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伯爵的胡子（第3页）

身后还带着一个人，好像被拉着胡子，是谁呀？是伯爵，伯爵一边哭着，挣扎着，一边求饶。

“这就是女巫！”

马西诺喊道。

随后又问：“热酒放在哪里了”

？伯爵在众人的怒目逼视下，蜷缩在地上，好像一只冻坏的苍蝇。

马西诺解释说：“不可能是你们当中的人干的，因为你们都理过发，剪过胡须，不可能在树丛中留下须毛；树林里有又大又重的鞋印，而你们都是赤脚进树林的。

也不可能是什么精灵干的，因为精灵没必要去买那么多绳子绑了牲畜，再拉走。

哎，我要的热酒呢？”

伯爵浑身哆嗦着，竭力要躲到他的胡子里面，马西诺把他从树丛后拉出来的时候，他的胡子被拉得乱七八糟。

“那他用什么方法看我们一眼，就会让我们昏倒呢？”

一位村民问。

“他用包了布的木棍子在你们的头上猛击一棍，这样你们觉得像吹气一样，头上无痕迹，醒来时头昏脑沉。”

“那他丢在森林中的那些头钗呢？”

另一个人问。

“这些头钗是他用来把胡子扎到头上的，就像女人扎头发那样。”

村民们都安静地听着，当马西诺说“现在，大家想怎么处置他？”

时，人群中爆发出一阵激动的喊声：“烧死他！

剥他的皮！

把他绑在杆子上当稻草人！

把他关在桶里让他不停地转！

把他跟六只猫，六只狗一起捆进一个袋子里！”

“饶命！”

伯爵用颤抖的声音哀求着。

“我看这样吧，”

马西诺说，“让他把牲畜都还给大家，再让他把所有的牛棚打扫干净。

既然他喜欢夜里到森林中去，就罚他每天晚上都去给你们捡柴火。

告诉孩子们以后看到地上有发钗的话再也不要捡了，它们都是女巫米奇利娜的，她再也不能梳理好头发和胡子了。”

村民们就照马西诺说的做了。

随后，马西诺又动身游历世界去了，一路上，他加入了一次又一次的战争，每一次战争都持续了很长时间，有诗为证：啊，战争中的士兵，你吃的差，睡在地上，将火药装进炮膛，嘣！

嘣!TheCountsBeardThetownofPocapagliawasperchedonthepinnacleofahillsosteepthatitsinhabitantstiedlittlebagsonthetailfeathersoftheirhenstocatcheachfreshlylaideggthatotherwisewouldhavegonerollingdowntheslopesintothewoodsbelow.AllofwhichgoestoshowthatthepeopleofPocapagliawerenottheduncestheyweresaidtobe，andthattheproverb，InPocapagliawaysThedonkeywhistles，themasterbrays，merelyreflectedthemaliciousgrudgetheneighboringtownspeopleborethePocapagliansfortheirpeacefulwaysandtheirreluctancetoquarrelwithanyone."

Yes，yes，"

wasallthePocapaglianswouldreply，"

butjustwaituntilMasinoreturns，andyouwillseewhobraysmore，weoryou."

EverybodyinPocapaglialovedMasino，thesmartestboyintown.Hewasnostrongerphysicallythananybodyelse;infact，heevenlookedratherpuny.Buthehadalwaysbeenveryclever.Concernedoverhowlittlehewasatbirth，hismotherhadbathedhiminwarmwinetokeephimaliveandmakehimalittlestronger.Hisfatherhadheatedthewinewithared-hothorseshoe.ThatwayMasinoabsorbedthesubtletyofwineandtheenduranceofiron.Tocoolhimoffafterhisbath，hismothercradledhimintheshellofanunripenedchestnut;itwasbitterandgavehimunderstanding.AtthetimethePocapaglianswereawaitingthereturnofMasino，whomnoonehadseensincethedayhewentofftobeasoldier（andwhowasnowmostlikelysomewhereinAfrica），strangethingsstartedhappeninginPocapaglia.Everyeveningasthecattlecamebackfrompastureintheplainbelow，ananimalwaswhiskedawaybyMicillinatheWitch.Thewitchwouldhideinthewoodsatthefootofthehill，andallsheneededtodowasgiveoneheavypuff，andshehadherselfanox.Whenthefarmersheardherstealthroughthethicketafterdark，theirteethwouldchatter，andeveryonewouldfalldowninaswoon.Thatbecamesocommonthatpeopletooktosaying:BewareofMicillina，thatoldwitch，Forallyouroxenshewillfilch，Thentrainonyouhercrossed-eye，Andwaitforyoutofallanddie.AtnighttheybeganlightinghugebonfirestokeepMicillinatheWitchfromventuringoutofthewoods.Butshewouldsneakuponthesolitaryfarmerwatchingovercattlebesidethebonfireandknockhimoutinonebreath.Inthemorninguponawaking，hedfindcowsandoxengone，andhisfriendswouldhearhimweepingandmoaningandhittinghimselfonthehead.Theneverybodycombedthewoodsfortracesofthestolencattle，butfoundonlytuftsofhair，hairpins，andfootprintslefthereandtherebyMicillinatheWitch.Thingswentfrombadtoworse.Shutupallthetimeinthebarn，thecowsgrewasthinasrails.Arakeinsteadofabrushwasallthatwasneededtogroomthem，fromribtorib.Nobodydaredleadthecattletopastureanymore.Everyonestayedclearofthewoodsnow，andthemushroomsthatgrewtherewentunpickedandgotasbigasumbrellas.MicillinatheWitchwasnottemptedtoplunderothertowns，knowingfullwellthatcalmandpeace-lovingpeopleweretobefoundonlyinPocapaglia.Therethepoorfarmerslitabigbonfireeverynightinthetownsquare，whilethewomenandchildrenlockedthemselvesindoors.Themensataroundthefirescratchingtheirheadsandgroaning.Dayafterdaytheyscratchedandgroaneduntiladecisionwasfinallyreachedtogotothecountforhelp.Thecountlivedhighabovethetownonalargecircularestatesurroundedbyamassivewall.Thetopofthewallwasencrustedwithsharpbitsofglass.OneSundaymorningallthetownsmenarrived，withhatsinhand.Theyknocked，thedoorswungopen，andtheyfiledintothecourtyardbeforethecourtsrounddwelling，whichhadbarsatallthewindows.Aroundthecourtyardsatthecourtssoldierssmoothingtheirmustacheswithoiltomakethemshineandscowlingatthefarmers.Attheendofthecourtyard，inavelvetchair，satthecounthimselfwithhislongblackbeard，whichfoursoldierswerecombingfromheadtofoot.Theoldestfarmertookheartandsaid，"

YourHonor，wehavedaredcometoyouaboutourmisfortune.Asourcattlegointothewoods，MicillinatheWitchappearsandmakesoffwiththem."

So，amidsighsandgroans，withtheotherfarmersnoddinginassent，hetoldthecountallabouttheirnightmare.Thecountremainedsilent."

Wehavecomehere，"