一身海草的人&意大利童话

    有一个国王让人在各个广场上喊话,谁能找回他失踪的女儿,就奖赏谁。可是国王的号令并无效果,因为谁也不知道在哪里可以找到他的女儿。一天夜晚,她被人掳走,国王查遍了所有的角落也找不到她的踪迹。

    一位有经验的船长突然想到,如果陆地上找不到踪迹,就有可能在海上。于是,他准备好了一艘船,打算出海寻找。但是当他想要招募水手的时候,却找不到一个人:没人愿意参加这个看不到归期的冒险旅程。

    船长站在堤坝上望着,没有人靠近,也没有人敢带头登船。巴奇钦·特里波尔多也在堤坝上,他是一个出了名的酒鬼,一个有名的流浪汉,没人愿意雇用他。“哎,你愿意上船吗?”船长对他说。

    “我吗?愿意。”

    “那么上船吧。”巴奇钦·特里波尔多第一个上了船。这样,其他一些水手胆子也大了起来,登上了甲板。

    在船上,巴奇钦·特里波尔多整天把两只手揣在兜里,怀念岸上的那些小酒馆。大家都骂他,因为航程遥遥无期,食品储备有限,可是还得养活像他这样一个无所事事的人。船长决定甩掉他。“你看见那个小岛了吗?”船长指着海面一个礁石岛对他说,“你划着小舢板过去查看查看,我们就在附近转转。”

    巴奇钦·特里波尔多下到舢板上,大船却全速开走了,将他一个人留在大海中,巴奇钦划向礁石。他看见礁石上有一个大山洞,便走了进去。在山洞的尽头绑着一个非常美丽的姑娘,正是国王的女儿。“你是怎么找到我的?”她问巴奇钦·特里波尔多。

    “我来这里是为了钓章鱼。”巴奇钦说。

    “我就是被一条巨大的章鱼抓来关在这里的,”国王的女儿说,“趁它还没回来,你先躲起来吧。不过,你记着,这条章鱼每天有三个小时会变成红鲤鱼,那时候容易钓到它,但你必须马上杀死它,不然,它会变成一只红嘴鸥飞走。”

    巴奇钦·特里波尔多将自己和小船都藏在小岛上。这时,从海里钻出了那条巨大的章鱼,它的每条须爪都可以绕岛一周。他嗅到小岛上来了陌生人,所有的吸盘都蠕动起来。正巧,到了它该变成鱼的时候了,转眼间,它变成了一条红鲤鱼,消失在海水中。巴奇钦·特里波尔多立即撒下鱼网,可是每次网上来的只是些鲻鱼、鲟鱼、利齿鱼,终于,出现了浑身抖动着的红鲤鱼。巴里钦马上挥起桨,想要给它致命的一击,没想到他打到的不是红鲤鱼,而是一只正要从鱼网中飞起来的海鸥,红鲤鱼已经不见了。由于船桨刮破了海鸥的一只翅膀,它飞不起来了。于是,海鸥又变成了章鱼,不过它的须爪上全是伤口,往外淌着黑色的血。巴奇钦跳到章鱼的背上,用船桨打死了它。国王的女儿为了表示自己的永久的感激之情,送给他一枚钻石戒指。

    他说:“走吧,我带你回去见你的父亲。”两个人就上了舢板。在茫茫的大海中,舢板走得很慢,他们划呀,划呀,终于看到远处有一艘大船。巴奇钦用船桨高高地挑起姑娘的衣服。大船上的人发现了他们,把他们接上了甲板。这条船正是先前甩掉巴奇钦的那条船,船长看到他带回了国王的女儿,说:“噢,可怜的巴奇钦·特里波尔多!我们都以为你失踪了,到处找你!没想到你找回了国王的女儿!来,我们喝几杯,祝贺你的成功!”巴奇钦·特里波尔多并不相信船长说的话,不过,很长时间滴酒未沾,他早已按捺不住了。

    出海时的那座码头已经能隐隐约约地望见了,船长劝巴奇钦喝酒,他喝啊喝啊,最后喝得烂醉,倒在地上。船长对国王的女儿说:“不要告诉你的父亲是那个酒鬼救了你!你应该说是我救了你,因为我是这艘船的船长,而那个酒鬼只是我的一个伙计,他做的一切都是我吩咐的。”

