意大利童話 正文 和梨子一起賣掉的小女孩
    和梨子一起賣掉的小女孩&意大利童話

    從前,有個人有一棵梨樹,每年都能收四大筐梨子,正好夠交給國王。有一年,只收了三筐半梨子。他沒法裝滿第四個筐,就把他最小的女兒裝進去,然後蓋上了些梨子和樹葉。

    這四筐梨子被送到了王宮的食品庫,倒梨子的時候,小女孩跟梨子一起被倒了出來,沒被發現。這樣,她就被留在了倉庫裡,除了梨子,沒有別的東西可以吃,小女孩餓了就啃起梨子來。過了不久,宮裡的僕人發現梨子比梨子比先前少了,還找到了不少梨核,就說:「這裡一定有老鼠之類的東西偷啃梨子,需要好好檢查檢查。」邊說,邊在梨堆中搜查,果然發現了小女孩。

    他們問小女孩:「你在這裡幹什麼?跟我們走,到王宮的廚房去打下手吧。」

    他們給小女孩起了個名字叫梨娃。梨娃是一個聰明機靈的女孩,她很快就學會了怎樣討好這些僕人,加上模樣俊秀可愛,惹得大家人人喜歡。連王子也常來和她在一起玩,她和王子年齡一般大,他們很快就產生了好感。

    梨娃一天天長大,僕人們卻越來越嫉妒她了,他們先是不搭理她,後來就開始給她使壞,還造謠說梨娃自誇要去拿到女巫的珍寶。謠言傳到國王的耳朵裡,國王馬上把梨娃叫來,問她:「你真得說過要去拿到女巫的珍寶嗎?」

    梨娃說:「絕對沒有,聖明的國王,他們傳說的那些事我一點也不知道。」

    但是國王堅持說:「你一定是說過了,話已出口就要去實現諾言。」說著,就把梨娃趕出了王宮,讓她拿到珍寶才可以回來。

    梨娃走呀,走呀,天黑了。她走到一棵蘋果樹前,沒有停腳。又走到一棵桃樹前,也沒有停腳。遇到一棵梨樹的時候,她爬了上去,在樹枝間睡著了。

    早上一睜眼,她看見一個老婦人在樹下。老婦人問她:「漂亮的小女孩,你在上面幹什麼?」

    梨娃就把她遇到的麻煩告訴了老婦人。老婦人對她說:「拿著這三磅豬油、三磅麵包和三磅高粱穗,一直向前走。」梨娃對她感謝了一番,就又出發了。

    她來到一個地方,那裡有一座麵包爐。只見三位烤麵包的女工扯下自己的頭髮,用頭發來打掃爐子。梨娃便把那三磅高粱穗送給了她們。三位女工可以用這些高粱穗清掃爐子了,就放梨娃過去了。

    走呀,走呀,梨娃來到一個地方,見到有三隻兇猛的狗大聲叫著、跳著、還撲向她,阻止她過去。梨娃把三磅麵包扔給了它們。它們就讓她過去了。

    走呀,走呀,梨娃又來到一條大河前,河裡的水像血一樣,她不知道如何才能過去。她記起老婦人曾經告訴她的咒語,就念道:

    「溪水啊,美麗的溪水,

    若我沒有急事

    就會喝上一盆。」

    話音剛落,河水退下,讓梨娃過去了。

    在河的對岸,梨娃看見一座可以說是世界上最雄偉、最輝煌的宮殿。但是宮殿的大門開闔得很快,沒有人可以進去。於是,梨娃拿出那三磅豬油,倒在鉸鏈上,大門就開始慢慢地開關了。

    走進宮殿,梨娃一眼望見在一張小桌子上放著的珍寶盒。她抱起珍寶盒,剛要離開,珍寶盒開始說話了。

    「大門殺死她,大門殺死她!」珍寶盒說。

    大門卻回答:「我不能殺死她,我很久沒上油了,是她給我上了油。」

    梨娃回到河水前,盒子又開始說話了:「河淹死她,河淹死她!」

    河答道:「我不能淹死她,因為她對我說:溪水啊,美麗的溪水。」

    到了三隻狗那裡,盒子說:「狗吃掉她,狗吃掉她!」可是三隻狗說:「我們不能吃她,她給了我們三磅麵包呢。」

    路過麵包爐,盒子說:「爐子燒死她,爐子燒死她。」

    烤麵包的女工說:「我們不能燒死她,她送給我們三磅高粱穗,這樣打掃爐子的時候就不用我們的頭髮了。」

    快到王宮的時候,梨娃想看看盒子裡面裝的到底是什麼,因為她也像所有的女孩子一樣好奇心強。她打開盒子,只見從裡面跳出一隻金母雞和一群金小雞。它們搖晃著跑走了,跑得很快,追都追不上。梨娃跟在它們後邊追著,追到蘋果樹下,沒找到它們,追到桃樹下,還是沒找到它們,追到梨樹前,只見那個老婦人,手裡拿著根小木棍,正趕著那隻金母雞和那群金小雞呢。「噓,噓……」老婦人將這些金雞趕回到了盒子裡面。

    回家途中,梨娃看見國王的兒子迎面走過來,「如果我父親問你想要什麼獎賞,你就說要那個放在地下室的裝滿煤塊的箱子。」

    在王宮的門口,國王帶著僕從和滿朝文武,正等著她呢。梨娃把金母雞和金小雞交給國王,國王問:「你想要什麼,說出來,我就給你。」

    梨娃回答說:「我要地下室裡的那個裝煤的箱子。」國王把煤箱給了她,梨娃打開一看,預先躲在裡面的王子跳了出來。就這樣,國王滿心歡喜地讓梨娃嫁給了他的兒子。

    (蒙費拉托地區)

    TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears

    Onceamanhadapeartreethatusedtobearfourbasketsofpearsayear.Oneyear,though,itonlyborethreebasketsandahalf,whilehewassupposedtocarryfourtotheking.Seeingnootherwayout,heputhisyoungestdaughterintothefourthbasketandcoveredherupwithpearsandleaves.

