和梨子一起卖掉的小女孩&意大利童话

    从前，有个人有一棵梨树，每年都能收四大筐梨子，正好够交给国王。有一年，只收了三筐半梨子。他没法装满第四个筐，就把他最小的女儿装进去，然后盖上了些梨子和树叶。

    这四筐梨子被送到了王宫的食品库，倒梨子的时候，小女孩跟梨子一起被倒了出来，没被发现。这样，她就被留在了仓库里，除了梨子，没有别的东西可以吃，小女孩饿了就啃起梨子来。过了不久，宫里的仆人发现梨子比梨子比先前少了，还找到了不少梨核，就说：“这里一定有老鼠之类的东西偷啃梨子，需要好好检查检查。”边说，边在梨堆中搜查，果然发现了小女孩。

    他们问小女孩：“你在这里干什么？跟我们走，到王宫的厨房去打下手吧。”

    他们给小女孩起了个名字叫梨娃。梨娃是一个聪明机灵的女孩，她很快就学会了怎样讨好这些仆人，加上模样俊秀可爱，惹得大家人人喜欢。连王子也常来和她在一起玩，她和王子年龄一般大，他们很快就产生了好感。

    梨娃一天天长大，仆人们却越来越嫉妒她了，他们先是不搭理她，后来就开始给她使坏，还造谣说梨娃自夸要去拿到女巫的珍宝。谣言传到国王的耳朵里，国王马上把梨娃叫来，问她：“你真得说过要去拿到女巫的珍宝吗？”

    梨娃说：“绝对没有，圣明的国王，他们传说的那些事我一点也不知道。”

    但是国王坚持说：“你一定是说过了，话已出口就要去实现诺言。”说着，就把梨娃赶出了王宫，让她拿到珍宝才可以回来。

    梨娃走呀，走呀，天黑了。她走到一棵苹果树前，没有停脚。又走到一棵桃树前，也没有停脚。遇到一棵梨树的时候，她爬了上去，在树枝间睡着了。

    早上一睁眼，她看见一个老妇人在树下。老妇人问她：“漂亮的小女孩，你在上面干什么？”

    梨娃就把她遇到的麻烦告诉了老妇人。老妇人对她说：“拿着这三磅猪油、三磅面包和三磅高粱穗，一直向前走。”梨娃对她感谢了一番，就又出发了。

    她来到一个地方，那里有一座面包炉。只见三位烤面包的女工扯下自己的头发，用头发来打扫炉子。梨娃便把那三磅高粱穗送给了她们。三位女工可以用这些高粱穗清扫炉子了，就放梨娃过去了。

    走呀，走呀，梨娃来到一个地方，见到有三只凶猛的狗大声叫着、跳着、还扑向她，阻止她过去。梨娃把三磅面包扔给了它们。它们就让她过去了。

    走呀，走呀，梨娃又来到一条大河前，河里的水像血一样，她不知道如何才能过去。她记起老妇人曾经告诉她的咒语，就念道：

    “溪水啊，美丽的溪水，

    若我没有急事

    就会喝上一盆。”

    话音刚落，河水退下，让梨娃过去了。

    在河的对岸，梨娃看见一座可以说是世界上最雄伟、最辉煌的宫殿。但是宫殿的大门开阖得很快，没有人可以进去。于是，梨娃拿出那三磅猪油，倒在铰链上，大门就开始慢慢地开关了。

    走进宫殿，梨娃一眼望见在一张小桌子上放着的珍宝盒。她抱起珍宝盒，刚要离开，珍宝盒开始说话了。

    “大门杀死她，大门杀死她！”珍宝盒说。

    大门却回答：“我不能杀死她，我很久没上油了，是她给我上了油。”

    梨娃回到河水前，盒子又开始说话了：“河淹死她，河淹死她！”

    河答道：“我不能淹死她，因为她对我说：溪水啊，美丽的溪水。”

    到了三只狗那里，盒子说：“狗吃掉她，狗吃掉她！”可是三只狗说：“我们不能吃她，她给了我们三磅面包呢。”

    路过面包炉，盒子说：“炉子烧死她，炉子烧死她。”

    烤面包的女工说：“我们不能烧死她，她送给我们三磅高粱穗，这样打扫炉子的时候就不用我们的头发了。”

    快到王宫的时候，梨娃想看看盒子里面装的到底是什么，因为她也像所有的女孩子一样好奇心强。她打开盒子，只见从里面跳出一只金母鸡和一群金小鸡。它们摇晃着跑走了，跑得很快，追都追不上。梨娃跟在它们后边追着，追到苹果树下，没找到它们，追到桃树下，还是没找到它们，追到梨树前，只见那个老妇人，手里拿着根小木棍，正赶着那只金母鸡和那群金小鸡呢。“嘘，嘘……”老妇人将这些金鸡赶回到了盒子里面。

    回家途中，梨娃看见国王的儿子迎面走过来，“如果我父亲问你想要什么奖赏，你就说要那个放在地下室的装满煤块的箱子。”

    在王宫的门口，国王带着仆从和满朝文武，正等着她呢。梨娃把金母鸡和金小鸡交给国王，国王问：“你想要什么，说出来，我就给你。”

    梨娃回答说：“我要地下室里的那个装煤的箱子。”国王把煤箱给了她，梨娃打开一看，预先躲在里面的王子跳了出来。就这样，国王满心欢喜地让梨娃嫁给了他的儿子。

    （蒙费拉托地区）

    TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears

    Onceamanhadapeartreethatusedtobearfourbasketsofpearsayear.Oneyear,though,itonlyborethreebasketsandahalf,whilehewassupposedtocarryfourtotheking.Seeingnootherwayout,heputhisyoungestdaughterintothefourthbasketandcoveredherupwithpearsandleaves.

