意大利童话金丝雀王子

thenextday,underthepretextofgoinghunting,thekingssonreturned,dressedinyellow,andtheystaredateachotherthistimefortwohours;inadditiontosmiles,bows,andcurtsies,rddaytheprincestoppedforthreehours,urthdayhewasthereasusual,whenfrombehindatreeawitchpeepedandbegantoguffaw:"ho,ho,ho,ho!"

"whoareyou?whatssofunny?"snappedtheprince.

"whatssofunny?twoloverssillyenoughttostaysofarapart!"

"wouldyouknowhowtogetanyclosertoher,ninny?"askedtheprince.

"ilikeyouboth,"saidthewitch,"andillhelpyou."

sheknockedatthedoorandhandedtheladies-in-waitingabigoldbookwithyellow,smudgypages,diestookittothegirl,whoopeneditatonceandread:"urnthepagesforward,andthemanbecomesabird;turnthemback,andthebirdbecomesamanoncemore."

thegirlrantothewindow,placedthebookonthesill,vinghisarms,hewassoonflappingwingsandchangedintoacanary,dressedinyellowashewas.uphesoaredabovethetreetopsandheadedstraightforthewindow,princesscouldntresistpickingupthebeautifulcanaryandkissinghim;thenrememberinghewasayoungman,sheblushed.butonsecondthoughtshewasntashamedatallandmadehastetoturnhimbackintoayouth.shepickedupthebookandthumbedbackwardthroughit;thecanaryruffledhisyellowfeathers,flappedhiswings,thenmovedarmsandwasoncemoretheyouthdressedinyellowwiththehuntersleggings,whokneltbeforeher,declaring,"iloveyou!"

bythetimetheyfinishedconfessingalltheirloveforoneanother,itwasevening.slowly,reyestheyouthturnedbackintoacanary,perchedonthewindowsill,thenontheeaves,thentrustingtothewind,flewdowninwidearcs,,sheturnedthepagesbackinthebookandthecanarywasaprinceoncemorewhojumpeddown,whistledforhisdogs,threwakisstowardthewindow,andcontinuedalongthetrailoutofsight.

soeverydaythepageswereturnedforwardtobringtheprinceflyinguptothewindowatthetopofthetower,thenturnedbackwardtorestorehishumanform,thenforwardagaintoenablehimtoflyaway,verintheirwholelifehadthetwoyoungpeopleknownsuchhappiness.

onedaythequeencalledonherstepdaughter.shewalkedabouttheroom,saying,"youreallright,arentyou?iseeyoureatrifleslimmer,butthatscertainlynocauseforconcern,isit?itstrue,isntit,youveneverfeltbetter?"asshetalked,shecheckedtoseethateverythingwasinplacerecametheprinceinyellowalongthetrailwithhisdogs."ifthissillygirlthinkssheisgoingtoflirtatthewindow,"saidthestepmothertoherself,"shehasanotherthoughtcomingtoher."shesentthegirlforaglassofwaterandsomesugar,thenhurriedlyremovedfiveorsixhairpinsfromherownhairandconcealedtheminthepillowwiththesharppointsstickingstraightup."thatwillteachhertoleanonthewindowsill!"thegirlreturnedwiththewaterandsugar,butthequeensaid,"oh,imnolongerthirsty;youdrinkit,mydear!imustbegettingbacktoyourfather.youdontneedanything,doyou?well,goodbye."andshewasoff.

assoonasthequeenscarriagewasoutofsight,thegirlhurriedlyflippedoverthepagesofthebook,theprinceturnedintoacanary,flewtothewindow,yellowfeatherswerestainedwithblood;rosewithaconvulsiveflapping,trustedhimselftothewind,descendedinirregulararcs,rightenedprincess,notyetfullyawareofwhathadhappened,s,theprincereappeareddrippingbloodfromthedeepstabsthathadrenttheyellowgarmentonhischest,andlaybacksurroundedbyhisdogs.

atthehowlingofthedogs,theotherhunterscametohisaidandcarriedhimoffonastretcherofbranches,buthedidntsomuchasglanceupatthewindowofhisbeloved,whowasstilloverwhelmedwithgriefandfright.

backathispalace,theprinceshowednopromiseofrecovery,undsrefusedtohealover,sfatherthekingpostedproclamationsoneverystreetcornerpromisingafortunetoanyonewhocouldcurehim,butnotasoulturneduptotry.

theprincessmeanwhilewasconsumedwithlongingforherlover.shecuthersheetsintothinstripswhichshetiedonetotheotherinalong,sheletherselfdownfromthehightowerandsetoutonthehunterstrail.butbecauseofthethickdarknessandthehowlsofthewolves,dinganoldoakwithahollowtrunk,shenestledinsideand,inherexhaustion,fellasleepatonce.shewokeupwhileitwasstillpitch-dark,steningclosely,sheheardanotherwhistle,thenathirdandafourth,roughacrackinthetrunktheprincess,unseenbythem,spiedonthefourcronescarryingcandlesandsneeringawelcometooneanother:"ah,ah,ah!"

yhadeatentheirfill,theybeganaskingoneanotherwhattheyhadseenofinterestoutintheworld.

