"right."
"fine,wellworktogether."
theywenttothecityandmadeforthekingstreasury,vesthereforeduganundergroundtunnelintothetreasuryandstoleeverything.surveyinghisloss,dsnare,whohadbeenputinprisonforstealing,andsaid,"ifyoucantellmewhocommittedthisrobbery,illsetyoufreeandmakeyouamarquis."
snarereplied,"itcanbenoneotherthancrackorcrook,orbothofthemtogether,sincetheyarethemostnotoriousthievesalivepersonwhopaysthatmuchforitwillbeyourthief."
thekinghadthepriceofmeatraisedtoonehundreddollarsapound,yitwasreportedthatafriarhadgonetoacertainbutcherandboughtmeat.snaresaid,"ybodygivesmemeat,illmakearedmarkonthefrontdoor,andyourguardscangoandarrestthethieves."
butwhenhemadearedmarkoncrackshouse,thethiefsawitandwentandmarkedalltheotherdoorsinthecitywithred,sotherewasnotellingintheendwherecrackandcrooklived.
snaresaidtotheking,"didntitellyoutheywerefoxy?resthenextthingtodovergoesdowntostealwillfallrightintoit,andhisdeadbodywillgivehimaway."
rookwentinfirst,butitwasdark,rackcamealongandtriedtopullhisfriendsbodyoutofthepitch,utofftheheadandcarrieditaway.
thenextdaythekingwenttoseeifhehadcaughtthethief."thistimewegothim!wegothim!"butthecorpsehadnohead,sotheywerenonethewiseraboutthethieforanyaccompliceshemighthavehad.
snaresaid,"theresonemorethingwecandousewhereyouhearsomeoneweepinghastobethethiefshouse."
ineffect,whencrookswifelookedoutthewindowandsawherhusbandsbodybeingdraggedthroughthestreet,shebeganscreamingandcryingractedbyallthatscreaming,theguardscameinandfoundamanbeatinghiswifeforbreakingupallthedishesinthehouse.
thekingthenhadadecreepostedoneverystreetcornerthathewouldpardonthethiefwhohadrobbedhim,rackcameforwardandsaidhecoulddoit.
rackgotadeadbodyfromagravedigger,dresseditinhisownclothes,dnightthecadaver,heldbyarope,scrack,thekingfiredoneshotandwatchedhimfall,sgone,sthereforepardoned,andsothathewouldnthavetostealanylonger,thekingmarriedhisdaughtertohim.
(monferrato)
notes:
"crackandcrook"(cricecroc)fromcomparetti,13,monferrato,piedmont.
thisisoneoftheoldestandmostfamoustales,piedmonteseversionifollowedisfaithfultotheoldesttraditionandincludesthecuriouscharacter-rodotus(histories)tellsindetailaboutegyptiankingrhampsinitusstreasure,beheadingofacadaversoitwillnotberecognizedisalsoencounteredinpausanias,whopresentsthemythoftrophoniusandagamedes(descriptionofgreece,ix,372).eitherthroughthegreeksorthroughorientaltraditionthetaleenteredmedievalliterature,inthevarioustranslationsofthebookofthesevensagesandotheritalian,english,raryversionsbyitalianrenaissancestorywritersarenumerous.
copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,
translatedbygeorgemartin,
pantheonbooks,newyork1980
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