The Twelve Dancing Princesses

There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.

Dahulu kala ada seorang raja yang memiliki dua belas putri yang cantik. Mereka tidur di dua belas ranjang dalam satu kamar; dan ketika mereka pergi tidur, pintu-pintunya ditutup dan dikunci; tetapi setiap pagi sepatu mereka selalu ditemukan sudah aus seolah-olah mereka telah menari semalaman; namun tak seorang pun bisa mengetahui bagaimana hal itu terjadi, atau ke mana mereka pergi.

Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person could discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death.

Maka raja mengumumkan ke seluruh negeri, bahwa jika ada orang yang bisa mengungkap rahasia itu, dan menemukan tempat para putri menari di malam hari, ia boleh memilih putri yang paling disukainya untuk menjadi istrinya, dan akan menjadi raja setelah sang raja wafat; tetapi siapa pun yang mencoba dan tidak berhasil, setelah tiga hari tiga malam, akan dihukum mati.

A king’s son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it, the door of his chamber was left open.

Seorang putra raja segera datang. Ia disambut dengan baik, dan pada malam hari dibawa ke kamar sebelah, tempat para putri berbaring di dua belas ranjang mereka. Di sana ia harus duduk dan mengawasi ke mana mereka pergi menari; dan, agar tidak ada apa pun yang luput dari pendengarannya, pintu kamarnya dibiarkan terbuka.

But the king’s son soon fell asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes. The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same manner.

Namun putra raja itu segera tertidur; dan ketika ia terbangun di pagi hari ia mendapati bahwa para putri telah menari semalaman, sebab telapak sepatu mereka penuh lubang. Hal yang sama terjadi pada malam kedua dan ketiga: maka raja memerintahkan kepalanya dipenggal. Setelah dia datang beberapa orang lain; tetapi mereka semua mengalami nasib yang sama, dan semua kehilangan nyawa mereka dengan cara yang sama.

Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going. ‘I hardly know where I am going, or what I had better do,’ said the soldier; ‘but I think I should like very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then in time I might be a king.’

Kebetulan seorang prajurit tua, yang pernah terluka dalam pertempuran dan tidak dapat berperang lagi, melewati negeri tempat raja itu memerintah: dan ketika ia sedang berjalan melintasi hutan, ia bertemu seorang perempuan tua, yang bertanya ke mana ia hendak pergi. “Aku sendiri hampir tidak tahu ke mana aku pergi, atau apa yang sebaiknya kulakukan,” kata prajurit itu; “tetapi kurasa aku ingin sekali mengetahui ke mana para putri itu menari, dan kelak mungkin aku bisa menjadi raja.”

‘Well,’ said the old dame, ‘that is no very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.’

“Baiklah,” kata perempuan tua itu, “itu bukan tugas yang terlalu sulit: hanya saja hati-hatilah jangan sampai meminum anggur yang akan dibawakan salah satu putri kepadamu di malam hari; dan segera setelah ia meninggalkanmu, berpura-puralah tertidur lelap.”

Then she gave him a cloak, and said, ‘As soon as you put that on you will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go.’ When the soldier heard all this good counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task.

Kemudian ia memberinya sebuah jubah, dan berkata, “Begitu kau mengenakannya kau akan menjadi tak terlihat, dan kau akan bisa mengikuti para putri ke mana pun mereka pergi.” Ketika prajurit itu mendengar semua nasihat baik ini, ia bertekad mencoba peruntungannya: maka ia pergi menghadap raja, dan berkata bahwa ia bersedia menjalankan tugas itu.

He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loud as if he was fast asleep.

Ia disambut sebaik yang lain, dan raja memerintahkan jubah kerajaan yang indah diberikan kepadanya; dan ketika malam tiba ia dibawa ke kamar luar. Tepat ketika ia hendak berbaring, putri tertua membawakannya secangkir anggur; tetapi prajurit itu diam-diam membuang semuanya, berhati-hati agar tidak meneguk setetes pun. Kemudian ia membaringkan diri di ranjangnya, dan sesaat kemudian mulai mendengkur keras seolah-olah ia tertidur lelap.

When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, ‘This fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!’ Then they rose up and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing.

