意大利童话伯爵的胡子

thedonkeywhistles,themasterbrays,

merelyreflectedthemaliciousgrudgetheneighboringtownspeopleborethepocapagliansfortheirpeacefulwaysandtheirreluctancetoquarrelwithanyone.

"yes,yes,"wasallthepocapaglianswouldreply,"butjustwaituntilmasinoreturns,andyouwillseewhobraysmore,weoryou."

everybodyinpocapaglialovedmasino,snostrongerphysicallythananybodyelse;infact,heevenlookedratherpunyrnedoverhowlittlehewasatbirth,sfatherhadheatedthewinewithared-rhisbath,hismothercradledhimintheshellofanunripenedchestnut;itwasbitterandgavehimunderstanding.

atthetimethepocapaglianswereawaitingthereturnofmasino,whomnoonehadseensincethedayhewentofftobeasoldier(andwhowasnowmostlikelysomewhereinafrica),veryeveningasthecattlecamebackfrompastureintheplainbelow,ananimalwaswhiskedawaybymicillinathewitch.

thewitchwouldhideinthewoodsatthefootofthehill,andallsheneededtodowasgiveoneheavypuff,rmersheardherstealthroughthethicketafterdark,theirteethwouldchatter,becamesocommonthatpeopletooktosaying:

bewareofmicillina,thatoldwitch,

forallyouroxenshewillfilch,

thentrainonyouhercrossed-eye,

andwaitforyoutofallanddie.

atnighttheybeganlightinghugebonfirestokeepmicillinathewitchfromventuringoutofthewoodrninguponawaking,hedfindcowsandoxengone,verybodycombedthewoodsfortracesofthestolencattle,butfoundonlytuftsofhair,hairpins,andfootprintslefthereandtherebymicillinathewitch.

thingswentfrombadtoworse.shutupallthetimeinthebarn,rakeinsteadofabrushwasallthatwasneededtogroomthem,veryonestayedclearofthewoodsnow,andthemushroomsthatgrewtherewentunpickedandgotasbigasumbrellas.

micillinathewitchwasnottemptedtoplunderothertowns,knowingfullwellthatcalmandpeace-rethepoorfarmerslitabigbonfireeverynightinthetownsquare,sataroundthefirescratchingtheirheadsandgroaning.dayafterdaytheyscratchedandgroaneduntiladecisionwasfinallyreachedtogotothecountforhelp.

sundaymorningallthetownsmenarrived,yknocked,thedoorswungopen,andtheyfiledintothecourtyardbeforethecourtsrounddwelling,dofthecourtyard,inavelvetchair,satthecounthimselfwithhislongblackbeard,whichfoursoldierswerecombingfromheadtofoot.

theoldestfarmertookheartandsaid,"yourhonor,sourcattlegointothewoods,micillinathewitchappearsandmakesoffwiththem."so,amidsighsandgroans,withtheotherfarmersnoddinginassent,hetoldthecountallabouttheirnightmare.

thecountremainedsilent.

"wehavecomehere,"saidtheoldman,"tobesoboldastoaskyourhonorsadvice."

thecountremainedsilent.

"wehavecomehere,"headded,"youassignedusanescortofsoldiers,wecouldagaintakeourcattledowntopasture."

thecountshookhishead."ifiletyouhavethesoldiers,"hesaid,"imustalsoletyouhavethecaptain"

thefarmerslistened,hardlydaringtohope.

"butifthecaptainisawayintheevening,"saidthecount,"whocaniplaylottowith?"

thefarmersfelltotheirknees."helpus,noblecount,forpityssake!"thesoldiersaroundthecourtyardyawnedandstrokedtheirmustaches.

againthecountshookhisheadandsaid:

iamthecountandicountforthree;

nowitchhaveiseen,

so,nowitchhastherebeen.

atthosewordsandstillyawning,thesoldierspickeduptheirgunsand,withbayonetsextended,movedslowlytowardthefarmers,whoturnedandfiledsilentlyoutofthecourtyard.

backinthetownsquareandcompletelydiscouraged,thefarmershadnoideawhattodonext.buttheseniorofthemall,theonewhohadspokentothecount,said,"theresnothinglefttodobutsendformasino!"

vening,whiletheywereallgatheredaroundthebonfireasusual,ygavehim,theembraces,thepotsofhot,spicedwine!"whereonearthhaveyoubeen?whatdidyousee?ifyouonlyknewwhatwehavebeengoingthrough!"

masinoletthemhavetheirsay,thenhehadhis."inafricaisawcannibalswhoatenotmenbutlocusts;inthedesertisawamadmanwhohadlethisfingernailsgrowtwelvemeterslongtodigforwater;intheseaisawafishwithashoeandaslipperwhowantedtobekingoftheotherfish,sincenootherfishpossessedshoeorslipper;insicilyisawawomanwithseventysonsandonlyonekettle;innaplesisawpeoplewhowalkedwhilestandingstill,sincethechatterofotherpeoplekeptthemgoing;isawsinnersandisawsaints;isawfatpeopleandpeoplenobiggerthanmites;many,manyfrightenedsoulsdidisee,butneversomanyashereinpocapaglia."

thefarmershungtheirheadsinshame,formasinohadhitasensitivespotinsuggestingtheywerecowardskedforadetailedaccountofthewitchsdoings,thensaid,"letmeaskyouthreequestions,andatthestrokeofmidnightillgooutandcatchthewitchandbringherbacktoyou."

