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《意大利童话》和梨子一起卖掉的小女孩

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    和梨子一起卖掉的小女孩&意大利童话
    从前,有个人有一棵梨树,每年都能收四大筐梨子,正好够交给国王。有一年,只收了三筐半梨子。他没法装满第四个筐,就把他最小的女儿装进去,然后盖上了些梨子和树叶。
    这四筐梨子被送到了王宫的食品库,倒梨子的时候,小女孩跟梨子一起被倒了出来,没被发现。这样,她就被留在了仓库里,除了梨子,没有别的东西可以吃,小女孩饿了就啃起梨子来。过了不久,宫里的仆人发现梨子比梨子比先前少了,还找到了不少梨核,就说:“这里一定有老鼠之类的东西偷啃梨子,需要好好检查检查。”边说,边在梨堆中搜查,果然发现了小女孩。
    他们问小女孩:“你在这里干什么?跟我们走,到王宫的厨房去打下手吧。”
    他们给小女孩起了个名字叫梨娃。梨娃是一个聪明机灵的女孩,她很快就学会了怎样讨好这些仆人,加上模样俊秀可爱,惹得大家人人喜欢。连王子也常来和她在一起玩,她和王子年龄一般大,他们很快就产生了好感。
    梨娃一天天长大,仆人们却越来越嫉妒她了,他们先是不搭理她,后来就开始给她使坏,还造谣说梨娃自夸要去拿到女巫的珍宝。谣言传到国王的耳朵里,国王马上把梨娃叫来,问她:“你真得说过要去拿到女巫的珍宝吗?”
    梨娃说:“绝对没有,圣明的国王,他们传说的那些事我一点也不知道。”
    但是国王坚持说:“你一定是说过了,话已出口就要去实现诺言。”说着,就把梨娃赶出了王宫,让她拿到珍宝才可以回来。
    梨娃走呀,走呀,天黑了。她走到一棵苹果树前,没有停脚。又走到一棵桃树前,也没有停脚。遇到一棵梨树的时候,她爬了上去,在树枝间睡着了。
    早上一睁眼,她看见一个老妇人在树下。老妇人问她:“漂亮的小女孩,你在上面干什么?”
    梨娃就把她遇到的麻烦告诉了老妇人。老妇人对她说:“拿着这三磅猪油、三磅面包和三磅高粱穗,一直向前走。”梨娃对她感谢了一番,就又出发了。
    她来到一个地方,那里有一座面包炉。只见三位烤面包的女工扯下自己的头发,用头发来打扫炉子。梨娃便把那三磅高粱穗送给了她们。三位女工可以用这些高粱穗清扫炉子了,就放梨娃过去了。
    走呀,走呀,梨娃来到一个地方,见到有三只凶猛的狗大声叫着、跳着、还扑向她,阻止她过去。梨娃把三磅面包扔给了它们。它们就让她过去了。
    走呀,走呀,梨娃又来到一条大河前,河里的水像血一样,她不知道如何才能过去。她记起老妇人曾经告诉她的咒语,就念道:
    “溪水啊,美丽的溪水,
    若我没有急事
    就会喝上一盆。”
    话音刚落,河水退下,让梨娃过去了。
    在河的对岸,梨娃看见一座可以说是世界上最雄伟、最辉煌的宫殿。但是宫殿的大门开阖得很快,没有人可以进去。于是,梨娃拿出那三磅猪油,倒在铰链上,大门就开始慢慢地开关了。
    走进宫殿,梨娃一眼望见在一张小桌子上放着的珍宝盒。她抱起珍宝盒,刚要离开,珍宝盒开始说话了。
    “大门杀死她,大门杀死她!”珍宝盒说。
    大门却回答:“我不能杀死她,我很久没上油了,是她给我上了油。”
    梨娃回到河水前,盒子又开始说话了:“河淹死她,河淹死她!”
    河答道:“我不能淹死她,因为她对我说:溪水啊,美丽的溪水。”
    到了三只狗那里,盒子说:“狗吃掉她,狗吃掉她!”可是三只狗说:“我们不能吃她,她给了我们三磅面包呢。”
    路过面包炉,盒子说:“炉子烧死她,炉子烧死她。”
    烤面包的女工说:“我们不能烧死她,她送给我们三磅高粱穗,这样打扫炉子的时候就不用我们的头发了。”
    快到王宫的时候,梨娃想看看盒子里面装的到底是什么,因为她也像所有的女孩子一样好奇心强。她打开盒子,只见从里面跳出一只金母鸡和一群金小鸡。它们摇晃着跑走了,跑得很快,追都追不上。梨娃跟在它们后边追着,追到苹果树下,没找到它们,追到桃树下,还是没找到它们,追到梨树前,只见那个老妇人,手里拿着根小木棍,正赶着那只金母鸡和那群金小鸡呢。“嘘,嘘……”老妇人将这些金鸡赶回到了盒子里面。
    回家途中,梨娃看见国王的儿子迎面走过来,“如果我父亲问你想要什么奖赏,你就说要那个放在地下室的装满煤块的箱子。”
    在王宫的门口,国王带着仆从和满朝文武,正等着她呢。梨娃把金母鸡和金小鸡交给国王,国王问:“你想要什么,说出来,我就给你。”
    梨娃回答说:“我要地下室里的那个装煤的箱子。”国王把煤箱给了她,梨娃打开一看,预先躲在里面的王子跳了出来。就这样,国王满心欢喜地让梨娃嫁给了他的儿子。
    (蒙费拉托地区)
    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