dess, although he could not prove it.

然而他卻對她行使起了權威，所以當“山羊腿少將中士指揮官”來求娶小牧羊女做妻子時，他就點頭表示同意了。

he however assumed authority over her, and therefore when “major-general-field-sergeant-mander billy-goat’s-legs” asked for the little shepherdess to be his wife, he nodded his head to show that he consented.

“你會有個丈夫的，”老中國人偶對她說，“我真覺得他是用紅木做的呢。他會讓你成為‘山羊腿少將中士指揮官’夫人的。他整個櫃子裡都裝滿了銀餐具，都鎖在秘密抽屜裡呢。”

“You will have a husband,” said the old chinaman to her, “who I really believe is made of mahogany. he will make you a lady of major-general-field-sergeant-mander billy-goat’s-legs. he has the whole cupboard full of silver plate, which he keeps locked up in secret drawers.”

“我才不進那黑乎乎的櫃子呢，”小牧羊女說，“我聽說他在那兒已經有十一個瓷制的妻子了。”

“I won’t go into the dark cupboard,” said the little shepherdess. “I have heard that he has eleven china wives there already.”

“那你就做第十二個吧，”老中國人偶說，“今晚一聽到舊櫃子裡有響聲，你就得嫁人了，就像我是個中國人偶一樣千真萬確；”然後他點了點頭就睡著了。

“then you shall be the第十二個,” said the old chinaman. “to-night as soon as you hear a rattling in the old cupboard, you shall be married, as true as I am a chinaman;” and then he nodded his head and fell asleep.

這時小牧羊女哭了起來，望著她的心上人，那個瓷制的掃煙囪的人。

then the little shepherdess cried, and looked at her sweetheart, the china chimney-sweep.

“我求求你，” 她說，“和我一起到外面的廣闊世界去吧，因為我們不能待在這兒了。”

“I must entreat you,” said she, “to go out with me into the wide world, for we cannot stay here.”

“你希望怎樣我就怎樣做，” 小掃煙囪的人說，“咱們馬上就走：我想憑我的手藝能養活你。”