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，他的那隻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"(Ilprincipechesposòunarana)fromComparetti,4,Monferrato,Piedmont.
ThetaleofthefrogbrideiscommontoallofEurope;scholarshavecounted300versions.Comparingit,forinstance,withGrimm,no.63,orwithAfanasevs"TheFrogPrince,"thisvariantwhichwecanclassifyasdistinctlyItalian(sinceitshowsupuniformlythroughoutthePeninsula,evenifslingingtolocatethebrideisratherrare)standsoutinitsnear-geometricallogicandlinearity.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980