意大利童话银鼻子

notmanydaysafterward,stheheightofcourtesyandhadasilvernose.

"iamawareofthefactthatyouhavethreedaughters,"hesaidtothemother."wouldyouletonecomeandworkforme?"

themotherwouldhaveconsentedatonce,haditnotbeenforthatsilvernosewhichshedidntlikethelooksof.shecalledheroldestgirlasideandsaid,"yougooffwithhimyoumightwelllivetoregretit,sowatchout."

thedaughter,whowasdyingtoleavehome,ywalkedformilesandmiles,crossingwoodsandmountains,andfinallycameinsightofanintenseglowinthedistancelikethatofafire."whatisthatiseewaydownthereinthevalley?"askedthegirl,growinguneasy.

"sjustwherewearegoing,"repliedsilvernose.

thegirlfollowedalong,ycametoalargepalace,andsilvernosetookherthroughitandshowedhereveryroom,eachonemorebeautifulthantheother,yreachedthedoorofthelastroom,silvernosegaveherthekeyandsaid,"youmustneveropenthisdoorforanyreasonwhatever,oryoullwishyouhadnt!youreinchargeofalltheroomsbutthisone."

heshidingsomethingfromme,thoughtthegirl,,whileshewassleepinginherlittleroom,justasquietlyashehadentered.

dingherselfalonewithallherkeys,soonerhadshecrackeditthansmokeandflamesshotout,whileshecaughtsightofacrowdofdamnedsoulsinagonyinsidethefieryroom.shethenrealizedthatsilvernosewasthedevilandthattheroomwashell.shescreamed,slammedthedoor,andtooktoherheels.butatongueoffirehadscorchedtherosesheworeinherhair.

silvernosecamehomeandsawthesingedrose."sothatshowyouobeyme!"snatchedherup,openedthedoortohell,andflungherintotheflames.

thenextdayhewentbacktothewidow."yourdaughterisgettingalongverywellatmyhouse,uldyousendusyourseconddaughtertoo?"showedheraroundthehouse,gaveherallthekeys,andtoldhershecouldopenalltheroomsexceptthelast."doyouthink,"saidthegirl,"iwouldhaveanyreasontoopenit?iamnotinterestedinyourpersonalbusiness."thatnightafterthegirlwenttosleep,silvernosetiptoedinandputacarnationinherhair.

whensilvernosewentoutthenextmorning,thefirstthingthegirldidwasgoandopentheforbiddendoor.shewasinstantlyassailedbysmoke,flames,andhowlsofthedamnedsouls,inwhosemidstshespottedhersister."sister,freemefromthishell!"screamedthefirstgirl.butthemiddlegirlgrewweakintheknees,slammedthedoor,andran.shewasnowsurethatsilvernosewasthedevil,fromwhomshecouldnthideorescapernationwaswithered,sowithoutawordhesnatchedherupandthrewherintohelltoo.

thenextday,inhiscustomaryaristocraticattire,hereappearedatthewasherwomanshouse."uldihaveyourthirddaughteraswell?"hethusreturnedhomewiththethirdsister,lucia,whowasthemostcunningofthemall.shetoowasshownaroundthehouseandgiventhesameinstructionsashersisters.shetoohadaflowerputinherhairwhileshewassleepingrror,shenoticedthejasmine."well,well!"shesaid."ughtfulofhim!whoknowswhyhedidit?inanycaseillkeepitfresh."sheputitintoaglassofwater,combedherhair,thensaid,"nowletstakealookatthatmysteriousdoor."

shejustbarelyopenedit,andoutrushedaflame.sheglimpsedcountlesspeopleburning,andthereinthemiddleofthecrowdwereherbigsisters."lucia!lucia!"theyscreamed."getusoutofhere!saveus!"

atonceluciashutthedoortightlyandbeganthinkinghowshemightrescuehersisters.

bythetimethedevilgothome,luciahadputherjasminebackinherhair,andactedasthoughnothinghadhappenedthatday.silvernoselookedatthejasmine."oh,itsstillfresh,"hesaid.

"ofcourse,whyshouldntitbe?whywouldanyonewearwitheredflowersinherhair?"

"oh,iwasjusttalkingtobetalking,"answeredsilvernose."pitup,reyouhappy?"

"yes,butidbehappierifididnthavesomethingbotheringme."

"whatsbotheringyou?"

"whenileftmymother,venonewsatallofher."

"ifthatsallyoureworriedabout,"saidthedevil,"illdropbyherhouseandseehowshesdoing."

