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一身海草的人（第3页）

Idliketoverymuch."

"

Comeaboard，then."

"

SoSamphireStarboardwasthefirsttoembark.Afterthat，othersailorstookheartandboardedtheship.Oncehewasontheship，SamphireStarboarddidnothingbutstandaroundalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreamaboutthetavernshehadleftbehind.Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend，provisionswerescarce，andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep.Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim."

Seethatlittleisland?"

heasked，pointingtoanisolatedreefinthemiddleofthesea."

Getintoarowboatandgoexploreit.Wellbecruisingrightaroundhere."

SamphireStarboardsteppedintotherowboat，andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed，leavinghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea.Heapproachedthereef，spiedacave，andwentin.Tiedupinsidewasaverybeautifulmaiden，whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter."

Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"

sheasked."

Iwasfishingforoctopi，"

explainedSamphire."

Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus，whoseprisonerInowam，"

saidthekingsdaughter."

Fleebeforeitreturns.Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught.Butyourhavetokillthemulletatonce，oritwillchangeintoaseagullandflyaway."

SamphireStarboardhidhisboatandwaitedoutofsightonthereef.Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus，whichwassolargethatitcouldreachcleararoundtheislandwithitstentacles.Allitssuckersshook，havingsmelledamanonthereef.Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish，andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea.SamphireStarboardloweredfishingnetsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard，sturgeon，anddentex.Thelasthaulproducedtheredmullet，shakinglikealeaf.Samphireraisedhisoartokillit，butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthenetandbrokeitswing.Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus，whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood.Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar.Thekingsdaughtergavehimadiamondringasatokenofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim."

ComeandIlltakeyoutoyourfather，"

hesaid，showingherintohisboat.Buttheboatwastinyandtheywereoutinthemiddleofthesea.Afterrowingandrowingtheyspiedashipinthedistance.Samphiresignaledtoitwithanoardrapedwiththekingsdaughtersgown.Theshipspottedthemandtookthemaboard.ItwasthesameshipthathadearlierdischargedandabandonedSamphire.Seeinghimbackwiththekingsdaughter，thecaptainsaid，"

PoorSamphireStarboard!Herewethoughtyouwerelostandnow，afterlookingalloverforyou，weseeyoureturnwiththekingsdaughter!Thatcallsforarealcelebration!"

ToSamphireStarboard，whodnottouchedadropofwineformonthsonend，thatseemedtoogoodtobetrue.TheywerealmostinsightoftheirhomeportwhenthecaptainledSamphiretoatableandplacedseveralbottlesofwinebeforehim.Samphiredrankanddrankuntilhefellunconscioustothefloor.Thenthecaptainsaidtothekingsdaughter，"

Dontyoudaretellyourfatherthatdrunkardfreedyou.TellhimthatIfreedyoumyself，sinceImthecaptainoftheshipandorderedhimtorescueyou."

Thekingsdaughterneitheragreednordisagreed."

IknowwhatIlltellhim，"

sheanswered.Tobeonthesafeside，thecaptaindecidedtodoawaywithSamphireStarboardonceandforall.Thatnight，theypickedhimup，stillasdrunkascouldbe，andthrewhimintothesea.Atdawntheshipwasinsightofport.Withflagstheysignaledtheywerebringinghomethekingsdaughtersafeandsound.Abandplayedonthepier，wherethekingwaitedwiththeentirecourt.Adatewaschosenforthekingsdaughtertowedthecaptain.Onthedayofthewedding，themarinersinportsawamanemergefromthewater.Hewascoveredfromheadtofootwithseaweed，andoutofhispocketsandtheholesinhisclothesswamfishandshrimps.ItwasnoneotherthanSamphireStarboard.Heclimbedoutofthewaterandwentamblingthroughthecitystreets，withseaweeddrapinghisheadandbodyanddraggingalongbehindhim.Atthatverymomenttheweddingprocessionwasmovingthroughthestreetandcamefacetofacewiththemanwreathedinseaweed.Everyonestopped."

Whoisthis?"

askedtheking."

Seizehim!"

Theguardscameup，butSamphireStarboardraisedahandandthediamondonhisfingersparkledinthesunlight."

Mydaughtersring!"

exclaimedtheking."

Yes，"

saidthedaughter，"

thismanwasmyrescuerandwillbemybridegroom."

SamphireStarboardtoldthestory，andthecaptainwasimprisoned.Greenthoughhewaswithseaweed，Samphiretookhisplacebesidethebridecladinwhiteandwasjoinedtoherinmatrimony.（Rivieraligurediponente）NOTES:"

TheManWreathedinSeaweed"

（Luomoverdedalghe）fromAndrews，7，Menton，toldbythewidowLavigna.ThisseataletransferstoanunusualsettingaplotwellknownthroughoutEurope:thatoftheyoungerbrotherwhogoesdownintothewelltofreetheprincessandissubsequentlyabandonedtherehimself（cf.myno.78）.AndrewsscollectionoftalespresentsnomorethanbriefsummariesinFrench;forthistale，then，aswellasthefollowing，takenfromthesamecompilation，Igavefreereintomyimaginationinsupplyingdetails，whileadheringtothebasicplot.IchosethenameBaciccinTribordo（GiovanniBattistaStarboard）toreplacetheoriginalnamewhosemeaningisnotveryclear.Intheoriginaltext，theprincessisabductedbyadragoninsteadofbyanoctopus，andthedragonchangesintoabarnacle，whichseemedtometooeasytocatch.Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino，translatedbyGeorgeMartin，PantheonBooks，NewYork1980