yembarrassed,theyoungestboytookthehemptotherimoftheditchandcalled:

"frog,frog!"

"whocalls?"

"yourlovewholovesyounot."

"ifyoulovemenot,ryoushall,whenafinefigureicut."

ssongaveherthehemp,tellingherhedpickupthespunthreadthreedayslater.

bakergirlproducedabeautifulpieceofwork;theweavergirl,whowasanexpertatthissortofthing,hadspunherstolooklikesilk.buthowdidtheyoungestsonfare?hewenttotheditchandcalled:

"frog,frog!"

"whocalls?"

"yourlovewholovesyounot."

"ifyoulovemenot,ryoushall,whenafinefigureicut."

,whohadalreadyscrutinizedthehandiworkofthebakerandtheweavergirls,crackedopenthewalnutastheolderbrotherslookedon,utcameclothasfineasgossamerthatcontinuedtounrolluntilthethroneroomwascoveredwithit."buttheresnoendtothiscloth!"soonerwerethewordsoutofhismouththantheclothcametoanend.

sfavoritehuntingbitchhadjusthadthreepuppies,whichhegavethethreesons."stakenthebestcareofherdogwillbecomethequeen."

amonthlater,thebakergirlsdoghadturnedintoabig,fatmastiff,versdog,notnearlysowellsupplied,wasnowahalf-peneditandoutjumpedatiny,beribbonedpoodle,impeccablygroomedandperfumed,thatstoodonitshindlegsandmarchedandcounted.

"nodoubtaboutit,"saidtheking,"myyoungestsonwillbeking,andthefrogwillbequeen."

derbrotherswentfortheirbridesingarlandedcarriagesdrawnbyfourhorses,andthebridesclimbedin,deckedwithfeathersandjewels.

theyoungestboywenttotheditch,daheadwhilethesnailsfollowed,verynowandthenhestoppedforthemtocatchupwithhim,d,sdrawnbytwowhitehorses,andinsideonvelvetupholstery,satamaidenasdazzlingasthesunanddressedinanemarald-greengown.

"whoareyou?"askedtheyoungestson.

"iamthefrog."

hecouldntbelieveit,sothemaidenopenedajewelcasecontainingthefigleaf,thefrogskin,andfoursnailshells."iwasaprincessturnedintoafrog,andtheonlychanceihadofgettingmyhumanformbackwasforakingssontoagreetomarrymethewayiwas."

thekingwasoverjoyedandtoldhistwooldersons,whowereconsumedwithenvy,thatwhoeverpickedthewrongwifewasunworthyofthecrown.sotheyoungestboyandhisbridebecamekingandqueen.

(monferrato)

notes:

"theprincewhomarriedafrog"(ilprincipechesposòunarana)fromcomparetti,4,monferrato,piedmont.

thetaleofthefrogbrideiscommontoallofeurope;paringit,forinstance,withgrimm,no.63,orwithafanasevs"thefrogprince,"thisvariantwhichwecanclassifyasdistinctlyitalian(sinceitshowsupuniformlythroughoutthepeninsula,evenifslingingtolocatethebrideisratherrare)standsoutinitsnear-geometricallogicandlinearity.

copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980