无畏的小乔万尼&意大利童话

    从前，有一个小伙子，天不怕地不怕，被人称作无畏的小乔万尼。他游历世界，有一次来到一家小店过夜。店主说：“这里没有空房了，不过，你要是不怕，我带你去一幢楼住。”

    “我为什么要怕，没有一个人能从哪里活着出来。每到早晨，修道士就带着棺材去给敢于在楼里过夜的人收尸。”

    好小子！带着一盏灯、一瓶酒和一根香肠就去了。

    半夜，他正坐在桌子旁吃着，从烟囱里传来了一个声音：“我下来？”

    小乔万尼回答：“下来吧！”

    从烟囱上掉下来一条人腿。小乔万尼喝了一杯酒。

    随后那个声音又说：“我下来？”

    小乔万尼说：“下来吧！”另一条腿也掉下来了。小乔万尼咬了一口香肠。

    “我下来？”

    “下来吧！”掉下来一只胳膊。小乔万尼吹起口哨。

    “我下来？”

    “下来吧！”掉下来另一只胳膊。

    “我下来？”

    “下来吧！”

    掉下来一个身子，与胳膊、腿接在一起，连成一个没有脑袋的人站立起来。

    “我下来？”

    “下来吧！”

    脑袋掉了下来，蹦到了身子上。这是一个巨人，小乔万尼举起酒杯说：“为你的健康干杯！”

    巨人道“拿着灯，来。”

    小乔万尼拿起灯，但没动。

    “你在前边走！”巨人说。

    “你先走。”小乔万尼说。

    “你先走！”巨人说。

    “你先走。”小乔万尼说。

    于是，巨人先动了，一间屋挨一间屋地穿过这幢楼，小乔万尼跟在后边照着亮。来到楼梯下的一间小屋，面前出现一扇小门。

    “打开！”巨人对小乔万尼说。

    小乔万尼说：“你去开！”

    巨人对肩膀撞开门。里边有一个盘旋式的小楼梯。

    “下去。”巨人说。

    “你先下。”小乔万尼说。

    来到地下室，巨人指着地上的一块石板：“搬起来！”

    “你搬！”小乔万尼说。巨人像捏小石子一样搬走了石板。

    下边是三罐金币。巨人说：“抬起来！”

    “你抬！”小乔万尼说。巨人一次一个地把它们抬了上来。

    他们回到那个有烟囱的客厅，巨人说：“小乔万尼，我的法力失灵了！”说着，一条腿卸了下来，踢上了烟囱。“这三罐金币中的一罐给你，”说着，卸下来一只胳膊，胳膊爬上了烟囱。“另一罐给那些来替你收尸的修道士，”另一只胳膊卸了下来，跟着前边那只爬上了烟囱。“第三罐金币送给从这里经过的第一个穷人，”另一条腿也卸了下来，巨人的身子坐在了地上。“这幢楼就归你了，”巨人的身子也卸了下来，只剩下脑袋立在地上。“因为拥有这幢楼的那个家族的人永远地消失了。”说完，巨人的脑袋升了起来，升上烟囱里了。

    天刚亮，就听到有人在唱：上帝怜悯我们，上帝怜悯我们。正是那群教士带着棺材来收小乔万尼的尸首。他们看见小伙子正在窗口抽烟斗呢。

    无畏的小乔万尼有了那些金币成了富人，他快乐地住在那幢楼里。直到有一天，他仅仅因为一转身，看见了自己的影子，被吓死了。

    DauntlessLittleJohn

    TherewasoncealadwhomeveryonecalledDauntlessLittleJohn,sincehewasafraidofnothing.Travelingabouttheworld,hecametoaninn,whereheaskedforlodgings."Wehavenoroomhere,"saidtheinnkeeper,"butifyourenotafraid,Iwilldirectyoutoacertainpalacewhereyoucanstay."

    "WhyshouldIbeafraid?"

    "Peopleshudderatthethoughtofthatpalace,sincenobodywhosgoneinhascomeoutalive.Inthemorningthefriarsgoupwiththebierforanyonebraveenoughtospendthenightinside."

    SowhatdidLittleJohndobutpickupalamp,abottle,andasausage,andmarchstraighttothepalace.

    Atmidnighthewassittingatthetableeating,whenheheardavoiceinthechimney."ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Goahead!"repliedLittleJohn.

    Downthechimneyintothefireplacefellamansleg.LittleJohndrankaglassofwine.