    国王的女儿没有说好也没有说不好,只是回答:“我知道该说什么。”船长于是想着要除掉巴奇钦·特里波尔多,一了百了。当天深夜,他们抬起烂醉如泥的巴奇钦,把他扔进了大海。黎明时分,大船靠近了码头,并用旗语通知岸上,他们把国王的女儿平安地救回来了。码头上,乐队奏起了凯旋乐,国王和宫廷全体人员都来了。

    国王的女儿与船长的婚礼已经定下来了。婚礼那天,码头上的水手看见从海里钻出来一个人,从头到脚披着绿色的海草,衣服的口袋和被撕破的口子往外蹦着小鱼、小蟹。这个人正是巴奇钦·特里波尔多,他全身上下遮满了海草,头上挂着,身上披着,脚下还拖着,上了岸,走向城中心。就在这时,婚礼的队伍迎面过来了,看见一个身披绿色水草的男人挡在前边,队伍停了下来。“什么人在那里?把他抓起来!”国王命令道。侍卫走上前刚要捉人,这时巴奇钦·特里波尔多抬起一只手,只见一枚钻石戒指在阳光下熠熠发光。

    “我女儿的戒指!”国王高喊。

    “对,这个人才是我的救命恩人,他才是我的新郎。”国王的女儿说。

    巴奇钦·特里波尔多把自己的遭遇从头至尾讲述了一遍。船长被抓了起来。巴奇钦就这样一身绿色的海草走近穿着一身白色衣裙的新娘,和她举行了婚礼。

    TheManWreathedinSeaweed

    Akinghadhiscrierannounceinthetownsquaresthatwhoeverfoundhismissingdaughterwouldberewardedwithafortune.Buttheannouncementbroughtnoresults,sincenoonehadanyideaofthegirlswhereabouts.Shehadbeenkidnappedonenight,andtheyhadalreadylookedtheworldoverforher.

    Aseacaptainsuddenlyhadthethoughtthatsinceshewasntonlandshemightwellbeonthesea,sohegotashipreadytogooutinsearchofher.Butwhenthetimecametosignupthecrew,notonesailorsteppedforward,sincenoonewantedtogoonadangerousexpeditionthatwouldlastnotellinghowlong.

    Thecaptainwaitedonthepier,butfearfulofbeingthefirsttoembark,nooneapproachedhisship.AlsoonthepierwasSamphireStarboard,areputedtrampandtippler,whomnoshipcaptainwaseverwillingtosignon.

    "Listen,"saidourcaptain,"howwouldyouliketosailwithme?"

    "Idliketoverymuch."

    "Comeaboard,then."

    "SoSamphireStarboardwasthefirsttoembark.Afterthat,othersailorstookheartandboardedtheship.

    Oncehewasontheship,SamphireStarboarddidnothingbutstandaroundalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreamaboutthetavernshehadleftbehind.Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend,provisionswerescarce,andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep.Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim."Seethatlittleisland?"heasked,pointingtoanisolatedreefinthemiddleofthesea."Getintoarowboatandgoexploreit.Wellbecruisingrightaroundhere."

    SamphireStarboardsteppedintotherowboat,andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed,leavinghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea.Heapproachedthereef,spiedacave,andwentin.Tiedupinsidewasaverybeautifulmaiden,whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter.

    "Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"sheasked.

    "Iwasfishingforoctopi,"explainedSamphire.

    "Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus,whoseprisonerInowam,"saidthekingsdaughter."Fleebeforeitreturns.Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught.Butyourhavetokillthemulletatonce,oritwillchangeintoaseagullandflyaway."

    SamphireStarboardhidhisboatandwaitedoutofsightonthereef.Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus,whichwassolargethatitcouldreachcleararoundtheislandwithitstentacles.Allitssuckersshook,havingsmelledamanonthereef.Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish,andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea.SamphireStarboardloweredfishingnetsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard,sturgeon,anddentex.Thelasthaulproducedtheredmullet,shakinglikealeaf.Samphireraisedhisoartokillit,butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthenetandbrokeitswing.Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus,whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood.Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar.Thekingsdaughtergavehimadiamondringasatokenofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim.

