一身海草的人_意大利童话

一身海草的人&意大利童话

有一个国王让人在各个广场上喊话，谁能找回他失踪的女儿，就奖赏谁。可是国王的号令并无效果，因为谁也不知道在哪里可以找到他的女儿。一天夜晚，她被人掳走，国王查遍了所有的角落也找不到她的踪迹。

一位有经验的船长突然想到，如果陆地上找不到踪迹，就有可能在海上。于是，他准备好了一艘船，打算出海寻找。但是当他想要招募水手的时候，却找不到一个人：没人愿意参加这个看不到归期的冒险旅程。

船长站在堤坝上望着，没有人靠近，也没有人敢带头登船。巴奇钦·特里波尔多也在堤坝上，他是一个出了名的酒鬼，一个有名的流浪汉，没人愿意雇用他。“哎，你愿意上船吗？”船长对他说。

“我吗？愿意。”

“那么上船吧。”巴奇钦·特里波尔多 “我就是被一条巨大的章鱼抓来关在这里的，”国王的女儿说，“趁它还没回来，你先躲起来吧。不过，你记着，这条章鱼每天有三个小时会变成红鲤鱼，那时候容易钓到它，但你必须马上杀死它，不然，它会变成一只红嘴鸥飞走。”

巴奇钦·特里波尔多将自己和小船都藏在小岛上。这时，从海里钻出了那条巨大的章鱼，它的每条须爪都可以绕岛一周。他嗅到小岛上来了陌生人，所有的吸盘都蠕动起来。正巧，到了它该变成鱼的时候了，转眼间，它变成了一条红鲤鱼，消失在海水中。巴奇钦·特里波尔多立即撒下鱼网，可是每次网上来的只是些鲻鱼、鲟鱼、利齿鱼，终于，出现了浑身抖动着的红鲤鱼。巴里钦马上挥起桨，想要给它致命的一击，没想到他打到的不是红鲤鱼，而是一只正要从鱼网中飞起来的海鸥，红鲤鱼已经不见了。由于船桨刮破了海鸥的一只翅膀，它飞不起来了。于是，海鸥又变成了章鱼，不过它的须爪上全是伤口，往外淌着黑色的血。巴奇钦跳到章鱼的背上，用船桨打死了它。国王的女儿为了表示自己的永久的感激之情，送给他一枚钻石戒指。

他说：“走吧，我带你回去见你的父亲。”两个人就上了舢板。在茫茫的大海中，舢板走得很慢，他们划呀，划呀，终于看到远处有一艘大船。巴奇钦用船桨高高地挑起姑娘的衣服。大船上的人发现了他们，把他们接上了甲板。这条船正是先前甩掉巴奇钦的那条船，船长看到他带回了国王的女儿，说：“噢，可怜的巴奇钦·特里波尔多！我们都以为你失踪了，到处找你！没想到你找回了国王的女儿！来，我们喝几杯，祝贺你的成功！”巴奇钦·特里波尔多并不相信船长说的话，不过，很长时间滴酒未沾，他早已按捺不住了。

出海时的那座码头已经能隐隐约约地望见了，船长劝巴奇钦喝酒，他喝啊喝啊，最后喝得烂醉，倒在地上。船长对国王的女儿说：“不要告诉你的父亲是那个酒鬼救了你！你应该说是我救了你，因为我是这艘船的船长，而那个酒鬼只是我的一个伙计，他做的一切都是我吩咐的。”

国王的女儿没有说好也没有说不好，只是回答：“我知道该说什么。”船长于是想着要除掉巴奇钦·特里波尔多，一了百了。当天深夜，他们抬起烂醉如泥的巴奇钦，把他扔进了大海。黎明时分，大船靠近了码头，并用旗语通知岸上，他们把国王的女儿平安地救回来了。码头上，乐队奏起了凯旋乐，国王和宫廷全体人员都来了。

国王的女儿与船长的婚礼已经定下来了。婚礼那天，码头上的水手看见从海里钻出来一个人，从头到脚披着绿色的海草，衣服的口袋和被撕破的口子往外蹦着小鱼、小蟹。这个人正是巴奇钦·特里波尔多，他全身上下遮满了海草，头上挂着，身上披着，脚下还拖着，上了岸，走向城中心。就在这时，婚礼的队伍迎面过来了，看见一个身披绿色水草的男人挡在前边，队伍停了下来。“什么人在那里？把他抓起来！”国王命令道。侍卫走上前刚要捉人，这时巴奇钦·特里波尔多抬起一只手，只见一枚钻石戒指在阳光下熠熠发光。

“我女儿的戒指！”国王高喊。

“对，这个人才是我的救命恩人，他才是我的新郎。”国王的女儿说。

巴奇钦·特里波尔多把自己的遭遇从头至尾讲述了一遍。船长被抓了起来。巴奇钦就这样一身绿色的海草走近穿着一身白色衣裙的新娘，和她举行了婚礼。

TheManWreathedinSeaweed

Akinghadhiscrierannounceinthetownsquaresthatwhoeverfoundhismissingdaughterwouldberewardedwithafortune.Buttheannouncementbroughtnoresults,sincenoonehadanyideaofthegirlswhereabouts.Shehadbeenkidnappedonenight,andtheyhadalreadylookedtheworldoverforher.

Aseacaptainsuddenlyhadthethoughtthatsinceshewasntondshemightwellbeonthesea,sohegotashipreadytogooutinsearchofher.Butwhenthetimecametosignupthecrew,notonesailorsteppedforward,sincenoonewantedtogoonadangerousexpeditionthatwoulstnotellinghowlong.

