夜遊人&意大利童話
很久以前,有一個漁夫,他很窮,三個女兒都已長大了。有個年輕人向三姊妹求婚。但是這裡的人們都很討厭他,因為他在夜晚才出來轉悠。大姑娘和二姑娘都拒絕了他,但三姑娘卻答應了。婚禮是在夜間舉行的。鬧新房的人走後,新郎誠懇地對新娘說:「我把這個秘密告訴你吧:我被一個邪惡的符咒鎮住了,白天變成烏龜,只能在夜裡恢復成人。要破除這個符咒,只有一個辦法:結婚後我馬上離開自己的妻子,到外面去闖蕩,夜間作人,白天作烏龜。等我回來的時候,如果妻子一直對我忠實,而且為我還忍受了種種艱難困苦,我就能永遠恢復成人了。」
「我心甘情願!」新娘說。
新郎便摘下一隻鉆石戒指,給她戴在手指上,說:「如果用它來做好事的話,不論你碰到什麼困難,它都會幫助你你的。」
天亮時,新郎變成烏龜爬出去,開始了他到外面闖蕩的旅程。
新娘進城去尋找工作。路上,她還到一個哇哇大哭的孩子,便對他的母親說:「讓我來抱抱他吧,好教他不鬧。」
「你是頭一個這樣做的好人!」孩子的媽媽說,「他一天到晚都在哭鬧。」
新娘低聲說:「讓鉆石戒指的魔力使孩子歡笑、跳躍吧!」話剛說完,孩子便嬉笑歡跳起來。
接著,新娘走到一家麵包房裡,對老闆娘說:「你要是雇我給你幹活,我不會使你後悔的。」於是,老闆娘僱用了她,她開始做麵包,並輕聲細語地說:「我在這個麵包房裡幹活期間,讓鉆石戒指指的魔力使全城的人,都到這裡來買麵包吧!」從這時起,人們絡繹不絕地在這個麵包房裡進進出出,這兒的生意十分興隆。在這些人中間,有三個小伙子,他們愛上了她。
「如果你跟我過一夜,」一個小伙子說:「我就給你一千法郎。」
「我給你兩千法郎!」另一個小伙子說。
「我加到三千法郎!」第三個小伙子說。
當天晚上,她收了第三個小伙子三千法郎,偷偷地把他帶進了麵包房。
「我馬上就跟你在一起,」她對這個小伙子說,「先讓我把發酵粉放到麵粉裡。你等我的時候,等你幫我揉一下麵團好嗎?」
這個人開始揉麵團。他揉啊,揉啊,揉啊。由於鉆石戒指的魔力,他無論怎樣也不能從麵團裡拔出手來。就這樣,他一直揉到了天亮。
「喲,你已經幹好啦!」她對他說,「你幹活真賣力。」
於是,她把這個人打發走了。
接著,她又答應了那個出兩千法郎的小伙子。天一黑,她就把他帶進麵包房,叫他幫忙吹火,不要讓它熄滅。他吹啊,吹啊,吹啊。由於鉆石戒指的魔力,他一直不停地吹到第二天早晨,臉都吹得浮腫起來,像個皮酒囊。
「你真幹得好呀!」清晨,她對這個小伙子說,「你是來看我的,可整夜幫著我吹火!」
於是,她把這個人打發走了。
又一個夜晚,她把那個出一千法郎的小伙子帶了進來。「我要在麵粉裡加發酵粉,」她對他說,「你去把大門關上吧。」
這個人關上了門,可是由於鉆石戒指的魔力,門馬上又開了。他整夜都在關門,門關了又開,開了又關,不知不覺地太陽升起來,天亮了。
「你到底把門關上了沒有?好啦,你現在可以把門打開啦,滾吧!」
三個小伙子憋了一肚子的氣,到官府去告發她。那時候,不光有男警察,還有女警察,捉拿女犯要派女警察。於是,四個女警察前來逮捕新娘。
「讓鉆石戒指指的魔力使這四個女人相互打耳光吧,」新娘說,「一直打到明天早晨。」
這四個女警察便相互打起耳光來。她們打得很重,一個個頭腫得像大南瓜,可是還拚命地互打著。
四個女警察沒有帶回犯人來,四個男警察就去尋找她們。新娘見他們來了,便說:「讓鉆石戒指的魔力使這些人玩跳蛙遊戲吧!」於是,一個警察馬上四肢著地,匍匐下來。另一個警察向前俯身,將手搭在頭一個警察背上,跳了過去。第三、第四個警察也跟著照做。這樣,他們連續做起跳蛙遊戲來了。
就在這個節骨眼兒上,一隻烏龜爬了過來。這正是新娘的丈夫,從外面歸來了。他一見自己的妻子,瞧,他又變成了漂亮的年輕人!從此,他不再變化,跟妻子生活在一起,白頭偕老。
(利古裡亞海岸)
註釋:
材料來源:詹姆士·安德魯斯編《利古裡亞故事集》(巴黎,1892年版)第十四和第二十一篇;搜集地區:曼敦;講述者:艾琳·吉納和艾琳·潘杜魯。
這是一篇充滿稀奇古怪的故事。它最引人注目的是關於女警察的描寫。女警察是作為特殊警察制度這樣一種歷史事實來敘述的。在安德魯斯的第一種異文裡,新郎變成了癩蛤蟆。
TheManWhoCameOutOnlyatNight
Longagotherelivedapoorfishermanwiththreemarriageabledaughters.Acertainyoungmanaskedforthehandofoneofthem,butpeoplewerewaryofhimsincehecameoutonlyatnight.Theoldestdaughterandthenthemiddledaughterbothsaidnotohim,butthethirdgirlsaidyes.Theweddingwascelebratedatnight,andassoonasthecouplewasalone,thebridegroomannouncedtohisbride:"Imusttellyouasecret:Iamunderanevilspellanddoomedtobeatortoisebydayandamanatnight.Theresonlyonewaytobreakthespell:Imustleavemywiferightaftertheweddingandtravelaroundtheworld,atnightasamanandbydayasatortoise.IfIcomebackandfindthatmywifehasremainedloyaltomeallalongandenduredeveryhardshipformysake,Illbecomeamanagainforgood."
