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
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