谜    语   

 从    前    有    位    王    子   ， 一    时    兴    起    去    周    游    世    界   ， 身    边    只    带    了    一    个    忠    实    的    仆    人   。 一    天   ， 他    来    到    了    一    片    大    森    林   ， 天    黑    时   ， 没    有    找    到    住    处   ， 不    知    道    该    在    哪    里    过    夜   。 这    时   ， 他    看    到    一    个    姑    娘    向    一    间    小    屋    走    去   ， 便    跑    上    前   ， 结    果    发    现    这    位    姑    娘    既    美    丽    又    年    轻   。 他    和    她    打    招    呼   ， 说   ：" 好    姑    娘   ， 我    和    我    的    仆    人    可    以    在    这    小    屋    里    过    一    夜    吗   ？"" 唉   ，" 姑    娘    哀    伤    地    说   ，" 可    以    是    可    以   ， 但    我    劝    你    们    最    好    还    是    别    进    去   。"" 为    什    么   ？" 王    子    问   。 姑    娘    叹    了    口    气    说   ：" 我    的    继    母    会    巫    术   ， 她    对    陌    生    人    不    怀    好    意   。" 王    子    这    才    明    白    自    己    来    到    了    巫    婆    的    家   ， 可    是    天    已    经    黑    了   ， 他    无    法    再    往    前    走   ， 再    加    上    他    胆    子    很    大   ， 便    进    了    屋   。 老    巫    婆    坐    在    炉    子    旁    的    一    张    扶    手    椅    上   ， 红    红    的    眼    睛    望    着    进    来    的    陌    生    人   。" 晚    上    好   ，" 她    用    嘶    哑    的    声    音    说   ， 并    且    竭    力    装    出    一    副    友    好    的    样    子   ，" 坐    下    来    歇    歇    脚    吧   。" 她    把    炉    火    扇    旺    一    些   ， 炉    子    上    还    有    一    只    小    锅    子    在    煮    着    什    么    东    西   。 姑    娘    警    告    两    位    客    人    千    万    要    小    心   ， 什    么    也    不    要    吃   ， 什    么    也    不    要    喝   ， 因    为    老    巫    婆    熬    的    是    魔    汤   。 他    们    安    安    静    静    地    一    直    睡    到    天    亮   ， 然    后    便    准    备    动    身    上    路   ， 王    子    这    时    已    经    骑    到    了    马    背    上    了   ， 老    巫    婆    却    说   ：" 等    一    等   ， 我    还    想    请    你    们    喝    杯    饯    行    的    酒    呢   。" 趁    她    回    去    拿    酒    时   ， 王    子    赶    紧    骑    马    走    了   。 所    以    当    邪    恶    的    老    巫    婆    端    着    酒    回    来    时   ， 只    有    王    子    的    仆    人    还    在    那    里    勒    马    鞍   。" 把    这    杯    酒    带    给    你    的    主    人   ，" 她    说   ， 可    就    在    这    一    刹    那   ， 杯    子    破    了   ， 毒    酒    溅    在    马    身    上   ， 立    刻    把    马    毒    死    了   。 仆    人    追    上    王    子   ， 把    发    生    的    事    情    告    诉    了    他   。 仆    人    舍    不    得    那    马    鞍   ， 便    跑    回    去    取   。 可    当    他    跑    到    死    马    那    里    时   ， 竟    见    一    只    乌    鸦    蹲    在    马    的    身    上   ， 大    口    大    口    地    吃    着    马    肉   。" 谁    知    道    今    天    还    能    不    能    找    到    更    好    的    东    西    呢   。" 仆    人    心    想   ， 便    打    死    了    乌    鸦   ， 带    着    它    走    了   。 他    们    在    森    林    里    继    续    走    了    整    整    一    天   ， 可    怎    么    也    走    不    出    去   。 天    黑    时   ， 他    们    看    到    一    家    旅    店   ， 便    走    了    进    去   。 仆    人    把    乌    鸦    给    店    老    板   ， 让    他    烧    好    了    当    晚    饭   。 可    是   ， 他    们    来    到    的    是    家    黑    店   ， 黑    暗    中    店    里    来    了    十    二    个    杀    人    犯   ， 打    算    杀    死    这    两    位    陌    生    人   ， 抢    劫    他    们    的    钱    财   。 不    过    在    动    手    之    前   ， 他    们    一    起    坐    了    下    来    吃    用    乌    鸦    肉    炖    的    汤   ， 店    老    板    和    那    老    巫    婆    也    加    了    进    来   。 他    们    刚    喝    了    几    口    汤    便    全    倒    在    地    上    死    了   ， 因    为    乌    鸦    把    死    马    身    上    的    毒    汁    传    给    了    他    们   。 旅    店    里    现    在    只    剩    下    了    店    老    板    的    女    儿   ， 这    是    一    个    诚    实    的    姑    娘   ， 没    有    参    加    那    些    罪    恶    的    勾    当   。 她    为    这    两    位    陌    生    人    打    开    了    所    有    的    门   ， 让    他    们    看    里    面    存    放    的    金    银    财    宝   。 可    是    王    子    说    那    些    东    西    现    在    全    都    属    于    她    了   ， 他    自    己    什    么    也    不    要   ， 然    后   ， 他    就    带    着    仆    人    继    续    上    路    了   。

