In days gone by there was a land where the nights were always dark, and the sky spread over it like a black cloth, for there the moon never rose, and no star shone in the obscurity. At the creation of the world, the light at night had been sufficient. Three young fellows once went out of this country on a travelling expedition, and arrived in another kingdom, where, in the evening when the sun had disappeared behind the mountains, a shining globe was placed on an oak-tree, which shed a soft light far and wide. By means of this, everything could very well be seen and distinguished, even though it was not so brilliant as the sun. The travellers stopped and asked a countryman who was driving past with his cart, what kind of a light that was. "That is the moon," answered he; our mayor bought it for three thalers, and fastened it to the oak-tree. He has to pour oil into it daily, and to keep it clean, so that it may always burn clearly. He receives a thaler a week from us for doing it."
When the countryman had driven away, one of them said, "We could make some use of this lamp, we have an oak-tree at home, which is just as big as this, and we could hang it on that. What a pleasure it would be not to have to feel about at night in the darkness!" "I'll tell you what we'll do," said the second; "we will fetch a cart and horses and carry away the moon. The people here may buy themselves another." "I'm a good climber," said the third, "I will bring it down." The fourth brought a cart and horses, and the third climbed the tree, bored a hole in the moon, passed a rope through it, and let it down. When the shining ball lay in the cart, they covered it over with a cloth, that no one might observe the theft. They conveyed it safely into their own country, and placed it on a high oak. Old and young rejoiced, when the new lamp let its light shine over the whole land, and bed-rooms and sitting-rooms were filled with it. The dwarfs came forth from their caves in the rocks, and the tiny elves in their little red coats danced in rings on the meadows.
The four took care that the moon was provided with oil, cleaned the wick, and received their weekly thaler, but they became old men, and when one of them grew ill, and saw that he was about to die, he appointed that one quarter of the moon, should, as his property, be laid in the grave with him. When he died, the mayor climbed up the tree, and cut off a quarter with the hedge-shears, and this was placed in his coffin. The light of the moon decreased, but still not visibly. When the second died, the second quarter was buried with him, and the light diminished. It grew weaker still after the death of the third, who likewise took his part of it away with him; and when the fourth was borne to his grave, the old state of darkness recommenced, and whenever the people went out at night without their lanterns they knocked their heads together.
When, however, the pieces of the moon had united themselves together again in the world below, where darkness had always prevailed, it came to pass that the dead became restless and awoke from their sleep. They were astonished when they were able to see again; the moonlight was quite sufficient for them, for their eyes had become so weak that they could not have borne the brilliance of the sun. They rose up and were merry, and fell into their former ways of living. Some of them went to the play and to dance, others hastened to the public-houses, where they asked for wine, got drunk, brawled, quarreled, and at last took up cudgels, and belabored each other. The noise became greater and greater, and at last reached even to heaven.
Saint Peter who guards the gate of heaven thought the lower world had broken out in revolt and gathered together the heavenly troops, which are to drive back the Evil One when he and his associates storm the abode of the blessed. As these, however, did not come, he got on his horse and rode through the gate of heaven, down into the world below. There he reduced the dead to subjection, bade them lie down in their graves again, took the moon away with him, and hung it up in heaven.