    Thebasketswerecarriedintothekingspantry,wherethechildstayedinhidingunderneaththepears.Buthavingnothingtoeat,shebegannibblingonthepears.Afterawhiletheservantsnoticedthesupplyofpearsdwindlingandalsosawthecores."Theremustbearatoramolegnawingonthepears,"theysaid."Weshalllookinsidethebaskets."Theyremovedthetopandfoundthelittlegirl.

    "Whatareyoudoinghere?"theyasked."Comewithusandworkinthekingskitchen."

    TheycalledherPerina,andshewassuchacleverlittlegirlthatinnotimeshewasdoingthehouseworkbetterthanthekingsownmaidservants.Shewassoprettynoonecouldhelplovingher.Thekingsson,whowasherageexactly,wasalwayswithPerina,andtheybecameveryfondofeachother.

    Asthemaidengrewup,themaidservantsbegantoenvyher.Theyheldtheirtonguesforawhile,thenaccusedPerinaofboastingshewouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure.Thekinggotwindofitandsendforthegirl."Isittrueyouboastedyouwouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure?"

    "No,SacredCrown,Imadenosuchboast."

    "Youdidso,"insistedtheking,"andnowyouhavetokeepyourword."Atthat,hebanishedherfromthepalaceuntilsheshouldreturnwiththetreasure.

    Onandonshewalkeduntilnightfall.Perinacametoanappletree,butkeptongoing.Shenextcametoapeachtree,butstilldidntstop.Thenshecametoapeartree,climbedit,andfellasleep.

    Inthemorningtherestoodalittleoldwomanunderthetree."Whatareyoudoingupthere,mydaughter?"askedtheoldwoman.

    Perinatoldheraboutthedifficultyshewasin.Theoldwomansaid,"Takethesethreepoundsofgrease,threepoundsofbread,andthreepoundsofmilletandbeonyourway."Perinathankedherverymuchandmovedon.

    Shecametoabakerywherethreewomenwerepullingouttheirhairtosweepouttheovenwith.Perinagavethemthethreepoundsofmillet,whichtheythenusedtosweepouttheovenandallowedthelittlegirltocontinueonherway.

    Onandonshewalkedandmetthreemastiffsthatbarkedandrushedatanyonecomingtheirway.Perinathrewthemthethreepoundsofbread,andtheyletherpass.

    Afterwalkingformilesandmilesshecametoablood-redriver,whichshehadnoideahowtocross.Buttheoldwomanhadtoldhertosay:

    "Finewatersored,

    Imustmakehaste;

    Else,ofyouwouldItaste."

    Atthosewords,thewaterspartedandletherthrough.

    Ontheothersideoftheriver,Perinabeheldoneofthefinestandlargestpalacesintheworld.Butthedoorwasopeningandslammingsorapidlythatnoonecouldpossiblygoin.Perinathereforeappliedthethreepoundsofgreasetoitshinges,andfromthenonitopenedandclosedquitegently.

    Inside,Perinaspiedthetreasurechestsittingonasmalltable.Shepickeditupandwasabouttogooffwithit,whenthechestspoke:"Door,killher,killher!"

    "Iwont,either,sinceshegreasedmyhingesthathadntbeenlookedaftersincegoodnessknowswhen."

    Perinareachedtheriver,andthechestsaid,"River,drownher,drownher!"

    "Iwont,either,"repliedtheriver,"sinceshecalledmeFinewatersored."

    Shecametothedogs,andthechestsaid,"Dogs,devourher,devourher!"

    "Wewont,either,"repliedthedogs,"sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofbread."

    Shecametothebakeryoven."Oven,burnher,burnher!"

    Butthethreewomenreplied,"Wewont,either,sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofmillet,sothatnowwecanspareourhair."

    Whenshewasalmosthome,Perina,whohadasmuchcuriosityasthenextlittlegirl,decidedtopeepintothetreasurechest.Sheopenedit,andoutcameahenandherbroodofgoldchicks.Theyscuttledawaytoofastforasoultocatchthem.Perinastruckoutafterthem.Shepassedtheappletree,buttheywerenowhereinsight.Shepassedthepeachtree,wheretherewasstillnosignofthem.Shecametothepeartree,andtherestoodthelittleoldwomanwithawandinherhandandhenandchicksfeedingaroundher."Shoo,shoo!"wenttheoldwoman,andthehenandchicksreenteredthetreasurechest.

    Uponherarrival,thekingssoncameouttomeether."Whenmyfatheraskedwhatyouwantasareward,tellhimthatboxfilledwithcoalinthecellar."

    Onthedoorstepoftheroyalpalacestoodthemaidservants,theking,andtheentirecourt.Perinahandedthekingthehenwiththebroodofgoldchicks."Askforwhateveryouwant,"saidtheking,"andIwillgiveittoyou."

    "Iwouldliketheboxofcoalinthecellar,"repliedPerina.

    Theybroughthertheboxofcoal,whichsheopened,andoutjumpedthekingsson,whowashidinginside.ThekingwasthenhappyforPerinatomarryhisson.

    (Monferrato)

    NOTES:

    "TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears"(Labambinavendutaconlepere)fromComparetti,10,Monferrato,Piedmont.

    IchangedthenameMargheritinatoPerina(Pearlet),andIinventedthemotifofthepeartreeandthelittleoldwoman(intheoriginal,themagicpropscomefromthekingsson,whoisunderaspell),toreinforcethepear/girllink.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980  
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