意大利童话无畏的小乔万尼

atmidnighthewassittingatthetableeating,whenheheardavoiceinthechimney."shallithrowitdown?"

"goahead!"repliedlittlejohn.

johndrankaglassofwine.

thenthevoicespokeagain."shallithrowitdown?"

"goahead!"johnbitintothesausage.

"shallithrowitdown?"

"goahead!"johnbeganwhistlingatune.

"shallithrowitdown?"

"byallmeans!"andtherewasanotherarm.

"shallithrowitdown?"

"yes!"

thencamethetrunkofabody,andthearmsandlegsstuckontoit,andtherestoodamanwithoutahead.

"shallithrowitdown?"

"throwitdown!"

strulyagiant,andlittlejohnraisedhisglassandsaid,"toyourhealth!"

thegiantsaid,"takethelampandcomewithme."

littlejohnpickedupthelamp,butdidntbudge.

"yougofirst!"saidthegiant.

"no,afteryou,"insistedlittlejohn.

"afteryou!"thunderedthegiant.

"youleadtheway!"yelledlittlejohn.

sothegiantwentfirst,withlittlejohnbehindhimlightingtheway,andtheywentthroughroomafterroomuntiltheyhadwalkedthewholelengthofthepalace.beneathoneofthestaircaseswasasmalldoor.

"openit!"orderedthegiant.

"youopenit!"repliedlittlejohn.

rewasaspiralstaircase.

"goondown,"directedthegiant.

"afteryou,"answeredlittlejohn.

theywentdownthestepsintoacellar,andthegiantpointedtoastoneslabontheground."raisethat!"

"youraiseit!"repliedlittlejohn,andthegiantlifteditasthoughitwereamerepebble.

beneaththeslabtherewerethreepotsofgold."carrythoseupstairs!"orderedthegiant.

"youcarrythemup!"dthegiantcarriedthemuponebyone.

whentheywerebackinthehallwherethegreatfireplacewas,thegiantsaid,"littlejohn,thespellhasbeenbroken!"atthat,oneofhislegcameoffandkickeditswayupthechimney."oneofthesepotsofgoldisforyou."anarmcamelooseandclimbedupthechimney."thesecondpotofgoldisforthefriarswhocometocarryawayyourbody,believingyouperished."theotherarmcameoffandfollowedthefirst."thethirdpotofgoldisforthefirstpoormanwhocomesby."thentheotherlegdroppedoff,leavingthegiantseatedonthefloor."keepthepalaceforyourself."thetrunkseparatedfromtheheadandvanished."theownersofthepalaceandtheirchildrenarenowgoneforever."atthat,theheaddisappearedupthechimney.

assoonasitwaslight,adirgearose:"misereremei,misereremei."thefriarshadcomewiththebiertocarryofflittlejohnsbody.buttherehestood,atthewindow,smokinghispipe!

dauntlesslittlejohnwasawealthyyouthindeedwithallthosegoldpieces,daywhatshouldhedobutlookbehindhimandseehisshadow:hewassofrightenedhedied.

notes:

"dauntlesslittlejohn"(giovanninsenzapaura)

ibeginwithafolktaleforwhichidonotindicate,incontrasttomyprocedureinalltheothertales,stheversionsofitfromthevariousregionsofitalyareallquitesimilar,yforthatreasonhaveiputthistalefirst,butalsobecauseitisoneofthesimplestand,inmyview,oneofthemostbeautifulfolktales.

italiantraditionsharplydivergesfromthegrimms"taleofaboywhosetouttolearnfear"(grimmno.4)whichisnodoubtclosertomynoypeoftaleisofeuropeanoriginandnotfoundinasia.

thedisappearanceofthemanlimbbylimbisnottraditional,butapersonaltouchofmyown,shingstrokeoftheshadowfromasieneseversion(degubernatis,22),anditismerelyasimplificationofthemorecommonending,utshisheadoffandputsitonagain——backward;thesightofhisrearendsohorrifieshimthathedropsdead.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980