意大利童话 作者:卡尔维诺-第15节
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的高山,那些马和骑兵全都滑下来摔死了。
接著,老婆婆又派了三百名骑兵去追赶。小羊倌又掏出那一口袋雾来,向身后猛掷出去,这支三百人的骑兵队全都被大雾迷住了,失去了方向。跑了这么一阵子,羊倌感到口渴,但身边没有什么可解渴的东西,便将鸟笼中的三只苹果拿出一只来,准备切开。这时他听到一个细微的声音说道:“请轻轻切,否则你要刺伤我啦。”他轻轻切开苹果,吃了一半,将另一半装到口袋里。最后,他来到自己家附近的一口井旁,伸手去摸口袋里的一半苹果,却掏出来一个很小、很小的小姑娘。
“我就是可爱的巴格琳娜,”她说,“我喜欢吃饼,去给我拿只饼来,我饿极啦。”
这口井的井口加了盖,中间有一个圆洞可以汲水。羊倌让小姑娘坐在井边上,叫她等著,自己便去拿饼了。
这时,一个大家叫做“丑奴隶”的仆人前来打水。她发现这个小姑娘,便说:“你怎么会长得这么小巧、这么漂亮,而我却生得这么粗、这么丑呢?”她越说越生气,竟把这个小东西扔进了井里。
羊倌回来后发现可爱的巴格琳娜不见了,他的心都碎啦。
小羊倌的母亲也是在这口井里打水用的。有一天,她发现自己的桶里有一条鱼。她把鱼拿回家,用油煎好。他们母子吃了鱼,把骨头丢在窗外。后来,丢鱼骨头的地方长出一棵树来,它长得很高大,把整所房子的光线都挡住了。于是,羊倌把树砍倒,劈成木柴后搬到家里。那时,他的母亲已经去世,羊倌独自一人住在这儿。如今,他比以往更瘦小了,不管怎么想方设法,他总是长不大。他每天外出放羊,晚上回家。可是他每天回到家里时,发现早晨用过的锅碗瓢勺都已洗好了,这是多么令人惊奇的事啊!他想不出是谁帮他做的这些。最后,他决定藏在门后观察一下。这时,他看到的却是一位秀丽的姑娘从柴堆里鉆出来,洗锅碗,打扫房间,叠被子,然后她打开食橱,拿出一只饼来吃。
小羊倌从门后猛地跳出来,问道:“你是谁?怎么进到房间里来的?”
“我就是可爱的巴格琳娜,”姑娘回答,“就是你掏那半只苹果时看到的那个姑娘。‘丑奴隶’把我扔进井里,我变成了鱼,接著又变成鱼骨头被丢在窗外。我又从鱼骨头变成树种,破土而出变成树,一个劲儿地往上长,最后又变成了你所劈的木柴。如今,你每天外出的时候,我就变成了可爱的巴格琳娜。”
由于重新找到了可爱的巴格琳娜,羊倌的身个儿飞快地向上长,可爱的巴格琳娜也跟他一起长大了。不久,羊倌就成了一位漂亮的年轻人,跟可爱的巴格琳娜结了婚。他们举行了盛大的庆祝宴会。当时我也在场,是在桌子底下。他们丢给我一块骨头,正巧打在我的鼻子上,从此它就粘在那儿永远掉不下来了。
(热那亚内陆地区)
注释:
材料来源:皮·埃·格纳瑞奥搜集的《热那亚方言故事两篇》(热那亚,1892年版);搜集地区:热那亚附近的托里格利亚;讲述者:乡村妇女玛丽亚·班奇露。
“三只桔子”的故事流传很广'1';这篇热那亚民间故事的特点在于出现了象希诺尼谟·博西'2'油画里的那些小东西——在果子壳里或蛋壳里摇晃著的小仙女。我们在热那亚的另一篇民间故事(见安德鲁斯所编《利古里亚故事集》第五十一篇)中也遇到同样的小东西。
——————
'1' 参看序言及第八十七篇《美丽的绿岛》和一○七篇《三只石榴的故事》的注释部分。
'2' 希诺尼谟·博西(1460…1516),荷兰画家。
The Little Shepherd
There was once a shepherd boy no bigger than a mite and as mean as could be。 On his way out to pasture one day; he passed a poultry dealer carrying a basket of eggs on her head。 So what did he do but throw a stone into the basket and break every single egg。 Enraged; the poor woman screamed a curse: 〃You shall get no bigger until you've found lovely Bargaglina of the three singing apples!〃
From that time on; the shepherd boy grew thin and puny; and the more his mother attended to him; the punier he became。 Finally she asked; 〃What on earth has happened to you? Have you done a bad turn for which someone placed a curse on you?〃 He then told her about his meanness to the poultry dealer; repeating the woman's words to him; 〃You shall get no bigger until you've found lovely Bargaglina of the three singing apples!〃
〃In that case;〃 said his mother; 〃you've no choice but to go in search of this lovely Bargaglina。〃
The shepherd set out。 He came to a bridge; on which a little lady was rocking to and fro in a walnut shell。
〃Who goes there?〃
〃A friend。〃
〃Lift my eyelids a little; so I can see you。〃
〃I'm seeking lovely Bargaglina of the three singing apples。 Do you know anything about her?〃
〃No; but take this stone; it will e in handy。〃
The shepherd came to another bridge; where another little lady was bathing in an eggshell。
〃Who goes there?〃
〃A friend。〃
〃Lift my eyelids a little; so I can see you。〃
〃I'm seeking lovely Bargaglina of the three singing apples。 Have you any news of her?〃
〃No; but take this ivory b; which will e in handy。〃
The shepherd put it in his pocket and walked on until he came to a stream where a man was filling a bag with fog。 When asked about lovely Bargaglina; the man claimed to know nothing about her; but he gave the shepherd a pocketful of fog; which would e in handy。
Next he came to a mill whose miller; a talking fox; said; 〃Yes; I know who lovely Bargaglina is; but you'll have difficulty finding her。 Walk straight ahead until you e to a house with the door open。 Go inside and you'll see a crystal cage hung with many little bells。 In the cage are the singing apples。 You must take the cage; but watch out for a certain old woman。 If her eyes are open; that means she's asleep。 If they're closed; she's surely awake。〃
The shepherd moved on。 He found the old woman with her eyes closed and realized she was awake。 〃My lad;〃 said the old woman; 〃glance down in my hair and see if I've any lice。〃
