和梨子一起賣掉的小女孩&意大利童話
從前，有個人有一棵梨樹，每年都能收四大筐梨子，正好夠交給國王。有一年，只收了三筐半梨子。他沒法裝滿第四個筐，就把他最小的女兒裝進去，然後蓋上了些梨子和樹葉。
這四筐梨子被送到了王宮的食品庫，倒梨子的時候，小女孩跟梨子一起被倒了出來，沒被發現。這樣，她就被留在了倉庫裏，除了梨子，沒有別的東西可以吃，小女孩餓了就啃起梨子來。過了不久，宮裏的僕人發現梨子比梨子比先前少了，還找到了不少梨核，就説：“這裏一定有老鼠之類的東西偷啃梨子，需要好好檢查檢查。”邊説，邊在梨堆中搜查，果然發現了小女孩。
他們問小女孩：“你在這裏幹什麼？跟我們走，到王宮的廚房去打下手吧。”
他們給小女孩起了個名字叫梨娃。梨娃是一個聰明機靈的女孩，她很快就學會了怎樣討好這些僕人，加上模樣俊秀可愛，惹得大家人人喜歡。連王子也常來和她在一起玩，她和王子年齡一般大，他們很快就產生了好感。
梨娃一天天長大，僕人們卻越來越嫉妒她了，他們先是不搭理她，後來就開始給她使壞，還造謠説梨娃自誇要去拿到女巫的珍寶。謠言傳到國王的耳朵裏，國王馬上把梨娃叫來，問她：“你真得説過要去拿到女巫的珍寶嗎？”
梨娃説：“絕對沒有，聖明的國王，他們傳説的那些事我一點也不知道。”
但是國王堅持説：“你一定是説過了，話已出口就要去實現諾言。”説着，就把梨娃趕出了王宮，讓她拿到珍寶才可以回來。
梨娃走呀，走呀，天黑了。她走到一棵蘋果樹前，沒有停腳。又走到一棵桃樹前，也沒有停腳。遇到一棵梨樹的時候，她爬了上去，在樹枝間睡着了。
早上一睜眼，她看見一個老婦人在樹下。老婦人問她：“漂亮的小女孩，你在上面幹什麼？”
梨娃就把她遇到的麻煩告訴了老婦人。老婦人對她説：“拿着這三磅豬油、三磅麪包和三磅高粱穗，一直向前走。”梨娃對她感謝了一番，就又出發了。
她來到一個地方，那裏有一座麪包爐。只見三位烤麪包的女工扯下自己的頭髮，用頭髮來打掃爐子。梨娃便把那三磅高粱穗送給了她們。三位女工可以用這些高粱穗清掃爐子了，就放梨娃過去了。
走呀，走呀，梨娃來到一個地方，見到有三隻兇猛的狗大聲叫着、跳着、還撲向她，阻止她過去。梨娃把三磅麪包扔給了它們。它們就讓她過去了。
走呀，走呀，梨娃又來到一條大河前，河裏的水像血一樣，她不知道如何才能過去。她記起老婦人曾經告訴她的咒語，就唸道：
“溪水啊，美麗的溪水，
若我沒有急事
就會喝上一盆。”
話音剛落，河水退下，讓梨娃過去了。
在河的對岸，梨娃看見一座可以説是世界上最雄偉、最輝煌的宮殿。但是宮殿的大門開闔得很快，沒有人可以進去。於是，梨娃拿出那三磅豬油，倒在鉸鏈上，大門就開始慢慢地開關了。
走進宮殿，梨娃一眼望見在一張小桌子上放着的珍寶盒。她抱起珍寶盒，剛要離開，珍寶盒開始説話了。
“大門殺死她，大門殺死她！”珍寶盒説。
大門卻回答：“我不能殺死她，我很久沒上油了，是她給我上了油。”
梨娃回到河水前，盒子又開始説話了：“河淹死她，河淹死她！”
河答道：“我不能淹死她，因為她對我説：溪水啊，美麗的溪水。”
到了三隻狗那裏，盒子説：“狗吃掉她，狗吃掉她！”可是三隻狗説：“我們不能吃她，她給了我們三磅麪包呢。”
路過麪包爐，盒子説：“爐子燒死她，爐子燒死她。”
烤麪包的女工説：“我們不能燒死她，她送給我們三磅高粱穗，這樣打掃爐子的時候就不用我們的頭髮了。”
快到王宮的時候，梨娃想看看盒子裏面裝的到底是什麼，因為她也像所有的女孩子一樣好奇心強。她打開盒子，只見從裏面跳出一隻金母雞和一羣金小雞。它們搖晃着跑走了，跑得很快，追都追不上。梨娃跟在它們後邊追着，追到蘋果樹下，沒找到它們，追到桃樹下，還是沒找到它們，追到梨樹前，只見那個老婦人，手裏拿着根小木棍，正趕着那隻金母雞和那羣金小雞呢。“噓，噓……”老婦人將這些金雞趕回到了盒子裏面。
回家途中，梨娃看見國王的兒子迎面走過來，“如果我父親問你想要什麼獎賞，你就説要那個放在地下室的裝滿煤塊的箱子。”
在王宮的門口，國王帶着僕從和滿朝文武，正等着她呢。梨娃把金母雞和金小雞交給國王，國王問：“你想要什麼，説出來，我就給你。”
梨娃回答説：“我要地下室裏的那個裝煤的箱子。”國王把煤箱給了她，梨娃打開一看，預先躲在裏面的王子跳了出來。就這樣，國王滿心歡喜地讓梨娃嫁給了他的兒子。
（蒙費拉托地區）
TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears
Onceamanhadapeartreethatusedtobearfourbasketsofpearsayear.Oneyear,though,itonlyborethreebasketsandahalf,whilehewassupposedtocarryfourtotheking.Seeingnootherwayout,heputhisyoungestdaughterintothefourthbasketandcoveredherupwithpearsandleaves.
