伯爵的胡子
伯爵的胡子 (第3/3页)
!Outwiththem!"theyallsaid.
"Thefirstquestionisforthebarber.Howmanypeoplecametoyouthismonth?"
Thebarberreplied:
"Longbeards,shortbeards,
Finebeards,coarsebeards,
Locksstraight,lockscurly,
AllItrimmèd(sic)inahurry."
"Yourturnnow,cobbler.Howmanypeoplebroughtyoutheiroldshoestomendthismonth?"
"Alas!"beganthecobbler:
"Shoesofwood,shoesofleather,
NailbynailIhammeredbacktogether,
Mendedshoesofsatinandshoesofserpent.
Buttheresnothinglefttodo,
Alltheirmoneyisspent."
"Thethirdquestiongoestoyou,ropemaker.Howmuchropedidyousellthismonth?"
Theropemakerreplied:
"RopegaloreofeverysortIsold:
Hemprope,braided,wicker,cord,
Needle-thintoarm-thick,
Lard-softtoiron-strong
ThismonthIcouldntgowrong."
"Verywell,"saidMasino,stretchingoutbythefire."Imnowgoingtosleepforafewhours,Imverytired.WakemeupatmidnightandIllgoafterthewitch."Heputhishatoverhisfaceandfellasleep.
Thefarmerskeptperfectlyquietuntilmidnight,notevendaringtobreathe,forfearofawakinghim.AtmidnightMasinoshookhimself,yawned,drankacupofmulledwine,spatthreetimesintothefire,gotupwithoutlookingatasoul,andheadedforthewoods.
Thefarmersstayedbehindwatchingthefireburndownandthelastembersturntoashes.Then,whomshouldMasinodraginbythebeardbutthecount!Acountthatwept,kicked,andpleadedformercy.
"Heresthewitch!"criedMasino,andasked,"Wheredidyouputthemulledwine?"
Beneaththefarmersamazedstares,thecounttriedtomakehimselfassmallaspossible,sittingonthegroundandshrinkinguplikeacold-bittenfly.
"Thethiefcouldhavebeennoneofyou,"explainedMasino,"sinceyouhadallgonetothebarberandhadnohairtoloseinthebushes.Thentherewerethosetracksmadebybigheavyshoes,butallofyougobarefoot.Norcouldthethiefhavebeenaghost,sincehewouldnthaveneededtobuyallthatcordtotieuptheanimalsandcarrythemaway.Butwhereismymulledwine?"
Shakingallover,thecounttriedtohideinthatbeardofhiswhichMasinohadtousledandtorninpullinghimoutofthebushes.
"Howdidheevermakeusfaintbyjustlookingatus?"askedonefarmer.
"Hewouldsmiteyouontheheadwithapaddedclub.Thatwayyouwouldhearonlyawhir.Hedleavenomarkonyou,youdsimplywakeupwithaheadache."
"Andthosehairpinshelost?"askedanother.
"Theywereusedtoholdhisbearduponhisheadandmakeitlooklikeawomanshair."
Untilthenthefarmershadlistenedinsilence,butwhenMasinosaid,"Andnow,whatshallwedowithhim?"astormofshoutsarose:"Burnhim!Skinhimalive!Stringhimupforascarecrow!Sealhiminacaskandrollhimdownthecliff!Sewhimupinasackwithsixcatsandsixdogs!"
"Havemercy!"saidthecountinavoicejustaboveawhisper.
"Sparehim,"saidMasino,"andhewillbringbackyourcattleandcleanyourbarns.Andsinceheenjoyedgoingintothewoodsatnight,makehimgothereeverynightandgatherbundlesoffirewoodforeachofyou.Tellthechildrennevertopickupthehairpinstheyfindontheground,fortheybelongtoMicillinatheWitch,whosehairandbeardwillbedisheveledfromnowon."
Thefarmersfollowedthesuggestion,andsoonMasinoleftPocapagliatotravelabouttheworld.Inthecourseofhistravels,hefoundhimselffightinginfirstonewarandanother,andtheyalllastedsolongthathissayingsprangup:
Soldierfighter,whatahardlot!
Wretchedfood,thegroundforacot.
Youfeedthecannonpowder:
Boom-BOOM!Boom-BOOM!Boomlouder!
(Bra)
NOTES:
"TheCountsBeard"(LabarbadelConte).Publishedhereforthefirsttime,collectedbyGiovanniArpinoinJuly1956,incertainvillagesofsouthernPiedmont:Bra(toldbyCaterinaAsteggiano,inmateofahomeforoldpeople,andLuigiBerzia),inGuarene(toldbyDoroPalladino,farmer),inNarzole(toldbyAnnettaTaricco,servantwoman),andinPocapaglia.
Thislongnarrative,whichwriterGiovanniArpinohastranscribedandunifiedfromdifferentversionswithvariantsandadditionsfromBraandsurroundings,cannotinmyviewbeclassifiedasafolktale.Itisalocallegendofrecentorigininpart(Iamthinking,forinstance,ofthegeographicalparticularsgiven),thatis,notpriortothenineteenthcentury,andcontainingdisparateelements:explanationofalocalsuperstition(thehairpinsofWitchMicillina),antifeudalcountrylegendsuchasonefindsinmanynortherncountries,curiousdetective-storystructureàlaSherlockHolmes,manydigressionsnonessentialtothestory(suchasthetripfromAfricabacktotown——whichArpinotellsmealsoexistsasaseparatestory——andalltheallusionstoMasinospastandfutureadventureswhichleadtotheconclusionglobetrotterfromacountrywhoseinhabitantsarereputedtobecontrastinglyslowandbackward),verse(ofwhichArpinoandIhavepresentedonlyasmuchaswecouldeffectivetranslate),andgrotesqueimageswhichseemrootedintradition,suchasthesacksunderthehenstails,theoxensothinthattheywerecurriedwiththerake,thecountwhosebeardwascombedbyfoursoldiers,etc
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980
如果觉得《意大利童话》好看，请把本站网址推荐给您的朋友吧！88106 http://www.88106.com/