三个城堡&意大利童话

    有个小伙子突然想要去偷东西,他把这个念头跟妈妈一说,妈妈就说:“你不觉得羞耻吗?你马上去忏悔,听听神父给你的劝告。”

    小伙子去忏悔,神父说:“偷窃是罪过,但假如你偷窃的对象是贼,罪孽还不算深。”

    于是,小伙子来到森林里,找到了一处贼窝,他敲开门,请贼人收下他做仆从。

    贼人说:“我们偷东西,但我们并没有罪,因为我们偷的都是些收苛捐杂税的人。”

    一天晚上,贼人们出去偷一个收税官的家,小伙子从马厩里挑了最好的骡子,驮了一袋金币溜走了。

    他把金币送给妈妈,然后进城去找活干。城里住着一个国王,养了一百只羊。但是没人愿意给他放羊。小伙子去了。国王对他说:“你听着,这里是一百只羊,明天早上你带它们到那边的草场上去放牧,但不要靠近那条小溪,那里有一条大蛇,会把羊吃掉。如果你把羊全给我带回来,我就给你赏钱;但如果你丢了羊,自己又没被蛇吃掉,我就会立即赶你走。”

    要去草场,得从王宫的窗户下走过,公主正站在窗前往下边望着。她看见小伙子,顿生爱慕之心,扔给他一块蛋糕。牧羊小伙子一把接住蛋糕,收起来准备牧羊的时候吃。到了草场,他远远看见草丛中有一块白石头,心想:“我正好可以坐在上边吃公主给我的蛋糕。”可是石头在小溪对岸,牧羊小伙子没想太多就跳过小溪,羊群也跟着过来了。

    草场上青草茂盛,绵羊都在安静地吃草,小伙子也坐在石头上,吃着蛋糕。突然,他感觉到被石头下的什么东西顶了一下,好像整个世界往下塌陷似的一震。小伙子往四周看看,什么也没有,就继续吃蛋糕。这时从石头下又传来一声更大的响动,牧羊小伙子假装什么也没听到。当第三次震动的时候,从石头下钻出一条长着三个头的蛇,每张嘴都衔着一朵玫瑰,三只头一齐朝着牧羊小伙子伸过来,好像要把玫瑰送给他。小伙子正要伸手去接玫瑰,蛇却张开三张嘴向他猛扑过来,它只消每张嘴咬一口就能把小伙子一下子吃了。好在牧羊小伙子比它更敏捷,他用手里的牧羊棍照每个蛇头上猛力一击,巨蛇被打死了。

    然后,他用镰刀把三只蛇头都割了下来,他把两只蛇头装起来,砸开了剩下的那只蛇头,想看看里边是什么。在蛇头里藏着一把水晶钥匙,小伙子搬开石头,发现有道门,门上有一个锁眼。他把水晶钥匙插进去,门开了,里面是一个用水晶做成的雄伟的宫殿。见到小伙子进来,宫殿的门全开了,走出一些水晶仆人,说:“您好主人,有什么吩咐?”

    “我命令你们带着我去查看一下我的珍宝。”

    这些水晶人拥着他顺着水晶楼梯爬上一座水晶塔,让他看了水晶马厩和里面的水晶马,看了所有的水晶兵器和水晶盔甲。然后,他们陪着他来到一处水晶花园,林xx道两边的水晶树上有一些水晶鸟在欢快地叫着,花坛中的水晶花都在盛开着,花坛四周是一个个水晶池塘。小伙子摘下一小束水晶花,插在帽子上。晚上,小伙子赶着羊群,回到王宫,公主正站在窗前望着,对他说:“你能把帽子上的那束花送给我吗?”