Thecaptainwaitedonthepier,butfearfulofbeingthefirsttoembark,nooneapproachedhisship.AlsoonthepierwasSamphireStarboard,areputedtrampandtippler,whomnoshipcaptainwaseverwillingtosignon.

"Listen,"saidourcaptain,"howwouldyouliketosailwithme?"

"Idliketoverymuch."

"Comeaboard,then."

"SoSamphireStarboardwasthefirsttoembark.Afterthat,othersailorstookheartandboardedtheship.

Oncehewasontheship,SamphireStarboarddidnothingbutstandaroundalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreamaboutthetavernshehadleftbehind.Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend,provisionswerescarce,andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep.Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim."Seethatlittleind?"heasked,pointingtoanistedreefinthemiddleofthesea."Getintoarowboatandgoexploreit.Wellbecruisingrightaroundhere."

SamphireStarboardsteppedintotherowboat,andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed,leavinghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea.Heapproachedthereef,spiedacave,andwentin.Tiedupinsidewasaverybeautifulmaiden,whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter.

"Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"sheasked.

"Iwasfishingforoctopi,"exinedSamphire.

"Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus,whoseprisonerInowam,"saidthekingsdaughter."Fleebeforeitreturns.Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught.Butyourhavetokillthemulletatonce,oritwillchangeintoaseagundflyaway."

SamphireStarboardhidhisboatandwaitedoutofsightonthereef.Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus,whichwassrgethatitcouldreachcleararoundtheindwithitstentacles.Allitssuckersshook,havingsmelledamanonthereef.Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish,andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea.SamphireStarboardloweredfishinsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard,sturgeon,anddentex.Thsthaulproducedtheredmullet,shakinglikealeaf.Samphireraisedhisoartokillit,butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthandbrokeitswing.Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus,whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood.Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar.Thekingsdaughtergavehimadiamondringasatokenofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim.

"ComeandIlltakeyoutoyourfather,"hesaid,showingherintohisboat.Buttheboatwastinyandtheywereoutinthemiddleofthesea.Afterrowingandrowingtheyspiedashipinthedistance.Samphiresignaledtoitwithanoardrapedwiththekingsdaughtersgown.Theshipspottedthemandtookthemaboard.ItwasthesameshipthathadearlierdischargedandabandonedSamphire.Seeinghimbackwiththekingsdaughter,thecaptainsaid,"PoorSamphireStarboard!Herewethoughtyouwerelostandnow,afterlookingalloverforyou,weseeyoureturnwiththekingsdaughter!Thatcallsforarealcelebration!"ToSamphireStarboard,whodnottouchedadropofwineformonthsonend,thatseemedtoogoodtobetrue.

TheywerealmostinsightoftheirhomeportwhenthecaptainledSamphiretoatableandcedseveralbottlesofwinebeforehim.Samphiredrankanddrankuntilhefellunconscioustothefloor.Thenthecaptainsaidtothekingsdaughter,"Dontyoudaretellyourfatherthatdrunkardfreedyou.TellhimthatIfreedyoumyself,sinceImthecaptainoftheshipandorderedhimtorescueyou."

Thekingsdaughterneitheragreednordisagreed."IknowwhatIlltellhim,"sheanswered.

Tobeonthesafeside,thecaptaindecidedtodoawaywithSamphireStarboardonceandforall.Thatnight,theypickedhimup,stisdrunkascouldbe,andthrewhimintothesea.Atdawntheshipwasinsightofport.Withgstheysignaledtheywerebringinghomethekingsdaughtersafeandsound.Abandyedonthepier,wherethekingwaitedwiththeentirecourt.

Adatewaschosenforthekingsdaughtertowedthecaptain.Onthedayofthewedding,themarinersinportsawamanemergefromthewater.Hewascoveredfromheadtofootwithseaweed,andoutofhispocketsandtheholesinhisclothesswamfishandshrimps.ItwasnoneotherthanSamphireStarboard.Heclimbedoutofthewaterandwentamblingthroughthecitystreets,withseaweeddrapinghisheadandbodyanddraggingalongbehindhim.Atthatverymomenttheweddingprocessionwasmovingthroughthestreetandcamefacetofacewiththemanwreathedinseaweed.Everyonestopped."Whoisthis?"askedtheking."Seizehim!"Theguardscameup,butSamphireStarboardraisedahandandthediamondonhisfingersparkledinthesunlight.

"Mydaughtersring!"eximedtheking.

"Yes,"saidthedaughter,"thismanwasmyrescuerandwillbemybridegroom."

SamphireStarboardtoldthestory,andthecaptainwasimprisoned.Greenthoughhewaswithseaweed,Samphiretookhiscebesidethebridedinwhiteandwasjoinedtoherinmatrimony.

(Rivieraligurediponente)

NOTES:

"TheManWreathedinSeaweed"(Luomoverdedalghe)fromAndrews,7,Menton,toldbythewidowLavigna.

ThisseataletransferstoanunusualsettingaplotwellknownthroughoutEurope:thatoftheyoungerbrotherwhogoesdownintothewelltofreetheprincessandissubsequentlyabandonedtherehimself(cf.myno.78).AndrewsscollectionoftalespresentsnomorethanbriefsummariesinFrench;forthistale,then,aswesthefollowing,takenfromthesamption,Igavefreereintomyimaginationinsupplyingdetails,whileadheringtothebasicplot.IchosethenameBacinTribordo(GiovanniBattistaStarboard)torecetheoriginalnamewhosemeaningisnotveryclear.Intheoriginaltext,theprincessisabductedbyadragoninsteadofbyanoctopus,andthedragonchangesintoabarnacle,whichseemedtometooeasytocatch.

Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

trantedbyGeorgeMartin,

PantheonBooks,NewYork1980