In a small hillside village, there lived a young shepherdess named Ellie.
在一个山坡小村庄里，住着一个名叫艾丽的年轻牧羊姑娘。
Ellie was known for her kindness and her deep bond with her flock of sheep.
艾丽因她的善良和与羊群的深厚感情而闻名。
One fateful morning, Ellie woke to find her sheep missing.
一个命运多舛的早晨，艾丽醒来发现她的羊群失踪了。
The villagers whispered of bandits who had been stealing livestock in the night.
村民们小声议论说，有强盗在夜里偷走了牲畜。
Determined to rescue her sheep, Ellie grabbed her shepherd’s staff and a small bag of food.
为了救回她的羊群，艾丽拿起了牧羊杖和一小袋食物。
“Be careful, Ellie,” her grandmother said. “Courage and wit will guide you.”
“艾丽，小心点，”她的祖母说。“勇气和智慧会指引你。”
Ellie followed the tracks into the dark forest, where danger lurked at every turn.
艾丽跟着踪迹进入了黑暗的森林，那里每个角落都充满危险。
She encountered a fox trapped in a snare and decided to free it.
她遇到了一只被陷阱困住的狐狸，决定放了它。
“Thank you,” the fox said. “I’ll repay your kindness.”
“谢谢你，”狐狸说。“我会报答你的善良。”
The fox showed her a shortcut through the forest, saving her hours of travel.
狐狸指引她走了一条穿过森林的捷径，为她节省了几个小时的路程。
As Ellie reached the bandits’ hideout, she spotted her sheep penned in a crude wooden corral.
当艾丽到达强盗的藏身处时，她看到了羊群被关在一个粗糙的木栅栏里。
The bandits, loud and careless, were feasting nearby.
强盗们又吵又随意，正在附近大吃大喝。
Ellie devised a plan. She found some wild berries and herbs that would make them sleepy.
艾丽想出了一个计划。她找到了一些能让人昏昏欲睡的野莓和草药。
She waited until the bandits’ food was unattended and mixed the herbs into their stew.
她等到强盗们的食物无人看管时，将草药混进了他们的炖菜里。
As night fell, the bandits ate heartily, laughing at their ill-gotten gains.
夜幕降临时，强盗们吃得津津有味，还嘲笑他们的不义之财。
Soon, one by one, they fell into a deep sleep.
很快，他们一个接一个地陷入了沉睡。
Ellie crept into the camp and opened the corral, quietly guiding her sheep away.
艾丽悄悄地潜入营地，打开栅栏，悄悄地带走了她的羊群。
Just as she thought she was safe, the leader of the bandits woke and spotted her.
就在她以为安全时，强盗头目醒了过来，发现了她。
The fox reappeared, darting between Ellie and the bandit, causing enough distraction for her to escape.
狐狸再次出现，在艾丽和强盗之间穿梭，制造了足够的混乱让她逃脱。
Ellie and her sheep made it back to the village by dawn, exhausted but safe.
艾丽带着她的羊群在黎明时回到了村庄，虽然筋疲力尽但很安全。
The villagers celebrated Ellie’s bravery, and she became a hero in their eyes.
村民们庆祝艾丽的勇敢，她成了他们眼中的英雄。
From that day forward, the bandits never dared return to the hillside village.
从那天起，强盗再也不敢回到山坡村庄了。
Ellie’s story became a legend, a tale of courage, kindness, and cleverness.
艾丽的故事成了一个传奇，一个关于勇气、善良和聪明的故事。
