无畏的小乔万尼
无畏的小乔万尼
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