"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
有三个货舱的船&意大利童话(17)
从前，在一个偏僻的乡下住着一对贫穷的夫妻。他们生了个儿子，可是附近找不到人来当孩子的教父。他们想进城去找，在那儿又没有熟人；没有教父，就不能给孩子洗礼。在教堂门口的台阶上，他们看见一个披黑斗篷的男人，便问道：“好心的先生，您愿意当这个孩子的教父吗？”那人同意了，这样就给孩子施了洗礼。
他们走出了教堂，那个陌生人说：“现在，我要送一件礼物给我的教子。请收下这个钱包，就用这些钱来抚养他，供他上学。等他识字以后，把这封信交给他。”孩子的父母大吃一惊，还没来得及问他姓甚名谁，也没来得及感谢他，他已经不见了。
钱包里装满了金克郎，孩子后来读书就用的是这笔钱。当孩子能写会念以后，父母便把那封信交给了他，信上写着：
亲爱的教子：
经长期流放以后，我现在回去重新执掌朝政了。我需要一个继承人。你读完此信，马上动身来找你亲爱的教父——英格兰国王。
又及，旅途中，你务必提防三个人：一个斗鸡眼，一个跛子和一个瘌痢头。
耽美书斋推荐浏览： 伊塔罗·卡尔维诺