Boots and His Brothers

Once on a time there was a man who had three sons, Peter, Paul, and John. John was Boots, of course, because he was the youngest. I can’t say the man had anything more than these three sons, for he hadn’t one penny to rub against another; and so he told his sons over and over again they must go out into the world and try to earn their bread, for there at home there was nothing to be looked for but starving to death.

Pada suatu waktu ada seorang laki-laki yang mempunyai tiga anak laki-laki, Peter, Paul, dan John. John dipanggil Boots, tentu saja, karena dialah yang paling muda. Aku tidak bisa mengatakan bahwa laki-laki itu memiliki apa pun selain ketiga anak itu, sebab ia tidak punya sepeser pun uang; maka berulang kali ia berkata kepada anak-anaknya bahwa mereka harus pergi ke dunia luar dan mencoba mencari nafkah sendiri, sebab di rumah tidak ada yang bisa diharapkan selain mati kelaparan.

Now, a bit off the man’s cottage was the king’s palace, and you must know, just against the king’s windows a great oak had sprung up, which was so stout and big that it took away all the light from the king’s palace. The King had said he would give many, many dollars to the man who could fell the oak, but no one was man enough for that, for as soon as ever one chip of the oak’s trunk flew off, two grew in its stead.

Nah, tidak jauh dari pondok laki-laki itu berdirilah istana raja, dan ketahuilah, tepat di depan jendela istana raja tumbuh sebatang pohon ek besar, yang begitu kokoh dan besar sehingga menghalangi semua cahaya dari istana raja. Raja telah berkata bahwa ia akan memberikan banyak, banyak sekali dolar kepada orang yang bisa menumbangkan pohon ek itu, tetapi tak seorang pun sanggup melakukannya, sebab begitu satu serpihan kayu dari batangnya terlempar, dua serpihan tumbuh menggantikannya.

A well, too, the King had dug, which was to hold water for the whole year; for all his neighbours had wells, but he hadn’t any, and that he thought a shame. So the King said he would give any one who could dig him such a well as would hold water for a whole year round, both money and goods; but no one could do it, for the King’s palace lay high, high up on a hill, and they hadn’t dug a few inches before they came upon the living rock.

Sebuah sumur pun telah digali Raja, yang seharusnya menampung air sepanjang tahun; sebab semua tetangganya memiliki sumur, sedangkan ia tidak, dan itu ia anggap memalukan. Maka Raja berkata ia akan memberi apa saja kepada siapa pun yang bisa menggalikan sumur yang dapat menampung air sepanjang tahun, baik uang maupun barang; tetapi tak seorang pun bisa melakukannya, sebab istana Raja terletak tinggi, sangat tinggi di atas bukit, dan mereka belum menggali beberapa inci pun sudah menemui batu cadas.

But as the King had set his heart on having these two things done, he had it given out far and wide, in all the churches of his kingdom, that he who could fell the big oak in the king’s court-yard, and get him a well that would hold water the whole year round, should have the Princess and half the kingdom. Well! you may easily know there was many a man who came to try his luck; but for all their hacking and hewing, and all their digging and delving, it was no good. The oak got bigger and stouter at every stroke, and the rock didn’t get softer either.

Tetapi karena Raja telah bertekad bulat agar kedua hal itu terwujud, ia mengumumkannya ke seluruh penjuru, di semua gereja di kerajaannya, bahwa siapa pun yang bisa menumbangkan pohon ek besar di halaman istana raja, dan menggalikan sumur yang bisa menampung air sepanjang tahun, akan mendapatkan sang Putri dan setengah kerajaan. Nah! kau tentu tahu banyak orang datang untuk mencoba peruntungan mereka; tetapi walau mereka menebas dan mencangkul habis-habisan, dan menggali serta mengeruk, semuanya sia-sia. Pohon ek itu makin besar dan makin kokoh setiap kali dipukul, dan batu cadas itu pun tak kunjung melunak.

So one day those three brothers thought they’d set off and try too, and their father hadn’t a word against it; for even if they didn’t get the Princess and half the kingdom, it might happen they might get a place somewhere with a good master; and that was all he wanted. So when the brothers said they thought of going to the palace, their father said “yes” at once. So Peter, Paul, and Jack went off from their home.