    Thebasketswerecarriedintothekingspantry,wherethechildstayedinhidingunderneaththepears.Buthavingnothingtoeat,shebegannibblingonthepears.Afterawhiletheservantsnoticedthesupplyofpearsdwindlingandalsosawthecores."Theremustbearatoramolegnawingonthepears,"theysaid."Weshalllookinsidethebaskets."Theyremovedthetopandfoundthelittlegirl.

    "Whatareyoudoinghere?"theyasked."Comewithusandworkinthekingskitchen."

    TheycalledherPerina,andshewassuchacleverlittlegirlthatinnotimeshewasdoingthehouseworkbetterthanthekingsownmaidservants.Shewassoprettynoonecouldhelplovingher.Thekingsson,whowasherageexactly,wasalwayswithPerina,andtheybecameveryfondofeachother.

    Asthemaidengrewup,themaidservantsbegantoenvyher.Theyheldtheirtonguesforawhile,thenaccusedPerinaofboastingshewouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure.Thekinggotwindofitandsendforthegirl."Isittrueyouboastedyouwouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure?"

    "No,SacredCrown,Imadenosuchboast."

    "Youdidso,"insistedtheking,"andnowyouhavetokeepyourword."Atthat,hebanishedherfromthepalaceuntilsheshouldreturnwiththetreasure.

    Onandonshewalkeduntilnightfall.Perinacametoanappletree,butkeptongoing.Shenextcametoapeachtree,butstilldidntstop.Thenshecametoapeartree,climbedit,andfellasleep.

    Inthemorningtherestoodalittleoldwomanunderthetree."Whatareyoudoingupthere,mydaughter?"askedtheoldwoman.

    Perinatoldheraboutthedifficultyshewasin.Theoldwomansaid,"Takethesethreepoundsofgrease,threepoundsofbread,andthreepoundsofmilletandbeonyourway."Perinathankedherverymuchandmovedon.

    Shecametoabakerywherethreewomenwerepullingouttheirhairtosweepouttheovenwith.Perinagavethemthethreepoundsofmillet,whichtheythenusedtosweepouttheovenandallowedthelittlegirltocontinueonherway.

    Onandonshewalkedandmetthreemastiffsthatbarkedandrushedatanyonecomingtheirway.Perinathrewthemthethreepoundsofbread,andtheyletherpass.

    Afterwalkingformilesandmilesshecametoablood-redriver,whichshehadnoideahowtocross.Buttheoldwomanhadtoldhertosay:

    "Finewatersored,

    Imustmakehaste;

    Else,ofyouwouldItaste."

    Atthosewords,thewaterspartedandletherthrough.

    Ontheothersideoftheriver,Perinabeheldoneofthefinestandlargestpalacesintheworld.Butthedoorwasopeningandslammingsorapidlythatnoonecouldpossiblygoin.Perinathereforeappliedthethreepoundsofgreasetoitshinges,andfromthenonitopenedandclosedquitegently.

    Inside,Perinaspiedthetreasurechestsittingonasmalltable.Shepickeditupandwasabouttogooffwithit,whenthechestspoke:"Door,killher,killher!"

    "Iwont,either,sinceshegreasedmyhingesthathadntbeenlookedaftersincegoodnessknowswhen."

    Perinareachedtheriver,andthechestsaid,"River,drownher,drownher!"

    "Iwont,either,"repliedtheriver,"sinceshecalledmeFinewatersored."

    Shecametothedogs,andthechestsaid,"Dogs,devourher,devourher!"

    "Wewont,either,"repliedthedogs,"sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofbread."

    Shecametothebakeryoven."Oven,burnher,burnher!"

    Butthethreewomenreplied,"Wewont,either,sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofmillet,sothatnowwecanspareourhair."

    Whenshewasalmosthome,Perina,whohadasmuchcuriosityasthenextlittlegirl,decidedtopeepintothetreasurechest.Sheopenedit,andoutcameahenandherbroodofgoldchicks.Theyscuttledawaytoofastforasoultocatchthem.Perinastruckoutafterthem.Shepassedtheappletree,buttheywerenowhereinsight.Shepassedthepeachtree,wheretherewasstillnosignofthem.Shecametothepeartree,andtherestoodthelittleoldwomanwithawandinherhandandhenandchicksfeedingaroundher."Shoo,shoo!"wenttheoldwoman,andthehenandchicksreenteredthetreasurechest.

    Uponherarrival,thekingssoncameouttomeether."Whenmyfatheraskedwhatyouwantasareward,tellhimthatboxfilledwithcoalinthecellar."

    Onthedoorstepoftheroyalpalacestoodthemaidservants,theking,andtheentirecourt.Perinahandedthekingthehenwiththebroodofgoldchicks."Askforwhateveryouwant,"saidtheking,"andIwillgiveittoyou."

    "Iwouldliketheboxofcoalinthecellar,"repliedPerina.

    Theybroughthertheboxofcoal,whichsheopened,andoutjumpedthekingsson,whowashidinginside.ThekingwasthenhappyforPerinatomarryhisson.

    (Monferrato)

    NOTES:

    "TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears"(Labambinavendutaconlepere)fromComparetti,10,Monferrato,Piedmont.

    IchangedthenameMargheritinatoPerina(Pearlet),andIinventedthemotifofthepeartreeandthelittleoldwoman(intheoriginal,themagicpropscomefromthekingsson,whoisunderaspell),toreinforcethepear/girllink.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980