十二头牛

    十二头牛&意大利童话

    从前有十二个兄弟，跟父亲吵架后，一起离开了家。他们在森林里搭起了一座房屋，以做木匠活为生。父母又生了一个女儿，她成了二老生活的寄托。小妹长大了，她只是听说过十二个哥哥的事，但从没跟他们见过面，她非常渴望能见到他们。

    有一次，小妹到泉水边洗澡，她先把自己戴的珊瑚项链摘了下来挂在了一根树枝上。正好有一只乌鸦飞过，叼起项链飞走了。小妹追着乌鸦跑进了森林，遇到了哥哥们住的那座房屋。屋里一个人也没有，小妹煮好一锅面条，盛在盘子中，就钻到床下躲起来。十二兄弟回到家，看到面条已经煮好了，而且还给盛在盘子中，就吃了起来。吃完以后，他们都有些害怕，担心是女巫跟他们开的一个玩笑，因为这片森林里有很多女巫。

    第二天，十二兄弟留下一个人守着房间，他发现一个姑娘从床底下跳了出来。当兄弟们知道她并非女巫而是他们从没见过面的小妹时，都高兴地欢呼起来，他们想让小妹留下来跟他们一起生活。但他们又叮嘱她，不得和森林中的任何人说话，因为林子里满是女巫。

    一天傍晚，炉火灭了，可小妹要给哥哥们准备晚饭。为了节省时间，她来到附近的一间小屋借火。小屋中住着一个老妇，她很热情地答应借火给小妹，但提出了交换条件：第二天她要来在小妹的小手指上吸一点血。

    小妹说：“我不能给任何人开门，我的哥哥们不同意。”

    老妇说：“不需要你开门，当你听到敲门声，把小手指伸进钥匙孔里，让我吸几下就行了。”

    就这样，老妇每天晚上都来吸小妹的血，小妹的脸色变得越来越苍白。哥哥们觉得不对劲，就问小妹，小妹就把她为了找女巫借火，让女巫吸她的血作交换的事说了。哥哥们说：“这事让我们处理吧。”

    女巫又来了，敲门后没看到姑娘的手指伸出来，女巫就从门下方的猫洞伸进头来。一个哥哥拿着一把斧头正等着她呢，手起斧落，女巫的头就被砍了下来。然后兄弟们把女巫的尸首扔下了山谷。

    一天，小妹去泉边遇到了另一个老妇，在卖白色的碗。

    “我没有钱买。”姑娘说。

    “我白送给你。”老妇说。

    就这样，哥哥们口干舌燥地回到家时，一眼就看见了盛满了水的十二只白碗，他们纷纷一饮而尽，一下子全都变成了牛。只有第十二个哥哥，不像其它哥哥那么渴，只喝了一口水，变成了一只羊。小妹只好孤单地跟这十一头牛和一只羊一起生活，每天喂养牠们。

    这一天，一个王子来森林打猎迷了路，转到小妹的房屋，爱上了她。王子告诉她想要娶她为妻，而她回答说她必须带上她的十二只牛哥羊哥，不能丢下牠们不管。王子带着她和她的十二个兄长回到了王宫，小妹成了他的新娘王妃，那十一头牛和一只羊被安排住进一间大理石砌成的牛棚，用着金子做的食槽。但森林中的女巫并不甘心。有一天，王妃带着羊哥哥——她总是带着牠在身边——到葡萄架下散步，出现了一位老妇。

    “好心的王妃，你能赏我一串葡萄吗？”

    “好的，老太太，你随便摘吧。”王妃回答。

    “我构不到葡萄架，好心的王妃，你帮我摘吧。”

    “这就来。”王妃说着，伸出手去摘一串葡萄。

    “摘那边那串熟透的吧。”老妇指着池塘上边的那串葡萄说。

    王妃为了摘到那串葡萄，爬上池塘的边墙，这时，老妇上去推了她一把，王妃就摔了下去。羊哥一见，咩咩地围着池塘叫，但谁也不明白牠在叫什么，也听不到池塘下边王妃的呻吟声。这时，女巫变成王妃的样子，躺在床上。王子回到家，问：“怎么躺在床上，不舒服吗？”

