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.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
translatedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
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