伯爵的胡子 (第6/6页)

hefarmershadlistenedinsilence，butwhenMasinosaid，"Andnow，whatshallwedowithhim？"astor摸fshoutsarose:"Burnhim！Skinhimalive！Stringhimupforascarecrow！Sealhiminacaskandrollhimdownthecliff！Sewhimupinasackwithsixcatsandsixdogs！"

    "Havemercy！"saidthecountinavoicejusta波veawhisper。

    "Sparehim，"saidMasino，"andhewillbringbackyourcattleandcleanyourbarns。Andsinceheenjoyedgoingintothewoodsatnight，makehimgothereeverynightandgatherbundlesoffirewoodforeachofyou。Tellthechildrennevertopickupthehairpinstheyfindontheground，fortheybelongtoMicillinatheWitch，whosehairandbeardwillbedisheveledfromnowon。"

    Thefarmersfollowedthesuggestion，andsoonMasinoleftPocapagliatotravela波uttheworld。Inthecourseofhistravels，hefoundhimselffightinginfirstonewarandanother，andtheyalllastedsolongthathissayingsprangup:

    Soldierfighter，whatahardlot！

    Wretchedfood，thegroundforacot。

    Youfeedthecannonpowder:

    Boom-BOOM！Boom-BOOM！Boomlouder！

    (Bra)

    NOTES:

    "TheCountsBeard"(LabarbadelConte)。Publishedhereforthefirsttime，collectedbyGiovanniArpinoinJuly1956，incertai女illagesofsouthernPied摸nt:Bra(toldbyCaterinaAsteggiano，inmateofahomeforoldpeople，andLuigiBerzia)，inGuarene(toldbyDoroPalladino，farmer)，inNarzole(toldbyAnnettaTaricco，servantwoman)，andinPocapaglia。

    Thislongnarrative，whichwriterGiovanniArpinohastranscribedandunifiedfromdifferentversionswithvariantsandadditionsfromBraandsurroundings，cannotinmyviewbeclassifiedasafolktale。Itisalocallegendofrecentorigininpart(Iamthinking，forinstance，ofthegeographicalparticularsgiven)，thatis，notpriortothenineteenthcentury，andcontainingdisparateelements:explanationofalocalsuperstition(thehairpinsofWitchMicillina)，antifeudalcountrylegendsuchasonefindsinmanynortherncountries，curiousdetective-storystructureàlaSherlockHolmes，manydigressionsnonessentialtothestory(suchasthetripfromAfricabacktotown——whichArpinotellsmealsoexistsasaseparatestory——andalltheallusionstoMasinospastandfutureadventureswhichleadtotheconclusionglobetrotterfromacountrywhoseinhabitantsarereputedtobecontrastinglyslowandbackward)，verse(ofwhichArpinoandIhavepresentedonlyasmuchaswecouldeffectivetranslate)，andgrotesqueimageswhichseemrootedintradition，suchasthesacksunderthehenstails，theoxensothinthattheywerecurriedwiththerake，thecountwhosebeardwascombedbyfoursoldiers，etc

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino，

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin，

    PantheonBooks，NewYork1980