天過去了，那里有一片漆黑的夜晚，天空像一條黑色的布鋪在上面，在那里，月亮從不升起，也沒有星星在黑暗中閃爍。在創(chuàng)造的世界，光在夜間已經(jīng)足夠了。三個(gè)年輕人一旦走出這個(gè)國家的旅行探險(xiǎn)，到了另一個(gè)王國，在那里，在傍晚時(shí)太陽已經(jīng)消失在山的后面，一顆閃亮的地球被放置在一棵橡樹上，它為一個(gè)柔軟的光和寬。通過這一切，一切都可以看到和區(qū)分，即使它不是那么燦爛如太陽。旅行者停了下來，一個(gè)鄉(xiāng)下人在他的車開過去問，什么樣的光了?！边@是月亮，”他回答道；我們的市長(zhǎng)三個(gè)銀幣買了它，并把它拴在橡樹。他必須每天把油倒進(jìn)它，并保持它的清潔，這樣它就可以清楚地燃燒了。他收到一周泰勒從我們做。”
當(dāng)國民已經(jīng)開走了，其中一個(gè)說，“我們可以利用這個(gè)燈，我們家有一棵橡樹，這是這么大，我們可以把它掛在那。在黑暗中，不必在黑夜里感受到什么，這是多么的快樂??！”“我會(huì)告訴你我們會(huì)做什么，”二說，“我們將取一輛車和馬，并帶走月亮。這里的人可能會(huì)買一個(gè)“我是一個(gè)好的登山者，”第三個(gè)說，“我會(huì)把它拿下來?！钡谒娜藥Я艘惠v馬車和馬，第三人爬上了樹，在月球上鉆了一個(gè)洞，把它從一根繩子上鉆了下來。當(dāng)那閃亮的球躺在車上時(shí)，他們用一塊布把它蓋上，沒人能看到那被盜的。他們把它安全地運(yùn)到自己的國家，把它放在一個(gè)高高的橡樹上。老人和年輕人歡欣鼓舞，當(dāng)新的燈讓整個(gè)土地的光芒，和床的房間和客廳都充滿了它。小矮人從他們的洞穴中出來，在他們的小紅帽里，小精靈們?cè)诓莸厣咸琛?BR> 四注意：月球是有油，擦芯，并收到他們每周的泰勒，但他們成了老人，當(dāng)其中一個(gè)生病，看到他死了，他任命一個(gè)季度的月亮，應(yīng)該，作為他的財(cái)產(chǎn)，放在墳?zāi)估镉兴?。?dāng)他死的時(shí)候，市長(zhǎng)爬上了樹，用籬笆剪了一個(gè)四分之一，這是放在棺材里的。月亮的光降低，但仍不明顯。二分之二的二分之一的人被他埋葬了，光就消失了。它的增長(zhǎng)仍然較弱的第三死后，他同樣把它的一部分，除掉他；當(dāng)?shù)谒某袚?dān)他的墳?zāi)?，黑暗的舊的狀態(tài)重新開始，當(dāng)人們晚上外出沒有他們的燈籠，他們把他們的頭。
然而，當(dāng)月亮在下面的世界中再次團(tuán)結(jié)起來的時(shí)候，在黑暗中，黑暗總是占著上風(fēng)，它逐漸地從睡夢(mèng)中蘇醒過來。他們又能看見他們的時(shí)候，他們都很驚訝，因?yàn)樗麄兊难劬σ呀?jīng)變得如此虛弱，以至于他們不能忍受太陽的光輝。他們起來，快樂，并倒在他們以前的生活方式。他們中的一些人去玩，跳舞，有的急忙公共房屋，在那里他們要酒，喝醉了，打架，吵架，最后拿起棍棒抽打?qū)Ψ?，和。噪音變得越來越大，最后到達(dá)天堂。
守著天堂之門的圣斗士們認(rèn)為，下一個(gè)世界已經(jīng)被破壞了，并聚集在一起，這是天上的軍隊(duì)，這是在他和他的同伴們?cè)谀潜蛔８５淖∷鶗r(shí)擊退邪惡的人。然而，這些沒有來，他騎著馬，騎著天堂的大門，進(jìn)入下面的世界。他減少了隸屬，命令他們躺在墳?zāi)估锪?，把月亮帶走，把它掛在天上?BR>
When the countryman had driven away, one of them said, "We could make some use of this lamp, we have an oak-tree at home, which is just as big as this, and we could hang it on that. What a pleasure it would be not to have to feel about at night in the darkness!" "I'll tell you what we'll do," said the second; "we will fetch a cart and horses and carry away the moon. The people here may buy themselves another." "I'm a good climber," said the third, "I will bring it down." The fourth brought a cart and horses, and the third climbed the tree, bored a hole in the moon, passed a rope through it, and let it down. When the shining ball lay in the cart, they covered it over with a cloth, that no one might observe the theft. They conveyed it safely into their own country, and placed it on a high oak. Old and young rejoiced, when the new lamp let its light shine over the whole land, and bed-rooms and sitting-rooms were filled with it. The dwarfs came forth from their caves in the rocks, and the tiny elves in their little red coats danced in rings on the meadows.
The four took care that the moon was provided with oil, cleaned the wick, and received their weekly thaler, but they became old men, and when one of them grew ill, and saw that he was about to die, he appointed that one quarter of the moon, should, as his property, be laid in the grave with him. When he died, the mayor climbed up the tree, and cut off a quarter with the hedge-shears, and this was placed in his coffin. The light of the moon decreased, but still not visibly. When the second died, the second quarter was buried with him, and the light diminished. It grew weaker still after the death of the third, who likewise took his part of it away with him; and when the fourth was borne to his grave, the old state of darkness recommenced, and whenever the people went out at night without their lanterns they knocked their heads together.
When, however, the pieces of the moon had united themselves together again in the world below, where darkness had always prevailed, it came to pass that the dead became restless and awoke from their sleep. They were astonished when they were able to see again; the moonlight was quite sufficient for them, for their eyes had become so weak that they could not have borne the brilliance of the sun. They rose up and were merry, and fell into their former ways of living. Some of them went to the play and to dance, others hastened to the public-houses, where they asked for wine, got drunk, brawled, quarreled, and at last took up cudgels, and belabored each other. The noise became greater and greater, and at last reached even to heaven.