"Iamwilling,"saidthebride.
Thebridegroomslippedadiamondringonherfinger."Ifyouuseittoagoodend,thisringwillhelpyouinwhateversituationyoufindyourself."
Dayhaddawned,andthebridegroomturnedintoatortoiseandcrawledofftobeginhisjourneyaroundtheworld.
Thebridewentaboutthecityinsearchofwork.Alongtheway,shecameacrossachildcryingandsaidtohismother,"Letmeholdhiminmyarmsandcalmhim."
"Youdbethefirstpersontodothat,"answeredthemother."Hesbeencryingalldaylong."
"Bythepowerofthediamond,"whisperedthebride,"maythechildlaughanddanceandfrolic!"Atthat,thechildstartedlaughing,dancing,andfrolicking.
Next,thebrideenteredabakeryandsaidtothewomanwhoownedit,"Youllhavenoregretsifyouhiremetoworkforyou."Theownerhiredher,andshebeganmakingbread,sayingunderherbreath,"Bythepowerofthediamond,letthewholetownbuybreadatthisbakeryaslongasIworkhere!"Fromthenon,peoplepouredinandoutwithnosignofaletup.Amongthecustomerswerethreeyoungmenwhosawthebrideandfellinlovewithher.
"Ifyouletmespendanightwithyou,"oneofthemsaidtoher,"Illgiveyouathousandfrancs."
"Illgiveyoutwothousand,"saidanother.
"AndIllmakeitthreethousand,"saidthethird.
Shecollectedthethreethousandfrancsfromthethirdmanandsmuggledhimintothebakerythatverynight.
"Illbewithyouinaminute,"shetoldhim,"afterIveputtheyeastintotheflour.Whileyourewaiting,wouldyoupleasekneadthedoughalittlebitforme?"
Themanbegankneading,andkneadedandkneadedandkneaded.Bythepowerofthediamond,hecouldntforthelifeofhimtakehishandsoutofthedough,andthereforewentonkneadingtilldaylight.
"Soyoufinallyfinished!"shesaidtohim."Youreallytookyourtime!"
Andshesenthimpacking.
Thenshesaidyestothemanwiththetwothousandfrancs,broughthiminassoonasitgrewdark,andtoldhimtoblowonthefireamomentsothatitwouldntgoout.Heblewandblewandblew.Bythepowerofthediamond,hehadtokeeprightonblowinguptothenextmorning,withhisfacebulginglikeawineskin.
"Whatawaytobehave!"shesaidtohiminthemorning."Youcometoseeme,butspendthenightblowingonthefire!"
Andshesenthimpacking.
Thenextnightshebroughtinthemanwiththethousandfrancs."Ihavetoaddtheyeast,"shetoldhim."WhileImdoingthat,goshutthedoor."
Themanshutthedoor,whichbythepowerofthediamondcameopenagainrightaway.Allnightlonghecloseditonlytoseeitimmediatelyreopen,andinnotimethesunwasup.
"Didyoufinallyclosethisdoor?Well,youmaynowopenitagainandgetout."
Seethingwithrage,thethreemendenouncedhertotheauthorities.Inthatdayandtimetherewere,inadditiontopolicemen,womenofficerswhowerecalledwheneverawomanwastobebroughtintocustody.Sofourwomenofficerswenttoapprehendthebride.
"Bythepowerofthediamond,"saidthebride,"letthesewomenboxoneanothersearsuntiltomorrowmorning."
Thefourwomenofficersbeganboxingoneanothersearssohardthattheirheadsswelleduplikepumpkins,andtheystillwentonstrikingeachotherforalltheywereworth.
Whenthewomenofficersfailedtoreturnwiththeculprit,fourmaleofficersweresentouttolookforthem.Thebridesawthemcomingandsaid,"Bythepowerofthediamond,letthosemenplayleapfrog."Oneofthemaleofficersdroppeddownatonceonallfours;asecondonemovedup,puthishandsontheofficersback,andleapedoverhim,withthethirdandfourthfollowinginhistracks.Thusbeganagameofleapfrog.
Rightatthatpoint,atortoisecamecrawlingintoview.Itwasthehusbandreturningfromhistriparoundtheworld.Hesawhiswife,andbehold!Hewasagainahandsomeyoungman,andahandsomeyoungmanheremained,byhiswifesside,uptoaripeoldage.
(Rivieraligurediponente)
NOTES:
"TheManWhoCameOutOnlyatNight"(Luomocheuscivasolodinotte)fromAndrews,14and21,Menton,toldbyIrenGenaandIrenePanduro.
Atalefullofoddities,themoststrikingofwhichisthatofwomenconstables,givenasahistoricalfactregardingaparticularpolicesystem.InAndrewssfirstvariant,thebridegroomturnsintoatoad.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980