意大利童話 正文 王子娶了一隻青蛙
    王子娶了一隻青蛙&意大利童話

    從前,有一個國王,他的三個兒子都到了娶妻的年齡了。為了不讓三個王子在挑選新娘的時候發生爭鬥,國王對他們說:「你們用投石器盡力向遠處拋石頭,石頭落在哪裡,你們就娶哪裡的姑娘為妻。」

    三個兒子拿了投石器拋出石頭。大兒子把石頭拋在了一家麵包房的屋頂上,於是他娶了那麵包女工。二兒子把石頭拋進了一個紡織女工的家裡。而小兒子拋的石頭則落進了一條水溝裡。

    投完石頭,三個王子趕快帶著訂婚戒指去找各自的未婚妻。大王子找到的是一個美麗的姑娘,皮膚柔嫩得像剛出爐的蛋糕;二王子找到的是一個臉色蒼白的姑娘,身體纖細得像根線;而小王子朝水溝裡望啊、望啊,最後只找到一隻青蛙。

    三個王子回來向國王稟告了自己找到的未婚妻的情況。國王說:「這樣吧,誰的妻子最優秀,誰就能繼承王位。現在我們就試試她們。」他給每個兒子分了一些麻,讓他們的未婚妻在三天內紡出來,比比誰紡得更好。

    兒子們找到自己的未婚妻,叮囑她們仔細地紡。小王子覺得很沮喪,他拿著麻,來到水溝邊,喊道:

    「青蛙啊,青蛙!」

    「誰在喊我呀?」

    「不太喜歡你的未婚夫!」

    「你現在不喜歡我,當你看到我美麗時,一定會喜歡我。」

    青蛙從水中跳出來,落在一片葉子上。小王子把麻交給她,告訴她三天後他會來取紡好的線。

    三天過後,兩個哥哥急不可耐地跑到麵包女工和紡織女工那裡取紡好的線,麵包女紡得很漂亮,而紡織女就更不必說了,紡線是她最拿手的,紡出來的麻線像絲一樣細。小王子怎麼樣了呢?他來到水溝邊:

    「青蛙啊,青蛙!」

    「誰在喊我呀?」

    「不太喜歡你的未婚夫!」

    「你現在不喜歡我,當你看到我美麗時,一定會喜歡我!」

    青蛙跳到一片葉子上,嘴裡銜著一顆核桃。兩位哥哥都帶來了紡好的線,自己卻只帶回一顆核桃見父親,小王子很難為情,他硬著頭皮來到父親面前。國王先是翻來覆去地查看了麵包女和紡織女紡出的線,然後才打開小王子帶來的核桃,兩位哥哥在旁邊暗暗地譏笑他。國王打開核桃,從裡面取出了一球細線,細得像蜘蛛網一樣,國王拽呀拽,拉呀拉,越拉越長,拉出來的線堆滿了整個大殿。「這線怎麼沒有個頭啊!」國王話剛一出口,線就拉到頭了。國王不甘心就這樣讓一隻青蛙當上王后。正好,他的那只良種獵犬剛生下三隻小狗,他就把牠們交給三個王子,說:「把牠們帶給你們的未婚妻,一個月後再帶回來,誰養得好誰就成為王后。」

    一個月後,麵包女養的那隻狗長成一隻肥大的獵犬,因為一個月來牠從沒斷過麵包。紡織女養的那隻狗卻顯得尖瘦,一個月來缺吃少喝的。小王子來的時候帶來了一個籠子,國王打開籠子,從裡面跳出來的是一隻毛光皮亮的鬈毛狗,脖子上束著飾帶,渾身散發著香氣,不僅會抬起前爪直立起來,還能練武術,懂得數數。國王於是說:「毫無疑問,小兒子將繼承王位,而青蛙將成為王后。」

    三位兄弟的婚禮定在同一天舉行。兩個哥哥坐著四匹馬拉的車去接新娘,馬車上飾滿了漂亮的鮮花,兩位新娘一身羽毛和珠寶,登上了馬車。小王子來到水溝邊,青蛙正在一架四隻蝸牛拉著的車子上等著他,車子是用無花果的樹葉做成的。他們出發了,他在前邊走著,而蝸牛拉著樹葉上的青蛙在後面跟著。一路上,小王子不得不幾次停下來等著青蛙,最後一次他甚至睡著了。他醒過來的時候,發現在他面前停著一輛金子做成的馬車,兩匹白馬在前邊拉著,車廂被天鵝絨裹著,裡面坐著一位美麗的姑娘,一身碧綠的穿著,光彩照人。

    小王子問:「你是誰?」

    「我就是青蛙啊,」看見王子半信半疑,姑娘就打開一個珍寶盒,只見裡面放著無花果的樹葉,一張青蛙的皮和四個蝸牛殼。「我本來是一個公主,被變成了一隻青蛙,只有遇到一位從來不知道我的美貌卻心甘情願娶我的王子,我才會重新變回人身。」

    國王滿心歡喜,看到兩個大王子心存嫉妒,就開導他們說,一個人沒有能力選好自己的妻子也就不配得到王冠。就這樣,小王子和他的新娘當上了國王和王后。

    (蒙費拉托地區)

    ThePrinceWhoMarriedaFrog

    Therewasonceakingwhohadthreesonsofmarriageableage.Inordertoavoidanydisputeovertheirchoiceofthreebrides,hesaid,"Aimasfarasyoucanwiththesling.Therewherethestonefallsyouwillgetyourwife."