    假王妃回答说：“我不舒服，我需要吃一些羊肉。你让人把那只叫个不停的羊给我宰了。”

    王子说：“你还记得你以前对我说的话吗？你说那只羊是你的哥哥，而你现在却要把牠吃了？”

    女巫露出了马脚！她愣在那里不知说什么才好。王子发现事有蹊跷，他来到花园，跟着那只拚命叫着的羊向池塘走去。到了池塘边，王子听见妻子呼唤他的声音。王子惊叫道：“你怎么到池塘底下了，刚才你还在床上，我不是刚离开你吗？”

    “不，我从早上就掉到这里了，是一个女巫把我推下来了。”

    王子立即把妻子救了上来。他派人抓住了女巫，而且要烧死她。随着火一点点烧到女巫的手上、腿上、肘上，一头牛变回了人，另一头也变回了人，所有的牛和羊都变回了人，他们全都很健壮，好象一队威武的巨人闯入了城堡。他们全都被封为亲王，而我还跟以前一样是一个穷困潦倒的人。

    （蒙费拉托地区）

    TheTwelveOxen

    Thereweretwelvebrotherswhofelloutwiththeirfather,andalltwelveofthemlefthome.Theybuiltthemselvesahouseinthewoodsandmadetheirlivingascarpenters.Meanwhiletheirparentshadababygirl,whowasagreatcomforttothem.Thechildgrewupwithoutevermeetinghertwelvebrothers.Shehadonlyheardthemmentioned,andshelongedtoseethem.

    Onedayshewenttobatheatafountain,andthefirstthingshedidwasremovehercoralnecklaceandhangitonatwig.Aravencameby,grabbedthenecklace,andflewoffwithit.Thegirlranintothewoodsaftertheravenandfoundherbrothershouse.Noonewasathome,soshecookedthenoodles,spoonedthemontothebrothersplates,andhidunderabed.Thebrothersreturnedand,findingthenoodlesreadyandwaiting,satdownandate.Butthentheygrewuneasy,suspectingthewitcheshadplayedajokeonthem,forthewoodswerefullofwitches.

    Oneofthetwelvekeptwatchthenextdayandsawthegirljumpoutfromunderthebed.Whenthebrotherslearnedshewasnotawitchbuttheirownlittlesister,theymadeagreatto-dooverherandinsistedthatsheremainwiththem.Buttheycautionedhertospeaktonooneinthewoods,becausetheplacewasfullofwitches.

    Oneeveningwhenthegirlwenttopreparesupper,shefoundthatthefirehadgoneout.Tosavetime,shewenttoanearbycottagetogetalight.Anoldwomanatthecottagegraciouslygaveherthelight,butsaidthat,inexchange,shewouldcometothegirlonthemorrowandsuckabitofbloodfromherlittlefinger.

    "Icantletanyoneinthehouse,"saidthegirl."Mybrothersforbidit."

    "Youdontevenhavetoopenthedoor,"repliedtheoldwoman."WhenIknock,allyouhavetodoisstickyourlittlefingerthroughthekeyhole,andIllsuckit."

    Sotheoldwomancamebyeveryeveningtosuckthebloodfromher,whilethegirlgrewpalerandpaler.Herbrothersnoticeditandaskedhersomanyquestionsthatsheadmittedgoingtoanoldwitchforalightandhavingtopayforitwithherblood."Justletustakecareofher,"saidthebrothers.

    Thewitcharrived,knocked,andwhenthegirlfailedtostickherfingerthroughthekeyhole,shepokedherheadthroughthecatdoor.Oneofthebrothershadhishatchetallreadyandchoppedoffherhead.Thentheypitchedtheremainsintoaravine.

