夜遊人&意大利童話


    很久以前,有一個漁夫,他很窮,三個女兒都已長大了。有個年輕人向三姊妹求婚。但是這裏的人們都很討厭他,因為他在夜晚才出來轉悠。大姑娘和二姑娘都拒絕了他,但三姑娘卻答應了。婚禮是在夜間舉行的。鬧新房的人走後,新郎誠懇地對新娘說:“我把這個秘密告訴你吧:我被一個邪惡的符咒鎮住了,白天變成烏龜,隻能在夜裏恢複成人。要破除這個符咒,隻有一個辦法:結婚後我馬上離開自己的妻子,到外麵去闖蕩,夜間作人,白天作烏龜。等我回來的時候,如果妻子一直對我忠實,而且為我還忍受了種種艱難困苦,我就能永遠恢複成人了。”


    “我心甘情願!”新娘說。


    新郎便摘下一隻鉆石戒指,給她戴在手指上,說:“如果用它來做好事的話,不論你碰到什麽困難,它都會幫助你你的。”


    天亮時,新郎變成烏龜爬出去,開始了他到外麵闖蕩的旅程。


    新娘進城去尋找工作。路上,她還到一個哇哇大哭的孩子,便對他的母親說:“讓我來抱抱他吧,好教他不鬧。”


    “你是頭一個這樣做的好人!”孩子的媽媽說,“他一天到晚都在哭鬧。”


    新娘低聲說:“讓鉆石戒指的魔力使孩子歡笑、跳躍吧!”話剛說完,孩子便嬉笑歡跳起來。


    接著,新娘走到一家麵包房裏,對老板娘說:“你要是雇我給你幹活,我不會使你後悔的。”於是,老板娘雇用了她,她開始做麵包,並輕聲細語地說:“我在這個麵包房裏幹活期間,讓鉆石戒指指的魔力使全城的人,都到這裏來買麵包吧!”從這時起,人們絡繹不絕地在這個麵包房裏進進出出,這兒的生意十分興隆。在這些人中間,有三個小夥子,他們愛上了她。


    “如果你跟我過一夜,”一個小夥子說:“我就給你一千法郎。”


    “我給你兩千法郎!”另一個小夥子說。


    “我加到三千法郎!”第三個小夥子說。


    當天晚上,她收了第三個小夥子三千法郎,偷偷地把他帶進了麵包房。


    “我馬上就跟你在一起,”她對這個小夥子說,“先讓我把發酵粉放到麵粉裏。你等我的時候,等你幫我揉一下麵團好嗎?”


    這個人開始揉麵團。他揉啊,揉啊,揉啊。由於鉆石戒指的魔力,他無論怎樣也不能從麵團裏拔出手來。就這樣,他一直揉到了天亮。


    “喲,你已經幹好啦!”她對他說,“你幹活真賣力。”


    於是,她把這個人打發走了。


    接著,她又答應了那個出兩千法郎的小夥子。天一黑,她就把他帶進麵包房,叫他幫忙吹火,不要讓它熄滅。他吹啊,吹啊,吹啊。由於鉆石戒指的魔力,他一直不停地吹到第二天早晨,臉都吹得浮腫起來,象個皮酒囊。


    “你真幹得好呀!”清晨,她對這個小夥子說,“你是來看我的,可整夜幫著我吹火!”


    於是,她把這個人打發走了。


    又一個夜晚,她把那個出一千法郎的小夥子帶了進來。“我要在麵粉裏加發酵粉,”她對他說,“你去把大門關上吧。”


    這個人關上了門,可是由於鉆石戒指的魔力,門馬上又開了。他整夜都在關門,門關了又開,開了又關,不知不覺地太陽升起來,天亮了。


    “你到底把門關上了沒有?好啦,你現在可以把門打開啦,滾吧!”


    三個小夥子憋了一肚子的氣,到官府去告發她。那時候,不光有男警察,還有女警察,捉拿女犯要派女警察。於是,四個女警察前來逮捕新娘。


    “讓鉆石戒指指的魔力使這四個女人相互打耳光吧,”新娘說,“一直打到明天早晨。”


    這四個女警察便相互打起耳光來。她們打得很重,一個個頭腫得象大南瓜,可是還拚命地互打著。


    四個女警察沒有帶回犯人來,四個男警察就去尋找她們。新娘見他們來了,便說:“讓鉆石戒指的魔力使這些人玩跳蛙遊戲吧!”於是,一個警察馬上四肢著地,匍匐下來。另一個警察向前俯身,將手搭在頭一個警察背上,跳了過去。第三、第四個警察也跟著照做。這樣,他們連續做起跳蛙遊戲來了。


    就在這個節骨眼兒上,一隻烏龜爬了過來。這正是新娘的丈夫,從外麵歸來了。他一見自己的妻子,瞧,他又變成了漂亮的年輕人!從此,他不再變化,跟妻子生活在一起,白頭偕老。


    (利古裏亞海岸)


    注釋:


    材料來源:詹姆士·安德魯斯編《利古裏亞故事集》(巴黎,1892年版)第十四和第二十一篇;搜集地區:曼敦;講述者:艾琳·吉納和艾琳·潘杜魯。


    這是一篇充滿稀奇古怪的故事。它最引人注目的是關於女警察的描寫。女警察是作為特殊警察製度這樣一種曆史事實來敘述的。在安德魯斯的第一種異文裏,新郎變成了癩蛤蟆。


    themanwhocameoutonlyatnight


    longagotherelivedapoorfishermanwiththreemarriageabledaughters.acertainyoungmanaskedforthehandofoneofthem,butpeoplewerewaryofhimsincehecameoutonlyatnight.theoldestdaughterandthenthemiddledaughterbothsaidnotohim,butthethirdgirlsaidyes.theweddingwascelebratedatnight,andassoonasthecouplewasalone,thebridegroomannouncedtohisbride:"imusttellyouasecret:iamunderanevilspenddoomedtobeatortoisebydayandamanatnight.theresonlyonewaytobreakthespell:imustleavemywiferightaftertheweddingandtravroundtheworld,atnightasamanandbydayasatortoise.ifebackandfindthatmywifehasremainedloyaltomealongandenduredeveryhardshipformysake,illbeamanagainforgood."


