰鹭。让我的七个儿子变成七只白天鹅。让我变成一只苍鹰，做他们的首领。"
"唉，我的儿子，"她说，"我的魔法没那么强大。但也许我的老师，奥斯特里的女预言家，可能有办法。"
女王急忙赶到奥斯特里的洞穴。她回来时，面色苍白，对着一些燃烧的草药念念有词。突然，咕咕-我的鸽子变成了一只苍鹰。二十四只灰鹭环绕着他飞翔，七只小天鹅在他们上方飞翔。
他们一言不发，飞越波涛汹涌的大海。正当婚礼队伍出发前往教堂时，他们俯冲向马尔伯爵的城堡。
队伍随着庄严的音乐缓缓行进。当他们经过鸟儿们栖息的树木时，苍鹰弗洛伦坦王子发出了信号。他们全部升空：灰鹭在下，小天鹅在上，苍鹰在最高处盘旋。
婚礼宾客们对这景象感到惊奇。接着，呼啦一声！灰鹭们冲散了卫兵。小天鹅们负责保护新娘，而苍鹰则俯冲下来将新郎绑在了一棵树上。
灰鹭们聚集成一张羽毛床。小天鹅们将他们的母亲放在上面，然后他们全部升空，安全地将新娘带走了。
婚礼现场一片混乱。宾客们只能眼睁睁看着新娘被带走，直到她和所有的鸟儿都消失不见。
就在那天，弗洛伦坦王子将马尔伯爵的女儿带到了他母亲的城堡。女王解除了他身上的咒语，从此他们幸福地生活在一起。