意大利童话和梨子一起卖掉的小女孩

theycalledherperina,andshewassuchacleverlittlegirlthatinnotimeshewasdoingthehouseworkbetterthanthekingsownmaidservansson,whowasherageexactly,wasalwayswithperina,andtheybecameveryfondofeachother.

asthemaidengrewup,yheldtheirtonguesforawhile,dofitandsendforthegirl."isittrueyouboastedyouwouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure?"

"no,sacredcrown,imadenosuchboast."

"youdidso,"insistedtheking,"andnowyouhavetokeepyourword."atthat,hebanishedherfromthepalaceuntilsheshouldreturnwiththetreasure.

onandonshewalkeduntilnightfall.perinacametoanappletree,butkeptongoing.shenextcametoapeachtree,shecametoapeartree,climbedit,andfellasleep.

inthemorningtherestoodalittleoldwomanunderthetree."whatareyoudoingupthere,mydaughter?"askedtheoldwoman.

dwomansaid,"takethesethreepoundsofgrease,threepoundsofbread,andthreepoundsofmilletandbeonyourway."perinathankedherverymuchandmovedon.

shecametoabakerywherethreewomenwerepullingouttheirhairtosweepouttheovenwith.perinagavethemthethreepoundsofmillet,whichtheythenusedtosweepouttheovenandallowedthelittlegirltocontinueonherway.

onandonshewalkedandmetthreemastiffsthatbarkedandrushedatanyonecomingtheirway.perinathrewthemthethreepoundsofbread,andtheyletherpass.

afterwalkingformilesandmilesshecametoablood-redriver,whichshehadnoideahowtocross.buttheoldwomanhadtoldhertosay:

"finewatersored,

imustmakehaste;

else,ofyouwoulditaste."

atthosewords,thewaterspartedandletherthrough.

ontheothersideoftheriver,perinabeheldoneofthefinestandlargestpalacesintheworld.butthedoorwasopeningandslammingsorapidlythatnoonecouldpossiblygoin.perinathereforeappliedthethreepoundsofgreasetoitshinges,andfromthenonitopenedandclosedquitegently.

inside,perinaspiedthetreasurechestsittingonasmalltable.shepickeditupandwasabouttogooffwithit,whenthechestspoke:"door,killher,killher!"

"iwont,either,sinceshegreasedmyhingesthathadntbeenlookedaftersincegoodnessknowswhen."

perinareachedtheriver,andthechestsaid,"river,drownher,drownher!"

"iwont,either,"repliedtheriver,"sinceshecalledmefinewatersored."

shecametothedogs,andthechestsaid,"dogs,devourher,devourher!"

"wewont,either,"repliedthedogs,"sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofbread."

shecametothebakeryoven."oven,burnher,burnher!"

butthethreewomenreplied,"wewont,either,sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofmillet,sothatnowwecanspareourhair."

whenshewasalmosthome,perina,whohadasmuchcuriosityasthenextlittlegirl,decidedtopeepintothetreasurechest.sheopenedit,yscuttledawaytoofastforasoultocatchthem.perinastruckoutafterthem.shepassedtheappletree,buttheywerenowhereinsight.shepassedthepeachtree,wheretherewasstillnosignofthem.shecametothepeartree,andtherestoodthelittleoldwomanwithawandinherhandandhenandchicksfeedingaroundher."shoo,shoo!"wenttheoldwoman,andthehenandchicksreenteredthetreasurechest.

uponherarrival,thekingssoncameouttomeether."whenmyfatheraskedwhatyouwantasareward,tellhimthatboxfilledwithcoalinthecellar."

onthedoorstepoftheroyalpalacestoodthemaidservants,theking,andtheentirecourt.perinahandedthekingthehenwiththebroodofgoldchicks."askforwhateveryouwant,"saidtheking,"andiwillgiveittoyou."

"iwouldliketheboxofcoalinthecellar,"repliedperina.

theybroughthertheboxofcoal,whichsheopened,andoutjumpedthekingsson,sthenhappyforperinatomarryhisson.

(monferrato)

notes:

"thelittlegirlsoldwiththepears"(labambinavendutaconlepere)fromcomparetti,10,monferrato,piedmont.

ichangedthenamemargheritinatoperina(pearlet),andiinventedthemotifofthepeartreeandthelittleoldwoman(intheoriginal,themagicpropscomefromthekingsson,whoisunderaspell),toreinforcethepear/girllink.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980