 他    们    又    走    了    很    久   ， 来    到    了    一    座    城    市   ， 这    座    城    里    住    着    一    位    非    常    美    丽    但    又    非    常    高    傲    的    公    主   ， 她    遍    告    天    下   ， 谁    要    是    能    出    一    个    她    猜    不    出    的    谜    语   ， 她    就    嫁    给    谁   ； 可    她    要    是    猜    出    来    了   ， 那    个    人    就    要    被    砍    掉    脑    袋   。 她    有    三    天    的    时    间    思    考   ， 可    她    聪    明    极    了   ， 总    能    在    规    定    的    时    间    之    前    猜    出    来   。 在    王    子    到    来    之    前   ， 已    经    有    九    个    人    这    样    送    掉    了    性    命   。 但    王    子    被    她    的    美    貌    迷    住    了   ， 愿    意    拿    自    己    的    性    命    做    赌    注   。 他    来    到    公    主    那    里   ， 给    她    出    谜    语   ：" 什    么    东    西    不    杀    任    何    人   ， 却    杀    死    了    十    二    个    人   ？" 她    不    知    道    这    是    什    么    东    西   ， 想    来    想    去    怎    么    也    猜    不    出   。 她    查    遍    了    各    种    谜    语    书   ， 可    里    面    就    是    没    有   ， 一    句    话   ， 她    的    智    慧    遇    到    了    难    题   。 她    不    知    道    该    怎    么    办    才    好   ， 便    派    她    的    女    仆    溜    进    王    子    的    房    间   ， 偷    听    他    梦    中    说    些    什    么   ， 以    为    他    或    许    在    说    梦    话    时    会    把    谜    底    漏    出    来   。 但    是    王    子    那    聪    明    的    仆    人    却    睡    到    了    主    人    的    床    上   ， 女    仆    一    溜    进    来    他    就    扯    掉    了    她    的    斗    篷   ， 用    鞭    子    把    她    赶    了    出    去   。 第    二    天    夜    里   ， 公    主    又    派    她    的    贴    身    女    仆    去    碰    碰    运    气   ， 看    她    是    否    能    打    听    出    来   ， 但    王    子    的    仆    人    也    扯    下    了    她    的    斗    篷   ， 用    鞭    子    把    她    赶    了    出    去   。 第    三    天   ， 王    子    觉    得    自    己    已    经    有    了    把    握   ， 便    睡    回    到    了    自    己    的    房    间   。 这    次    公    主    本    人    来    了   。 她    披    了    件    雾    一    般    的    灰    色    斗    篷   ， 坐    在    王    子    的    身    边   。 她    以    为    王    子    已    经    睡    着   ， 便    跟    他    说    话   ， 希    望    他    像    许    多    人    一    样    在    梦    中    说    出    谜    底    来   。 然    而    王    子    并    没    有    睡    着   ， 心    里    清    楚    得    很   ， 把    她    的    一    举    一    动    全    听    在    了    耳    朵    里   。 她    问   ：" 什    么    东    西    不    杀    任    何    人   ？" 他    回    答   ：" 一    只    吃    了    被    毒    药    毒    死   、 自    己    又    被    毒    死    的    乌    鸦   。" 她    又    问   ：" 那    什    么    杀    了    十    二    个    人    呢   ？" 他    回    答   ：" 十    二    个    吃    了    乌    鸦    的    凶    手    也    死    了   。"

 公    主    得    知    了    谜    底    后    便    想    悄    悄    溜    走   ， 可    王    子    紧    紧    扯    住    她    的    斗    篷   ， 逼    得    她    只    好    把    它    留    下   。 第    二    天    早    晨   ， 公    主    宣    布    说    自    己    已    经    猜    出    了    谜    语   ， 并    且    派    人    叫    来    十    二    个    法    官   ， 当    着    他    们    的    面    说    出    了    谜    底   。 然    而    王    子    请    求    大    家    听    他    说    几    句   。 他    说   ：" 她    在    夜    里    偷    偷    溜    进    我    的    房    间   ， 从    我    这    里    问    出    了    答    案   ， 否    则    她    是    不    会    知    道    谜    底    的   。" 法    官    们    问   ：" 拿    出    证    据    来   。" 王    子    的    仆    人    拿    来    了    三    条    斗    篷   ， 法    官    们    看    到    那    条    雾    一    般    的    斗    篷    正    是    公    主    常    常    披    在    身    上    的   ， 便    齐    声    说   ：" 给    这    件    斗    篷    绣    上    金    丝    银    线   ， 它    将    成    为    你    们    的    结    婚    礼    服   。"

Concept and Helping Material