光头男孩与松鼠

Once upon a time， in a small village in Turkey， there lived a mother and her loyal son. The son was known by all as Bald Boy because even though he was still quite young he had no hair on his head at all.

Bald Boy and his mother were very poor indeed and so each day Bald Boy would take up his basket and venture out into the woods in search of food.

One day， as he was searching the forest floor for mushrooms， Bald Boy was sure that he could hear a young girl crying. When he looked up he noticed a little squirrel sitting on the branch of the tree above his head. The squirrel was crying inconsolably and so Bald Boy took the little creature in his arms. He stroked her and sang to her and assured her that everything was going to be okay.

When at last the squirrel stopped crying， the two friends got to talking and Bald Boy explained how he lived with his mother and how they were very poor.

“I need to come into this forest each day in search of food because we have no money，” he told the squirrel.

It was then that the little squirrel said， “You have been very kind to me today so I am going to help you in return.”

Then the little squirrel jumped out of Bald Boys hands and said， “Follow me.”

The young boy followed the squirrel through the forest for many hours until they reached a cliff edge that overlooked the lush green valley below.

“You must climb down this cliff，” said the squirrel.“When you reach the bottom you will find the Grouse Queen. She will ask you three questions and you must answer them all correctly to receive the prize.”

The squirrel climbed up onto Bald Boys shoulder and whispered the answers to the three questions in his ear. And once she had done so she jumped down and scampered back into the forest without another word.

Bald Boy made himself a rope out of twine. He then lowered himself down the cliff edge and made his way to where the squirrel had told him the Grouse Queen lived. When she saw him approaching， the Queen stopped Bald Boy in his tracks and demanded that he answer three questions. “If you do not answer correctly，” she said in her stern voice， “then you will lose your head.”

The Queen indicated to a cherry tree nearby. “How many cherries are growing on this cherry tree？” she asked.

“There are as many cherries on that tree as there are feathers on your back，” replied Bald Boy without hesitation.

The Queen nodded approvingly and then asked， “Where is the middle of the earth？”

“You are standing on the middle of the earth，” said Bald Boy with just a hint of doubt in his voice.

Once again the Queen nodded approvingly. Then she cleared her throat and prepared for her third and final question. She presented Bald Boy with two identical looking walnuts and asked， “Which is the heavier of these two walnuts？”

Bald Boy looked at both nuts and then tossed them into a nearby stream. One of the nuts stayed afloat but the other disappeared beneath the surface.

“The one which has sunk beneath the water is the heavier of the two， Your Majesty.”

The Queen could not deny that all three answers were correct and so she reluctantly handed Bald Boy the large pot of gold that was his rightful prize.

The young boy climbed back up the cliff and ran into the forest to thank the little squirrel for her kindness. But when Bald Boy eventually found the squirrel she was crying once more.

“Why are you so sad？” asked Bald Boy.

“I used to be a beautiful Princess until the Grouse Queen cast a spell on me and turned me into a squirrel. Now the only thing that will set me free is a single drop of Emerald Water from the lake in the dragons cave.”

Bald Boy was so grateful to the little squirrel that he instantly promised to fetch a drop of the Emerald Water. He marched into town and used some of his gold to buy the sharpest sword from the blacksmith.

When he reached the cave， Bald Boy raised his sword and did battle with the two giant snakes that guarded the entrance to the cave. The fight was fierce and bloody but Bald Boy eventually cut the heads from the evil snakes.

Deep inside the cave the evil dragon stirred. He stretched his wings and took flight to see what was happening with his snake guards. It was then that Bald Boy crept unnoticed into the dragons lair and filled his glass bottle with the precious Emerald Water. When he was sure it was safe he ran from the lair to find the little squirrel.

“I have returned，” he told his friend as he raised the bottle triumphantly into the air， “and I have the Emerald Water for you.”

Bald Boy poured some of the water into his open palm and watched it run between his fingers into the forest floor. The last drop he saved for the squirrel to drink.

As soon as she had taken the drop of Emerald Water there was a blinding flash of white light that illuminated the gloomy forest. When the light eventually faded a beautiful Princess stood before Bald Boy with tears of gratitude in her eyes.

Bald Boy escorted the Princess back to the Royal Palace， and when the Sultan saw his beautiful daughter he was overjoyed.

That was when Bald Boy remembered his poor mother waiting back home for her mushrooms. He thanked the Princess and the Sultan and he took his pot of gold and returned home to his mother after shopping for gifts and food at the local market.

The old woman could not believe the story that Bald Boy told her over dinner that night， but one thing was for sure…her brave son would never again have to enter the forest in search of food. The old woman smiled to herself then.