    “好的,我送给你。”牧羊小伙子说,“这是一束水晶花,是我从我的水晶城堡里的水晶花园摘来的。”说着,他把花抛给公主,公主接下了。

    第二天,小伙子又来到石头那里,砸开了第二个蛇头,里面是一把银钥匙。他抬开石头,把银钥匙插进锁眼,走进一座用银子做成的宫殿。所有的银仆人都跑来说:“主人,请吩咐吧!”他们陪着他看了银厨房,里面正在用银火烤着些银鸡,在银花园里,银孔雀正在开屏,小伙子摘了一小束银花,插在帽子上。到了晚上,他又把银花送给了好奇的公主。

    第三天,他又砸开了第三个蛇头,找到一把金钥匙。他把金钥匙插进锁眼,进到一个用金做成的宫殿,里面那些听候他吩咐的人都是金人,从头上戴的假发到脚下的长筒靴都是金的。金床上铺着金床单,金被子,金枕头,金幔帐,鸟笼中飞着金鸟。在一个个金花坛组成的花园中,喷泉喷出的是金泉。小伙子摘了一小束金花,插在帽子上,到了晚上又送给公主了。

    有一天,国王发布公告,举行马上比武大会,谁获胜,谁就可以娶公主为妻。牧羊小伙子用水晶钥匙打开门,走进水晶宫殿里,选了一匹水晶马,配好水晶缰绳和水晶马鞍,出现在比武场上。他身披水晶盔甲,手持水晶盾牌和水晶长矛,战胜了所有比武的骑士,然后扬长而去,谁也没有认出他来。

    第二天,小伙子骑着鞴了银装饰的银马,身披银盔银甲,手持银矛银盾与又出现在比武场,战胜了所有的骑士后,又不露声色地疾驰而去。到了第三天,小伙子骑着金马,披着金装,又战胜了所有的对手,这时候公主说:“我知道他是谁,他是送给我水晶花、银花和金花的那个人,这些花是从他的水晶城堡、银城堡、金城堡的花园中摘来的。”

    就这样他们结了婚,牧羊小伙子后来又当上了国王。

    所有的人都心满意足、高高兴兴,

    我却一无所得,只是个局外人。

    (蒙费拉托地区)

    TheThreeCastles

    Aboyhadtakenitintohisheadtogooutandsteal.Healsotoldhismother.

    "Arentyouashamed!"saidhismother."Gotoconfessionatonce,andyoullseewhatthepriesthastosaytoyou."

    Theboywenttoconfession."Stealingisasin,"saidthepriest,"unlessyoustealfromthieves."

    Theboywenttothewoodsandfoundthieves.Heknockedattheirdoorandgothimselfhiredasaservant.

    "Westeal,"explainedthethieves,"butwerenotcommittingasin,becausewerobthetaxcollectors."

    Onenightwhenthethieveshadgoneouttorobataxcollector,theboyledthebestmuleoutofthestable,loadeditwithgoldpieces,andfled.

    Hetookthegoldtohismother,thenwenttotowntolookforwork.Inthattownwasakingwhohadahundredsheep,butnoonewantedtobehisshepherd.Theboyvolunteered,andthekingsaid,"Look,therearethehundredsheep.Takethemouttomorrowmorningtothemeadow,butdontcrossthebrook,becausetheywouldbeeatenbyaserpentontheotherside.Ifyoucomebackwithnonemissing,Illrewardyou.Failtobringthemallback,andIlldismissyouonthespot,unlesstheserpenthasalreadydevouredyoutoo."

    Toreachthemeadow,hehadtowalkbythekingswindows,wherethekingsdaughterhappenedtobestanding.Shesawtheboy,likedhislooks,andthrewhimacake.Hecaughtitandcarrieditalongtoeatinthemeadow.Onreachingthemeadow,hesawawhitestoneinthegrassandsaid,"Illsitdownnowandeatthecakefromthekingsdaughter."Butthestonehappenedtobeontheothersideofthebrook.Theshepherdpaidnoattentionandjumpedacrossthebrook,withthesheepallfollowinghim.

    Thegrasswashighthere,andthesheepgrazedpeacefully,whilehesatonthestoneeatinghiscake.Allofasuddenhefeltablowundertherockwhichseemedtoshaketheworlditself.Theboylookedallaroundbut,seeingnothing,wentoneatinghiscake.Anotherblowmorepowerfulthanthefirstfollowed,buttheshepherdignoredit.Therewasathirdblow,andoutfromundertherockcrawledaserpentwiththreeheads.Ineachofitsmouthsitheldaroseandcrawledtowardtheboy,asthoughitwantedtoofferhimtheroses.Hewasabouttotakethem,whentheserpentlungedathimwithitsthreemouthsallsettogobblehimupinthreebites.Butthelittleshepherdprovedthequicker,clubbingitwithhisstaffoveroneheadandthenextandthenextuntiltheserpentlaydead.

