無畏的小喬萬尼&意大利童話
從前，有一個小夥子，天不怕地不怕，被人稱作無畏的小喬萬尼。他遊歷世界，有一次來到一家小店過夜。店主説：“這裏沒有空房了，不過，你要是不怕，我帶你去一幢樓住。”
“我為什麼要怕，沒有一個人能從哪裏活着出來。每到早晨，修道士就帶着棺材去給敢於在樓裏過夜的人收屍。”
好小子！帶着一盞燈、一瓶酒和一根香腸就去了。
半夜，他正坐在桌子旁吃着，從煙囱裏傳來了一個聲音：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼回答：“下來吧！”
從煙囱上掉下來一條人腿。小喬萬尼喝了一杯酒。
隨後那個聲音又説：“我下來？”
小喬萬尼説：“下來吧！”另一條腿也掉下來了。小喬萬尼咬了一口香腸。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來一隻胳膊。小喬萬尼吹起口哨。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”掉下來另一隻胳膊。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
掉下來一個身子，與胳膊、腿接在一起，連成一個沒有腦袋的人站立起來。
“我下來？”
“下來吧！”
腦袋掉了下來，蹦到了身子上。這是一個巨人，小喬萬尼舉起酒杯説：“為你的健康乾杯！”
巨人道“拿着燈，來。”
小喬萬尼拿起燈，但沒動。
“你在前邊走！”巨人説。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼説。
“你先走！”巨人説。
“你先走。”小喬萬尼説。
於是，巨人先動了，一間屋挨一間屋地穿過這幢樓，小喬萬尼跟在後邊照着亮。來到樓梯下的一間小屋，面前出現一扇小門。
“打開！”巨人對小喬萬尼説。
小喬萬尼説：“你去開！”
巨人對肩膀撞開門。裏邊有一個盤旋式的小樓梯。
“下去。”巨人説。
“你先下。”小喬萬尼説。
來到地下室，巨人指着地上的一塊石板：“搬起來！”
“你搬！”小喬萬尼説。巨人像捏小石子一樣搬走了石板。
下邊是三罐金幣。巨人説：“抬起來！”
“你抬！”小喬萬尼説。巨人一次一個地把它們抬了上來。
他們回到那個有煙囱的客廳，巨人説：“小喬萬尼，我的法力失靈了！”説着，一條腿卸了下來，踢上了煙囱。“這三罐金幣中的一罐給你，”説着，卸下來一隻胳膊，胳膊爬上了煙囱。“另一罐給那些來替你收屍的修道士，”另一隻胳膊卸了下來，跟着前邊那隻爬上了煙囱。“第三罐金幣送給從這裏經過的第一個窮人，”另一條腿也卸了下來，巨人的身子坐在了地上。“這幢樓就歸你了，”巨人的身子也卸了下來，只剩下腦袋立在地上。“因為擁有這幢樓的那個家族的人永遠地消失了。”説完，巨人的腦袋升了起來，升上煙囱裏了。
天剛亮，就聽到有人在唱：上帝憐憫我們，上帝憐憫我們。正是那羣教士帶着棺材來收小喬萬尼的屍首。他們看見小夥子正在窗口抽煙鬥呢。
無畏的小喬萬尼有了那些金幣成了富人，他快樂地住在那幢樓裏。直到有一天，他僅僅因為一轉身，看見了自己的影子，被嚇死了。
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