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很久很久以前，有一个放牧水牛的年轻人。每天中午时分，他都会发现一只母狗前往一个峡谷，峡谷里散布着一些水塘。一天，他藏在水塘附近，看着狗来到水塘边。狗皮脱落之后，走出一个美丽的少女，下水洗澡了。洗完澡以后，少女穿上狗皮，又变回一只狗，离开了峡谷，往村庄跑去。年轻人就尾随着她,看着狗进入哪家房子，又听主人是谁。一切都弄清楚以后，他才回去放牧。 那一年，年轻人的父母认为儿子成婚的年龄到了，开始四处为儿子选新娘。但年轻人宣布自己已经选定那条狗作为未来的新娘了。 人人都嘲笑他的想法是多么荒唐，但年轻人不为所动。最后，人们认定他有一个狗的灵魂，所以最好还是遂其所愿，照他的想法办。 听说有人想娶自家的狗为妻，狗的主人也觉着这个想法很可笑，不过他还是愉快地接受了聘礼。于是，大家选定一个吉日举行了婚礼。婚礼是按正常仪式进行的，狗新娘被迎娶到了新郎家中。 每一夜，丈夫入睡以后，狗新娘都会从狗皮中走出来，走到屋外。新郎发现了这一切。一天晚上，他假装睡着了，而其实是躺着观察她。 就在新娘要离开房屋时，年轻人一跃而起，一把抓住了她，并拿起狗皮扔进火中，狗皮成了灰烬。这样一来，他的新娘就永远是一个女子了。她的美丽超凡脱俗，无人能及。这事很快就在村里传开了，人们都称赞年轻人聪明，娶了一个狗新娘。 年轻人有位朋友名叫吉图，他认为自己最好也娶一个狗新娘。 他的亲友无人反对。于是大家为他选了一个狗新娘，然后举行婚礼。但狗新娘在婚礼汪汪直叫起来。任凭她怎么叫，人们还是把她拖到了新郎家。但是当送亲的人回家时，狗新娘挣脱了束缚，狂追娘家人。追上新娘，并把她带回了家。但是狗新娘对他又咬又叫，他只好放弃。 人人都嘲笑他，他羞得无地自容，两三天后自缢而亡。 The Dog Bride Once upon a time there was a youth who used to herd buffaloes. He noticed that exactly at noon every day a she-dog would make its way to a ravine, in which there were some pools of water. One day when the dog came he hid himself and saw that when it got to the water, it shed its dog skin, and out stepped a beautiful maiden and began to bathe. And when she had finished bathing she put on the skin and became a dog again, and went off to the village. The herdboy followed her and watched which house she entered, and he inquired to whom the house belonged. Having found out all about it, he went back to his work. That year the herdboy’s father and mother decided that it was time for him to marry and began to look about for a wife for him. But he announced that he had made up his mind to have that dog for his wife. Everyone laughed at him for such an extraordinary idea, but he could not be moved. So at last they concluded that he must really have the soul of a dog in him, and that it was best to let him have his own way. The master of the dog laughed at the idea that anyone should wish to marry her, and gladly accepted a bride's price for her. So a day was fixed for the wedding ceremony, and the marriage took place in due form，and the bride was escorted to her husband's Every night when her husband was asleep, the bride would come out of the dog's skin and go out of the house. And when her husband found out this, he only pretended to go to sleep and lay watching her one night. And when she was about to leave the room he jumped up and caught hold of her and seizing the dog skin, threw it into the fire, where it was burnt to ashes. So his bride remained a woman, but she was of more than human beauty. This soon became known in the village, and everyone congratulated the herd boy on his wisdom in marrying a dog. Now the herd boy had a friend named Jitu, who came to think that he could not do better than marry a dog himself. His relations made no objection, and a bride was selected, and the marriage took place, but the bride began to growl in the ceremony； but in spite of her growling they dragged her to the bridegroom’s house. But when the bride’s party set off home, the dog broke loose and ran after them. Jitu ran after his bride and brought her back, but she only growled and bit at him, so that he had at last to give it up. Then everyone laughed at him so much that he was too ashamed to speak, and two or three days later he hanged himself. |
