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有三个货舱的船（第8页）

NowhowamIgoingtodig?"

hewondered，thenrememberedtheratsontheotherisland."

Rats，finerats，helpme!"

Hednotgotthewordsoutofhismouthbeforethemountainwasswarmingwithratsfromtoptobottom.Theydugandgnawedandclawed，whilethemountaindwindledanddwindledanddwindledNextmorningFairySibianawasawakenedbythefirstraysofsunstreamingintoherroom."

congratulations!"

shesaidtotheyouth，"

butyourenotdoneyet."

Sheledhimtothepalacesundergroundvaults，inthecenterofwhichwasaroomwithaceilingashighasachurchsandcontainingonebigheapofpeasandlentilsthatreachedtheceiling."

Youhavethiswholenighttoseparatethepeasfromthelentilsintotwodistinctpiles.Heavenhelpyouifyouleaveonesinglelentilinthepeapile，oronesinglepeainthelentilpile."

Thedwarflefthimacandlewickandwentoffwiththefairy.Asthewickburneddowntonothing，theyouthcontinuedtostareatthehugepile，wonderinghowanyhumancouldeveraccomplishsointricateatask.Thenherememberedtheantsontheotherisland."

Ants，fineants，"

hecalled，"

helpme!"

Nosoonerhadhesaidthosewordsthantheentirecellarteemedwiththosetinyinsects.Theyconvergedontheheapand，withorderandpatience，madetwoseparatepiles，oneteamofantscarryingpeasandtheotherlentils."

Imstillnotdefeated，"

saidthefairywhenshesawthetaskcompleted."

Afarmoredifficulttrialnowawaitsyou.Youhavefromnowtilldawntofetchmeabarrelofthewateroflonglife."

Thespringoflonglifewasatthetopofasteepmountaininfestedwithsavagebeasts.Scalingthemountainwasoutofthequestion，muchlesswhilecarryingabarrel.Buttheyouthcalled，"

Vultures，finevultures，helpme!"

andtheskydarkenedwithvulturescirclingdowntoearth.Theyouthattachedaphialtotheneckofeach，andthevulturessoaredinagrandformationstraighttothespringonthemountaintop，filledtheirphials，andflewbackwiththemtotheyouth，whopouredthewaterintothebarrelhehadwaiting.Whenthebarrelwasfull，hoofbeatswereheardretreating.FairySibianawasfleeingfordearlife，followedbyherdwarfs，whileoutofthepalaceranthekingofEnglandsdaughter，cheering:"

Imsafeatlast!Yousetmefree!"

Withthekingsdaughterandthewateroflonglife，theyouthreturnedtohisship，wheretheoldsailorwasallreadytoweighanchor.ThekingofEnglandscannedtheseaeverydaythroughhistelescope.SeeingashipapproachthatwasflyingtheEnglishflag，herantoportoverjoyed.Whenthemangyonebeheldtheyouthsafeandsoundandescortingthekingsdaughter，hewasfittobetiedandresolvedtohavehimkilled.Whilethekingwascelebratinghisdaughtersreturnwithagrandbanquet，twogrim-lookingfellowscametogettheyouth，sayingitwasamatteroflifeanddeath.Puzzled，hefollowedthem.Whentheygottothewoods，thetwofellows，whowereassassinshiredbythemangyone，drewtheirknivesandcuttheyouthsthroat.Meanwhileatthebanquet，thekingsdaughterwasmoreandmoreworried，sincetheyouthhadgoneoffwiththatsinisterpairandnotreturned.Shewentoutlookingforhimand，reachingthewoods，foundhisbodycoveredwithwounds.Buttheoldsailorhadbroughtalongthebarrelcontainingthewateroflonglife，inwhichheimmersedtheyouthsbody，onlytoseehimjumprightbackoutassoundaseverandsohandsomethatthekingsdaughterthrewherarmsaroundhisneck.Themangyonewaslividwithrage."

Whatsinthatbarrel?"

heasked."

Boilingoil，"

repliedthesailor.Sothemangyonehadabarrelofoilheatedtoboilingandannouncedtotheprincess:"

IfyoudontlovemeIllkillmyself."

Hestabbedhimselfwithhisdaggerandleapedintotheboilingoil.Hewasinstantlyscaldedtodeath.Alsohisblackwighadflownoffwhenheleaped，revealinghismangyhead."

Ah，themangyone!"

exclaimedthekingofEngland."

Thecruelestofallmyenemies.Hefinallygotwhatwascomingtohim.Soyou，valiantyouth，aremygodson!Youshallmarrymydaughterandinheritmykingdom!"

Andsoitwas.（Rivieraligurediponente）NOTES:"

TheShipwithThreeDecks"

（Ilbastimentoatrepiani）fromAndrews，2and27，Menton，toldbyGiuaninaPiomboditeLaMova，andbyAngelinaMoretti.Prosperousseatrading，withunusualcargoscomingintoportswherethemerchandiseishighlyprized，isametaphorofluckinthepopularmind.Itrecursindiversefolktalesandiswovenintovariousplots（cf.myno.173，fromSicily）.InthistalefromtheItalianRivieraborder，thecuriousmotifsoftheshipwiththreedecksandoftheislesinhabitedbyanimalsareincorporatedintothewidespreadtypefeaturingtheenchantedfilly（inoneofAndrewssversions，adviceisgivenbythehorse）andgratefulanimals（cf.mynos.24and79）.IhavefreelyrenderedthetwoversionssummarizedinFrenchbyAndrews.Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino，translatedbyGeorgeMartin，PantheonBooks，NewYork1980