《熊皮人》是一篇格林童話故事，主要講了從前有個年輕人應徵入伍，在戰爭中他表現得十分英勇，在槍林彈雨中總是衝鋒陷陣。只要戰爭在繼續，一切就很順利，可是當和平來到的時候，他就被遣散了，上尉對他說願意上哪兒就上哪兒吧。他的父母都死了，他無家可歸，只好投奔他的哥哥們，懇求他們收留他，等待戰爭再次爆發。可是無情無義的哥哥們說：“我們要你幹什麼?你對我們一點用都沒有，自己去謀生吧。”下文是中英文版本，與大家分享學習。
從前有個年輕人應徵入伍，在戰爭中他表現得十分英勇，在槍林彈雨中總是衝鋒陷陣。只要戰爭在繼續，一切就很順利，可是當和平來到的時候，他就被遣散了，上尉對他說願意上哪兒就上哪兒吧。他的父母都死了，他無家可歸，只好投奔他的哥哥們，懇求他們收留他，等待戰爭再次爆發。可是無情無義的哥哥們說："我們要你幹什麼?你對我們一點用都沒有，自己去謀生吧。"士兵除了槍外一無所有，他把槍扛在肩上，義無反顧地走向世界。他來到一塊廣闊的荒原，地上除了一圈的樹外就再沒有其它東西了。他傷心地坐在樹下，開始爲他的命運着想。"我身無分文，"他想道，"除了打仗，我沒有一技之長，由於現在他們製造了和平，他們就不再需要我了。我已經預感到我捱餓的日子就要到了。"這時他聽見一陣聲響，便向四周望去，發現在他面前有一個陌生人，身着一件綠色外衣，相貌堂堂，可是卻長了一隻像馬蹄子似的腳。"我知道你需要什麼，"那人說道，"你將擁有金子和財產，要多少就有多少，想幹什麼就幹什麼，但是首先我得了解你是否毫無畏懼，以保證我的錢不會白花。""士兵和懦夫怎能相提並論?"他回答，"你可以驗證。""那太好了，"那人說，"你回頭看。"士兵轉過身去，看見一隻碩大的熊正吼叫着向他撲來。"噢呵!"士兵大叫一聲，"我來給你鼻子撓撓癢，你就會覺得叫喚沒多大意思啦。"於是他瞄準熊的鼻頭開了一槍，熊轟然倒地，一動不動了。"我非常清楚，"陌生人說，"你需要的不是勇氣，但是你還得滿足另外一個條件。""只要不是傷天害理的事。"士兵回答，他已經知道身邊的人是誰了，"如果是的話，我決不會去做的。""你可以自己看着辦，"綠衣人說，"在七年中，你不能洗澡，不能修鬍子，不能理髮，也不能剪指甲，還不許祈禱上帝，一次都不行。我給你一件上衣和一件斗篷，你必須穿七年。如果在七年中，你死啦，那你就歸我了;如果你還活着，你就自由了，而且下半輩子非常富有。"士兵考慮自己目前的絕境，和他過去出生入死的生活，決定現在再冒一次險，於是就同意了條件。魔鬼脫下了綠衣，遞給士兵，說道："如果你穿上這件衣服，把手插進口袋，你會發現裏面總有滿滿的錢。"然後他把熊皮剝了下來並說："這就是你的.斗篷，而且是你的牀，從此你只能睡在這上面，不能睡在其它任何牀上，由於你的這件斗篷，以後你的名字就叫熊皮人。"說完，魔鬼就消失了。
士兵穿上那件衣服，迫不及待地把手伸進口袋，發現那是真的。接着穿上熊皮，走進人世間，盡情地享受了金錢給他帶來的快樂。第一年他的相貌尚可說得過去，可是第二年他看起來就像個魔鬼了。他的長髮遮面，鬍鬚像一塊粗糙的毛氈，手指像獸爪，滿臉是厚厚的污垢，彷彿播上芹菜種都能長出來似的。人們一看見他都給嚇跑了，他每到一處都賞給別人錢，讓人們爲自己祈禱別在七年中死去，由於他作任何事都慷慨大方，所以他總是能找到住宿的地方。到了第四年，他進了一家旅店，可是店主不招待他，因爲怕他把馬給嚇着，甚至不讓他住在馬圈裏。這時熊皮人把手插進口袋，掏出一大把金幣，店主馬上轉變了態度，讓他住進外宅的一間屋子裏。但是店主要求熊皮人別讓其他人看見，否則會壞了旅店的名聲。
傍晚，熊皮人孤伶伶地一個人坐在屋子裏，從心底裏希望七年已經熬到頭。就在這時，他聽見從隔壁的屋子裏傳出一陣悲切的哭聲。他懷着一顆同情的心打開了門，看見一位老人雙手絞在一起，痛苦地哭泣着。熊皮人走上前去，然而老人跳起來，掙扎着從他身邊逃開了。最後老人聽出熊皮人說的是人話，方纔放下心來，在熊皮人長時間善言善語的勸說下，老人才透露了他悲傷的原因。原來在漫長的生活中，他破產了，他和他的女兒們在捱餓，現在已身無分文，再沒有辦法付住店的錢，快要被送進監獄了。"這有何難?"熊皮人說："我有的是錢。"他把店主叫來，交了店錢，並把滿滿一包金子放進了可憐老人的口袋裏。
老人這時才明白他已經擺脫了困境，他不知道如何表達自己的感激之情。"跟我來，"他對熊皮人說，"我的女兒都美如天仙，你挑一個作爲你的妻子吧。只要她知道你爲我所作的一切，她就不會拒絕你。你看上去確實有點兒怪，不過她很快就會讓你恢復原來相貌的。"當大女兒看到他時，被他的那張臉嚇壞，尖叫着逃跑了。二女兒站在那裏從頭到腳地打量着他，然後說道："我怎麼能嫁給一個沒有一點兒人樣的人呢?曾經有一隻剃光了毛，裝成人的熊到過這裏，它更讓我喜歡，因爲它起碼穿了一身輕騎兵的制服，戴了一雙白手套。如果他僅僅相貌難看沒關係，我能夠習慣的。"可是小女兒卻說："親愛的父親，他幫助您克服了困難，那麼他一定是個好人，既然您爲了報答他，已經答應讓他成親，那麼我們就得遵守諾言。"遺憾的是父女們看不到熊皮人在聽到這些話語後的興奮神情，因爲他的臉被厚厚的泥垢和長長的頭髮全遮掩了。他從手指上捋下一枚戒指，掰成兩半，給她一半，自己留下另一半。他把自己的名字寫在她那一半的戒指上，她的名字寫在自己的一半戒指上，請求她認真地保存好她那一半。然後他告別說："我還有三年的時間在外遊蕩，我必須這麼作，如果我屆時不歸，那麼我就是死了，你不必再等我。請向上帝祈禱，保佑我的生命吧。"
可憐的未婚婦穿了一身黑衣服，一想起未婚夫，淚水就情不自禁地涌入眼眶。她從姐姐們那兒得到的只是嘲笑和譏諷。"小心點兒，"大姐說，"如果你把手伸給他，他會用爪子抓住你的手。""注意啦!"二姐說，"熊喜歡甜甜的食物，如果他喜歡你，就會吃掉你。""你必須常常投其所好，"大姐接着說，"否則他會大發雷霆。"二姐繼續道："婚禮肯定熱鬧，熊喜歡跳舞。"新娘默不做聲，而且不氣不惱。此時，熊皮人正在世界各處遊蕩，從一處到另一處，力所能及地做着善事，慷慨大方地資助窮人，大家都在爲他祈禱。