Ketika kedua belas putri mendengar ini mereka tertawa terbahak-bahak; dan putri tertua berkata, “Orang ini juga bisa saja melakukan hal yang lebih bijak daripada kehilangan nyawanya seperti ini!” Kemudian mereka bangkit dan membuka lemari serta peti mereka, mengeluarkan semua pakaian indah mereka, dan berdandan di depan cermin, dan melompat-lompat seolah tak sabar untuk mulai menari.

But the youngest said, ‘I don’t know how it is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some mischance will befall us.’ ‘You simpleton,’ said the eldest, ‘you are always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings’ sons have already watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.’

Namun si bungsu berkata, “Aku tidak tahu mengapa, ketika kalian begitu gembira aku merasa sangat gelisah; aku yakin sesuatu yang buruk akan menimpa kita.” “Dasar bodoh,” kata si sulung, “kau selalu saja takut; sudah lupakah kau berapa banyak putra raja yang telah mengawasi dengan sia-sia? Dan soal prajurit ini, bahkan jika aku tidak memberinya ramuan tidur, ia pasti akan tidur nyenyak juga.”

When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open.

Ketika mereka semua siap, mereka pergi dan melihat ke arah prajurit itu; tetapi ia tetap mendengkur, dan tidak menggerakkan tangan atau kaki: maka mereka mengira mereka sudah cukup aman; dan si sulung pergi ke ranjangnya sendiri lalu menepukkan tangannya, dan ranjang itu turun ke dalam lantai dan sebuah pintu jebakan terbuka.

The soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, ‘All is not right; someone took hold of my gown.’ ‘You silly creature!’ said the eldest, ‘it is nothing but a nail in the wall.’

Prajurit itu melihat mereka turun melalui pintu jebakan satu demi satu, dengan si sulung memimpin di depan; dan berpikir tak ada waktu untuk disia-siakan, ia melompat bangun, mengenakan jubah yang diberikan perempuan tua itu, dan mengikuti mereka; tetapi di tengah tangga ia menginjak gaun putri bungsu, dan ia berseru kepada kakak-kakaknya, “Ada yang tidak beres; seseorang memegang gaunku.” “Dasar bodoh!” kata si sulung, “itu cuma paku di dinding.”

Then down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, ‘I am sure all is not right—did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.’ But the eldest said, ‘It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our approach.’

Kemudian mereka semua turun, dan di dasar mereka mendapati diri mereka berada di sebuah hutan kecil yang sangat indah; dan daun-daunnya semua berwarna perak, berkilau dan bersinar dengan indahnya. Prajurit itu ingin membawa suatu tanda dari tempat itu; maka ia mematahkan sebuah ranting kecil, dan terdengar suara keras dari pohon itu. Kemudian putri bungsu berkata lagi, “Aku yakin ada yang tidak beres—tidakkah kalian mendengar suara itu? Itu tidak pernah terjadi sebelumnya.” Tetapi si sulung berkata, “Itu cuma para pangeran kita, yang bersorak kegirangan menyambut kedatangan kita.”

Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes, who were crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses.

Kemudian mereka tiba di hutan kecil lainnya, tempat semua daunnya berwarna emas; dan setelah itu ke hutan ketiga, tempat daun-daunnya semua berkilauan seperti berlian. Dan prajurit itu mematahkan sebuah ranting dari masing-masing pohon; dan setiap kali terdengar suara keras, yang membuat adik bungsu gemetar ketakutan; tetapi si sulung tetap berkata, itu cuma para pangeran, yang bersorak kegirangan. Begitulah mereka terus berjalan hingga tiba di sebuah danau besar; dan di tepi danau itu terdapat dua belas perahu kecil dengan dua belas pangeran tampan di dalamnya, yang tampaknya sedang menunggu para putri di sana.

One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said, ‘I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite tired: the boat seems very heavy today.’ ‘It is only the heat of the weather,’ said the princess: ‘I feel it very warm too.’

Satu putri masuk ke setiap perahu, dan prajurit itu melangkah masuk ke perahu yang sama dengan si bungsu. Ketika mereka sedang mendayung menyeberangi danau, pangeran yang berada di perahu bersama putri bungsu dan prajurit itu berkata, “Aku tidak tahu mengapa, tetapi meskipun aku mendayung sekuat tenaga kita tidak melaju secepat biasanya, dan aku sangat lelah: perahu ini terasa sangat berat hari ini.” “Itu cuma karena cuaca yang panas,” kata sang putri: “aku juga merasa sangat hangat.”

