有钱能使鬼推磨

苏珊

There was once a prince as rich as cream，who took it into his head to put up a palace right across the street from the kings，but a palace far more splendid than the kings. Once it was finished，he put on its front in bold lettering：MONEY CAN DO EVERYTHING.

When the king came out and saw that，he sent immediately for the prince，who was new in town and hadnt yet visited the court.

“Congratulations！”the king said，“Your palace is a true wonder. My house looks like a hut compared with it. Congratulations！But was it your idea to put up the words：Money can do everything？”

The prince realized that maybe he had gone too far.

“Yes，it was，” he answered，“but if Your Majesty doesnt like it，I can easily have the letters stripped off.”

“Oh，no，I wouldnt think of having you do that I merely wanted to hear from your own lips what you meant by such a statement. For instance，do you think that，with your money，you could have me assassinated？”

The prince realized he had got himself into a tight spot.

“Oh，Majesty，forgive me. Ill have the words removed at once. And if you dont like the palace，just say so，and Ill have it torn down too.”

“No，no，leave it the way it is. But since you claim a person with money can do anything，prove it to me.Ill give you three days to try to talk to my daughter. If you manage to speak to her，well and good；you will marry her. If not，Ill have you beheaded. Is that clear？”

The prince was too distressed to eat，drink，or sleep. Day and night，all he thought of was how he might save his neck. By the second day he was certain of failure and decided to make his will. His plight was hopeless，for the kings daughter had been closed up in a castle surrounded by one hundred guards. Pale and limp as a rag， the prince lay on his bed waiting to die，when in walked his old nurse，a decrepit old soul now who had nursed him as a baby and who still worked for him. Finding him so haggard，the old woman asked what was wrong. Hemming and hawing，he told her the whole story.

“So？”said the nurse，“And youre giving up，like that？You make me laugh！Ill see what I can do about all this！”

Off she wobbled to the finest silversmith in town and ordered him to make a solid silver goose that would open and close its bill. The goose was to be as big as a man and hollow inside. “It must be ready tomorrow，”she added.

“Tomorrow？Yore crazy！”exclaimed the silversmith.

“Tomorrow I said！”The old woman pulled out a purse of gold coins and continued， “Think it over. This is the down payment. Ill give you the rest tomorrow when you deliver the goose.”

The silversmith was dumbfounded，“That makes all the difference in the world，”he said，“Ill do my best to have the goose tomorrow.”

The next day the goose was ready，and it was a beauty.

The old woman said to the prince，“Take your violin and get inside the goose. Play as soon as we reach the road.”

They wound their way through the city，with the old woman pulling the silver goose along by a ribbon and the prince inside playing his violin. The people lined the streets to watch：there wasnt a soul in town that didnt come running to see the beautiful goose. Word of it reached the castle where the kings daughter was shut up，and she asked her father to let her go and see the unusual sight.

The king said，“Times up for that boastful prince tomorrow. You can go out then and see the goose.”

But the girl had heard that the old woman with the goose would be gone by tomorrow. Therefore the king had the goose brought inside the castle so his daughter could see it. Thats just what the old woman was counting on. As soon as the princess was alone with the silver goose and delighting in the music pouring from its bill， the goose suddenly opened and out stepped a man.

“Dont be afraid，”said the man，“I am the prince who must either speak to you or be decapitated by your father tomorrow morning. You can say you spoke to me and save my life.”

The next day the king sent for the prince. “Well， did your money make it possible for you to speak to my daughter？”

“Yes，Majesty.” answered the prince.

“What！Do you mean you spoke to her？”

“Ask her.”

The girl came in and told how the prince was hidden in the silver goose which the king himself had ordered to bring inside the castle.

The king，at that，removed his crown and placed it on the princes head.“That means you have not only money but also a fine head！Live happily，for I am giving you my daughter in marriage.”

从前有一位十分富有的王子，他要在王宫的对面建一座宫殿，而且建得比王宫还要宏伟富丽。宫殿一落成，他就在门前写了“有钱能使鬼推磨”几个大字。

国王外出巡游，看见了写在门前的这些字，就马上召见王子。这时，王子刚到都城不久，还没有去拜见国王。

“恭喜你啦！”国王说，“你的宫殿真是富丽堂皇啊。相比之下，我的宫殿不过是茅庐寒舍。真是恭喜你了！不过，在门前写‘有钱能使鬼推磨是你出的主意吗？”

王子意识到，自己可能做得太过份了。

“是的，是我，”王子回答说，“可是，如果陛下不喜欢，我就派人把这些字刮掉，这很方便。”

“哦，不必了。我并不打算让你刮掉，只是想让你亲自告诉我，你那句话的意思是什么。比如说，你有钱就可以派人行刺我吗？”

王子感觉到，他的处境不妙了。

“哦，陛下，请您恕罪。我立刻将那些字刮掉。如果您不喜欢这座宫殿的话，您只管说，我可以把它拆掉。”

“不，不，不要动它。可是，既然你说，有钱什么事都能办到，那么你就得向我证实这话是不是真的。我限你三天之内能同我女儿说上话，如果办到了，我就让你跟她结婚。要不，我就砍掉你的脑袋！懂了吗？”