從前，在土耳其的一个小村庄里住着一位母亲和她的孝顺儿子。虽然儿子很年轻，但是他头上一根头发都没有，所以大家都叫他光头男孩。

由于光头男孩和他母亲非常穷，所以光头男孩每天都会提着篮子，冒险去森林寻找食物。

有一天，正当光头男孩在森林的地面上找蘑菇时，他确定自己听到了一个小女孩的哭声。他抬起头来，发现头顶的树枝上坐着一只小松鼠。小松鼠哭得撕心裂肺的，于是光头男孩就把这小东西抱进怀里。他轻轻地拍抚它，唱歌给它听，安慰它一切都会好起来的。

最后，小松鼠停止了哭泣，这两个朋友开始聊起天来，光头男孩说起了他和母亲住在一起，家里很穷。

“我每天都要进来这片森林找食物，因为我们没有钱。”他对小松鼠如此说道。

这时，小松鼠对他说：“你今天对我很好，所以我要回报你。”

然后，小松鼠从光头男孩的手上跳下来，说道：“跟我来。”

小男孩跟着松鼠走了许多个小时的路，穿过森林，来到了一个悬崖边上，悬崖下是青翠碧绿的山谷。

“你必须得爬下这个悬崖，”小松鼠说。“当你到达崖底，你会看到松鸡女王。她会问你三个问题，你要全部回答正确，才能得到奖品。”

小松鼠爬上了光头男孩的肩膀，在他耳边小声地告诉他答案。它说完后，二话不说就从光头男孩的肩膀上跳下来，迅速地跑进了森林。

光头男孩用藤蔓搓成一根绳子，然后沿着绳子爬下了悬崖，走到了小松鼠告诉他的松鸡女王的住处。女王看到了迎面而来的光头男孩，拦下了他，要求他回答三个问题。“如果你答错了，”她用那冷冰冰的声音说道，“你的头就会被砍掉。”

女王指着旁边的一棵樱桃树问道：“这棵樱桃树上有多少颗樱桃？”

“这棵树上的樱桃就跟你背上的羽毛一样多，”光头男孩毫不犹豫地回答道。

女王同意地点点头，接着问：“地面的中心在哪里？”

“你站的地方就是地面的中心，”光头男孩说，声音里透出一丝不确定。

女王再次同意地点点头。然后她清清嗓子，准备问第三个，也是最后一个问题。她把两个外观一模一样的胡桃交给光头男孩，问道：“这两个胡桃哪个比较重？”

光头男孩看了看两个胡桃，然后把它们投进了旁边的一条小溪里。一个胡桃漂浮在水面上，而另一个从水面沉了下去，消失了。

“沉在水下的那个比较重，女王陛下。”

女王无法否认这三个答案都是正确的，所以她勉为其难地把一大壶金子交给光头男孩，这是他应得的奖品。

这个小男孩沿着山崖爬了回去，跑进森林去感谢小松鼠的帮忙。但是，当光头男孩终于找到小松鼠时，他发现它又在哭泣了。

“你为什么这么伤心？”光头男孩问道。

“我曾经是个美丽的公主，但是松鸡女王向我施了一个魔咒，把我变成了松鼠。现在唯一能解开咒语的就是龙穴里的一滴翡翠湖水。”

光头男孩非常感激小松鼠，于是他马上许诺要为它取回一滴翡翠水。他进城用他的部分金子从铁匠那里买来一把最锋利的剑。

光头男孩到达山洞，他提起剑与守在洞口的两条巨蛇搏斗。战斗非常激烈、血腥，但是光头男孩最终还是把这两条恶蛇的头砍掉了。

洞穴深处的恶龙被惊动了。它展开翅膀，飞去查看蛇兵发生了什么事。光头男孩趁此偷偷爬进龙窝，用瓶子装满珍贵的翡翠水。在确定一切安全后，他从龙窝逃出，跑去找小松鼠。

“我回来了，”他边告诉他的朋友边兴高采烈地把瓶子举在空中。“我把翡翠水给你找来了。”

光头男孩把一些水倒在他张开的手掌上，看着水从他指间流到森林的地面上。他留下最后一滴，让小松鼠喝掉。

当小松鼠喝下这滴翡翠水后，一道眩目的白光骤现，点亮了阴暗的森林。白光最后消失了，此时，一位美丽的公主出现在光头男孩面前，眼含感激的泪水。

光头男孩把公主护送回皇宫，苏丹王看到他美丽的女儿后，高兴不已。

这时，光头男孩想起了他可怜的母亲还在等着他给她带回蘑菇。他向公主和苏丹王表示感谢过后，就去了当地的市场买礼物和食物，然后把他那壶金子带回家给他的母亲。

那晚，光头男孩在吃晚餐时把这个故事告诉了他母亲，老妇人觉得难以置信，但有一件事是确凿无疑的……她勇敢的儿子以后再也不用去森林找食物了。然后，老妇人会心一笑。