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十二头牛

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十二头牛&意大利童话

从前有十二个兄弟,跟父亲吵架后,一起离开了家。他们在森林里搭起了一座房屋,以做木匠活为生。父母又生了一个女儿,她成了二老生活的寄托。小妹长大了,她只是听说过十二个哥哥的事,但从没跟他们见过面,她非常渴望能见到他们。

有一次,小妹到泉水边洗澡,她先把自己戴的珊瑚项链摘了下来挂在了一根树枝上。正好有一只乌鸦飞过,叼起项链飞走了。小妹追着乌鸦跑进了森林,遇到了哥哥们住的那座房屋。屋里一个人也没有,小妹煮好一锅面条,盛在盘子中,就钻到床下躲起来。十二兄弟回到家,看到面条已经煮好了,而且还给盛在盘子中,就吃了起来。吃完以后,他们都有些害怕,担心是女巫跟他们开的一个玩笑,因为这片森林里有很多女巫。

第二天,十二兄弟留下一个人守着房间,他发现一个姑娘从床底下跳了出来。当兄弟们知道她并非女巫而是他们从没见过面的小妹时,都高兴地欢呼起来,他们想让小妹留下来跟他们一起生活。但他们又叮嘱她,不得和森林中的任何人说话,因为林子里满是女巫。

一天傍晚,炉火灭了,可小妹要给哥哥们准备晚饭。为了节省时间,她来到附近的一间小屋借火。小屋中住着一个老妇,她很热情地答应借火给小妹,但提出了交换条件:第二天她要来在小妹的小手指上吸一点血。

小妹说:“我不能给任何人开门,我的哥哥们不同意。”

老妇说:“不需要你开门,当你听到敲门声,把小手指伸进钥匙孔里,让我吸几下就行了。”

就这样,老妇每天晚上都来吸小妹的血,小妹的脸色变得越来越苍白。哥哥们觉得不对劲,就问小妹,小妹就把她为了找女巫借火,让女巫吸她的血作交换的事说了。哥哥们说:“这事让我们处理吧。”

女巫又来了,敲门后没看到姑娘的手指伸出来,女巫就从门下方的猫洞伸进头来。一个哥哥拿着一把斧头正等着她呢,手起斧落,女巫的头就被砍了下来。然后兄弟们把女巫的尸首扔下了山谷。

一天,小妹去泉边遇到了另一个老妇,在卖白色的碗。

“我没有钱买。”姑娘说。

“我白送给你。”老妇说。

就这样,哥哥们口干舌燥地回到家时,一眼就看见了盛满了水的十二只白碗,他们纷纷一饮而尽,一下子全都变成了牛。只有第十二个哥哥,不像其它哥哥那么渴,只喝了一口水,变成了一只羊。小妹只好孤单地跟这十一头牛和一只羊一起生活,每天喂养牠们。

这一天,一个王子来森林打猎迷了路,转到小妹的房屋,爱上了她。王子告诉她想要娶她为妻,而她回答说她必须带上她的十二只牛哥羊哥,不能丢下牠们不管。王子带着她和她的十二个兄长回到了王宫,小妹成了他的新娘王妃,那十一头牛和一只羊被安排住进一间大理石砌成的牛棚,用着金子做的食槽。但森林中的女巫并不甘心。有一天,王妃带着羊哥哥——她总是带着牠在身边——到葡萄架下散步,出现了一位老妇。

“好心的王妃,你能赏我一串葡萄吗?”

“好的,老太太,你随便摘吧。”王妃回答。

“我构不到葡萄架,好心的王妃,你帮我摘吧。”

“这就来。”王妃说着,伸出手去摘一串葡萄。

“摘那边那串熟透的吧。”老妇指着池塘上边的那串葡萄说。

王妃为了摘到那串葡萄,爬上池塘的边墙,这时,老妇上去推了她一把,王妃就摔了下去。羊哥一见,咩咩地围着池塘叫,但谁也不明白牠在叫什么,也听不到池塘下边王妃的呻吟声。这时,女巫变成王妃的样子,躺在床上。王子回到家,问:“怎么躺在床上,不舒服吗?”

假王妃回答说:“我不舒服,我需要吃一些羊肉。你让人把那只叫个不停的羊给我宰了。”

王子说:“你还记得你以前对我说的话吗?你说那只羊是你的哥哥,而你现在却要把牠吃了?”

女巫露出了马脚!她愣在那里不知说什么才好。王子发现事有蹊跷,他来到花园,跟着那只拚命叫着的羊向池塘走去。到了池塘边,王子听见妻子呼唤他的声音。王子惊叫道:“你怎么到池塘底下了,刚才你还在床上,我不是刚离开你吗?”

“不,我从早上就掉到这里了,是一个女巫把我推下来了。”

王子立即把妻子救了上来。他派人抓住了女巫,而且要烧死她。随着火一点点烧到女巫的手上、腿上、肘上,一头牛变回了人,另一头也变回了人,所有的牛和羊都变回了人,他们全都很健壮,好象一队威武的巨人闯入了城堡。他们全都被封为亲王,而我还跟以前一样是一个穷困潦倒的人。

(蒙费拉托地区)

thetwelveoxen

thereweretwelvebrotherswhofelloutwiththeirfather,andalltwelveofthemlefthome.theybuiltthemselvesahouseinthewoodsandmadetheirlivingascarpenters.meanwhiletheirparentshadababygirl,whowasagreatcomforttothem.thechildgrewupwithoutevermeetinghertwelvebrothers.shehadonlyheardthemmentioned,andshelongedtoseethem.

