意大利童话小羊倌

thelittleshepherd

swayouttopastureoneday,hepassedapoultrydealercarryingabasketofeggsonherheadraged,thepoorwomanscreamedacurse:"youshallgetnobiggeruntilyouvefoundlovelybargaglinaofthethreesingingapples!"

fromthattimeon,theshepherdboygrewthinandpuny,andthemorehismotherattendedtohim,ysheasked,"whatonearthhashappenedtoyou?haveyoudoneabadturnforwhichsomeoneplacedacurseonyou?"hethentoldherabouthismeannesstothepoultrydealer,repeatingthewomanswordstohim,"youshallgetnobiggeruntilyouvefoundlovelybargaglinaofthethreesingingapples!"

"inthatcase,"saidhismother,"youvenochoicebuttogoinsearchofthislovelybargaglina."

bridge,onwhichalittleladywasrockingtoandfroinawalnutshell.

"whogoesthere?"

"afriend."

"liftmyeyelidsalittle,soicanseeyou."

"imseekinglovelybargaglinaofthethreesingingapples.doyouknowanythingabouther?"

"no,buttakethisstone;itwillcomeinhandy."

theshepherdcametoanotherbridge,whereanotherlittleladywasbathinginaneggshell.

"whogoesthere?"

"afriend."

"liftmyeyelidsalittle,soicanseeyou."

"veyouanynewsofher?"

"no,buttakethisivorycomb,whichwillcomeinhandy."

skedaboutlovelybargaglina,themanclaimedtoknownothingabouther,buthegavetheshepherdapocketfuloffog,whichwouldcomeinhandy.

nexthecametoamillwhosemiller,atalkingfox,said,"yes,iknowwholovelybargaglinais,rethesingingapples.youmusttakethecage,reyesareopen,yreclosed,shessurelyawake."

undtheoldwomanwithhereyesclosedandrealizedshewasawake."mylad,"saidtheoldwoman,"glancedowninmyhairandseeifiveanylice."

helooked,andashewasdelousingher,sheopenedhereyesandheknewshehadfallenasleep.sohequicklypickedupthecrystalcageandfled.butthelittlebellsonthecagetinkled,ringthemalmostuponhim,dinstantlyintoasteep,rockymountain,andthehorsesallfellandbroketheirlegs.

nowhorseless,thecavalrymenreturnedtotheoldwoman,whothensentouttwohundredmountedsoldiers.seeinghimselfinnewperil,urnedintoamountainasslickasglass,downwhichhorsesandridersallslidtotheirdeath.

theoldwomanthensentthreehundredhorsemenafterhim,buthepulledoutthepocketfuloffog,hurleditoverhisshoulder,,theshepherdhadgrownthirstyand,havingnothingwithhimtodrink,yvoicesaid,"gently,please,oryoullhurtme."gently,hefinishedcuttingtheapple,ateonehalf,rhishouse,splacewasatiny,tinylady.

"imlovelybargaglina,"shesaid,",imfamished."

thewellwasoneofthoseclosedwells,withaholeinthecenter,sotheshepherdseatedtheladyontherim,tellinghertowaitthereuntilhecamebackwiththecake.

meanwhile,aservantknownasuglyslavecametothewellforwater.shespiedthelovelylittleladyandsaid,"howcomeyouresolittleandbeautifulwhileimsobigandugly?"andshegrewsofuriousthatshethrewthetinycreatureintothewell.

theshepherdreturnedandwasheartbrokentofindlovelybargaglinagone.

nowhismotheralsowenttothatwellforwater,andwhatshouldshefindinherbucketonedaybutafirewheretheyfell,shepherdthereforecutitdownandchoppeditupforfirewood,whichhebroughtinside.bythattimehismotherhaddied,andhelivedthereallbyhimself,nowpunierthenever,sincenomatterwhathetried,reatwashisamazementuponfindingthedishesandpanshedusedinthemorningallwashedforhimwhenhecamehome!shouldhethenseebutaverydaintymaidenemergefromthewoodpile,washthedishes,sweepthehouse,andmakehisbed,afterwhichsheopenedthecupboardandhelpedherselftoacake.

outsprangtheshepherd,asking,"whoareyou?howdidyougetin?"

"imlovelybargaglina,"repliedthemaiden,"thegirlyoufoundinyourpocketinplaceoftheapplehalf.uglyslavethrewmeintothewell,anditurnedintoafish,romfishbonesichangedintoatreeseed,nextintoatreethatgrewandgrew,,everydaywhileyoureaway,ibecomelovelybargaglina."

thankstotherediscoveryoflovelybargaglina,theshepherdgrewbyleapsandbounds,andlovelybargaglinaalongwithhisthere,ythrewmeabone,whichhitmeonthenoseandstuckforgood.

(inlandvicinityofgenoa)

notes:

"thelittleshepherd"(ilpastorechenoncrescevamai)fromguarnerio(guarnerio,genoa,1892),torriglia,neargenoa,toldbythecountrywomanmariabanchero.

afeatureofthisgenoesevariantofthewidespreadtaleofthe"threeoranges"includesencounterswithcreatureslikethoseinthepaintingsofhieronymusbosch——samebeingsinanothergenoeseversion(andrews,51).

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980