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
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