意大利童话三个城堡

dattheirdoorandgothimselfhiredasaservant.

"westeal,"explainedthethieves,"butwerenotcommittingasin,becausewerobthetaxcollectors."

onenightwhenthethieveshadgoneouttorobataxcollector,theboyledthebestmuleoutofthestable,loadeditwithgoldpieces,andfled.

hetookthegoldtohismother,sakingwhohadahundredsheep,boyvolunteered,andthekingsaid,"look,uttomorrowmorningtothemeadow,butdontcrossthebrook,youcomebackwithnonemissing,bringthemallback,andilldismissyouonthespot,unlesstheserpenthasalreadydevouredyoutoo."

toreachthemeadow,hehadtowalkbythekingswindows,wherethekingsdaughterhappenedtobestanding.shesawtheboy,likedhislooks,reachingthemeadow,hesawawhitestoneinthegrassandsaid,"illsitdownnowandeatthecakefromthekingsdaughter."shepherdpaidnoattentionandjumpedacrossthebrook,withthesheepallfollowinghim.

thegrasswashighthere,andthesheepgrazedpeacefully,boylookedallaroundbut,seeingnothing,rblowmorepowerfulthanthefirstfollowed,rewasathirdblow,smouthsitheldaroseandcrawledtowardtheboy,sabouttotakethem,whentheserpentlungedathimwithitsthreemouthsallsettogobblehimupinthreebites.butthelittleshepherdprovedthequicker,clubbingitwithhisstaffoveroneheadandthenextandthenextuntiltheserpentlaydead.

thenhecutoffthethreeheadswithasickle,boyraisedthestoneandsawadoor.slippingthekeyintothelockandturningit,roughallthedoorscameservantsofcrystal."goodday,mylord,whatareyourwishes?"

"iwishtobeshownallmytreasures."

sotheytookhimupcrystalstairsintocrystaltowers;yledhimintoacrystalgardendownavenuesofcrystaltreesinwhichcrystalbirdssang,broughtthesheephomethatnight,thekingsdaughterwaslookingoutthewindowandsaid,"mayihavethoseflowersinyourhat?"

"youcertainlymay,"saidtheshepherd."theyarecrystalflowersculledfromthecrystalgardenofmysolidcrystalcastle."hetossedherthebouquet,whichshecaught.

whenhegotbacktothestonethenextday,dthestone,slippedthesilverkeyintothelockandenteredasolidsilverpalace.silverservantscamerunningupsaying,"command,ourlord!"theytookhimofftoshowhimsilverkitchens,wheresilverchickensroastedoversilverfires,vethemtothekingsdaughterwhensheaskedforthem.

thethirdday,slippedthekeyintothelockandenteredasolidgoldpalace,wherehisserventsweregoldtoo,fromwigtoboots;thebedsweregold,withgoldsheets,pillows,andcanopy;rdenofgoldflowerbedsandfountainswithgoldsprays,hepickedasmallbunchofgoldflowerstostickinhishatandgavethemtothekingsdaughterthatnight.

nowthekingannouncedatournament,shepherdunlockedthedoorwiththecrystalkey,enteredthecrystalpalaceandchoseacrystalhorsewithcrystalbridleandsaddle,defeatedalltheotherknightsandfledwithoutrevealingwhohewas.

thenextdayhereturnedonasilverhorsewithtrappingsofsilver,defeatedeveryoneandfled,rddayhereturnedonagoldhorse,svictoriousthethirdtimeaswell,andtheprincesssaid,"iknowwhoyouare.yourethemanwhogavemeflowersofcrystal,silver,andgold,fromthegardensofyourcastlesofcrystal,silver,andgold."

sotheygotmarried,andthelittleshepherdbecameking.

andallwereveryhappyandgay,

buttomewhowatchedtheygavenothoughtnorpay.

(monferrato)

notes:

"thethreecastles"(itrecastelli)fromcomparetti,62and22,monferrato,piedmont.

sadded;imerelyunderlinedafewelementsalreadyinthetext(suchasthetaxcollector)andtherhythm.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980