学文网There was once a prince as rich as cream，who took it into his head to put up a palace right across the street from the king’s，but a palace far more splendid than the king’s. Once it was finished，he put on its front in bold lettering：MONEY CAN DO EVERYTHING.
When the king came out and saw that，he sent immediately for the prince，who was new in town and hadn’t yet visited the court.
“Congratulations！”the king said，“Your palace is a true wonder. My house looks like a hut compared with it. Congratulations！But was it your idea to put up the words：Money can do everything？”
The prince realized that maybe he had gone too far.
“Yes，it was，” he answered，“but if Your Majesty doesn’t like it，I can easily have the letters stripped off.”
“Oh，no，I wouldn’t think of having you do that I merely wanted to hear from your own lips what you meant by such a statement. For instance，do you think that，with your money，you could have me assassinated？”
The prince realized he had got himself into a tight spot.
“Oh，Majesty，forgive me. I’ll have the words removed at once. And if you don’t like the palace，just say so，and I’ll have it torn down too.”
“No，no，leave it the way it is. But since you claim a person with money can do anything，prove it to me.I’ll give you three days to try to talk to my daughter. If you manage to speak to her，well and good；you will marry her. If not，I’ll have you beheaded. Is that clear？”
The prince was too distressed to eat，drink，or sleep. Day and night，all he thought of was how he might save his neck. By the second day he was certain of failure and decided to make his will. His plight was hopeless，for the king’s daughter had been closed up in a castle surrounded by one hundred guards. Pale and limp as a rag， the prince lay on his bed waiting to die，when in walked his old nurse，a decrepit old soul now who had nursed him as a baby and who still worked for him. Finding him so haggard，the old woman asked what was wrong. Hemming and hawing，he told her the whole story.
“So？”said the nurse，“And you’re giving up，like that？You make me laugh！I’ll see what I can do about all this！”
Off she wobbled to the finest silversmith in town and ordered him to make a solid silver goose that would open and close its bill. The goose was to be as big as a man and hollow inside. “It must be ready tomorrow，”she added.
“Tomorrow？Yo’re crazy！”exclaimed the silversmith.
“Tomorrow I said！”The old woman pulled out a purse of gold coins and continued， “Think it over. This is the down payment. I’ll give you the rest tomorrow when you deliver the goose.”
The silversmith was dumbfounded，“That makes all the difference in the world，”he said，“I’ll do my best to have the goose tomorrow.”
The next day the goose was ready，and it was a beauty.
The old woman said to the prince，“Take your violin and get inside the goose. Play as soon as we reach the road.”
They wound their way through the city，with the old woman pulling the silver goose along by a ribbon and the prince inside playing his violin. The people lined the streets to watch：there wasn’t a soul in town that didn’t come running to see the beautiful goose. Word of it reached the castle where the king’s daughter was shut up，and she asked her father to let her go and see the unusual sight.
The king said，“Time’s up for that boastful prince tomorrow. You can go out then and see the goose.”
But the girl had heard that the old woman with the goose would be gone by tomorrow. Therefore the king had the goose brought inside the castle so his daughter could see it. That’s just what the old woman was counting on. As soon as the princess was alone with the silver goose and delighting in the music pouring from its bill， the goose suddenly opened and out stepped a man.
“Don’t be afraid，”said the man，“I am the prince who must either speak to you or be decapitated by your father tomorrow morning. You can say you spoke to me and save my life.”
The next day the king sent for the prince. “Well， did your money make it possible for you to speak to my daughter？”
“Yes，Majesty.” answered the prince.
“What！Do you mean you spoke to her？”
“Ask her.”
The girl came in and told how the prince was hidden in the silver goose which the king himself had ordered to bring inside the castle.
The king，at that，removed his crown and placed it on the prince’s head.“That means you have not only money but also a fine head！Live happily，for I am giving you my daughter in marriage.”