On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced with them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but the eldest always silenced her.

Di seberang danau berdiri sebuah kastil megah yang bercahaya, dari mana terdengar musik riang terompet dan tanduk. Di sana mereka semua turun dari perahu, dan masuk ke dalam kastil, dan setiap pangeran menari dengan putrinya; dan prajurit itu, yang sepanjang waktu tak terlihat, ikut menari bersama mereka juga; dan setiap kali salah satu putri diberi secangkir anggur, ia meminumnya sampai habis, sehingga ketika sang putri menempelkan cangkir itu ke mulutnya, cangkir itu sudah kosong. Karena ini pula, si bungsu ketakutan setengah mati, tetapi si sulung selalu menenangkannya.

They danced on till three o’clock in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, the princesses promising to come again the next night.

Mereka menari terus hingga pukul tiga pagi, dan kemudian semua sepatu mereka telah aus, sehingga mereka terpaksa berhenti. Para pangeran mendayung mereka kembali menyeberangi danau (tetapi kali ini prajurit itu menempatkan diri di perahu bersama putri sulung); dan di seberang pantai mereka saling berpamitan, dengan para putri berjanji akan datang lagi keesokan malamnya.

When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly came up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they said, ‘Now all is quite safe’; then they undressed themselves, put away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed.

Ketika mereka tiba di tangga, prajurit itu berlari mendahului para putri, dan membaringkan diri; dan ketika kedua belas kakak-beradik itu perlahan naik dengan sangat kelelahan, mereka mendengarnya mendengkur di ranjangnya; maka mereka berkata, “Sekarang sudah sangat aman”; lalu mereka melepas pakaian mereka, menyimpan pakaian indah mereka, melepas sepatu mereka, dan pergi tidur.

In the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again the second and third night; and every thing happened just as before; the princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.

Pada pagi harinya prajurit itu tidak mengatakan apa pun tentang apa yang terjadi, tetapi bertekad untuk melihat lebih banyak dari petualangan aneh ini, dan pergi lagi pada malam kedua dan ketiga; dan segala sesuatu terjadi persis seperti sebelumnya; para putri menari setiap kali hingga sepatu mereka hancur berkeping-keping, lalu kembali pulang. Namun, pada malam ketiga prajurit itu membawa pergi salah satu cangkir emas sebagai bukti tempat ia pernah berada.

As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say. And when the king asked him. ‘Where do my twelve daughters dance at night?’ he answered, ‘With twelve princes in a castle under ground.’ And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him.

Segera setelah tiba waktunya ia harus mengungkapkan rahasia itu, ia dibawa menghadap raja bersama tiga ranting dan cangkir emas itu; dan kedua belas putri berdiri mendengarkan di balik pintu untuk mendengar apa yang akan ia katakan. Dan ketika raja bertanya kepadanya, “Ke mana kedua belas putriku menari di malam hari?” ia menjawab, “Bersama dua belas pangeran di sebuah kastil di bawah tanah.” Dan kemudian ia menceritakan kepada raja semua yang telah terjadi, dan menunjukkan kepadanya tiga ranting dan cangkir emas yang telah ia bawa bersamanya.

Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he would choose for his wife; and he answered, ‘I am not very young, so I will have the eldest.’—And they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king’s heir.

Kemudian raja memanggil para putri, dan bertanya kepada mereka apakah yang dikatakan prajurit itu benar: dan ketika mereka melihat bahwa rahasia mereka telah terbongkar, dan bahwa tidak ada gunanya menyangkal apa yang telah terjadi, mereka mengakui semuanya. Dan raja bertanya kepada prajurit itu, siapa di antara mereka yang akan ia pilih untuk menjadi istrinya; dan ia menjawab, “Aku sudah tidak begitu muda lagi, jadi aku akan memilih yang tertua.”—Dan mereka menikah pada hari itu juga, dan prajurit itu dipilih menjadi pewaris takhta raja.