格林童話:Death's Messengers死神的使者

Death's Messengers

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

In ancient times a giant was wandering along the highway when suddenly a stranger jumped toward him and shouted, "Stop! Not one step further!"

"What?" said the giant. "You, a creature that I could crush between my fingers, you want to block my way? Who are you that you dare to speak so boldly?"

"I am Death," answered the other one. "No one resists me, and you too must obey my orders."

But the giant refused, and began to wrestle with Death. It was a long, violent battle, and finally the giant got the upper hand, and knocked Death down with his fist, causing him to collapse by a stone. The giant went on his way, and Death lay there conquered, so weak that he could not get up again.

"What is to come of this?" he said. "If I stay lying here in a corner, no one will die in the world, and it will become so filled with people that they won't have room to stand beside one another."

Meanwhile a young man came down the road. Vigorous and healthy, he was singing a song and looking this way and that. Seeing the half-conscious individual, he approached him with compassion, raised him up, gave him a refreshing drink from his flask, and waited until he regained his strength.

"Do you know," asked the stranger, as he stood up, "who I am, and whom you have helped onto his legs again?"

"No," answered the youth, "I do not know you."

"I am Death," he said. "I spare no one, nor can make an exception with you. However, so you may see that I am grateful, I promise you that I will not attack you without warning, but instead will send my messengers to you before I come and take you away."

"Good," said the youth. "It is to my benefit that I shall know when you are coming, and that I will be safe from you until then."

then he went on his way, and was cheerful and carefree, and lived one day at a time. However, youth and good health did not last long. Soon came sickness and pain, which tormented him by day and deprived him of his rest by night.

"I shall not die," he said to himself, "for Death will first send his messengers, but I do wish that these wicked days of sickness were over."

Regaining his health, he began once more to live cheerfully. then one day someone tapped on his shoulder.

He looked around, and death was standing behind him, who said, "Follow me. the hour of your departure from this world has come."

"What?" replied the man. "Are you breaking your word? Did you not promise me that you would send your messengers to me before you yourself would come? I have not seen a one of them."

"Be still!" answered Death. "Have I not sent you one messenger after another? Did not fever come and strike you, and shake you, and throw you down? Has not dizziness numbed your head? Has not gout pinched your limbs? Did your ears not buzz? Did toothache not bite into your cheeks? Did your eyes not darken? And furthermore, has not my own brother Sleep reminded you every night of me? During the night did you not lie there as if you were already dead?"

the man did not know how to answer, so he surrendered to his fate and went away with Death.

古時後，有個巨人漫步在鄉間的大道上，突然一個陌生人跳到他跟前說：“站住，不許再往前走一步！”“甚麼？”巨人叫道，“你這小東西，我兩根指頭就能把你捏死，你敢擋我的路？你是甚麼人，敢口吐狂言？”“我是死神，”他回答說，“沒有人能反抗我，你也必須服從我的命令。”但巨人拒絕了，和死神打鬥起來，這是一場持久而激烈的戰鬥，最後巨人佔了上風，一拳擊倒了死神，使他癱倒在一塊石頭旁。巨人凱旋而去，死神倒在那兒屈服了，他太虛弱了，竟爬不起來了。“現在我該怎麼辦呢？”他說，“如果就縮在這個角落裏，世上就沒人會死，那麼必定會擠滿人而無處容身了。”這時來了位年輕人，朝氣蓬勃，一路高歌，並且在舉目四顧。一看見這個半死半活的人，馬上關切地走了上來，扶起他，從自己的瓶中倒了口水給他，看着他恢復了幾分力氣。那陌生人邊爬起邊說：“你可知道我是誰嗎？你知道你幫了誰嗎？”“不，”年輕人說，“我不認識你。”“我是死神，我從不放過任何人，你也不例外。但爲了表示我的感激之情，我向你保證我絕不出其不意地降臨於你，我會在來取你性命之前派我的報信使者通知你。”“好的，”年輕人說，“能知道自己的死期就足夠了，至少在這以前我不用提心吊膽的。”然後他愉快地走了，無憂無慮地生活着。但青春和健康不會長久，很快病痛與悲哀都來了，它們開始一天天地折磨他。他自言自語道：“我不會死的，因爲死神還沒來，我真希望這病痛纏身的痛苦日子趕快結束。”後來他的病好了，他又過上了開心的日子。有一天，有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他扭頭一看，發現死神就站在他身後。“跟我來，你和這個世界告別的時刻已經到了。”“甚麼？”這人問道，“你怎能食言？你不是保證說你本人來之前會派信使來嗎？”“別作聲！”死神說，“我不是接二連三地差信使到這裏了嗎？寒熱不是來打你、推你、摔倒你了嗎？暈眩不是弄得你頭昏腦脹嗎？痛風病不是折磨你四肢嗎？耳鳴有過嗎？牙痛時不曾使面頰發腫嗎？而且，我的兄弟'睡神'不是每晚向你提起我嗎？夜裏，你難道不是像死人那樣地躺在那嗎？”

這人無話可說，只得聽天由命，跟着死神走了。