从前有一位十分富有的王子，他要在王宫的对面建一座宫殿，而且建得比王宫还要宏伟富丽。宫殿一落成，他就在门前写了“有钱能使鬼推磨”几个大字。
国王外出巡游，看见了写在门前的这些字，就马上召见王子。这时，王子刚到都城不久，还没有去拜见国王。
“恭喜你啦！”国王说，“你的宫殿真是富丽堂皇啊。相比之下，我的宫殿不过是茅庐寒舍。真是恭喜你了！不过，在门前写‘有钱能使鬼推磨’是你出的主意吗？”
王子意识到，自己可能做得太过份了。
“是的，是我，”王子回答说，“可是，如果陛下不喜欢，我就派人把这些字刮掉，这很方便。”
“哦，不必了。我并不打算让你刮掉，只是想让你亲自告诉我，你那句话的意思是什么。比如说，你有钱就可以派人行刺我吗？”
王子感觉到，他的处境不妙了。
“哦，陛下，请您恕罪。我立刻将那些字刮掉。如果您不喜欢这座宫殿的话，您只管说，我可以把它拆掉。”
“不，不，不要动它。可是，既然你说，有钱什么事都能办到，那么你就得向我证实这话是不是真的。我限你三天之内能同我女儿说上话，如果办到了，我就让你跟她结婚。要不，我就砍掉你的脑袋！懂了吗？”
王子愁得吃不下，喝不下，睡不着。他日夜想的是怎样才能保住自己的脑袋。到了第二天，他确信自己无路可走了，就决定写遗嘱。他一筹莫展，因为国王的女儿被关在一座城堡里，周围有一百名卫兵看守着。王子脸色苍白，无精打采，躺在床上等死；就在这时候，他的老奶妈走进屋来。王子从小是她奶妈带大的，后来她一直服侍他，现在已是个老态龙钟的老太婆了。老奶妈看见王子面容憔悴，便问他有什么不舒服。王子哼哼唧唧地把事情一五一十地全都告诉了她。
“就这件事？”老奶妈说，“你就毫无办法了吗？真让人笑掉大牙！让我想想看，能帮你什么忙呢。”
老奶妈颤颤巍巍地走了出去，到了城里最有名的银匠家里。她向银匠定做了一只银鹅；这只银鹅做得要像人一般大，肚子里是空的，还要会张嘴、闭嘴。“必须明天做好！”她又加了一句。
“明天？你疯了！”银匠惊叫起来。
“明天必须做好！”老奶妈掏出一个装着金币的钱包，接着说：“你再想想吧。这是定金，剩下的钱等你明天交货时再付给你。”
银匠惊呆了，“这样的话，咱们好商量，好商量，我尽量照办，明天交货。”
第二天，银鹅做好了，做得非常漂亮。
老奶妈对王子说：“带上你的提琴，钻到鹅肚子里去。我们一到街上，你就在里面拉琴。”
老奶妈在前面用一根缎带拖着银鹅，王子在里面拉着提琴，他们在城里走街串巷地兜着圈子。人们夹道观看这只漂亮的银鹅，城里的人没有不跑出来看的。消息传到了关着国王女儿的城堡里，她要求父亲准许她出去看一看这不平常的景象。
国王说：“明天，那个牛皮王子的死期就到了，那时你再出去看银鹅吧。”
可是公主听说，那个拖着银鹅的老婆婆明天就要离开了。国王只好叫人把银鹅带到城堡里来，让他女儿看一眼。这正是老奶妈巴不得的事。当公主独自看着这只银鹅，听着从它嘴里传出的琴声，感到十分惬意时，银鹅突然打开了，一个男人走了出来。
“别害怕，”这个男人说，“我就是那个必须跟您说话，否则明天早晨您父亲就要杀我的头的王子。请您对您父亲说，说您跟我已谈过话了，这样就可以救我的命了。”
第二天，国王召见了王子。“喂，你的钱使你跟我女儿谈上话了吗？”
“是的，陛下。”王子回答说。
“什么？你是说，你跟她谈过话了？”
“问她吧。”
公主走了进来，讲了王子藏在银鹅中的事，而银鹅却又是国王亲自下令让带入城堡的。
听到这里，国王摘下王冠，戴到王子头上。“这样看来，你不但有钱，而且还有个聪明的头脑！我把女儿嫁给你，你们幸福地生活吧！”
（苏 珊 供稿）