atlastonefinemorninghejumpedwithallhismight,andthetreegavewayandtoppledtotheground,hisrootsintheair.jackranandgothismotherwho,surveyingthefelledtree,said,"youmaynowgowhereveryouwish,myson."jackbidherfarewellandsetout.

afterwalkingfordaysanddayshecametoacitywhosekinghadahorsenamedrondellothatnoonehadeverbeenabletoride.peopleconstantlytried,,jacksoonrealizedthatthehorsewasafraidofitsownshadow,beganbygoinguptothehorseinthestable,talkingtoitandpattingit;yitcouldntseeanyshadowtofrightenit.jacktookasteadyholdofthereins,pressedhiskneestothehorse,quarterofanhourlaterrondellowasasdocileasalamb,butletnooneridehimafterthatbutjack.

fromthenon,jackservedtheking,whowassofondofhimthattheotherservantsgrewjealousandplottedtogetridofhim.

nowthekinghadadaughterwhohadbeenkidnappedinherinfancybythesorcererbody-without-soul,sentforhim.jackwasamazedandsaidthiswasthefirsthehadevenheardofthekingsdaughter.butthefactthatanyonehaddaredmakelightoftheepisodeconcerninghisdaughtersoinfuriatedthekingthathesaid,"eitheryoufreeher,orillhaveyoubeheaded."

sincetherewasnocalmingthekingnow,jackaskedforarustyswordtheykepthangingonthewall,saddledrondello,rossingaforest,ughabituneasy,jackdislikedtheideaofrunningaway,sohedismountedandaskedwhatthelionwanted.

"jack,"saidthelion,"asyoucansee,therearefourofushere:myself,adog,aneagle,veadeaddonkeytoparcelamongus.sinceyouhaveasword,carvetheanimalandgiveuseachaportion."jackcutoffthedonkeysheadandgaveittotheant."swillmakeyouanicehomeandsupplyyouwithallthefoodyoulleverwant."nexthecutoffthehoofsandgavethemtothedog."heressomethingtognawonaslongasyoulike."hecutouttheentrailsandgavethemtotheeagle."thisisyourfood,whichyoucancarrytothetreetopswhereyouperch."alltheresthegavetothelion,backonhishorseandstartedoff,onlytohearhisnamecalled."dearme,"hethought,"imusthavemadesomemistakeindividingtheparts."butthelionsaidtohim,"sonegooddeeddeservesanother,imgivingyouoneofmyclawswhichwillturnyouintothefiercestlionintheworldwhenyouwearit."thedogsaid,"hereisoneofmywhiskers,whichwillturnyouintothefastestdogonearth,wheneveryouplaceitunderyournose."theeaglesaid,"hereisafeatherfrommywingswhichcanchangeyouintothebiggestandstrongesteagleinthesky."theantsaid,"imgivingyouoneofmytinylegs.putitonandyouwillbecomeanantsosmallthatnoonecanseeyou,evenwithamagnifyingglass."

jacktookhispresents,thankedthefouranimals,shewasuncertainwhetherthegiftsweremagicornot,thinkingtheanimalsmighthaveplayedajokeonhim,becamelion,dog,eagle,andant;nextant,eagle,dog,andlion;theneagle,ant,lion,anddog;finallydog,lion,ant,andeagle.yes,everythingworkedlikeacharm!allsmiles,hemovedonward.

beyondtheforestwasalake,onwhoseshorestoodthecastleofbody-without-soulsabeautifulbedchamberwhere,beneathacanopy,laythekingsdaughterasleep.stillanant,removedthetinyantleg,andthekingsdaughtersuddentlybeheldahandsomeyouthatherside.

"dontbeafraid,"hesaid,signalingsilence."ivecometofreeyou.youmustgetthesorcerertotellyouwhatcouldkillhim."

whenthesorcererreturned,sdaughtermadeabigto-dooverbody-without-soul,shebegan:"mydarlingsorcerer,iknowyoureabodywithoutasoulandthereforeincapableofdying.butiliveinconstantfearofsomeonefindingyoursoulandputtingyoutodeath."

"icantellyouthesecret,"repliedthesorcerer,"utofthebellyofthedeadblackdogwouldflyablackeaglethatcouldwithstandeveryeagleunderthesun.butifbychancethateaglewereslain,ablackeggwouldhavetobetakenoutofitscrawandcrackedovermybrowformysoultoflyawayandleavemedead.doesallthatseemeasy?doyouhaveanyrealgroundsforworry?"

withhistinyantears,jacktookineveryword,thencrawledbackunderthewindowtotheledge,blacklionjumpedhim,butjack,beingthestrongestlionintheworld,toreittobits.(backatthecastle,thesorcererfelthisheadspin.)thelionsbellywasslitopen,andoutboltedaswift-footedblackdog,butjackturnedintothefastestdogonearth,caughthim,andtheyrolledtogetherinaball,bitingeachotheruntiltheblackdoglaydead.(backatthecastle,thesorcererhadtotaketohisbed.)thedogsbellywasslitopenandoutflewablackeagle,butjackbecamethemostpowerfuleagleunderthesunandtheysoaredthroughtheskypeckingandclawingeachotheruntiltheblackeaglefoldeditswingsandfelltoearth.(atthecastle,thesorcererranahighfeverandcurledupunderthebedclothes.)

jackchangedbackintoaman,openedtheeaglescraw,returnedtothecastleandgaveittothekingsdaughter,whowasoverjoyed.

"howonearthdidyoudoit?"sheasked.

"nothingtoit,"repliedjack."therestisnowuptoyou."

thekingsdaughterenteredthesorcerersbedchamber,asking,"howdoyoufeel?"

"woesme!ivebeenbetrayed"

"ibroughtyouacupofbroth.drinksome."

thesorcerersatupinhisbedandbentovertodrinkthebroth.

"here,letmebreakaneggintoitandgiveitmorebody."atthat,thekingsdaughterbroketheblackeggoverhisbrowandbody-without-souldiedonthespot.

veryonewasoverjoyed,andtheyoungcouplewasmarriedforthwith.

(rivieraligurediponente)

notes:

"body-without-soul"(corpo-senza-lanima)fromandrews,46,rivieraligure.

thisligurianjackdiffersfromfellowheroesandliberatorsofprincessesbyhissystematiccautiousnessborderingondistrust(heisoneofthefewwho,theminutehereceivesamagicgift,musttestitbeforeheisabletobelieveinit).inthatrespecthetakesafterhismother,vebeenfaithfultotheoriginalversionwhileaimingtoendowitwithaparticularrhythm.

copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980