A poor man had so many children that he had already asked everyone in the world to be godfather， and when still another child was born， no one else was left whom he could ask. He did not know what to do， and， in his sorrow， he lay down and fell asleep. Then he dreamed that he should go outside the gate and ask the first person he met to be godfather. When he awoke he decided to obey his dream， and he went outside the gate and asked the first person who came his way to be godfather.

The stranger gave him a little bottle of water， and said，“This is miraculous water. You can heal the sick with it. But you must see where Death is standing. If he is standing by the patients head， give the patient some of the water and he will be healed， but if Death is standing by his feet all efforts will be in vain， for then the sick man must die.”

From this time forth， the man could always say whether a patient could be saved or not. He became famous for his skill， and earned a great deal of money. Once he was called in to the kings child， and when he entered， he saw Death standing by the childs head， and he cured it with the water. The same thing happened a second time， but the third time Death was standing by its feet， so the child had to die.

Now the man wanted to visit his godfather one time and tell him what had happened with the water. He entered the house， but the strangest things were going on there. On the first flight of stairs， the dustpan and the broom were fighting， and violently hitting one other.He asked them，“Where does the godfather live？”The broom answered， “Up one more flight of stairs.”When he came to the second flight， he saw a heap of dead fingers lying. He asked， “Where does the godfather live？”O(jiān)ne of the fingers answered， “Up one more flight of stairs.”O(jiān)n the third flight lay a heap of dead mens heads， and they directed him still another flight higher. On the fourth flight， he saw fish on the fire， sizzling in a pan and baking themselves. They too said， “Up one more flight of stairs.”And when he had climbed the fifth， he came to the door of a room and peeped through the keyhole. There he saw the godfather who had a pair of long horns. When he opened the door and went in， the godfather quickly got into bed and covered himself up.The man then said， “Godfather， sir， strange things are going on in your house. When I came to your first flight of stairs， the dustpan and the broom were fighting， and violently hitting one another.”“How stupid you are，” said the godfather. “That was the servant-boy and the maid talking to each other.”“But on the second flight I saw dead fingers lying there.”

“Oh， how silly you are. Those were some roots of scorzonera.”“On the third flight lay a heap of dead mens heads.”Foolish man， those were heads of cabbage.“On the fourth flight I saw fish in a pan， which were sizzling and baking themselves.” When he had said that， the fish came and served themselves up.“And when I got to the fifth flight， I peeped through the keyhole of a door， and there， Godfather， I saw you and you had long， long horns.”“Oh， that is not true.”

The man became frightened and ran out， and if he had not done so， who knows what the godfather would have done to him？

從前有個(gè)人，他孩子太多，已經(jīng)請(qǐng)過世界上所有的人當(dāng)孩子們的教父了?？捎钟袀€(gè)孩子即將出世，顯然沒人可請(qǐng)了，他不知道如何是好，只好疲憊地躺下睡了。夢(mèng)中他夢(mèng)見自己出了門，請(qǐng)遇到的第一個(gè)人當(dāng)孩子的教父。醒來時(shí)他決定照夢(mèng)中的指點(diǎn)辦，因而出了大門，在那兒碰到一個(gè)陌生人，於是請(qǐng)他當(dāng)教父。

很多年后，教父送給教子一杯水，告訴他：“這是杯神水，可以治好任何人的病。不過你要看清死神站在病人的哪一頭，如果站在病人頭前，給病人喝點(diǎn)這種水，他就會(huì)痊癒；如果他站在病人腳后，一切努力都將白費(fèi)，他必死無疑。”

從此，教子就能判斷病人是否有救，并因此出了名，也掙了大錢。有一次國王請(qǐng)他去給他孩子治病，他看到死神站在孩子頭前，就用神水治好了孩子的??；第二次也是這樣。第三次死神站到了孩子腳邊，他便知道孩子非死不可了。

有一次他想見見這位教父，告訴他自己用神水取得的成就。當(dāng)他來到教父家時(shí)，看到了世界上最古怪的事：掃把和鐵鍬在頭一段樓梯上吵架，并且猛打?qū)Ψ?。他問它們：“教父住在哪兒？”掃把回答說：“在很多樓梯上面?！彼系降诙螛翘荩吹揭欢阉朗种?。他問它們：“教父住在哪兒？”其中一個(gè)手指回答說：“再上一層樓。”三樓是一堆死人頭，它們也說教父住在上面一層。他在四樓看到各種各樣的魚在火上烤著，它們也說：“再上一層樓。”他來到五樓，看到有扇門，就從鎖孔往里看，結(jié)果看到了長著兩只長長的犄角的教父。他推開門走了進(jìn)去，教父急忙躺到床上，用被子把自己蓋上。這人說：“教父先生，您的房子多奇怪呀！我在一樓看到掃把和鐵鍬又吵又打?！?/p>

“你多愚蠢呀！”教父說：“那是一個(gè)小伙子和一個(gè)姑娘在說話呢！”“可我在二樓看到很多死人的手指頭?！薄鞍Γ阏姹?！那是一些樹根。”“三樓上有一堆死人頭呢?！薄吧倒?！那些是卷心菜?！薄拔以谒臉强吹礁鞣N各樣的魚在鍋里燒得絲絲作響?！闭f著，那些魚自己走來送給教父了?！拔覐逆i孔往里看的時(shí)候，我看到你有兩只長長的犄角?！薄班?！不可能！”

小伙子警惕起來，趕忙跑了出來。如果不是那樣，還不知道教父會(huì)把他怎么樣呢！