    Thenthevoicespokeagain."ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Goahead!"Soanotherlegdroppedintothefireplace.LittleJohnbitintothesausage.

    "ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Goahead!"Sodowncameanarm.LittleJohnbeganwhistlingatune.

    "ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Byallmeans!"Andtherewasanotherarm.

    "ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Yes!"

    Thencamethetrunkofabody,andthearmsandlegsstuckontoit,andtherestoodamanwithoutahead.

    "ShallIthrowitdown?"

    "Throwitdown!"

    Downcametheheadandsprangintoplaceatopthetrunk.Hewastrulyagiant,andLittleJohnraisedhisglassandsaid,"Toyourhealth!"

    Thegiantsaid,"Takethelampandcomewithme."

    LittleJohnpickedupthelamp,butdidntbudge.

    "Yougofirst!"saidthegiant.

    "No,afteryou,"insistedLittleJohn.

    "Afteryou!"thunderedthegiant.

    "Youleadtheway!"yelledLittleJohn.

    Sothegiantwentfirst,withLittleJohnbehindhimlightingtheway,andtheywentthroughroomafterroomuntiltheyhadwalkedthewholelengthofthepalace.Beneathoneofthestaircaseswasasmalldoor.

    "Openit!"orderedthegiant.

    "Youopenit!"repliedLittleJohn.

    Sothegiantshoveditopenwithhisshoulder.Therewasaspiralstaircase.

    "Goondown,"directedthegiant.

    "Afteryou,"answeredLittleJohn.

    Theywentdownthestepsintoacellar,andthegiantpointedtoastoneslabontheground."Raisethat!"

    "Youraiseit!"repliedLittleJohn,andthegiantlifteditasthoughitwereamerepebble.

    Beneaththeslabtherewerethreepotsofgold."Carrythoseupstairs!"orderedthegiant.

    "Youcarrythemup!"answeredLittleJohn.Andthegiantcarriedthemuponebyone.

    Whentheywerebackinthehallwherethegreatfireplacewas,thegiantsaid,"LittleJohn,thespellhasbeenbroken!"Atthat,oneofhislegcameoffandkickeditswayupthechimney."Oneofthesepotsofgoldisforyou."Anarmcamelooseandclimbedupthechimney."Thesecondpotofgoldisforthefriarswhocometocarryawayyourbody,believingyouperished."Theotherarmcameoffandfollowedthefirst."Thethirdpotofgoldisforthefirstpoormanwhocomesby."Thentheotherlegdroppedoff,leavingthegiantseatedonthefloor."Keepthepalaceforyourself."Thetrunkseparatedfromtheheadandvanished."Theownersofthepalaceandtheirchildrenarenowgoneforever."Atthat,theheaddisappearedupthechimney.

    Assoonasitwaslight,adirgearose:"Misereremei,misereremei."ThefriarshadcomewiththebiertocarryoffLittleJohnsbody.Buttherehestood,atthewindow,smokinghispipe!

    DauntlessLittleJohnwasawealthyyouthindeedwithallthosegoldpieces,andhelivedhappilyinhispalace.Thenonedaywhatshouldhedobutlookbehindhimandseehisshadow:hewassofrightenedhedied.

    NOTES:

    "DauntlessLittleJohn"(Giovanninsenzapaura)

    IbeginwithafolktaleforwhichIdonotindicate,incontrasttomyprocedureinalltheothertales,theparticularversionIfollowed.AstheversionsofitfromthevariousregionsofItalyareallquitesimilar,Iletmyselfbefreelyguidedbycommontradition.NotonlyforthatreasonhaveIputthistalefirst,butalsobecauseitisoneofthesimplestand,inmyview,oneofthemostbeautifulfolktales.

    ItaliantraditionsharplydivergesfromtheGrimms"TaleofaBoyWhoSetOuttoLearnFear"(Grimmno.4)whichisnodoubtclosertomyno.80.ThetypeoftaleisofEuropeanoriginandnotfoundinAsia.

    Thedisappearanceofthemanlimbbylimbisnottraditional,butapersonaltouchofmyown,tobalancehisarrivalpiecebypiece.ItookthefinishingstrokeoftheshadowfromaSieneseversion(DeGubernatis,22),anditismerelyasimplificationofthemorecommonending,whereLittleJohnisgivenasalveforfasteningheadsbackon.Hecutshisheadoffandputsitonagain——backward;thesightofhisrearendsohorrifieshimthathedropsdead.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980