Saint Peter who guards the gate of heaven thought the lower world had broken out in revolt and gathered together the heavenly troops, which are to drive back the Evil One when he and his associates storm the abode of the blessed. As these, however, did not come, he got on his horse and rode through the gate of heaven, down into the world below. There he reduced the dead to subjection, bade them lie down in their graves again, took the moon away with him, and hung it up in heaven.
天過去了，那里有一片漆黑的夜晚，天空像一條黑色的布鋪在上面，在那里，月亮從不升起，也沒有星星在黑暗中閃爍。在創(chuàng)造的世界，光在夜間已經(jīng)足夠了。三個(gè)年輕人一旦走出這個(gè)國家的旅行探險(xiǎn)，到了另一個(gè)王國，在那里，在傍晚時(shí)太陽已經(jīng)消失在山的后面，一顆閃亮的地球被放置在一棵橡樹上，它為一個(gè)柔軟的光和寬。通過這一切，一切都可以看到和區(qū)分，即使它不是那么燦爛如太陽。旅行者停了下來，一個(gè)鄉(xiāng)下人在他的車開過去問，什么樣的光了?！边@是月亮，”他回答道；我們的市長(zhǎng)三個(gè)銀幣買了它，并把它拴在橡樹。他必須每天把油倒進(jìn)它，并保持它的清潔，這樣它就可以清楚地燃燒了。他收到一周泰勒從我們做。”
當(dāng)國民已經(jīng)開走了，其中一個(gè)說，“我們可以利用這個(gè)燈，我們家有一棵橡樹，這是這么大，我們可以把它掛在那。在黑暗中，不必在黑夜里感受到什么，這是多么的快樂??！”“我會(huì)告訴你我們會(huì)做什么，”二說，“我們將取一輛車和馬，并帶走月亮。這里的人可能會(huì)買一個(gè)“我是一個(gè)好的登山者，”第三個(gè)說，“我會(huì)把它拿下來?！钡谒娜藥Я艘惠v馬車和馬，第三人爬上了樹，在月球上鉆了一個(gè)洞，把它從一根繩子上鉆了下來。當(dāng)那閃亮的球躺在車上時(shí)，他們用一塊布把它蓋上，沒人能看到那被盜的。他們把它安全地運(yùn)到自己的國家，把它放在一個(gè)高高的橡樹上。老人和年輕人歡欣鼓舞，當(dāng)新的燈讓整個(gè)土地的光芒，和床的房間和客廳都充滿了它。小矮人從他們的洞穴中出來，在他們的小紅帽里，小精靈們?cè)诓莸厣咸琛?BR> 四注意：月球是有油，擦芯，并收到他們每周的泰勒，但他們成了老人，當(dāng)其中一個(gè)生病，看到他死了，他任命一個(gè)季度的月亮，應(yīng)該，作為他的財(cái)產(chǎn)，放在墳?zāi)估镉兴?。?dāng)他死的時(shí)候，市長(zhǎng)爬上了樹，用籬笆剪了一個(gè)四分之一，這是放在棺材里的。月亮的光降低，但仍不明顯。二分之二的二分之一的人被他埋葬了，光就消失了。它的增長(zhǎng)仍然較弱的第三死后，他同樣把它的一部分，除掉他；當(dāng)?shù)谒某袚?dān)他的墳?zāi)?，黑暗的舊的狀態(tài)重新開始，當(dāng)人們晚上外出沒有他們的燈籠，他們把他們的頭。
然而，當(dāng)月亮在下面的世界中再次團(tuán)結(jié)起來的時(shí)候，在黑暗中，黑暗總是占著上風(fēng)，它逐漸地從睡夢(mèng)中蘇醒過來。他們又能看見他們的時(shí)候，他們都很驚訝，因?yàn)樗麄兊难劬σ呀?jīng)變得如此虛弱，以至于他們不能忍受太陽的光輝。他們起來，快樂，并倒在他們以前的生活方式。他們中的一些人去玩，跳舞，有的急忙公共房屋，在那里他們要酒，喝醉了，打架，吵架，最后拿起棍棒抽打?qū)Ψ?，和。噪音變得越來越大，最后到達(dá)天堂。
守著天堂之門的圣斗士們認(rèn)為，下一個(gè)世界已經(jīng)被破壞了，并聚集在一起，這是天上的軍隊(duì)，這是在他和他的同伴們?cè)谀潜蛔８５淖∷鶗r(shí)擊退邪惡的人。然而，這些沒有來，他騎著馬，騎著天堂的大門，進(jìn)入下面的世界。他減少了隸屬，命令他們躺在墳?zāi)估锪?，把月亮帶走，把它掛在天上?BR>