"letshearyourquestions!outwiththem!"theyallsaid.

"ypeoplecametoyouthismonth?"

thebarberreplied:

"longbeards,shortbeards,

finebeards,coarsebeards,

locksstraight,lockscurly,

allitrimmèd(sic)inahurry."

"yourturnnow,ypeoplebroughtyoutheiroldshoestomendthismonth?"

"alas!"beganthecobbler:

"shoesofwood,shoesofleather,

nailbynailihammeredbacktogether,

mendedshoesofsatinandshoesofserpent.

buttheresnothinglefttodo,

alltheirmoneyisspent."

"thethirdquestiongoestoyou,uchropedidyousellthismonth?"

theropemakerreplied:

"ropegaloreofeverysortisold:

hemprope,braided,wicker,cord,

needle-thintoarm-thick,

lard-softtoiron-strong

thismonthicouldntgowrong."

"verywell,"saidmasino,stretchingoutbythefire."imnowgoingtosleepforafewhours,upatmidnightandillgoafterthewitch."heputhishatoverhisfaceandfellasleep.

thefarmerskeptperfectlyquietuntilmidnight,notevendaringtobreathe,dnightmasinoshookhimself,yawned,drankacupofmulledwine,spatthreetimesintothefire,gotupwithoutlookingatasoul,andheadedforthewoods.

,whomshouldmasinodraginbythebeardbutthecount!acountthatwept,kicked,andpleadedformercy.

"heresthewitch!"criedmasino,andasked,"wheredidyouputthemulledwine?"

beneaththefarmersamazedstares,thecounttriedtomakehimselfassmallaspossible,sittingonthegroundandshrinkinguplikeacold-bittenfly.

"thethiefcouldhavebeennoneofyou,"explainedmasino,"rewerethosetracksmadebybigheavyshoes,rcouldthethiefhavebeenaghost,sincehewouldnthaveneededtobuyallthatcordtotieuptheanimalsandcarrythemaway.butwhereismymulledwine?"

shakingallover,thecounttriedtohideinthatbeardofhiswhichmasinohadtousledandtorninpullinghimoutofthebushes.

"howdidheevermakeusfaintbyjustlookingatus?"askedonefarmer.

"dleavenomarkonyou,youdsimplywakeupwithaheadache."

"andthosehairpinshelost?"askedanother.

"theywereusedtoholdhisbearduponhisheadandmakeitlooklikeawomanshair."

untilthenthefarmershadlistenedinsilence,butwhenmasinosaid,"andnow,whatshallwedowithhim?"astormofshoutsarose:"burnhim!skinhimalive!stringhimupforascarecrow!sealhiminacaskandrollhimdownthecliff!sewhimupinasackwithsixcatsandsixdogs!"

"havemercy!"saidthecountinavoicejustaboveawhisper.

"sparehim,"saidmasino,"dsinceheenjoyedgoingintothewoodsatnight,drennevertopickupthehairpinstheyfindontheground,fortheybelongtomicillinathewitch,whosehairandbeardwillbedisheveledfromnowon."

thefarmersfollowedthesuggestion,urseofhistravels,hefoundhimselffightinginfirstonewarandanother,andtheyalllastedsolongthathissayingsprangup:

soldierfighter,whatahardlot!

wretchedfood,thegroundforacot.

youfeedthecannonpowder:

boom-boom!boom-boom!boomlouder!

(bra)

notes:

"thecountsbeard"(labarbadelconte).publishedhereforthefirsttime,collectedbygiovanniarpinoinjuly1956,incertainvillagesofsouthernpiedmont:bra(toldbycaterinaasteggiano,inmateofahomeforoldpeople,andluigiberzia),inguarene(toldbydoropalladino,farmer),innarzole(toldbyannettataricco,servantwoman),andinpocapaglia.

thislongnarrative,whichwritergiovanniarpinohastranscribedandunifiedfromdifferentversionswithvariantsandadditionsfrombraandsurroundings,salocallegendofrecentorigininpart(iamthinking,forinstance,ofthegeographicalparticularsgiven),thatis,notpriortothenineteenthcentury,andcontainingdisparateelements:explanationofalocalsuperstition(thehairpinsofwitchmicillina),antifeudalcountrylegendsuchasonefindsinmanynortherncountries,curiousdetective-storystructureàlasherlockholmes,manydigressionsnonessentialtothestory(suchasthetripfromafricabacktotown——whicharpinotellsmealsoexistsasaseparatestory——andalltheallusionstomasinospastandfutureadventureswhichleadtotheconclusionglobetrotterfromacountrywhoseinhabitantsarereputedtobecontrastinglyslowandbackward),verse(ofwhicharpinoandihavepresentedonlyasmuchaswecouldeffectivetranslate),andgrotesqueimageswhichseemrootedintradition,suchasthesacksunderthehenstails,theoxensothinthattheywerecurriedwiththerake,thecountwhosebeardwascombedbyfoursoldiers,etc

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980