終於，七年的最後一天降臨了，這天，他又一次來到了那一片荒原，再次坐到那圈樹下。不一會兒，風颳起來了。在風的呼嘯中，魔鬼站到了他的面前，氣呼呼地看着他，他把熊皮人的舊衣服扔還給他，然後問他要他自己的綠外套。熊皮人不慌不忙地答道："這事彆着急，你得先把我清洗乾淨。"魔鬼心裏窩着火，極不情願地打來水，給熊皮人洗乾淨，理了發，剪了指甲。一切完畢時，他看上去像一名勇敢的士兵，比從前更加英俊漂亮了。
等魔鬼一走，熊皮人頓時感到了一身輕鬆。他進城買了一件絲絨大衣穿在身上，坐上一輛四匹白馬拉着的馬車上，向他的新娘家駛去。當時沒有一個人認出他來，父親把他當做高貴的將軍領進女兒們坐着的房間，他被兩個姐姐圍住，她們殷勤地向他敬酒，請他品嚐最好的菜餚，暗想這是她們見到的全世界最英俊瀟灑的男人。可是新娘卻坐在他的對面，穿着黑衣服，既不擡頭看他一眼，也不說一句話。終於他得空對父親說他能不能娶他的一個女兒爲妻。二個姐姐聽後，馬上跳起身來，跑進自己的臥室梳妝打扮起來，穿上盛裝出來，每個人都想被選中。當屋裏只有他和新娘的時候，陌生人掏出他的那半個戒指，扔進一個酒杯裏，隔着桌子將酒杯遞給她。她把酒喝光後發現在杯底的半個戒指，不禁心跳加快。她把用一條絹帶掛在脖子上的另一半戒指掏出，對在一起，分毫不差。這時他說："我就是你的未婚夫，以前你看到的那個熊皮人。感謝上帝的恩典，我又恢復了人形，還變得乾乾淨淨的啦。"他站了起來，走過去熱情地擁抱親吻她。這時，打扮得花枝招展的兩個姐姐走出來，正好看見小妹妹和那個英俊的男人擁抱在一起，並聽到他就是那個熊皮人，她們立刻嫉妒萬分、羞愧難當、滿腔怒火地跑了出去，一個投井自盡，另一個吊死在樹上。晚上，有人來敲門，新郎打開門一看，外邊是穿綠衣服的魔鬼，魔鬼告訴他："你知道嗎，我用你的靈魂換了兩個靈魂。"
熊皮人英文版：
Bearskin
There was once a young fellow who enlisted as a soldier, conducted himself bravely, and was always the foremost when it rained bullets. So long as the war lasted, all went well, but when peace was made, he received his dismissal, and the captain said he might go where he liked. His parents were dead, and he had no longer a home, so he went to his brothers and begged them to take him in, and keep him until war broke out again. The brothers, however, were hard-hearted and said, "What can we do with thee? thou art of no use to us; go and make a living for thyself." The soldier had nothing left but his gun; he took that on his shoulder, and went forth into the world. He came to a wide heath, on which nothing was to be seen but a circle of trees; under these he sat sorrowfully down, and began to think over his fate. "I have no money," thought he, "I have learnt no trade but that of fighting, and now that they have made peace they don't want me any longer; so I see beforehand that I shall have to starve." All at once he heard a rustling, and when he looked round, a strange man stood before him, who wore a green coat and looked right stately, but had a hideous cloven foot. "I know already what thou art in need of," said the man; "gold and possessions shall thou have, as much as thou canst make away with do what thou wilt, but first I must know if thou art fearless, that I may not bestow my money in vain." - "A soldier and fear - how can those two things go together?" he answered; "thou canst put me to the proof." - "Very well, then," answered the man, "look behind thee." The soldier turned round, and saw a large bear, which came growling towards him. "Oho!" cried the soldier, "I will tickle thy nose for thee, so that thou shalt soon lose thy fancy for growling," and he aimed at the bear and shot it through