onedayshewenttobatheatafountain,andthefirstthingshedidwasremovehercoralnecklaceandhangitonatwig.aravencameby,grabbedthenecklace,andflewoffwithit.thegirlranintothewoodsaftertheravenandfoundherbrothershouse.noonewasathome,soshecookedthenoodles,spoonedthemontothebrothersplates,andhidunderabed.thebrothersreturnedand,findingthenoodlesreadyandwaiting,satdownandate.butthentheygrewuneasy,suspectingthewitcheshadplayedajokeonthem,forthewoodswerefullofwitches.

oneofthetwelvekeptwatchthenextdayandsawthegirljumpoutfromunderthebed.whenthebrotherslearnedshewasnotawitchbuttheirownlittlesister,theymadeagreatto-dooverherandinsistedthatsheremainwiththem.buttheycautionedhertospeaktonooneinthewoods,becausetheplacewasfullofwitches.

oneeveningwhenthegirlwenttopreparesupper,shefoundthatthefirehadgoneout.tosavetime,shewenttoanearbycottagetogetalight.anoldwomanatthecottagegraciouslygaveherthelight,butsaidthat,inexchange,shewouldcometothegirlonthemorrowandsuckabitofbloodfromherlittlefinger.

"icantletanyoneinthehouse,"saidthegirl."mybrothersforbidit."

"youdontevenhavetoopenthedoor,"repliedtheoldwoman."wheniknock,allyouhavetodoisstickyourlittlefingerthroughthekeyhole,andillsuckit."

sotheoldwomancamebyeveryeveningtosuckthebloodfromher,whilethegirlgrewpalerandpaler.herbrothersnoticeditandaskedhersomanyquestionsthatsheadmittedgoingtoanoldwitchforalightandhavingtopayforitwithherblood."justletustakecareofher,"saidthebrothers.

thewitcharrived,knocked,andwhenthegirlfailedtostickherfingerthroughthekeyhole,shepokedherheadthroughthecatdoor.oneofthebrothershadhishatchetallreadyandchoppedoffherhead.thentheypitchedtheremainsintoaravine.

onedayonthewaytothefountain,thegirlmetanotheroldwoman,whowassellingwhitebowls.

"ihavenomoney,"saidthegirl.

"inthatcaseillmakeyouapresentofthem,"saidtheoldwoman.

sowhenthebrotherscamehomethirsty,theyfoundtwelvebowelsfilledwithwater.theypitchedinanddrank,andinstantlychangedintoaherdofoxen.onlythetwelfth,whosethirstwasslight,barelytouchedthewaterandturnedintoalamb.thesisterthereforefoundherselfalonewithelevenoxenandonelambtofeedeveryday.

aprinceouthuntingwentastrayinthewoodsand,turningupatthegirlshouse,fellinlovewithher.heaskedhertomarryhim,butsherepliedthatshehadtothinkofheroxenbrothersandcouldntpossiblyleavethem.theprincetookhertohispalacealongwithallthebrothers.thegirlbecamehisprincessbride,andtheelevenoxenandthelambwereputintoamarblebarnwithgoldmangers.

butthewitchesinthewoodsdidnotgiveup.onedaytheprincesswasstrollingunderthegrapearborwithherlambkinbrotherthatshealwayscarriedwithher,whenanoldwomanwalkeduptoher.

"willyougivemeabunchofgrapes,mygoodprincess?"

"yes,dearoldsoul,helpyourself."

"icantreachupthathigh,pleasepickthemforme."

"rightaway,"saidtheprincess,reachingupforabunch.

"pickthatbunchthere,theyretheripest,"saidtheoldwoman,pointingtoabunchabovethecistern.

toreachit,theprincesshadtostandontherimofthecistern.theoldwomangaveherapush,andtheprincessfellin.thelambstartedbleating,andbleatedallaroundthecistern,butnobodyunderstoodwhatitwasbleatingabout,nordidtheyheartheprincessmoaningdowninthewell.meanwhilethewitchhadtakentheprincesssshapeandgotintoherbed.whentheprincecamehome,heasked,"whatareyoudoinginbed?"

"imsick,"saidthefalseprincess."ineedtoeatamorseloflamb.slaughtermethatoneouttherethatwontstopbleating."

"didntyoutellmesometimeago,"askedtheprince,"thatthelambwasyourbrother?andyouwanttoeathimnow?"

thewitchhadblunderedandwasatalossforwords.theprince,sensingthatsomethingwasamiss,wentintothegardenandfollowedthelambthatwasbleatingsopitifully.itapproachedthecistern,andtheprinceheardhiswifecalling.

"whatareyoudoingatthebottomofthecistern?"heexclaimed."didntijustleaveyouinbed?"

"no,ivebeendownhereeversincethismorning!awitchthrewmein!"

theprinceorderedhiswifepulledupatonce.thewitchwascaughtandburnedatthestake.whilethefireburned,theoxenandalsothelambslowlyturnedbackintofine,strappingyoungmen,andyoudhavethoughtthecastlehadbeeninvadedbyabandofgiants.theywereallmadeprinces,whileivestayedaspoorasoulasever.

(monferrato)

notes:

"thetwelveoxen"(idodicibuoi)fromcomparetti,47,monferrato,piedmont.

thefolktalesaboutthesisterwhorescuesherbrotherorbrotherschangedintoanimalscanbedividedintotwogroups:theonewherethesevensonsareunderacurse(asinbasile,iv,8,oringrimm,9and25),andtheotherwherethesolebrotheristransformedintoalamb(asingrimm,11,orinmyno.178).thebrothersaremostcommonlytransformedintobirds(swans,ravens,doves),andthefirstliterarymanifestationofthemotifdatesbacktothetwelfthcentury;thelatestispossiblyandersens"wildswans."

copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,

translatedbygeorgemartin,

pantheonbooks,newyork1980

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