Prevod

Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who were rich and had everything they could wish for, except children. The queen lamented this day and night, saying, "I am like a field where nothing grows." At last God granted their wish, but when the child came into the world, it did not look like a human child at all: it was a little donkey. When the mother saw it, her wailing and lamenting began in earnest. She would rather have had no child at all than a donkey, she said, and ordered that he be thrown into the water for the fish to eat. But the king said, "No, since God has given him to us, he shall be my son and heir, sit upon the royal throne after my death, and wear the royal crown." So the little donkey was brought up and grew, and his ears grew tall and straight as well. Otherwise he was a merry creature, leaping about and playing, and he took particular delight in music. So he went to a famous musician and said, "Teach me your art, so that I can play the lute as well as you."

"Ah, my dear young lord," replied the musician, "you will find that difficult. Your fingers are not quite made for it, and they are far too large. I fear the strings will not stand it." No excuse would do: the little donkey was determined to play the lute. He was persistent and diligent, and in the end he learned to play as well as his master himself. One day the young lord went out for a thoughtful stroll and came to a well. Looking into it, he saw his donkey's shape reflected in the mirror-clear water. This saddened him so deeply that he set off into the wide world, taking only one faithful companion with him. They wandered far and wide, and at last came to a kingdom ruled by an old king who had only one daughter, but she was wonderfully beautiful. The little donkey said, "Here we shall stay," knocked at the gate, and called, "There is a guest outside. Open up and let him in." But when no one opened the gate, he sat down, took out his lute, and played it most sweetly with his two forefeet. The gatekeeper opened his eyes wide in astonishment, ran to the king, and said, "There is a little donkey sitting outside the gate, playing the lute as well as a trained master."

"Then let the musician come in," said the king. But when a little donkey entered, everyone began laughing at the lute player. They were going to seat him downstairs with the servants and feed him there, but he took offense and said, "I am no common stable donkey. I am a donkey of noble birth." Then they said, "If that is so, sit with the soldiers."

"No," he said, "I want to sit beside the king." The king laughed and said good-humoredly, "Yes, you shall have your wish, little donkey. Come here beside me." Then he asked, "Little donkey, how do you like my daughter?"

The little donkey turned his head toward her, looked at her, nodded, and said, "Very much indeed. I have never seen anyone so beautiful."

"Then you shall sit beside her too," said the king. "That suits me perfectly," said the little donkey. He sat down at her side, ate and drank, and conducted himself with grace and propriety. When the noble little creature had spent a good while at the king's court, he thought, "What good is all this? You must go home again." He hung his head sadly, went before the king, and asked leave to depart. But the king had grown fond of him and said, "Little donkey, what is the matter? You look as sour as a jug of vinegar. Stay with me, and I will give you whatever you ask. Do you want gold?"

"No," said the little donkey, shaking his head. "Do you want jewels and finery?" "No." "Do you want half my kingdom?" "Oh, no."

Then the king said, "If only I knew what would make you happy. Would you like my beautiful daughter for your wife?" "Oh, yes," said the little donkey, "I should like that very much." All at once he was merry and full of good cheer, for that was exactly what he had wished for. So a grand and splendid wedding was held. That evening, when the bride and bridegroom were led to their bedchamber, the king wanted to know whether the little donkey would behave with proper courtesy and good manners, so he ordered a servant to hide there. When the couple were inside, the bridegroom bolted the door and looked around. Once he believed they were quite alone, he suddenly cast off his donkey skin and stood there as a handsome young prince.

"Now you see," he said, "who I am, and you see that I was not unworthy of you." The bride was overjoyed, kissed him, and loved him with all her heart. But as morning approached, he sprang up and put on his animal skin again, and no one would have guessed who was hidden beneath it. Soon the old king came along.

"Well!" he cried. "Is the little donkey awake already? You must be very sad," he said to his daughter, "not to have a proper human being for a husband."

"Oh, no, dear father. I love him as much as if he were the handsomest man in the world, and I mean to keep him all my life." The king was astonished, but the servant who had hidden in the room came and told him everything. The king said, "That cannot possibly be true."

"Then keep watch yourself tomorrow night, and you will see it with your own eyes. And do you know what, Your Majesty? Take his skin away and throw it into the fire. Then he will have to show himself in his true form."

"Your advice is good," said the king. That evening, when they were asleep, he crept into the room. As he approached the bed, he saw a fine young man resting there in the moonlight, while the discarded skin lay on the floor. He took it away, ordered a great fire to be lit outside and the skin thrown into it, and stood by until it had burned entirely to ashes. But because he wanted to see what the young man would do when he found his skin gone, he stayed awake all night and listened. At the first light of dawn, when the young man had finished sleeping, he rose and meant to put on his donkey skin, but it was nowhere to be found. He was terrified, and said in grief and fear, "Now I must find a way to escape." But when he stepped outside, the king was standing there and said, "My son, where are you going in such a hurry? What have you in mind? Stay here. You are such a handsome man, and I will not have you leave me again. I shall give you half my kingdom now, and after my death you shall have it all."

"Then I hope this good beginning will have a good ending too," said the young man. "I shall stay with you." So the old king gave him half the kingdom, and when he died a year later, the young man had it all. After his own father's death, he inherited another kingdom besides, and lived in the greatest splendor.