    Thenhecutoffthethreeheadswithasickle,puttingtwoofthemintohishuntingjacketandcrushingonetoseewhatwasinside.Whatshouldhefindbutacrystalkey.Theboyraisedthestoneandsawadoor.Slippingthekeyintothelockandturningit,hefoundhimselfinsideasplendidpalaceofsolidcrystal.Throughallthedoorscameservantsofcrystal."Goodday,mylord,whatareyourwishes?"

    "Iwishtobeshownallmytreasures."

    Sotheytookhimupcrystalstairsintocrystaltowers;theyshowedhimcrystalstableswithcrystalhorsesandarmsandarmorofsolidcrystal.Thentheyledhimintoacrystalgardendownavenuesofcrystaltreesinwhichcrystalbirdssang,pastflowerbedswherecrystalflowersblossomedaroundcrystalpools.Theboypickedasmallbunchofflowersandstuckthebouquetinhishat.Whenhebroughtthesheephomethatnight,thekingsdaughterwaslookingoutthewindowandsaid,"MayIhavethoseflowersinyourhat?"

    "Youcertainlymay,"saidtheshepherd."Theyarecrystalflowersculledfromthecrystalgardenofmysolidcrystalcastle."Hetossedherthebouquet,whichshecaught.

    Whenhegotbacktothestonethenextday,hecrushedasecondserpentheadandfoundasilverkey.Heliftedthestone,slippedthesilverkeyintothelockandenteredasolidsilverpalace.Silverservantscamerunningupsaying,"Command,ourlord!"Theytookhimofftoshowhimsilverkitchens,wheresilverchickensroastedoversilverfires,andsilvergardenswheresilverpeacocksspreadtheirtails.Theboypickedalittlebunchofsilverflowersandstucktheminhishat.Thatnighthegavethemtothekingsdaughterwhensheaskedforthem.

    Thethirdday,hecrushedthethirdheadandfoundagoldkey.Heslippedthekeyintothelockandenteredasolidgoldpalace,wherehisserventsweregoldtoo,fromwigtoboots;thebedsweregold,withgoldsheets,pillows,andcanopy;andintheaviariesflutteredhundredsofgoldbirds.Inagardenofgoldflowerbedsandfountainswithgoldsprays,hepickedasmallbunchofgoldflowerstostickinhishatandgavethemtothekingsdaughterthatnight.

    Nowthekingannouncedatournament,andthewinnerwouldhavehisdaughterinmarriage.Theshepherdunlockedthedoorwiththecrystalkey,enteredthecrystalpalaceandchoseacrystalhorsewithcrystalbridleandsaddle,andthusrodetothetournamentincrystalarmorandcarryingacrystallance.Hedefeatedalltheotherknightsandfledwithoutrevealingwhohewas.

    Thenextdayhereturnedonasilverhorsewithtrappingsofsilver,dressedinsilverarmorandcarryinghissilverlanceandshield.Hedefeatedeveryoneandfled,stillunknowntoall.Thethirddayhereturnedonagoldhorse,outfittedentirelyingold.Hewasvictoriousthethirdtimeaswell,andtheprincesssaid,"Iknowwhoyouare.Yourethemanwhogavemeflowersofcrystal,silver,andgold,fromthegardensofyourcastlesofcrystal,silver,andgold."

    Sotheygotmarried,andthelittleshepherdbecameking.

    Andallwereveryhappyandgay,

    Buttomewhowatchedtheygavenothoughtnorpay.

    (Monferrato)

    NOTES:

    "TheThreeCastles"(Itrecastelli)fromComparetti,62and22,Monferrato,Piedmont.

    ThesetwoPiedmontesetalesarevariantsofasingletype.Itookthebeginningfromoneandconcludedwiththeother.Nothingwasadded;Imerelyunderlinedafewelementsalreadyinthetext(suchasthetaxcollector)andtherhythm.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980