"isawthesultanofturkey,whoboughthimselftwentynewwives."

"isawtheemperorofchina,whohaslethispigtailgrowthreeyardslong."

"isawthekingofthecannibals,whoatehischamberlainbymistake."

"isawthekingofthisregion,whohasthesicksonnobodycancure,sinceialoneknowtheremedy."

"andwhatisit?"askedtheotherwitches.

"dtodoisliftthetile,andthereunderneathisaphialcontaininganointmentthatwouldhealeveryoneofhiswounds."

itwasalltheprincessinsidethetreecoulddonottoscreamforjoy.bythistimethewitcheshadtoldoneanotheralltheyhadtosay,rstsecondhanddealersshecameto,sheboughtanolddoctorsgownandapairofspectacles,andknockedattheroyalpalace.seeingthelittledoctorwithsuchscantparaphernalia,theservantswerentgoingtolethimin,butthekingsaid,"whatharmcouldhedomysonwhocantbeanyworseoffthanheisnow?lethimseewhathecando."theshamdoctoraskedtobeleftalonewiththesickman,andtherequestwasgranted.

findingherlovergroaningandunconsciousinhissickbed,theprincessfeltlikeweepingandsmotheringhimwithkisses.butsherestrainedherselfbecauseoftheurgencyofcarryingoutthewitchsdirections.shepacedupanddowntheroomuntilshesteppedonaloosetile,sherubbedtheprinceswounds,verjoyedshecalledtheking,whocameinandsawhissonsleepingpeacefully,withthecolorbackinhischeeks,andnotraceofanyofthewounds.

"askforwhateveryoulike,doctor,"saidtheking."allthewealthinthekingdomisyours."

"iwishnomoney,"repliedthedoctor."justgivemetheprincesshieldbearingthefamilycoat-of-arms,hisstandard,andhisyellowvestthatwasrentandbloodied."uponreceivingthethreeitems,shetookherleave.

threedayslater,passedthecastleintheheartoftheforest,butdidntdeigntolookupattheprincessswindow.sheimmediatelypickedupthebook,leafedthroughit,room,andtheprincessturnedhimbackintoaman."letmego,"hesaid."isntitenoughtohavepiercedmewiththosepinsofyoursandcausedmesomuchagony?"theprince,intruth,nolongerlovedthegirl,blamingherforhismisfortune.

onthevergeoffainting,sheexclaimed,"butisavedyourlife!iamtheonewhocuredyou!"

"thatsnotso,"saidtheprince."mylifewassavedbyaforeigndoctorwhoaskedfornorecompenseexceptmycoat-of-arms,mystandard,andmybloodiedvest!"

"hereareyourcoat-of-arms,yourstandard,andyourvest!thedoctorwasnoneotherthanmyself!thepinswerethecrueldoingofmystepmother!"

theprincegazedintohereyes,rfeetaskingherforgivenessanddeclaringhisdeepgratitudeandlove.

thatveryeveningheinformedhisfatherhewasgoingtomarrythemaideninthecastleintheforest.

"youmaymarryonlythedaughterofakingoranemperor,"repliedhisfather.

"ishallmarrythewomanwhosavedmylife."

sotheymadepreparationsforthewedding,sopresentwastheprincesssroyalfather,bridecameout,helookedatherandexclaimed,"mydaughter!"

"what!"saidtheroyalhost."mysonsbrideisyourdaughter?whydidshenottellus?"

"because,"explainedthebride,"inolongerconsidermyselfthedaughterofamanwholetmystepmotherimprisonme."andshepointedatthequeen.

learningofallhisdaughtersmisfortune,usthemarriagewascelebratedtothesatisfactionandjoyofall,withtheexceptionofthatwretch.

(turin)

notes:

"thecanaryprince"ilprincipecanarino)fromrua(inarchivioperlostudiodelletradizionipopolari,palermo-turin,vi[1887],401),turin.

thisfolktalefromturin,withitsballadlikepathos,developsamedievalmotif,whichisalsoliterary.(butmariedefranceslai,yonec,isquitedifferent,beingthestoryofanadultery.)mypersonaltoucheshereincludetheprincesyellowsuitandleggings,thedescriptionofthetransformationinaflutterofwings,thegossipofthewitcheswhotraveledtheworldover,andabitofstylisticcunning.

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980