whenthekingcameoutandsawthat,hesentimmediatelyfortheprince,whowasnewintownandhadntyetvisitedthecourt.
"congratulations,"thekingsaid."ratulations!butwasityourideatoputupthewords:moneycandoeverything?"
theprincerealizedthatmaybehehadgonetoofar.
"yesitwas,"heanswered,"butifyourmajestydoesntlikeit,icaneasilyhavethelettersstrippedoff."
"oh,no,rinstance,doyouthinkthat,withyourmoney,youcouldhavemeassassinated?"
theprincerealizedhehadgothimselfintoatightspot.
"oh,majesty,difyoudontlikethepalace,justsayso,andillhaveittorndowntoo."
"no,no,leaveitthewayitis.butsinceyouclaimapersonwithmoneycandoanything,youmanagetospeaktoher,wellandgood;,sthatclear?"
theprincewastoodistressedtoeat,drink,orsleep.dayandnight,allhethoughtofwashowhemightsavehisnecksplightwashopeless,forthekingsdaughterhadbeenclosedupinacastlesurroundedbyonehundredguards.paleandlimpasarag,theprincelayonhisbedwaitingtodie,wheninwalkedhisoldnurse,dinghimsohaggard,dhawing,hetoldherthewholestory.
"so?"saidthenurse."andyouregivingup,likethat?youmakemelaugh!illseewhaticandoaboutallthis!"
sewastobeasbigasamanandhollowinside."itmustbereadytomorrow,"sheadded.
"tomorrow?yourecrazy!"exclaimedthesilversmith.
"tomorrowisaid!"theoldwomanpulledoutapurseofgoldcoinsandcontinued,"veyoutheresttomorrowwhenyoudeliverthegoose."
thesilversmithwasdumbfounded."thatmakesallthedifferenceintheworld,"hesaid."illdomybesttohavethegoosetomorrow."
thenextdaythegoosewasready,anditwasabeauty.
theoldwomansaidtotheprince,"takeyourviolinandgetinsidethegoose.playassoonaswereachtheroad."
theywoundtheirwaythroughthecity,peoplelinedthestreetstowatcrdofitreachedthecastlewherethekingsdaughterwasshutup,andsheaskedherfathertolethergoandseetheunusualsight.
thekingsaid,"timesupforthatboastfulprincetomorrow.youcangooutthenandseethegoose."
ssoonastheprincesswasalonewiththesilvergooseanddelightinginthemusicpouringfromitsbill,thegoosesuddenlyopenedandoutsteppedaman.
"dontbeafraid,"saidtheman."iamtheprincewhomusteitherspeaktoyouorbedecapitatedbyyourfathertomorrowmorning.youcansayyouspoketomeandsavemylife."
thenextdaythekingsentfortheprince."well,didyourmoneymakeitpossibleforyoutospeaktomydaughter?"
"yes,majesty,"answeredtheprince.
"what!doyoumeanyouspoketoher?"
"askher."
thegirlcameinandtoldhowtheprincewashiddeninthesilvergoosewhichthekinghimselfhadorderedbroughtinsidethecastle.
theking,atthat,removedhiscrownandplaceditontheprinceshead."thatmeansyouhavenotonlymoneybutalsoafinehead!livehappily,foriamgivingyoumydaughterinmarriage."
(genoa)
notes:
"moneycandoeverything"(ildanarofatutto)fromandrews,64,genoa,toldbycaterinagrande.
thisstory,oforientalorigin(foundinthepanchatantra),stressesinitsgenoeseversionautilitarianandcommercialmoralallitsown.(thefinalremarkofthekingwaseventooharshalongthatline,soidecidedtogivecreditalso,asitmeet,tocleverness)
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
translatedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
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