Maka pada suatu hari ketiga bersaudara itu berpikir untuk pergi dan mencoba peruntungan mereka juga, dan ayah mereka tidak keberatan sama sekali; sebab meskipun mereka tidak mendapatkan Putri dan setengah kerajaan, mungkin saja mereka bisa mendapat tempat di rumah tuan yang baik; dan itulah yang diinginkannya. Maka ketika anak-anaknya berkata mereka bermaksud pergi ke istana, ayah mereka langsung berkata "ya". Maka Peter, Paul, dan Jack pun berangkat dari rumah mereka.

Well! they hadn’t gone far before they came to a fir wood, and up along one side of it rose a steep hill-side, and as they went, they heard something hewing and hacking away up on the hill among the trees.

Nah! mereka belum jauh berjalan ketika sampai di sebuah hutan cemara, dan di sepanjang salah satu sisinya menjulang lereng bukit yang curam, dan ketika mereka berjalan, mereka mendengar sesuatu sedang menebas dan mencincang jauh di atas bukit di antara pepohonan.

“I wonder now what it is that is hewing away up yonder?” said Jack.

"Aku ingin tahu apa gerangan yang sedang menebas di atas sana?" kata Jack.

“You’re always so clever with your wonderings”, said Peter and Paul both at once. “What wonder is it, pray, that a woodcutter should stand and hack up on a hill-side?”

"Kau selalu saja pintar dengan rasa ingin tahumu", kata Peter dan Paul serentak. "Keajaiban apa pula itu, bahwa seorang penebang kayu berdiri dan menebas di lereng bukit?"

“Still, I’d like to see what it is, after all”, said Jack; and up he went.

"Tetap saja, aku ingin melihat apa itu sebenarnya", kata Jack; dan naiklah ia.

“Oh, if you’re such a child, ’twill do you good to go and take a lesson”, bawled out his brothers after him.

"Oh, kalau kau begitu kekanak-kanakan, akan baik bagimu untuk pergi dan mengambil pelajaran", teriak kedua kakaknya kepadanya.

But Jack didn’t care for what they said; he climbed the steep hill-side towards where the noise came, and when he reached the place, what do you think he saw? why, an axe that stood there hacking and hewing, all of itself, at the trunk of a fir.

Tetapi Jack tidak peduli dengan apa yang mereka katakan; ia mendaki lereng bukit yang curam menuju ke arah suara itu, dan ketika ia sampai di tempat itu, coba tebak apa yang ia lihat? Ternyata sebuah kapak yang berdiri di sana menebas dan mencincang, dengan sendirinya, batang pohon cemara.

“Good day!” said Jack. “So you stand here all alone and hew, do you?”

"Selamat siang!" kata Jack. "Jadi kau berdiri di sini sendirian dan menebas, begitu?"

“Yes; here I’ve stood and hewed and hacked a long long time, waiting for you”, said the Axe.

"Ya; di sinilah aku berdiri dan menebas dan mencincang sejak lama, menunggumu", kata Kapak itu.

“Well, here I am at last”, said Jack, as he took the axe, pulled it off its haft, and stuffed both head and haft into his wallet.

"Baiklah, akhirnya aku datang juga", kata Jack, sambil mengambil kapak itu, melepasnya dari tangkainya, dan memasukkan mata kapak beserta tangkainya ke dalam tasnya.

So when he got down again to his brothers, they began to jeer and laugh at him.

Maka ketika ia turun kembali ke kedua kakaknya, mereka mulai mengolok-olok dan menertawakannya.

“And now, what funny thing was it you saw up yonder on the hill-side?” they said.

"Nah, apa hal lucu yang kaulihat di atas bukit sana?" tanya mereka.

“Oh, it was only an axe we heard”, said Jack.

"Oh, itu cuma sebuah kapak yang kami dengar", kata Jack.

So when they had gone a bit farther, they came under a steep spur of rock, and up there they heard something digging and shovelling.

