意大利童话有三个货舱的船

whentheycameoutofthechurch,thestrangersaid,"spurse,dgivehimthisletterwhenhehaslearnedtoread."thefatherandmotherwerethunderstruck,butbeforetheycouldfindwordsofthanksandaskthemanhisname,hehaddisappeared.

thepursewasfullofgoldcrowns,uldread,hisparentsgavehimtheletter,whichsaid:

deargodson,

iamgoingbacktorepossessmythroneafteralongexile,ssoonasyoureadthisletter,setoutonajourneytoyourdeargodfather,thekingofengland.

y,bewareofacross-eyedman,acripple,andamangycharacter.

theyouthsaid,"father,mother,ustgotomygodfather."afterafewdaysofwalking,hemetatravelerwhoasked,"whereareyougoing,mylad?"

"toengland."

"shalltraveltogether."

theyouthnoticedthemanseyes:oneofthemlookedeast,andtheotherwest,sotheboyrealizedthiswasthecross-undapretextforstopping,thentookanotherroad.

hemetanothertravelersittingonastone."areyougoingtoengland?wellthereforetraveltogether,"saidthestranger,whogotupandlimpedalong,sthecripple,thoughttheyouth,andchangedroadsagain.

hemetathirdtraveler,whoseeyes,likehislegs,sforanyscalpdisease,sthestrangerwasalsoonhiswaytoengland,ystoppedforthenightataninn,wheretheyouth,waryofhiscompanion,handedoverhispurseandtheletterforthekingtotheinnkeeperforsafekeeping.duringthenightwhileeverybodywassleeping,thestrangerroseandwenttotheinnkeeperforthepurse,letter,rningtheyoungmanfoundhimselfalone,penniless,onfoot,andwithnoletterfortheking.

"yourservantcametomeinthenight,"explainedtheinnkeeper,""

sabouttountieit,whenfrombehindthetreerushedlastnightscompanionarmedwithapistol."ifyourdontwanttodieonthespot,"hesaid,"youmustbecomemyservantandpretendimthekingofenglandsgodson."ashespoke,heremovedhisblackwig,revealingascalpcompletelycoveredwithmange.

theysetout,themangyoneonhorseback,theyouthonfoot,penarmsthekingwelcomedthemangyone,takinghimforhisgodson,whiletherealgodsonwasassignedtothestablesasstableboy.butthemangyonecouldntwaittogetridofhiscompanion,daysaidtothefalsegodson,"ifyoucouldfreemydaughterfromthespellthatholdsherprisoneronacertainisland,ydifficultyisthatnobodywhohasattemptedtofreeherhasevercomebackalive."themangyonelostnotimeinreplying."trysendingmyservant,whoissurelycapableofsettingherfree."

thekingsummonedtheyouthatonceandasked,"canyousetmydaughterfree?"

"yourdaughter?tellmewheresheis,majesty!"

thekingwouldonlysay,"iwarnyouthatyoullloseyourheadifyoucomebacktomewithouther."

dsailorwithabearddowntohiskneesapproachedhimandsaid,"askforashipwiththreedecks."

sinportandreadytoweighanchor,theoldsailorreappeared."nowhaveonedeckloadedwithcheeserinds,anotherwithbreadcrumbs,andthethirdwithstinkingcarrion."

theyouthhadthethreedecksloaded.

"now,"saidtheoldman,"whenthekingsays,chooseallthesailorsyouwant,youwillreply,ineedonlyone,andselectme."thathedid,andthewholetownturnedouttowatchtheshipsailoffwiththatstrangecargoandacrewofone,whoalsohappenedtobeonhislastlegs.

theysailedforthreemonthsstraight,ycouldmakeoutonshorewerelow,stavoiceasked,"whatcargodoyoucarry?"

"cheeserinds,"repliedtheoldsailor.

"fine,"theysaidonshore."thatswhatweneed."

itwastheislandofrats,wherealltheinhabitantswererats,whosaid,"wellbuytheentirecargo,butwehavenomoneywithwhichtopayyou.butanytimeyouneedus,youhaveonlytosay,rats,finerats,helpus!andwellberighttheretohelpyou."

theyouthandthesailordroppedthegangplank,andtheratscameaboardandunloadedthecheeserindsinaflash.

sworsethantheotherplace,withnotahouseoratreeanywhereinsight."whatcargodoyoubring?"askedvoicesinthedark.

"breadcrumbs,"repliedthesailor.

"fine!thatsjustwhatweneed!"

itwastheislandofants,rdidtheyhaveanymoneyeither,buttheysaid,"wheneveryouneedus,youhaveonlytosay,ants,fineants,helpus!andwellberightthere,nomatterwhereyouare."

theantscarriedallthebreadcrumbsdowntheforeandaftmoorings,andtheshipcastoffagain.

itcametoanislandofrockycliffsthatdroppedstraightdowntoport."whatcargodoyoubring?"criedvoicesfromabove.

"stinkingcarrion!"

"excellent!thatsjustwhatweneed,"andhugeshadowsswoopeddownontheship.

itwastheislandofvultures,yflewoffwitheveryounceofcarrion,promisinginreturntohelpthemenwhenevertheycalled,"vultures,finevultures,helpus!"

afterseveralmoremonthsofsailing,ydisembarked,walkedthroughalongcave,dwarfwalkedouttomeetthem."isthekingofenglandsdaughterhere?"askedtheyouth.

