意大利童话蛇

thatdaytherewasnothinginthehousetoeat,andherfatherandsisterswereweakfromthehunger,sowhatdidshedobutwashherhandsandseethebasinfillupwithfish!hersistersbecameenviousandconvincedtheirfatherthattherewassomethingstrangebehindallthisandthathewouldbewisetolockthegirlupintheattic.

fromtheatticwindowthegirllookedintothekingsgarden,wherethekingssonwasplayingball.runningaftertheball,heslippedandfell,sshelaughed,ssonhadnoideawheretheycamefrom,forthegirlhadslammedthewindow.

returningtothegardennextdaytoplayball,pickthepomegranates,butthetreegrewtallerrightbeforehiseyes,andallhehadtodowasreachforapomegranateandthebrancheswouldriseafootbeyondhisgrasp.sincenobodymanagedtoplucksomuchasoneleafofthetree,destofthemallsaidthatonlyonemaidenwouldbeabletopickthefruitandthatshewouldbecomethebrideofthekingsson.

sothekingissuedaproclamationforallmarriageablegirlstocometothegarden,underpainofdeath,rlsofeveryraceandstationshowedup,stantswerethefarmerstwoolderdaughters,dthehousessearchedandfoundothergirls,ssoonastheytookhertothetree,veryonecheered,"thatsthebride,thatsthebride!"withthekingssonshoutingloudestofall.

preparationsweremadeforthewedding,towhichthesisters,asenviousasever,yallthreerodeinthesamecarriage,dergirlsorderedtheyoungeroneoutofthecarriage,curoffherhands,gougedouthereyes,uldntunderstandwhyshedbecomesougly,butsinceshefaintlyresembledtheothergirl,hedecidedhedbeenmistakenallalongaboutheroriginalbeauty.

eyelessandhandless,seatedheronhismuleandtookhertohishouse.shetoldhimtolookdown:thegroundwasstrewnwithsilverandpearls,dhewastohavetakenthepoorgirlin,evenifshewasunabletoworkandhelpthefamily.

onedaythegirlfeltasnakewraparoundherleg:itwasthesnakeshehadoncebefriended."didyouknowyoursistermarriedthekingssonandbecamequeen,sincetheoldkingdied?nowshesexpectingababyandwantsfigs."

thegirlsaidtothecarter,"loadamulewithfigsandtakethemtothequeen."

"whereamigoingtogetfigsthistimeofyear?"ppenedtobewinter.

butthenextmorninghewentintothegardenandfoundthefigtreeladenwithfruit,duptwobasketsandloadedthemontohisdonkey.

"howhighapricecaniaskforfigsinwinter?"saidthecarter.

"askforapairofeyes,"repliedthemaiden.

thathedid,butneitherthekingnorthequeennorherothersisterwouldhaveevergougedouttheireyes.sothesisterstalkedthematterover."letsgivehimoursisterseyes,whichareofnousetous."withthoseeyestheypurchasedthefigs.

thecarterreturnedtothemaidenwiththeeyes.sheputthembackinplaceandsawagainaswellasever.

thenthequeenhadadesireforpeaches,xtmorningthepeachtreeinthecartersgardenwasladenwithpeaches,yaskedhimwhathewantedforthem,hereplied,"apairofhands."

butnobodywouldcutofftheirhands,sisterstalkedthematterover."letsgivehimoursisters."

whenthegirlgotherhandsback,shereattachedthemtoherarmsandwasassoundasever.

notlongafterward,ssgaveaball,vewithherandrealizedshewashistruebride.shelaughedgoldenseeds,weptpearls,andwashedfishintothebasin,asshetoldherstoryfromstarttofinish.

samedaythegrandweddingbanquettookplace.

theyputonthedogandhighdidtheysoar;

isaw,iheard,ihidbehindthedoor.

thentodinerepaireditotheinn,

andtheremystorydrawstoanend.

(monferrato)

notes:

"thesnake"(labiscia)fromcomparetti,25,monferrato,piedmont.

theluxuriantstoryfromthefacetiousnights(iii,3)aboutbiancabellaandtheserpent,oneofstraparolasfinest,isheretold,onthecontrary,inbarerusticsimplicity,inthemidstofmeadowsreadyforamowing,fruits,romatuscanvariant(gradi),basedonmotifsfromthistaleandothers,wheresupernaturalhelpcomesfromaredandgoldfish.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980