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蛇（第3页）

尽管如此，国王还是同样为她举行了庆祝宴会，邀请了所有的人来参加。

小妹妹穿得像王后般高贵，成为晚会上最漂亮的姑娘。

国王爱上了她，而且在爱上她的同时发觉她就是自己先前看中的那个新娘。

姑娘向国王讲述了自己的经历，边讲边笑，边讲边哭，笑的时候，金石榴籽就从她的头上扑扑地掉下来，哭的时候，眼泪就会变成串串珍珠，洗手时，满盆都是活鱼。

两个狠毒的姐姐和刚生出来的蝎子，被拉到高高的木柴垛上烧死了。

同一天，国王和小妹举行了盛大的结婚典礼。

他们过着奢侈、冷酷的生活我却躲在门后挨饿，我回到客栈去吃饭我的故事到此说完。

（蒙费拉托地区）TheSnakeAfarmerwentoutmowingeveryday，andatnoononeortheotherofhisthreedaughterswouldbringhimhislunch.Onacertaindayitfelltotheoldestgirltogo.Bythetimeshereachedthewoods，though，shewastiredandsatdownonastonetorestaminutebeforeproceedingtothemeadow.Nosoonerhadshetakenaseatthanshefeltastrongthudunderneath，andoutcrawledasnake.Thegirldroppedthebasketandranhomeasfastasherlegswouldcarryher.Thatdaythefatherwenthungryandwhenhecameinfromthefieldhescoldedhisdaughtersangrily.Thenextdaythemiddlegirlstartedout.Shetoosatdownonthestone，andthesamethingoccurredasthedaybefore.Thenthethirdgirlsaid，"

Itsmyturnnow，butImnotafraid."

Insteadofonelunchbasket，shepreparedtwo.Whenshefeltthethudandsawthesnake，shegaveitoneofthebasketsoffood，andthesnakespoke."

Takemehomewithyou，andIwillbringyouluck."

Thegirlputthesnakeinherapronandthenwentontoherfatherwithhislunch.Whenshegotbackhome，sheplacedthesnakeunderherbed.Itgrewsorapidlythatsoonitwastoobigtofitunderthebed，soitwentaway.Beforeleaving，however，itbestowedthreecharmsonthegirl:weeping，shewouldshedtearsofpearlandsilver;laughing，shewouldseegoldenpomegranateseedsfallfromherhead;andwashingherhands，shewouldproducefishofeverykind.Thatdaytherewasnothinginthehousetoeat，andherfatherandsisterswereweakfromthehunger，sowhatdidshedobutwashherhandsandseethebasinfillupwithfish!Hersistersbecameenviousandconvincedtheirfatherthattherewassomethingstrangebehindallthisandthathewouldbewisetolockthegirlupintheattic.Fromtheatticwindowthegirllookedintothekingsgarden，wherethekingssonwasplayingball.Runningaftertheball，heslippedandfell，sendingthegirlintopealsoflaughter.Asshelaughed，goldpomegranateseedsrainedfromherheadonthegarden.Thekingssonhadnoideawheretheycamefrom，forthegirlhadslammedthewindow.Returningtothegardennextdaytoplayball，thekingssonnoticedthatapomegranatetreehadsprungup.Itwasalreadyquitetallandladenwithfruit.Hewenttopickthepomegranates，butthetreegrewtallerrightbeforehiseyes，andallhehadtodowasreachforapomegranateandthebrancheswouldriseafootbeyondhisgrasp.Sincenobodymanagedtoplucksomuchasoneleafofthetree，thekingassembledthewisementoexplainthemagicspell.Theoldestofthemallsaidthatonlyonemaidenwouldbeabletopickthefruitandthatshewouldbecomethebrideofthekingsson.Sothekingissuedaproclamationforallmarriageablegirlstocometothegarden，underpainofdeath，totrytopickthepomegranates.Girlsofeveryraceandstationshowedup，butnoladderswereeverlongenoughforthemtoreachthefruit.Amongthecontestantswerethefarmerstwoolderdaughters，buttheyfellofftheladderandlandedflatontheirbacks.Thekinghadthehousessearchedandfoundothergirls，includingtheonelockedupintheattic.Assoonastheytookhertothetree，thebranchesbentdownandplacedthepomegranatesrightinherhands.Everyonecheered，"

Thatsthebride，thatsthebride!"

