"tobiella,"answeredthefarmer,withoutslowingdown.

"youmightatleastsay,godwilling."

thefarmerstopped,lookedtheoldmanintheeye,andsnapped,"godwilling,imonmywaytobiella.butevenifgodisntwilling,istillhavetogothereallthesame."

nowtheoldmanhappenedtobethelord."inthatcaseyoullgotobiellainsevenyears,"hesaid."inthemeantime,jumpintothisswampandstaythereforsevenyears."

suddenlythefarmerchangedintoafrogandjumpedintotheswamp.

rmercameoutoftheswamp,turnedbackintoaman,clappedhishatonhishead,andcontinuedonhiswaytomarket.

afterashortdistancehemettheoldmanagain."andwhereareyougoing,mygoodman?"

"tobiella."

"youmightsay,godwilling."

"ifgodwillsit,,iknowtheconsequenceandcannowgointotheswampunassisted."

norforthelifeofhimwouldhesayonewordmore.

(biellese)

notes:

"thosestubbornsouls,thebiellese"(ibiellesi,gentedura)fromvirginiamajolifaccio(lincantesimodellamezzanotte,[ilbiellesenellesueleggende],milan,1941),valdengo,piedmont.

thistaleisalsofoundintrieste,starringthefriulians(pinguenti,51).

copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980