意大利童话克利克和克罗克

"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.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980