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.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
translatedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
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