"iamwilling,"saidthebride.
thebridegroomslippedadiamondringonherfinger."ifyouuseittoagoodend,thisringwillhelpyouinwhateversituationyoufindyourself."
dayhaddawned,andthebridegroomturnedintoatortoiseandcrawledofftobeginhisjourneyaroundtheworld.
y,shecameacrossachildcryingandsaidtohismother,"letmeholdhiminmyarmsandcalmhim."
"youdbethefirstpersontodothat,"answeredthemother."hesbeencryingalldaylong."
"bythepowerofthediamond,"whisperedthebride,"maythechildlaughanddanceandfrolic!"atthat,thechildstartedlaughing,dancing,andfrolicking.
next,thebrideenteredabakeryandsaidtothewomanwhoownedit,"youllhavenoregretsifyouhiremetoworkforyou."theownerhiredher,andshebeganmakingbread,sayingunderherbreath,"bythepowerofthediamond,letthewholetownbuybreadatthisbakeryaslongasiworkhere!"fromthenon,ustomerswerethreeyoungmenwhosawthebrideandfellinlovewithher.
"ifyouletmespendanightwithyou,"oneofthemsaidtoher,"illgiveyouathousandfrancs."
"illgiveyoutwothousand,"saidanother.
"andillmakeitthreethousand,"saidthethird.
shecollectedthethreethousandfrancsfromthethirdmanandsmuggledhimintothebakerythatverynight.
"illbewithyouinaminute,"shetoldhim,"yourewaiting,wouldyoupleasekneadthedoughalittlebitforme?"
themanbegankneading,andkneadedandkneadedandkneaded.bythepowerofthediamond,hecouldntforthelifeofhimtakehishandsoutofthedough,andthereforewentonkneadingtilldaylight.
"soyoufinallyfinished!"shesaidtohim."youreallytookyourtime!"
andshesenthimpacking.
thenshesaidyestothemanwiththetwothousandfrancs,broughthiminassoonasitgrewdark,blewandblewandblew.bythepowerofthediamond,hehadtokeeprightonblowinguptothenextmorning,withhisfacebulginglikeawineskin.
"whatawaytobehave!"shesaidtohiminthemorning."youcometoseeme,butspendthenightblowingonthefire!"
andshesenthimpacking.
thenextnightshebroughtinthemanwiththethousandfrancs."ihavetoaddtheyeast,"shetoldhim."whileimdoingthat,goshutthedoor."
themanshutthedoor,seditonlytoseeitimmediatelyreopen,andinnotimethesunwasup.
"didyoufinallyclosethisdoor?well,youmaynowopenitagainandgetout."
seethingwithrage,dayandtimetherewere,inadditiontopolicemen,womenofficerswhowerecalledwheneverawomanwastobebroughtintocustody.sofourwomenofficerswenttoapprehendthebride.
"bythepowerofthediamond,"saidthebride,"letthesewomenboxoneanothersearsuntiltomorrowmorning."
thefourwomenofficersbeganboxingoneanothersearssohardthattheirheadsswelleduplikepumpkins,andtheystillwentonstrikingeachotherforalltheywereworth.
whenthewomenofficersfailedtoreturnwiththeculprit,bridesawthemcomingandsaid,"bythepowerofthediamond,letthosemenplayleapfrog."oneofthemaleofficersdroppeddownatonceonallfours;asecondonemovedup,puthishandsontheofficersback,andleapedoverhim,usbeganagameofleapfrog.
rightatthatpoint,sawhiswife,andbehold!hewasagainahandsomeyoungman,andahandsomeyoungmanheremained,byhiswifesside,uptoaripeoldage.
(rivieraligurediponente)
notes:
"themanwhocameoutonlyatnight"(luomocheuscivasolodinotte)fromandrews,14and21,menton,toldbyirengenaandirenepanduro.
atalefullofoddities,themoststrikingofwhichisthatofwomenconstables,drewssfirstvariant,thebridegroomturnsintoatoad.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
translatedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
作者“伊塔罗·卡尔维诺”的其他小说
《未来千年文学备忘录》《帕洛马尔》《马可瓦多》《宇宙奇趣(宇宙连环画)》《困难的爱》《黑暗中的数字》《如果在冬夜, 一个旅人》《亚当，午后》《如果在冬夜，一个旅人》《树上的男爵(我们的祖先3)》《不存在的骑士(我们的祖先1)》《命运交织的城堡》《看不见的城市》《通往蜘蛛巢的小路》《巴黎隐士》