the muzzle; it fell down and never stirred again. "I see quite well," said the stranger, "that thou art not wanting in courage, but there is still another condition which thou wilt have to fulfil." - "If it does not endanger my salvation," replied the soldier, who knew very well who was standing by him. "If it does, I'll have nothing to do with it." - "Thou wilt look to that for thyself," answered Greencoat; "thou shalt for the next seven years neither wash thyself, nor comb thy beard, nor thy hair, nor cut thy nails, nor say one paternoster. I will give thee a coat and a cloak, which during this time thou must wear. If thou diest during these seven years, thou art mine; if thou remainest alive, thou art free, and rich to boot, for all the rest of thy life." The soldier thought of the great extremity in which he now found himself, and as he so often had gone to meet death, he resolved to risk it now also, and agreed to the terms. The Devil took off his green coat, gave it to the soldier, and said, "If thou hast this coat on thy back and puttest thy hand into the pocket, thou wilt always find it full of money." Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said, "This shall be thy cloak, and thy bed also, for thereon shalt thou sleep, and in no other bed shalt thou lie, and because of this apparel shalt thou be called Bearskin." After this the Devil vanished.
The soldier put the coat on, felt at once in the pocket, and found that the thing was really true. Then he put on the bearskin and went forth into the world, and enjoyed himself, refraining from nothing that did him good and his money harm. During the first year his appearance was passable, but during the second he began to look like a monster. His hair covered nearly the whole of his face, his beard was like a piece of coarse felt, his fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if cress had been sown on it, it would have come up. Whosoever saw him, ran away, but as he everywhere gave the poor money to pray that he might not die during the seven years, and as he paid well for everything he still always found shelter. In the fourth year, he entered an inn where the landlord would not receive him, and would not even let him have a place in the stable, because he was afraid the horses would be scared. But as Bearskin thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ducats, the host let himself be persuaded and gave him a room in an outhouse. Bearskin was, however, obliged to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad name.
