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CHAPTER 1
第一章
Centuries ago there lived-- "A king!" my little readers will say immediately.
从前有…“有一个国王！”我的小读者马上要说。
No, children, you are mistaken. Once upon a time there was a piece of wood.
不对，小朋友，你们错了，从前有一段木头。
It was not an expensive piece of wood.
这段木头并不是什么贵重木头。
Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.
恰恰相反。就是柴堆里的普通柴火块儿，那些粗壮、坚硬的，冬天用来生火，让房间变得温暖惬意的木头中的一根。
I do not know how this really happened, yet the fact remains that one fine day this piece of wood found itself in the shop of an old carpenter.
我也不知道是怎么回事，总之有一天，这段木头碰巧到了一位老木匠的铺子里。
His real name was Mastro Antonio, but everyone called him Mastro Cherry, for the tip of his nose was so round and red and shiny that it looked like a ripe cherry.
这位老木匠名叫安东尼奥，大伙儿却管他叫樱桃师傅，叫他樱桃师傅，因为他的鼻尖红得发紫，再加上亮光光的，活像一个熟透了的樱桃。
As soon as he saw that piece of wood, Mastro Cherry was filled with joy.
樱桃师傅看见这段木头，高兴极了。
Rubbing his hands together happily, he mumbled half to himself:
他满意得一个劲儿搓着手，低声嘟嚷说：
"This is coming in the nick of time. I shall use it to make the leg of a table."
“这段木头来得正好，我要拿它做条桌子腿。”
He grasped the hatchet quickly to peel off the bark and shape the wood.
说干就干，他马上拿起一把锋利的斧子，动手就要削掉树皮，先大致砍出条桌子腿的样子。
But as he was about to give it the first blow, he stood still with arm uplifted, for he had heard a wee, little voice say in a beseeching tone:
可他第一斧正要砍下去，手举在头顶上却一下子停住不动了，因为他听见一个很细很细的声音央求他说：
"Please be careful! Do not hit me so hard!"
“可别把我砍得太重了！”
What a look of surprise shone on Mastro Cherry's face! His funny face became still funnier.
樱桃师傅这位善良的老头儿该是多么惊讶啊！他那滑稽的脸变得更加滑稽了。
He turned frightened eyes about the room to find out where that wee, little voice had come from and he saw no one!
他一双眼睛吓傻了，满屋子骨碌碌转了一圈，要看看这个微弱的声音是打哪儿来的，可他一个人也没有看见！
He looked under the bench-no one! He peeped inside the closet-no one! He searched among the shavings-no one!
他往工作台底下看看，没有人；他打开一直关着的柜子看看，没有人；他往一篓刨花和碎木片里面看看，也没有人；
He opened the door to look up and down the street-and still no one!
他甚至打开铺子门往街上看看，还是没有人！那么...?