    "ComeandIlltakeyoutoyourfather,"hesaid,showingherintohisboat.Buttheboatwastinyandtheywereoutinthemiddleofthesea.Afterrowingandrowingtheyspiedashipinthedistance.Samphiresignaledtoitwithanoardrapedwiththekingsdaughtersgown.Theshipspottedthemandtookthemaboard.ItwasthesameshipthathadearlierdischargedandabandonedSamphire.Seeinghimbackwiththekingsdaughter,thecaptainsaid,"PoorSamphireStarboard!Herewethoughtyouwerelostandnow,afterlookingalloverforyou,weseeyoureturnwiththekingsdaughter!Thatcallsforarealcelebration!"ToSamphireStarboard,whodnottouchedadropofwineformonthsonend,thatseemedtoogoodtobetrue.

    TheywerealmostinsightoftheirhomeportwhenthecaptainledSamphiretoatableandplacedseveralbottlesofwinebeforehim.Samphiredrankanddrankuntilhefellunconscioustothefloor.Thenthecaptainsaidtothekingsdaughter,"Dontyoudaretellyourfatherthatdrunkardfreedyou.TellhimthatIfreedyoumyself,sinceImthecaptainoftheshipandorderedhimtorescueyou."

    Thekingsdaughterneitheragreednordisagreed."IknowwhatIlltellhim,"sheanswered.

    Tobeonthesafeside,thecaptaindecidedtodoawaywithSamphireStarboardonceandforall.Thatnight,theypickedhimup,stillasdrunkascouldbe,andthrewhimintothesea.Atdawntheshipwasinsightofport.Withflagstheysignaledtheywerebringinghomethekingsdaughtersafeandsound.Abandplayedonthepier,wherethekingwaitedwiththeentirecourt.

    Adatewaschosenforthekingsdaughtertowedthecaptain.Onthedayofthewedding,themarinersinportsawamanemergefromthewater.Hewascoveredfromheadtofootwithseaweed,andoutofhispocketsandtheholesinhisclothesswamfishandshrimps.ItwasnoneotherthanSamphireStarboard.Heclimbedoutofthewaterandwentamblingthroughthecitystreets,withseaweeddrapinghisheadandbodyanddraggingalongbehindhim.Atthatverymomenttheweddingprocessionwasmovingthroughthestreetandcamefacetofacewiththemanwreathedinseaweed.Everyonestopped."Whoisthis?"askedtheking."Seizehim!"Theguardscameup,butSamphireStarboardraisedahandandthediamondonhisfingersparkledinthesunlight.

    "Mydaughtersring!"exclaimedtheking.

    "Yes,"saidthedaughter,"thismanwasmyrescuerandwillbemybridegroom."

    SamphireStarboardtoldthestory,andthecaptainwasimprisoned.Greenthoughhewaswithseaweed,Samphiretookhisplacebesidethebridecladinwhiteandwasjoinedtoherinmatrimony.

    (Rivieraligurediponente)

    NOTES:

    "TheManWreathedinSeaweed"(Luomoverdedalghe)fromAndrews,7,Menton,toldbythewidowLavigna.

    ThisseataletransferstoanunusualsettingaplotwellknownthroughoutEurope:thatoftheyoungerbrotherwhogoesdownintothewelltofreetheprincessandissubsequentlyabandonedtherehimself(cf.myno.78).AndrewsscollectionoftalespresentsnomorethanbriefsummariesinFrench;forthistale,then,aswellasthefollowing,takenfromthesamecompilation,Igavefreereintomyimaginationinsupplyingdetails,whileadheringtothebasicplot.IchosethenameBaciccinTribordo(GiovanniBattistaStarboard)toreplacetheoriginalnamewhosemeaningisnotveryclear.Intheoriginaltext,theprincessisabductedbyadragoninsteadofbyanoctopus,andthedragonchangesintoabarnacle,whichseemedtometooeasytocatch.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980