As Bearskin was sitting alone in the evening, and wishing from the bottom of his heart that the seven years were over, he heard a loud lamenting in a neighboring room. He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door, and saw an old man weeping bitterly, and wringing his hands. Bearskin went nearer, but the man sprang to his feet and tried to escape from him. At last when the man perceived that Bearskin's voice was human he let himself be prevailed on, and by kind words bearskin succeeded so far that the old man revealed the cause of his grief. His property had dwindled away by degrees, he and his daughters would have to starve, and he was so poor that he could not pay the innkeeper, and was to be put in prison. "If that is your only trouble," said Bearskin, "I have plenty of money." He caused the innkeeper to be brought thither, paid him and put a purse full of gold into the poor old man's pocket besides.
When the old man saw himself set free from all his troubles he did not know how to be grateful enough. "Come with me," said he to Bearskin; "my daughters are all miracles of beauty, choose one of them for thyself as a wife. When she hears what thou hast done for me, she will not refuse thee. Thou dost in truth look a little strange, but she will soon put thee to rights again." This pleased Bearskin well, and he went. When the eldest saw him she was so terribly alarmed at his face that she screamed and ran away. The second stood still and looked at him from head to foot, but then she said, "How can I accept a husband who no longer has a human form? The shaven bear that once was here and passed itself off for a man pleased me far better, for at any rate it wore a hussar's dress and white gloves. If it were nothing but ugliness, I might get used to that." The youngest, however, said, "Dear father, that must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble, so if you have promised him a bride for doing it, your promise must be kept." It was a pity that Bearskin's face was covered with dirt and with hair, for if not they might have seen how delighted he was when he heard these words. He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half, the other he kept for himself. He wrote his name, however, on her half, and hers on his, and begged her to keep her piece carefully, and then he took his leave and said, "I must still wander about for three years, and if I do not return then, thou art free, for I shall be dead. But pray to God to preserve my life."
The poor betrothed bride dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought of her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes. Nothing but contempt and mockery fell to her lot from her sisters. "Take care," said the eldest, "if thou givest him thy hand, he will strike his claws into it." - "Beware!" said the second. "Bears like sweet things, and if he takes a fancy to thee, he will eat thee up." - "Thou must always do as he likes," began the elder again, "or else he will growl." And the second continued, "But the wedding will be a merry one, for bears dance well." The bride was silent, and did not let them vex her. Bearskin, however, travelled about the world from one place to another, did good where he was able, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.
At length, as the last day of the seven years dawned, he went once more out on to the heath, and seated himself beneath the circle of trees. It was not long before the wind whistled, and the Devil stood before him and looked angrily at him; then he threw Bearskin his old coat, and asked for his own green one back. "We have not got so far as that yet," answered Bearskin, "thou must first make me clean." Whether the Devil liked it or not, he was forced to fetch water, and wash Bearskin, comb his hair, and cut his nails. After this, he looked like a brave soldier, and was much handsomer than he had ever been before.
When the Devil had gone away, Bearskin was quite lighthearted. He went into the town, put on a magnificent velvet coat, seated himself in a carriage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride's house. No one recognized him, the father took him for a distinguished general, and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. He was forced to place himself between the two eldest, they helped him to wine, gave him the best pieces of meat, and thought that in all the world they had never seen a handsomer man. The bride, however, sat opposite to him in her black dress, and never raised her eyes, nor spoke a word. When at length he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, the two eldest jumped up, ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them fancied she was the chosen one. The stranger, as soon as he was alone with his bride, brought out his half of the ring, and threw it in a glass of wine which he reached across the table to her. She took the wine, but when she had drunk it, and found the half ring lying at the bottom, her heart began to beat. She got the other half, which she wore on a ribbon round her neck, joined them, and saw that the two pieces fitted exactly together. Then said he, "I am thy betrothed bridegroom, whom thou sawest as Bearskin, but through God's grace I have again received my human form, and have once more become clean." He went up to her, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. In the meantime the two sisters came back in full dress, and when they saw that the handsome man had fallen to the share of the youngest, and heard that he was Bearskin, they ran out full of anger and rage. One of them drowned herself in the well, the other hanged herself on a tree. In the evening, some one knocked at the door, and when the bridegroom opened it, it was the Devil in his green coat, who said, "Seest thou, I have now got two souls in the place of thy one!"