Maka setelah mereka berjalan agak jauh lagi, mereka sampai di bawah tebing batu yang curam, dan di atas sana mereka mendengar sesuatu sedang menggali dan mencangkul.

“I wonder now,” said Jack, “what it is digging and shovelling up yonder at the top of the rock.”

"Aku ingin tahu", kata Jack, "apa yang sedang menggali dan mencangkul di puncak batu itu."

“Ah, you’re always so clever with your wonderings”, said Peter and Paul again, “as if you’d never heard a woodpecker hacking and pecking at a hollow tree.”

"Ah, kau selalu saja pintar dengan rasa ingin tahumu", kata Peter dan Paul lagi, "seolah-olah kau belum pernah mendengar burung pelatuk menebas dan mematuk pohon berlubang."

“Well, well”, said Jack, “I think it would be a piece of fun just to see what it really is.”

"Baiklah, baiklah", kata Jack, "kurasa akan menyenangkan untuk melihat apa itu sebenarnya."

And so off he set to climb the rock, while the others laughed and made game of him. But he didn’t care a bit for that; up he clomb, and when he got near the top, what do you think he saw? Why, a spade that stood there digging and delving.

Maka berangkatlah ia mendaki batu itu, sementara yang lain tertawa dan mengejeknya. Tetapi ia tidak peduli sama sekali; ia mendaki terus, dan ketika hampir sampai di puncak, coba tebak apa yang ia lihat? Ternyata sebuah sekop yang berdiri di sana menggali dan mengeruk.

“Good day!” said Jack. “So you stand here all alone, and dig and delve!”

"Selamat siang!" kata Jack. "Jadi kau berdiri di sini sendirian, menggali dan mengeruk!"

“Yes, that’s what I do”, said the Spade, “and that’s what I’ve done this many a long day, waiting for you.”

"Ya, itulah yang kulakukan", kata Sekop itu, "dan itulah yang telah kulakukan berhari-hari lamanya, menunggumu."

“Well, here I am”, said Jack again, as he took the spade and knocked it off its handle, and put it into his wallet, and then down again to his brothers.

"Baiklah, aku sudah datang", kata Jack lagi, sambil mengambil sekop itu dan melepasnya dari gagangnya, lalu memasukkannya ke dalam tasnya, kemudian turun kembali menemui kedua kakaknya.

“Well, what was it, so rare and strange”, said Peter and Paul, “that you saw up there at the top of the rock?”

"Nah, apa itu, yang begitu langka dan aneh", kata Peter dan Paul, "yang kaulihat di puncak batu itu?"

“Oh,”, said Jack, “nothing more than a spade; that was what we heard.”

"Oh," kata Jack, "tidak lain hanyalah sebuah sekop; itulah yang kami dengar."

So they went on again a good bit, till they came to a brook. They were thirsty, all three, after their long walk, and so they lay down beside the brook to have a drink.

Maka mereka berjalan lagi cukup jauh, sampai tiba di sebuah anak sungai. Mereka bertiga kehausan setelah berjalan jauh, sehingga mereka berbaring di tepi anak sungai untuk minum.

“I wonder now”, said Jack, “where all this water comes from.”

"Aku ingin tahu", kata Jack, "dari mana asal semua air ini."

“I wonder if you’re right in your head”, said Peter and Paul, in one breath. “If you’re not mad already, you’ll go mad very soon, with your wonderings. Where the brook comes from, indeed! Have you never heard how water rises from a spring in the earth?”

"Aku ingin tahu apakah kepalamu masih waras", kata Peter dan Paul serentak. "Kalau kau belum gila, kau akan segera gila dengan rasa ingin tahumu itu. Dari mana asal anak sungai, katamu! Belum pernahkah kau dengar bagaimana air muncul dari mata air di dalam tanah?"

“Yes! but still I’ve a great fancy to see where this brook comes from”, said Jack.

"Ya! tetapi tetap saja aku sangat ingin melihat dari mana anak sungai ini berasal", kata Jack.

So up alongside the brook he went, in spite of all that his brothers bawled after him. Nothing could stop him. On he went. So, as he went up and up, the brook got smaller and smaller, and at last, a little way farther on, what do you think he saw? Why, a great walnut, and out of that the water trickled.