    Onedayonthewaytothefountain,thegirlmetanotheroldwoman,whowassellingwhitebowls.

    "Ihavenomoney,"saidthegirl.

    "InthatcaseIllmakeyouapresentofthem,"saidtheoldwoman.

    Sowhenthebrotherscamehomethirsty,theyfoundtwelvebowelsfilledwithwater.Theypitchedinanddrank,andinstantlychangedintoaherdofoxen.Onlythetwelfth,whosethirstwasslight,barelytouchedthewaterandturnedintoalamb.Thesisterthereforefoundherselfalonewithelevenoxenandonelambtofeedeveryday.

    Aprinceouthuntingwentastrayinthewoodsand,turningupatthegirlshouse,fellinlovewithher.Heaskedhertomarryhim,butsherepliedthatshehadtothinkofheroxenbrothersandcouldntpossiblyleavethem.Theprincetookhertohispalacealongwithallthebrothers.Thegirlbecamehisprincessbride,andtheelevenoxenandthelambwereputintoamarblebarnwithgoldmangers.

    Butthewitchesinthewoodsdidnotgiveup.Onedaytheprincesswasstrollingunderthegrapearborwithherlambkinbrotherthatshealwayscarriedwithher,whenanoldwomanwalkeduptoher.

    "Willyougivemeabunchofgrapes,mygoodprincess?"

    "Yes,dearoldsoul,helpyourself."

    "Icantreachupthathigh,pleasepickthemforme."

    "Rightaway,"saidtheprincess,reachingupforabunch.

    "Pickthatbunchthere,theyretheripest,"saidtheoldwoman,pointingtoabunchabovethecistern.

    Toreachit,theprincesshadtostandontherimofthecistern.Theoldwomangaveherapush,andtheprincessfellin.Thelambstartedbleating,andbleatedallaroundthecistern,butnobodyunderstoodwhatitwasbleatingabout,nordidtheyheartheprincessmoaningdowninthewell.Meanwhilethewitchhadtakentheprincesssshapeandgotintoherbed.Whentheprincecamehome,heasked,"Whatareyoudoinginbed?"

    "Imsick,"saidthefalseprincess."Ineedtoeatamorseloflamb.Slaughtermethatoneouttherethatwontstopbleating."

    "Didntyoutellmesometimeago,"askedtheprince,"thatthelambwasyourbrother?Andyouwanttoeathimnow?"

    Thewitchhadblunderedandwasatalossforwords.Theprince,sensingthatsomethingwasamiss,wentintothegardenandfollowedthelambthatwasbleatingsopitifully.Itapproachedthecistern,andtheprinceheardhiswifecalling.

    "Whatareyoudoingatthebottomofthecistern?"heexclaimed."DidntIjustleaveyouinbed?"

    "No,Ivebeendownhereeversincethismorning!Awitchthrewmein!"

    Theprinceorderedhiswifepulledupatonce.Thewitchwascaughtandburnedatthestake.Whilethefireburned,theoxenandalsothelambslowlyturnedbackintofine,strappingyoungmen,andyoudhavethoughtthecastlehadbeeninvadedbyabandofgiants.Theywereallmadeprinces,whileIvestayedaspoorasoulasever.

    (Monferrato)

    NOTES:

    "TheTwelveOxen"(Idodicibuoi)fromComparetti,47,Monferrato,Piedmont.

    Thefolktalesaboutthesisterwhorescuesherbrotherorbrotherschangedintoanimalscanbedividedintotwogroups:theonewherethesevensonsareunderacurse(asinBasile,IV,8,orinGrimm,9and25),andtheotherwherethesolebrotheristransformedintoalamb(asinGrimm,11,orinmyno.178).Thebrothersaremostcommonlytransformedintobirds(swans,ravens,doves),andthefirstliterarymanifestationofthemotifdatesbacktothetwelfthcentury;thelatestispossiblyAndersens"WildSwans."

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980