withthekingssonshoutingloudestofall.Preparationsweremadeforthewedding，towhichthesisters，asenviousasever，wereinvited.Theyallthreerodeinthesamecarriage，whichdrewtoahaltinthemiddleofaforest.Theoldergirlsorderedtheyoungeroneoutofthecarriage，curoffherhands，gougedouthereyes，andleftherlyingunconsciousinthebushes.Thentheoldestgirldressedintheweddinggownandwenttothekingsson.Hecouldntunderstandwhyshedbecomesougly，butsinceshefaintlyresembledtheothergirl，hedecidedhedbeenmistakenallalongaboutheroriginalbeauty.Eyelessandhandless，themaidenremainedintheforestweeping.Acartercamebyandhadpityonher.Heseatedheronhismuleandtookhertohishouse.Shetoldhimtolookdown:thegroundwasstrewnwithsilverandpearls，whichwerenoneotherthanthegirlstears.Thecartertookthemandsoldthemformorethanathousandcrowns.Howgladhewastohavetakenthepoorgirlin，evenifshewasunabletoworkandhelpthefamily.Onedaythegirlfeltasnakewraparoundherleg:itwasthesnakeshehadoncebefriended."

Didyouknowyoursistermarriedthekingssonandbecamequeen，sincetheoldkingdied?Nowshesexpectingababyandwantsfigs."

Thegirlsaidtothecarter，"

Loadamulewithfigsandtakethemtothequeen."

"

WhereamIgoingtogetfigsthistimeofyear?"

askedthecarter.Ithappenedtobewinter.Butthenextmorninghewentintothegardenandfoundthefigtreeladenwithfruit，eventhoughtherewasntaleafonthetree.Hefilleduptwobasketsandloadedthemontohisdonkey."

HowhighapricecanIaskforfigsinwinter?"

saidthecarter."

Askforapairofeyes，"

repliedthemaiden.Thathedid，butneitherthekingnorthequeennorherothersisterwouldhaveevergougedouttheireyes.Sothesisterstalkedthematterover."

Letsgivehimoursisterseyes，whichareofnousetous."

Withthoseeyestheypurchasedthefigs.Thecarterreturnedtothemaidenwiththeeyes.Sheputthembackinplaceandsawagainaswellasever.Thenthequeenhadadesireforpeaches，andthekingsenttothecarteraskingifhecouldntfindsomepeachesthewayhedfoundfigs.Thenextmorningthepeachtreeinthecartersgardenwasladenwithpeaches，andhetookaloadtocourtatonceonhisdonkey.Whentheyaskedhimwhathewantedforthem，hereplied，"

Apairofhands."

Butnobodywouldcutofftheirhands，noteventopleasetheking.Thenthesisterstalkedthematterover."

Letsgivehimoursisters."

Whenthegirlgotherhandsback，shereattachedthemtoherarmsandwasassoundasever.Notlongafterward，thequeenwentintolaborandbroughtforthascorpion.Thekingnonethelessgaveaball，towhicheverybodywasinvited.Thegirlwentdressedasaqueenandwasthebelleoftheball.Thekingfellinlovewithherandrealizedshewashistruebride.Shelaughedgoldenseeds，weptpearls，andwashedfishintothebasin，asshetoldherstoryfromstarttofinish.Thetwowickedsistersandthescorpionwereburnedonapyreskyhigh.Onthesamedaythegrandweddingbanquettookplace.Theyputonthedogandhighdidtheysoar;Isaw，Iheard，Ihidbehindthedoor.ThentodinerepairedItotheinn，Andtheremystorydrawstoanend.（Monferrato）NOTES:"

TheSnake"

（LaBiscia）fromComparetti，25，Monferrato，Piedmont.TheluxuriantstoryfromTheFacetiousNights（III，3）aboutBiancabellaandtheserpent，oneofStraparolasfinest，isheretold，onthecontrary，inbarerusticsimplicity，inthemidstofmeadowsreadyforamowing，fruits，andseasons.TheepisodeofthepomegranatetreewithitsfruitthatcannotbepluckedwasaddedbymetofilloutasomewhatsketchypassageinthePiedmonteseversion.ItookitfromaTuscanvariant（Gradi），basedonmotifsfromthistaleandothers，wheresupernaturalhelpcomesfromaredandgoldfish.Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino，translatedbyGeorgeMartin，PantheonBooks，NewYork1980