Maka naiklah ia menyusuri anak sungai itu, tak peduli semua teriakan kedua kakaknya. Tak ada yang bisa menghentikannya. Ia terus berjalan. Maka, semakin jauh ia naik, anak sungai itu semakin kecil, dan akhirnya, sedikit lebih jauh lagi, coba tebak apa yang ia lihat? Ternyata sebuah kenari besar, dan dari situlah air itu menetes.

“Good-day!” said Jack again. “So you lie here, and trickle and run down all alone?”

"Selamat siang!" kata Jack lagi. "Jadi kau berbaring di sini, menetes dan mengalir turun sendirian?"

“Yes, I do,” said the Walnut; “and here have I trickled and run this many a long day, waiting for you.”

"Ya, benar," kata si Kenari; "dan di sinilah aku menetes dan mengalir berhari-hari lamanya, menunggumu."

“Well, here I am”, said Jack, as he took up a lump of moss and plugged up the hole, that the water mightn’t run out. Then he put the walnut into his wallet, and ran down to his brothers.

"Baiklah, aku sudah datang", kata Jack, sambil mengambil segumpal lumut dan menyumbat lubang itu, agar air tidak mengalir keluar. Kemudian ia memasukkan kenari itu ke dalam tasnya, dan berlari turun menemui kedua kakaknya.

“Well now”, said Peter and Paul, “have you found out where the water comes from? A rare sight it must have been!”

"Nah", kata Peter dan Paul, "apakah kau sudah menemukan dari mana air itu berasal? Pasti pemandangan yang luar biasa!"

“Oh, after all, it was only a hole it ran out of”, said Jack; and so the others laughed and made game of him again, but Jack didn’t mind that a bit.

"Oh, ternyata itu cuma sebuah lubang tempat air itu mengalir keluar", kata Jack; dan mereka pun kembali menertawakan dan mengolok-oloknya, tetapi Jack sama sekali tidak peduli.

“After all, I had the fun of seeing it”, said he. So when they had gone a bit farther, they came to the king’s palace; but as every one in the kingdom had heard how they might win the Princess and half the realm, if they could only fell the big oak and dig the king’s well, so many had come to try their luck that the oak was now twice as stout and big as it had been at first, for two chips grew for every one they hewed out with their axes, as I daresay you all bear in mind.

"Bagaimanapun juga, aku sudah senang melihatnya", katanya. Maka setelah mereka berjalan agak jauh lagi, sampailah mereka di istana raja; tetapi karena setiap orang di kerajaan itu telah mendengar bagaimana mereka bisa memenangkan Putri dan setengah kerajaan, jika mereka bisa menumbangkan pohon ek besar itu dan menggalikan sumur raja, begitu banyak orang telah datang untuk mencoba peruntungan mereka sehingga pohon ek itu kini dua kali lebih kokoh dan besar dari semula, sebab dua serpihan tumbuh untuk setiap satu yang mereka tebas dengan kapak mereka, seperti yang tentu kalian semua masih ingat.

So the King had now laid it down as a punishment, that if any one tried and couldn’t fell the oak, he should be put on a barren island, and both his ears were to be clipped off. But the two brothers didn’t let themselves be scared by that; they were quite sure they could fell the oak, and Peter, as he was eldest, was to try his hand first; but it went with him as with all the rest who had hewn at the oak; for every chip he cut out, two grew in its place. So the king’s men seized him, and clipped off both his ears, and put him out on the island.

Maka Raja kini telah menetapkan sebagai hukuman, bahwa jika ada yang mencoba dan gagal menumbangkan pohon ek itu, ia akan dibuang ke sebuah pulau tandus, dan kedua telinganya akan dipotong. Tetapi kedua kakak itu tidak gentar karenanya; mereka cukup yakin bisa menumbangkan pohon ek itu, dan Peter, sebagai yang tertua, mencoba lebih dulu; tetapi nasibnya sama seperti semua orang lain yang telah menebas pohon ek itu; sebab setiap serpihan yang ia tebas, dua tumbuh menggantikannya. Maka orang-orang raja menangkapnya, memotong kedua telinganya, dan membuangnya ke pulau itu.