Thebasketswerecarriedintothekingspantry,wherethechildstayedinhidingunderneaththepears.Buthavingnothingtoeat,shebegannibblingonthepears.Afterawhiletheservantsnoticedthesupplyofpearsdwindlingandalsosawthecores."Theremustbearatoramolegnawingonthepears,"theysaid."Weshalllookinsidethebaskets."Theyremovedthetopandfoundthelittlegirl.
"Whatareyoudoinghere?"theyasked."Comewithusandworkinthekingskitchen."
TheycalledherPerina,andshewassuchacleverlittlegirlthatinnotimeshewasdoingthehouseworkbetterthanthekingsownmaidservants.Shewassoprettynoonecouldhelplovingher.Thekingsson,whowasherageexactly,wasalwayswithPerina,andtheybecameveryfondofeachother.
Asthemaidengrewup,themaidservantsbegantoenvyher.Theyheldtheirtonguesforawhile,thenaccusedPerinaofboastingshewouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure.Thekinggotwindofitandsendforthegirl."Isittrueyouboastedyouwouldgoandstealthewitchestreasure?"
"No,SacredCrown,Imadenosuchboast."
"Youdidso,"insistedtheking,"andnowyouhavetokeepyourword."Atthat,hebanishedherfromthepalaceuntilsheshouldreturnwiththetreasure.
Onandonshewalkeduntilnightfall.Perinacametoanappletree,butkeptongoing.Shenextcametoapeachtree,butstilldidntstop.Thenshecametoapeartree,climbedit,andfellasleep.
Inthemorningtherestoodalittleoldwomanunderthetree."Whatareyoudoingupthere,mydaughter?"askedtheoldwoman.
Perinatoldheraboutthedifficultyshewasin.Theoldwomansaid,"Takethesethreepoundsofgrease,threepoundsofbread,andthreepoundsofmilletandbeonyourway."Perinathankedherverymuchandmovedon.
Shecametoabakerywherethreewomenwerepullingouttheirhairtosweepouttheovenwith.Perinagavethemthethreepoundsofmillet,whichtheythenusedtosweepouttheovenandallowedthelittlegirltocontinueonherway.
Onandonshewalkedandmetthreemastiffsthatbarkedandrushedatanyonecomingtheirway.Perinathrewthemthethreepoundsofbread,andtheyletherpass.
Afterwalkingformilesandmilesshecametoablood-redriver,whichshehadnoideahowtocross.Buttheoldwomanhadtoldhertosay:
"Finewatersored,
Imustmakehaste;
Else,ofyouwouldItaste."
Atthosewords,thewaterspartedandletherthrough.
Ontheothersideoftheriver,Perinabeheldoneofthefinestandlargestpalacesintheworld.Butthedoorwasopeningandslammingsorapidlythatnoonecouldpossiblygoin.Perinathereforeappliedthethreepoundsofgreasetoitshinges,andfromthenonitopenedandclosedquitegently.
Inside,Perinaspiedthetreasurechestsittingonasmalltable.Shepickeditupandwasabouttogooffwithit,whenthechestspoke:"Door,killher,killher!"
"Iwont,either,sinceshegreasedmyhingesthathadntbeenlookedaftersincegoodnessknowswhen."
Perinareachedtheriver,andthechestsaid,"River,drownher,drownher!"
"Iwont,either,"repliedtheriver,"sinceshecalledmeFinewatersored."
Shecametothedogs,andthechestsaid,"Dogs,devourher,devourher!"
"Wewont,either,"repliedthedogs,"sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofbread."
Shecametothebakeryoven."Oven,burnher,burnher!"
Butthethreewomenreplied,"Wewont,either,sinceshegaveusthreepoundsofmillet,sothatnowwecanspareourhair."
Whenshewasalmosthome,Perina,whohadasmuchcuriosityasthenextlittlegirl,decidedtopeepintothetreasurechest.Sheopenedit,andoutcameahenandherbroodofgoldchicks.Theyscuttledawaytoofastforasoultocatchthem.Perinastruckoutafterthem.Shepassedtheappletree,buttheywerenowhereinsight.Shepassedthepeachtree,wheretherewasstillnosignofthem.Shecametothepeartree,andtherestoodthelittleoldwomanwithawandinherhandandhenandchicksfeedingaroundher."Shoo,shoo!"wenttheoldwoman,andthehenandchicksreenteredthetreasurechest.
Uponherarrival,thekingssoncameouttomeether."Whenmyfatheraskedwhatyouwantasareward,tellhimthatboxfilledwithcoalinthecellar."
Onthedoorstepoftheroyalpalacestoodthemaidservants,theking,andtheentirecourt.Perinahandedthekingthehenwiththebroodofgoldchicks."Askforwhateveryouwant,"saidtheking,"andIwillgiveittoyou."
"Iwouldliketheboxofcoalinthecellar,"repliedPerina.
Theybroughthertheboxofcoal,whichsheopened,andoutjumpedthekingsson,whowashidinginside.ThekingwasthenhappyforPerinatomarryhisson.
(Monferrato)
NOTES:
"TheLittleGirlSoldwiththePears"(Labambinavendutaconlepere)fromComparetti,10,Monferrato,Piedmont.
IchangedthenameMargheritinatoPerina(Pearlet),andIinventedthemotifofthepeartreeandthelittleoldwoman(intheoriginal,themagicpropscomefromthekingsson,whoisunderaspell),toreinforcethepear/girllink.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980