    Thethreesonspickeduptheirslingsandshot.Theoldestboysenthisstoneflyingallthewaytotheroofofabakery,sohegotthebakergirl.Thesecondboyreleasedhisstone,whichcamedownonthehouseofaweaver.Theyoungestsonsstonelandedinaditch.

    Immediatelyaftertheshots,eachboyrushedofftohisbetrothedwitharing.Theoldestbrotherwasmetbyalovelymaidenasfreshasanewlybakedcake,themiddlebrotherbyafairgirlwithsilkyhairandskin,whiletheyoungest,afterlookingandlooking,sawnothingbutafroginthatditch.

    Theyreturnedtothekingtotellhimabouttheirbetrothed."Now,"saidtheking,"whoeverhasthebestwifewillinheritthekingdom.Herebeginthetests."Hegavethemeachsomehemptobespunandreturnedwithinthreedays,toseewhichbetrothedwasthebestspinner.

    Thesonswenttotheirbetrothedandurgedthemtospintheirbest.Highlyembarrassed,theyoungestboytookthehemptotherimoftheditchandcalled:

    "Frog,frog!"

    "Whocalls?"

    "Yourlovewholovesyounot."

    "Ifyoulovemenot,nevermind.Lateryoushall,whenafinefigureIcut."

    Thefrogjumpedoutofthewaterontoaleaf.Thekingssongaveherthehemp,tellingherhedpickupthespunthreadthreedayslater.

    Threedayslatertheolderbrothersanxiouslyhastenedtothebakergirlandtheweavergirltopickuptheirspunhemp.Thebakergirlproducedabeautifulpieceofwork;theweavergirl,whowasanexpertatthissortofthing,hadspunherstolooklikesilk.Buthowdidtheyoungestsonfare?Hewenttotheditchandcalled:

    "Frog,frog!"

    "Whocalls?"

    "Yourlovewholovesyounot."

    "Ifyoulovemenot,nevermind.Lateryoushall,whenafinefigureIcut."

    Shejumpedontoaleafholdingawalnutinhermouth.Hewassomewhatembarrassedtogivehisfatherawalnutwhilehisbrothersbroughtspunhemp.Heneverthelesstookheartandpresentedthekingwiththewalnut.Theking,whohadalreadyscrutinizedthehandiworkofthebakerandtheweavergirls,crackedopenthewalnutastheolderbrotherslookedon,snickering.Outcameclothasfineasgossamerthatcontinuedtounrolluntilthethroneroomwascoveredwithit."Buttheresnoendtothiscloth!"exclaimedtheking.Nosoonerwerethewordsoutofhismouththantheclothcametoanend.

    Butthefatherrefusedtoaccepttheideaofafrogbecomingqueen.Hisfavoritehuntingbitchhadjusthadthreepuppies,whichhegavethethreesons."Takethemtoyourbetrothedandgobackforthemamonthlater.Theonewhostakenthebestcareofherdogwillbecomethequeen."

    Amonthlater,thebakergirlsdoghadturnedintoabig,fatmastiff,havinggotallthebreadhecouldeat.Theweaversdog,notnearlysowellsupplied,wasnowahalf-starvedhound.Theyoungestsoncameinwithasmallbox.Thekingopeneditandoutjumpedatiny,beribbonedpoodle,impeccablygroomedandperfumed,thatstoodonitshindlegsandmarchedandcounted.

    "Nodoubtaboutit,"saidtheking,"myyoungestsonwillbeking,andthefrogwillbequeen."

    Theweddingofallthreebrotherswassetforthesameday.Theolderbrotherswentfortheirbridesingarlandedcarriagesdrawnbyfourhorses,andthebridesclimbedin,deckedwithfeathersandjewels.

    Theyoungestboywenttotheditch,wherethefrogawaitedhiminacarriagefashionedoutofafigleafanddrawnbyfoursnails.Theysetout.Hewalkedaheadwhilethesnailsfollowed,pullingthefigleafwiththefroguponit.Everynowandthenhestoppedforthemtocatchupwithhim,andonceheevenfellasleep.Whenheawakened,agoldcarriagehadpulledupbesidehim.Itwasdrawnbytwowhitehorses,andinsideonvelvetupholstery,satamaidenasdazzlingasthesunanddressedinanemarald-greengown.

    "Whoareyou?"askedtheyoungestson.

    "Iamthefrog."

    Hecouldntbelieveit,sothemaidenopenedajewelcasecontainingthefigleaf,thefrogskin,andfoursnailshells."Iwasaprincessturnedintoafrog,andtheonlychanceIhadofgettingmyhumanformbackwasforakingssontoagreetomarrymethewayIwas."

    Thekingwasoverjoyedandtoldhistwooldersons,whowereconsumedwithenvy,thatwhoeverpickedthewrongwifewasunworthyofthecrown.Sotheyoungestboyandhisbridebecamekingandqueen.

    (Monferrato)

    NOTES:

    "ThePrinceWhoMarriedaFrog"(Ilprincipechesposounarana)fromComparetti,4,Monferrato,Piedmont.

    ThetaleofthefrogbrideiscommontoallofEurope;scholarshavecounted300versions.Comparingit,forinstance,withGrimm,no.63,orwithAfanasevs"TheFrogPrince,"thisvariantwhichwecanclassifyasdistinctlyItalian(sinceitshowsupuniformlythroughoutthePeninsula,evenifslingingtolocatethebrideisratherrare)standsoutinitsnear-geometricallogicandlinearity.

    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

    translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980  
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