1 The apple thief

Chapter 1 The apple thief Long ago and far away, there lived a rich and powerful king. He had a magnificent palace, surrounded by beautiful gardens, but his greatest treasure was a magical orchard.

很久以前，在遥远的地方，住着一位富有而强大的国王。 他有一座宏伟的宫殿，周围环绕着美丽的花园，但他最大的宝藏是一座神奇的果园。

The trees in this orchard had gold and silver trunks and emerald leaves, and they blossomed with diamonds and rubies. When the sun shone, they sparkled and flashed like fireworks and, when the wind blew, they jingled like tiny bells.

果园里的树有金色和银色的树干，翠绿的叶子，盛开着钻石和红宝石。 当阳光照耀时，它们像烟花一样闪闪发光，当风吹起时，它们像小铃铛一样叮当作响。

Right in the middle was the most precious tree of all. Every year, its branches were weighed down with a crop of solid golden apples. The orchard was surrounded by a high wall with a locked gate, and guarded day and night.

中间是一棵最珍贵的树。 每年，它的树枝上都挂满了结实的金苹果。 果园四周有一堵高墙，大门上了锁，日夜有人看守。

So the king was astonished to see, one September morning, that one golden apple was missing. He sent for the guards at once, but they had seen nothing. He doubled the guard, but the next day another apple had been taken, and the day after, yet another.

因此，一个九月的早晨，国王惊讶地发现少了一个金苹果。 他立刻派人去叫卫兵，但他们什么也没看见。 他加倍戒备，但第二天又被抢走了一个苹果，第三天又被抢走了一个。

The king had three brave sons, and they were determined to catch the thief. The eldest, Prince Dimitri, went out with the guards the very next night, and took up his post under the apple tree.

国王有三个勇敢的儿子，他们决心抓住小偷。 第二天晚上，大儿子迪米特里王子和卫兵一起出去了，在苹果树下站岗。