"thankyou,youcangotomorrow,bagwontbetooheavyforyou,willit?"

"rryanythingunderthesun,nomatterhowheavyitis."

whenthedevilwentoutagainthatday,luciaopenedthedoortohell,pulledoutheroldestsister,andtiedherupinabag."keepstillinthere,carlotta,"shetoldher."thedevilhimselfwillcarryyoubackhome.butanytimehesomuchasthinksofputtingthebagdown,youmustsay,iseeyou,iseeyou!"

thedevilreturned,andluciasaid,"hereisthebagofthingstobewashed.doyoupromiseyoulltakeitstraighttomymother?"

"youdonttrustme?"askedthedevil.

"certainlyitrustyou,youdareputthebagdownsomewhere,illseeyou."

"yes,ofcourse,"saidthedevil,ungthebagoverhisshoulder."mygoodness,thisdirtystuffisheavy!"heexclaimed.

"naturally!"repliedthegirl."howmanyyearshasitbeensinceyouhadanythingwashed?"

silvernosesetoutforthewasherwomans,butwhenhewasonlyhalfwaythere,hesaidtohimself,"maybebutishallseeifthisgirlisntemptyingmyhouseofeverythingiown,underthepretextofsendingoutlaundry."hewenttoputthebagdownandopenit.

"iseeyou,iseeyou!"suddenlyscreamedthesisterinsidethebag.

"byjove,itstrue!shecanseefromafar!"rewthebagbackoverhisshoulderandmarchedstraighttoluciasmothershouse."yourdaughtersendsyouthisstufftowashandwantstoknowhowyouare"

assoonasheleft,thewasherwomanopenedthesack,andyoucanimagineherjoyuponfindingheroldestdaughterinside.

aweeklater,slyluciapretendedtobesadoncemoreandtoldsilvernoseshewantednewsofhermother.

shesenthimtoherhousewithanotherbagoflaundry.sosilvernosecarriedoffthesecondsister,withoutmanagingtopeepinsidebecauseofthe"iseeyou,iseeyou!"sherwoman,whonowknewsilvernosewasthedevil,wasquitefrightenedwhenhereturned,forshewassurehewouldaskforthecleanwashfromlasttime.butsilvernoseputdownthenewbagandsaid,"sheavybaghasbrokenmyback,andiwanttogohomewithnothingtocarry."

whenhehadgone,thewasherwomananxiouslyopenedthebagandembracedherseconddaughter.butshewasmoreworriedthaneveraboutlucia,whowasnowaloneinthedevilshands.

whatdidluciado?notlongafterwardshestartedupagainaboutnewsofhermother.bynowthedevilwassickandtiredofcarryinglaundry,ssoonasitgrewdark,luciaannouncedshehadabadheadacheandwouldgotobedearly."illpreparethelaundryandleavethebagoutforyou,soifidontfeellikegettingupinthemorning,youcanbeonyourway."

nowluciahadmadearagdollthesamesizeasherself.sheputitinbedunderthecovers,cutoffherownbraids,dollthenlookedlikeluciaasleep,andluciaclosedherselfupinthebag.

inthemorningthedevilsawthegirlsnuggleddownunderthecoversandsetoutwiththebagoverhisshoulder."shessickthismorning,"hesaidtohimself,"stheperfecttimetoseeifthisreallyisnothingbutlaundry."atthat,heputthebagdownandwasabouttoopenit."iseeyou,iseeyou!"criedlucia.

"byjove,itshervoicetoatee,asthoughshewererighthere!betternotjokewithsuchagirl."hetookupthebagagainandcarriedittothewasherwoman."illcomebacklaterforeverything,"hesaidrapidly."ihavetogethomerightawaybecauseluciaissick."

sothefamilywasfinallyreunited.sinceluciahadalsocarriedoffgreatsumsofthedevilsmoney,yplantedacrossbeforethedoor,andfromthenon,thedevilkepthisdistance.

(langhe)

notes:

"silvernose"(ilnasodargento)fromcarraroli,3,fromlanghe,piedmont.

svictimsarenotwivesbutservantgirls,andthestoryisnottakenfromchroniclesaboutcruelfeudalmastersasinperrault,butfrommedievaltheologicallegends:bluebeardisthedevil,undthesilvernoseonlyinthisversiontranslatedfromdialectandsummarizedbycarraroli;butthedevil-bluebeard,theflowersinthehair,ratedtherathermeagerpiedmontversionwithonefrombologna(coronedis.27)andavenetianone(bernoni,3).

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980