    "iamwilling,"saidthebride.


    thebridegroomslippedadiamondringonherfinger."ifyouuseittoagoodend,thisringwillhelpyouinwhateversituationyoufindyourself."


    dayhaddawned,andthebridegroomturnedintoatortoiseandcrawledofftobeginhisjourneyaroundtheworld.


    thebridewentaboutthecityinsearchofwork.alongtheway,shecameacrossachildcryingandsaidtohismother,"letmeholdhiminmyarmsandcalmhim."


    "youdbethefirstpersontodothat,"answeredthemother."hesbeencryingalldaylong."


    "bythepowerofthediamond,"whisperedthebride,"maythechilughanddanceandfrolic!"atthat,thechildstarteughing,dancing,andfrolicking.


    next,thebrideenteredabakeryandsaidtothewomanwhoownedit,"youllhavenoregretsifyouhiremetoworkforyou."theownerhiredher,andshebeganmakingbread,sayingunderherbreath,"bythepowerofthediamond,letthewholetownbuybreadatthisbakeryaslongasiworkhere!"fromthenon,peoplepouredinandoutwithnosignofaletup.amongthecustomerswerethreeyoungmenwhosawthebrideandfellinlovewithher.


    "ifyouletmespendanightwithyou,"oneofthemsaidtoher,"illgiveyouathousandfrancs."


    "illgiveyoutwothousand,"saidanother.


    "andillmakeitthreethousand,"saidthethird.


    shecollectedthethreethousandfrancsfromthethirdmanandsmuggledhimintothebakerythatverynight.


    "illbewithyouinaminute,"shetoldhim,"afteriveputtheyeastintotheflour.whileyourewaiting,wouldyoupleasekneadthedoughalittlebitforme?"


    themanbegankneading,andkneadedandkneadedandkneaded.bythepowerofthediamond,hecouldntforthelifeofhimtakehishandsoutofthedough,andthereforewentonkneadingtilldaylight.


    "soyoufinallyfinished!"shesaidtohim."youreallytookyourtime!"


    andshesenthimpacking.


    thenshesaidyestothemanwiththetwothousandfrancs,broughthiminassoonasitgrewdark,andtoldhimtoblowonthefireamomentsothatitwouldntgoout.heblewandblewandblew.bythepowerofthediamond,hehadtokeeprightonblowinguptothenextmorning,withhisfacebulginglikeawineskin.


    "whatawaytobehave!"shesaidtohiminthemorning."yoetoseeme,butspendthenightblowingonthefire!"


    andshesenthimpacking.


    thenextnightshebroughtinthemanwiththethousandfrancs."ihavetoaddtheyeast,"shetoldhim."whileimdoingthat,goshutthedoor."


    themanshutthedoor,whichbythepowerofthediamondcameopenagainrightaway.allnightlonghecloseditonlytoseeitimmediatelyreopen,andinnotimethesunwasup.


    "didyoufinallyclosethisdoor?well,youmaynowopenitagainandgetout."


    seethingwithrage,thethreemendenouncedhertotheauthorities.inthatdayandtimetherewere,inadditiontopolicemen,womenofficerswhowerecalledwheneverawomanwastobebroughtintocustody.sofourwomenofficerswenttoapprehendthebride.


    "bythepowerofthediamond,"saidthebride,"letthesewomenboxoneanothersearsuntiltomorrowmorning."


    thefourwomenofficersbeganboxingoneanothersearssohardthattheirheadsswelleduplikepumpkins,andtheystillwentonstrikingeachotherforalltheywereworth.


    whenthewomenofficersfailedtoreturnwiththeculprit,fourmaleofficersweresentouttolookforthem.thebridesawtheingandsaid,"bythepowerofthediamond,letthosemenyleapfrog."oneofthemaleofficersdroppeddownatonceonallfours;asecondonemovedup,puthishandsontheofficersback,andleapedoverhim,withthethirdandfourthfollowinginhistracks.thusbeganagameofleapfrog.


    rightatthatpoint,atortoisecamecrawlingintoview.itwasthehusbandreturningfromhistriparoundtheworld.hesawhiswife,andbehold!hewasagainahandsomeyoungman,andahandsomeyoungmanheremained,byhiswifesside,uptoaripeoldage.


    (rivieraligurediponente)


    notes:


    "themanwhocameoutonlyatnight"(luomocheuscivasolodinotte)fromandrews,14and21,menton,toldbyirengenaandirenepanduro.


    atalefullofoddities,themoststrikingofwhichisthatofwomenconstables,givenasahistoricalfactregardingaparticrpolicesystem.inandrewssfirstvariant,thebridegroomturnsintoatoad.


    copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,


    trantedbygeorgemartin,


    pantheonbooks,newyork1980

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