"comeinandaskfairysibiana,"repliedthedwarf,showingthemintothepalace,rysibianasatonathroneofcrystalandgold.

"kingsandprinceshavebroughtentirearmiestofreetheprincess,"saidthefairy,"andeverylastoneofthemdied."

"allihavearemywillandmycourage,"saidtheyouth.

"well,then,youfail,youllnotgetawayfromherealive.doyouseethatmountainshuttingoutthesunfrommyview?upiwantthesunlightstreamingintomyroom."

youngmanbroughtthepickaxdownonce,andthebladesnappedintwo."nowhowamigoingtodig?"hewondered,thenrememberedtheratsontheotherisland."rats,finerats,helpme!"

ydugandgnawedandclawed,whilethemountaindwindledanddwindledanddwindled

nextmorningfairysibianawasawakenedbythefirstraysofsunstreamingintoherroom."congratulations!"shesaidtotheyouth,"butyourenotdoneyet."sheledhimtothepalacesundergroundvaults,inthecenterofwhichwasaroomwithaceilingashighasachurchsandcontainingonebigheapofpeasandlentilsthatreachedtheceiling."venhelpyouifyouleaveonesinglelentilinthepeapile,oronesinglepeainthelentilpile."

sthewickburneddowntonothing,theyouthcontinuedtostareatthehugepile,rememberedtheantsontheotherisland."ants,fineants,"hecalled,"helpme!"

yconvergedontheheapand,withorderandpatience,madetwoseparatepiles,oneteamofantscarryingpeasandtheotherlentils.

"imstillnotdefeated,"saidthefairywhenshesawthetaskcompleted."afarmoredifficulttrialnowawaitsyou.youhavefromnowtilldawntofetchmeabarrelofthewateroflonglife."

thespringoflonglifewasatthetopofasteepmountaininfestedwithsavagebeasts.scalingthemountainwasoutofthequestion,muchlesswhilecarryingabarrel.buttheyouthcalled,"vultures,finevultures,helpme!"youthattachedaphialtotheneckofeach,andthevulturessoaredinagrandformationstraighttothespringonthemountaintop,filledtheirphials,andflewbackwiththemtotheyouth,whopouredthewaterintothebarrelhehadwaiting.

whenthebarrelwasfull,rysibianawasfleeingfordearlife,followedbyherdwarfs,whileoutofthepalaceranthekingofenglandsdaughter,cheering:"imsafeatlast!yousetmefree!"

withthekingsdaughterandthewateroflonglife,theyouthreturnedtohisship,wheretheoldsailorwasallreadytoweighanchor.

thekingofenglandscannedtheseaeverydaythroughhistelescope.seeingashipapproachthatwasflyingtheenglishflag,yonebeheldtheyouthsafeandsoundandescortingthekingsdaughter,hewasfittobetiedandresolvedtohavehimkilled.

whilethekingwascelebratinghisdaughtersreturnwithagrandbanquet,twogrim-lookingfellowscametogettheyouth,sayingitwasamatteroflifeanddeath.puzzled,ygottothewoods,thetwofellows,whowereassassinshiredbythemangyone,drewtheirknivesandcuttheyouthsthroat.

meanwhileatthebanquet,thekingsdaughterwasmoreandmoreworried,sincetheyouthhadgoneoffwiththatsinisterpairandnotreturned.shewentoutlookingforhimand,reachingthewoods,foundhisbodycoveredwithwounds.buttheoldsailorhadbroughtalongthebarrelcontainingthewateroflonglife,inwhichheimmersedtheyouthsbody,onlytoseehimjumprightbackoutassoundaseverandsohandsomethatthekingsdaughterthrewherarmsaroundhisneck.

themangyonewaslividwithrage."whatsinthatbarrel?"heasked.

"boilingoil,"repliedthesailor.

sothemangyonehadabarrelofoilheatedtoboilingandannouncedtotheprincess:"ifyoudontlovemeillkillmyself."sohisblackwighadflownoffwhenheleaped,revealinghismangyhead.

"ah,themangyone!"exclaimedthekingofengland."ygotwhatwascomingtohim.soyou,valiantyouth,aremygodson!youshallmarrymydaughterandinheritmykingdom!"andsoitwas.

(rivieraligurediponente)

notes:

"theshipwiththreedecks"(ilbastimentoatrepiani)fromandrews,2and27,menton,toldbygiuaninapiomboditelamova,andbyangelinamoretti.

prosperousseatrading,withunusualcargoscomingintoportswherethemerchandiseishighlyprized,recursindiversefolktalesandiswovenintovariousplots(yno.173,fromsicily).inthistalefromtheitalianrivieraborder,thecuriousmotifsoftheshipwiththreedecksandoftheislesinhabitedbyanimalsareincorporatedintothewidespreadtypefeaturingtheenchantedfilly(inoneofandrewssversions,adviceisgivenbythehorse)andgratefulanimals(ynos.24and79).ihavefreelyrenderedthetwoversionssummarizedinfrenchbyandrews.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980