He looked; and as he was delousing her; she opened her eyes and he knew she had fallen asleep。 So he quickly picked up the crystal cage and fled。 But the little bells on the cage tinkled; and the old woman awakened and sent a hundred horsemen after him。 Hearing them almost upon him; the shepherd dropped the stone he had in his pocket。 It changed instantly into a steep; rocky mountain; and the horses all fell and broke their legs。
Now horseless; the cavalrymen returned to the old woman; who then sent out two hundred mounted soldiers。 Seeing himself in new peril; the shepherd threw down the ivory b。 It turned into a mountain as slick as glass; down which horses and riders all slid to their death。
The old woman then sent three hundred horsemen after him; but he pulled out the pocketful of fog; hurled it over his shoulder; and the army got lost in it。 Meanwhile; the shepherd had grown thirsty and; having nothing with him to drink; removed one of the three apples from the cage and cut into it。 A tiny voice said; 〃Gently; please; or you'll hurt me。〃 Gently; he finished cutting the apple; ate one half; and put the other in his pocket。 At length he came to a well near his house; where he reached into his pocket for the rest of the apple。 In its place was a tiny; tiny lady。
〃I'm lovely Bargaglina;〃 she said; 〃and I like cake。 Go get me a cake; I'm famished。〃
The well was one of those closed wells; with a hole in the center; so the shepherd seated the lady on the rim; telling her to wait there until he came back with the cake。
Meanwhile; a servant known as Ugly Slave came to the well for water。 She spied the lovely little lady and said; 〃How e you're so little and beautiful while I'm so big and ugly?〃 And she grew so furious that she threw the tiny creature into the well。
The shepherd returned and was heartbroken to find lovely Bargaglina gone。
Now his mother also went to that well for water; and what should she find in her bucket one day but a fish。 She took it home and fried it。 They ate it and threw the bones out the window。 There where they fell; a tree grew up and got so big that it shut out all the light from the house。 The shepherd therefore cut it down and chopped it up for firewood; which he brought inside。 By that time his mother had died; and he lived there all by himself; now punier then ever; since no matter what he tried; he couldn't grow any bigger。 Every day he went out to the pasture and came back home at night。 How great was his amazement upon finding the dishes and pans he'd used in the morning all washed for him when he came home! He couldn't imagine who was doing this。 At last he decided to hide behind the door and find out。 Whom should he then see but a very dainty maiden emerge from the woodpile; wash the dishes; sweep the house; and make his bed; after which she opened the cupboard and helped herself to a cake。
Out sprang the shepherd; asking; 〃Who are you? How did you get in?〃
〃I'm lovely Bargaglina;〃 replied the maiden; 〃the girl you found in your pocket in place of the apple half。 Ugly Slave threw me into the well; and I turned into a fish; then into fishbones thrown out the window。 From fishbones I changed into a tree seed; next into a tree that grew and grew; and finally into firewood you cut。 Now; every day while you're away; I bee lovely Bargaglina。〃
Thanks to the rediscovery of lovely Bargaglina; the shepherd grew by leaps and bounds; and lovely Bargaglina along with him。 Soon he was a handsome youth and married lovely Bargaglina。 They had a big feast。 I was there; under the table。 They threw me a bone; which hit me on the nose and stuck for good。
(Inland vicinity of Genoa)
NOTES:
〃The Little Shepherd〃 (Il pastore che non cresceva mai) from Guarnerio (Due fole nel dialetto del contado genovese collected by P。 E。 Guarnerio; Genoa; 1892); Torriglia; near Genoa; told by the countrywoman Maria Banchero。
A feature of this Genoese variant of