老鼠娶新娘(The Mouse Bride)
中國繪本童話( A Chinese Folktale)
終於讓我發現這本書，一直想找一些關於自己從小就聽過的故事，想和Jane分享，在紐西蘭時聽了許多毛利的故事和英國人如何發現紐西蘭，但就是無法完整的描述自己家鄉的故事，偶然一次在信義誠品尋獲這本書老鼠娶新娘有中英對照，真的好興奮，可以和不同國家分享有趣的故事，除了閱讀的快樂，也充滿分享的喜悅。
本書的開端，從一首從小就耳熟能響的童謠開始。有一首老鼠娶新娘的童謠:
一月一，年初一。一月二，年初二。
年初三，早上床，今夜老鼠娶新娘。
在台灣的習俗中，年初三是老鼠娶新娘的日子，你知道它的由來嗎?
故事就從一個農莊揭開老鼠娶新娘的故事…
A long time ago, in a large farmhouse in Taiwan, there was a mouse village built in the corner of a stone wall.
The head mouse of this small community had been thinking of his daughter's maggiage. She was young and pretty, and had attracted many young fellows. But her father just could not decide which of the many suitors should be his son-in-law. He thought about this day and night, and finally made up his mind--he would set up a fair test, and let the test itself choose the best husband for his daughter.
據說從前在一個農莊的牆腳下，有個老鼠村。村長的女兒很漂亮，村裡的小夥子都想娶她做為新娘。村長不曉得把女兒嫁給誰才行。
He quickly set up a platform on the wall, then made an announcement to the village--his daughter would choose her husband by tossing the ribbon-ball. In this traditional game, whoever caught the ball would become the maiden's husband. All the youth in the village were excited and ready for the game.
他想來想去，決定在牆頭搭一個台子，讓女兒拋繡球。誰接到繡球，就可以娶她做新娘。
It was a bustling evening. The mouse maiden was ready to toss the ball. Suddenly, everyone heard a MEOW! The gigantic shadow of a cat appered on the wall.
拋繡球那天，村裡的老鼠們都來了。村長女兒站在台上，把繡球一拋…突然咪鳴一聲，衝出一隻大黑貓。
A cat! The big black cat lunged at the ribbon-ball. Its claws swiped at the platform, smashing everything to pieces. Every mouse fled, screaming. The mouse maiden was so scared that she fell from the wall. She was caught by a young mouse named Ah-Lang, who grabbed her hand and ran away.
老鼠嚇得吱吱亂叫，不知道該往哪裡逃。大黑貓一爪打倒高台，村長女兒從半空中掉下來。幸好一個叫阿郎的小夥子接住她，拉著她的手就跑。
In his dreams that night, the head mouse saw the big black cat catch his daughter. He heard her screams and wails. Then he woke up, and found himself trembling all over.
Holding a pillow to himself, he began to think. What could he do to protect her? Finally, he sat up in bed and decided what to do. He would find the strongest husbandd in the world for her. Much stronger than the cat.
晚上，村長做了一個惡夢。他夢見大黑貓打爛村子，村長女兒被黑貓抓住，嚇得吱吱叫。村長嚇醒了，鑽進被窩一邊發抖一邊說:「太可怕了。為了女兒的幸福，我一定要為她找一個比貓還強，全世界最強的女婿!」
接下來村長出遠門找了太陽、雲、風、牆，都比不上老鼠阿郎強…哈!!牆說:「天不怕地不怕就怕老鼠來打洞。」
此時村長驚覺阿郎才是世界最棒的女婿，對阿郎說:「我決定把女兒嫁給你。」就在三月初三，村長女兒坐上草鞋編成的花轎嫁給阿郎。
But who could be the strongest in the whole world? He thought and thought until dawn broke. The sun beams gently touched upon his face through the roof cracks. The head mouse was instantly on his feet yelling, "The Sun! The Sun is the strongest in the world. For no one can live, nor can anything grow if the Sun does not shine. I shall marry my daughter to the Sun."
He immediately packed his knapsack and went off to find the Sun.
誰比貓還強? 誰是全世界最強的? 村長想來想去，好煩惱。這時天漸漸亮了。陽光從破屋頂照進來，射在村長臉上。
老鼠村長跳起來大叫:「我知道了! 太陽是全世界最強的。沒有太陽，就沒有光明;萬物也不能生長。對! 我要把女兒嫁給太陽。」
村長說完，急急忙忙出門去找太陽。
Ah-Lang spotted the old mouse leaving, and followed behind to see what was up. The old fellow headed straight for a mountain, then scrambled up.
小老鼠阿郎看見村長一大早出門，悄悄跟在他的後面。
Standing on the mountain top, the mouse leader said to the Sun, " Excuse me, are you the strongest in the world?" Bursting with light and heat, the Sun answered, "Of course, I am! No one can resist my great power."
The old mouse announced, "I am the mouse leader, and I want to marry my daughter to you." But before he could finish his sentence, a dark Cloud emerged and covered the Sun.
村長走好久，終於爬上山頂。他問太陽:「你是全世界最強的嗎?」
結果不是一片烏雲飄來，把太陽遮住了，雲也說自己是最強的，沒想到一陣風把雲吹散了，風遇到牆，就堵住了風嘍!!故事的尾聲慢慢帶進重點，明白幸福離你不遠，而常捨近求遠。
The old mouse was stunned. But he quickly got his wits back and proposed to the Cloud, with both arms wide, "EXCUSE ME, I am the mouse leader and I want to marry my daughter to you. Are you the strongest in the world?
The cloud proudly grinned, "Of course I am! I am the only one that can block the Sun's light and heat." But before the Cloud could finish his sentence, a fierce Wind arose and blew the Cloud away.
The leader turned to the Wind and said again, "Excuse me, I am the mouse leader and I want to marry my daughter to you. Are you the strongest in the world?"
"Of course I am! I can blow away the Cloud, I can blow the hat off your head, and I can even blow you back to your house." The Wind blew up a gale that threw the old mouse high into the sky. He flew along swiftly until--Bang!--he crashed into the village wall and dropped to the ground. Meanwhile, Ah-Lang was blown into the river and struggled to swim to shore.
The old mouse rubbed his behind. He looked up at the Wall, then again said, "Excuse me, I am! I fear nothing on heaven or earth. The strongest...OOUUCCH! Forgot to tell you," the Wall complained, "the one thing I fear is the Mouse." A brick fell, and out came Ah-Lang. He bowed and handed the old mouse his hat.
The old mouse finally realized that mice may be small, but they have skills that no others have. So he said to Ah-Lang, "You are the strongest of all. I will marry my daughter to you."
The mouse leader then prepared the traditional wedding for his daughter. On her wedding day, the beautiful bride sat on a wicker-shoe sedan chair, carried by two mice. Her dowry was put into many, many case and carried by other mice.
就在三月初三，村長女兒坐著草鞋做的花轎，吹吹打打嫁給阿郎。
When the bride and bridegroom arrived at his parents' house, they knelt down and bowed to them. Once, twice, three times. All the villagers watched, then joined the happy wedding party.
幸福近在眼前，記得把握幸福的機會。老鼠是這樣隱喻，深深的明白珍惜當下的幸福。
老鼠娶新娘的童謠
小白菜，地裏黃，老鼠村，老村長，村長女兒美叮噹，想找女婿比貓強。太陽最強嫁太陽，太陽不行嫁給雲，雲不行，嫁給風，風不行，嫁給牆，牆不行，想一想，還是嫁給老鼠郎。花對花，柳對柳，雞嫁雞，狗嫁狗。畚箕畚箕配掃帚。