Now Paul, he was to try his luck, but he fared just the same; when he had hewn two or three strokes, they began to see the oak grow, and so the king’s men seized him too, and clipped his ears, and put him out on the island; and his ears they clipped closer, because they said he ought to have taken a lesson from his brother.

Kini giliran Paul mencoba peruntungannya, tetapi nasibnya sama saja; setelah ia menebas dua atau tiga kali, mereka mulai melihat pohon ek itu membesar, maka orang-orang raja menangkapnya juga, memotong telinganya, dan membuangnya ke pulau itu; dan telinganya dipotong lebih dekat lagi, sebab kata mereka, ia seharusnya belajar dari pengalaman kakaknya.

So now Jack was to try.

Maka kini giliran Jack untuk mencoba.

“If you will look like a marked sheep, we’re quite ready to clip your ears at once, and then you’ll save yourself some bother”, said the King; for he was angry with him for his brothers’ sake.

"Kalau kau ingin jadi seperti domba bertanda, kami sudah siap memotong telingamu sekarang juga, dan dengan begitu kau bisa menghemat sedikit kerepotan", kata Raja; sebab ia marah kepadanya demi kedua kakaknya.

“Well, I’d like just to try first”, said Jack, and so he got leave. Then he took his axe out of his wallet and fitted it to its haft.

"Baiklah, aku hanya ingin mencoba dulu", kata Jack, dan ia pun diizinkan. Lalu ia mengeluarkan kapaknya dari tas dan memasangnya kembali ke tangkainya.

“Hew away!” said he to his axe; and away it hewed, making the chips fly again, so that it wasn’t long before down came the oak.

"Tebaslah!" katanya kepada kapaknya; dan kapak itu pun menebas, membuat serpihan-serpihan beterbangan, sehingga tak lama kemudian pohon ek itu pun tumbang.

When that was done, Jack pulled out his spade, and fitted it to its handle.

Setelah itu selesai, Jack mengeluarkan sekopnya, dan memasangnya ke gagangnya.

“Dig away!” said he to the spade; and so the spade began to dig and delve till the earth and rock flew out in splinters, and so he had the well soon dug out, you may think.

"Galilah!" katanya kepada sekop itu; dan sekop itu pun mulai menggali dan mengeruk hingga tanah dan batu beterbangan berkeping-keping, dan sumur itu pun selesai digali, bisa kau bayangkan betapa cepatnya.

And when he had got it as big and deep as he chose, Jack took out his walnut and laid it in one corner of the well, and pulled the plug of moss out.

Dan setelah sumur itu sebesar dan sedalam yang ia inginkan, Jack mengeluarkan kenarinya dan meletakkannya di salah satu sudut sumur, lalu mencabut sumbat lumutnya.

“Trickle and run”, said Jack; and so the nut trickled and ran, till the water gushed out of the hole in a stream, and in a short time the well was brimfull.

"Menetes dan mengalirlah", kata Jack; maka kenari itu pun menetes dan mengalir, sampai air mengucur keluar dari lubangnya menjadi aliran deras, dan dalam waktu singkat sumur itu pun penuh sampai ke tepi.

Then Jack had felled the oak which shaded the king’s palace, and dug a well in the palace-yard, and so he got the Princess and half the kingdom, as the King had said; but it was lucky for Peter and Paul that they had lost their ears, else they had heard each hour and day, how every one said, “Well, after all, Jack wasn’t so much out of his mind when he took to wondering.”

Maka Jack telah menumbangkan pohon ek yang menaungi istana raja, dan menggali sebuah sumur di halaman istana, dan dengan begitu ia mendapatkan Putri dan setengah kerajaan, seperti yang telah dijanjikan Raja; tetapi untunglah bagi Peter dan Paul mereka sudah kehilangan telinga mereka, kalau tidak mereka akan mendengar setiap jam dan hari, bagaimana semua orang berkata, "Wah, ternyata Jack tidak terlalu gila juga, dengan rasa ingin tahunya itu."