English Original
Now this wood was very fair to look at from without, and seemed full of singing birds and of sweet-scented flowers, and the Star-Child entered it gladly. Yet did its beauty profit him little, for wherever he went harsh briars and thorns shot up from the ground and encompassed him, and evil nettles stung him, and the thistle pierced him with her daggers, so that he was in sore distress. Nor could he anywhere find the piece of white gold of which the Magician had spoken, though he sought for it from morn to noon, and from noon to sunset. And at sunset he set his face towards Home, weeping bitterly, for he knew what fate was in store for him.
But when he had reached the outskirts of the wood, he heard from a thicket a cry as of someone in pain. And forgetting his own sorrow he ran back to the place, and saw there a little Hare caught in a trap that some hunter had set for it.
And the Star-Child had pity on it, and released it, and said to it, 'I am myself but a slave, yet may I give thee thy freedom.'
And the Hare answered him, and said: 'Surely thou hast given me freedom, and what shall I give thee in return?'
And the Star-Child said to it, 'I am seeking for a piece of white gold, nor can I anywhere find it, and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me.'
'Come thou with me,' said the Hare, 'and I will lead thee to it, for I know where it is hidden, and for what purpose.'
So the Star-Child went with the Hare, and lo! in the cleft of a great oak-tree he saw the piece of white gold that he was seeking. And he was filled with joy, and seized it, and said to the Hare, 'The service that I did to thee thou hast rendered back again many times over and the kindness that I showed thee thou hast repaid a hundredfold.'
'Nay,' answered the Hare, 'but as thou dealt with me, so I did deal with thee,' and it ran away swiftly, and the Star-Child went towards the city.
Now at the gate of the city there was seated one who was a leper. Over his face hung a cowl of grey linen, and through the eyelets his eyes gleamed like red coals. And when he saw the Star-Child coming, he struck upon a wooden bowl, and clattered his bell, and called out to him, and said, 'Give me a piece of money, or I must die of hunger. For they have thrust me out of the city, and there is no one who has pity on me.'
'Alas!' cried the Star-Child, 'I have but one piece of money in my wallet, and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me for I am his slave.'
But the leper entreated him, and prayed of him, till the Star-Child had pity, and gave him the piece of white gold.
And when he came to the Magician's house, the Magician opened to him, and brought him in, and said to him, 'Hast thou the piece of white gold?' And the Star-Child answered, 'I have it not.' So the Magician fell upon him, and beat him, and set before him an empty trencher, and said 'Eat,' and an empty cup, and said, 'Drink,' and flung him again into the dungeon.
And on the morrow the Magician came to him, and said, 'If to-day thou bringest me not the piece of yellow gold, I will surely keep thee as my slave, and give thee three hundred stripes.'
So the Star-Child went to the wood, and all day long he searched for the piece of yellow gold, but nowhere could he find it. And at sunset he sat him down and began to weep, and as he was weeping there came to him the little Hare that he had rescued from the trap.
And the Hare said to him, 'Why art thou weeping? And what dost thou seek in the wood?'
And the Star-Child answered, 'I am seeking for a piece of yellow gold that is hidden here, and if I find it not my master will beat me, and keep me as a slave.'
'Follow me,' cried the Hare, and it ran through the wood till it came to a pool of water. And at the bottom of the pool the piece of yellow gold was lying.
'How shall I thank thee?' said the Star-Child, 'for lo! this is the second time that you have succoured me.'
'Nay, but thou hadst pity on me first,' said the Hare, and it ran away swiftly.
And the Star-Child took the piece of yellow gold, and put it in his wallet, and hurried to the city. But the leper saw him coming, and ran to meet him and knelt down and cried, 'Give me a piece of money or I shall die of hunger.'
And the Star-Child said to him, 'I have in my wallet but one piece of yellow gold, and if I bring it not to my master he will beat me and keep me as his slave.'
中文翻译
这片树林从外面看非常美丽，似乎充满了鸣鸟和芬芳的花朵，星孩高兴地走了进去。然而，它的美丽对他几乎毫无益处，因为无论他走到哪里，粗糙的荆棘和蒺藜都会从地面冒出并包围他，恶毒的荨麻刺痛他，蓟草用它匕首般的尖刺刺穿他，使他痛苦不堪。他也找不到魔法师所说的那块白金，尽管他从清晨找到正午，又从正午找到日落。日落时分，他转身回家，痛苦地哭泣，因为他知道等待他的命运是什么。
但当他走到树林边缘时，他听到灌木丛中传来一声痛苦的呼喊。他忘记了自己的悲伤，跑回那个地方，看到一只小野兔被困在猎人设下的陷阱里。
星孩怜悯它，放走了它，并对它说：“我自己不过是个奴隶，但我可以给你自由。”
野兔回答他说：“你确实给了我自由，我该拿什么回报你呢？”
星孩对它说：“我正在寻找一块白金，但哪里也找不到，如果我不把它带给我的主人，他会打我。”
“跟我来，”野兔说，“我带你去，我知道它藏在哪里，也知道它的用途。”
于是星孩跟着野兔走了，看哪！在一棵大橡树的裂缝里，他看到了他正在寻找的那块白金。他满心欢喜，抓住它，对野兔说：“我为你做的服务，你已经加倍偿还了；我对你表现的善意，你已经百倍回报了。”
“不，”野兔回答说，“只是你怎样待我，我也怎样待你。”说完它迅速跑开了，星孩则向城市走去。
此刻，城门口坐着一个麻风病人。他的脸上罩着一顶灰色亚麻布兜帽，透过眼孔，他的眼睛像红炭一样闪烁。当他看到星孩走来时，他敲打着木碗，摇响铃铛，对他喊道：“给我一点钱吧，否则我就要饿死了。因为他们把我赶出了城，没有人可怜我。”
“唉！”星孩哭道，“我的钱包里只有一块钱，如果我不把它带给我的主人，他会打我的，因为我是他的奴隶。”但麻风病人恳求他，向他哀求，直到星孩心生怜悯，把白金给了他。
当他来到魔法师的家时，魔法师给他开了门，带他进去，对他说：“你有那块白金吗？”星孩回答：“我没有。”于是魔法师扑向他，打了他，在他面前放了一个空盘子，说“吃吧”，又放了一个空杯子，说“喝吧”，然后再次把他扔进了地牢。
第二天，魔法师来到他面前，说：“如果今天你不把那块黄金给我带来，我必将你留作我的奴隶，并抽你三百鞭。”
于是星孩去了树林，他找了一整天的黄金，但哪里也找不到。日落时分，他坐下来开始哭泣，正当他哭泣时，那只他从陷阱中救出的小野兔来到了他身边。
野兔对他说：“你为什么哭泣？你在树林里找什么？”
星孩回答：“我在寻找一块藏在这里的黄金，如果我找不到，我的主人会打我，并把我留作奴隶。”
“跟我来，”野兔喊道，它跑过树林，来到一个水池边。池底正躺着那块黄金。
“我该如何感谢你？”星孩说，“看哪！这是你第二次帮助我了。”
“不，是你先怜悯我的，”野兔说完，迅速跑开了。
星孩拿起那块黄金，放进钱包，匆忙赶往城市。但麻风病人看到他来了，跑过来迎他，跪下来喊道：“给我一点钱吧，否则我就要饿死了。”
星孩对他说：“我的钱包里只有一块黄金，如果我不把它带给我的主人，他会打我，并把我留作他的奴隶。”