三个城堡&意大利童话
有个小伙子突然想要去偷东西，他把这个念头跟妈妈一说，妈妈就说：“你不觉得羞耻吗？你马上去忏悔，听听神父给你的劝告。”
小伙子去忏悔，神父说：“偷窃是罪过，但假如你偷窃的对象是贼，罪孽还不算深。”
于是，小伙子来到森林里，找到了一处贼窝，他敲开门，请贼人收下他做仆从。
贼人说：“我们偷东西，但我们并没有罪，因为我们偷的都是些收苛捐杂税的人。”
一天晚上，贼人们出去偷一个收税官的家，小伙子从马厩里挑了最好的骡子，驮了一袋金币溜走了。
他把金币送给妈妈，然后进城去找活干。城里住着一个国王，养了一百只羊。但是没人愿意给他放羊。小伙子去了。国王对他说：“你听着，这里是一百只羊，明天早上你带它们到那边的草场上去放牧，但不要靠近那条小溪，那里有一条大蛇，会把羊吃掉。如果你把羊全给我带回来，我就给你赏钱；但如果你丢了羊，自己又没被蛇吃掉，我就会立即赶你走。”
要去草场，得从王宫的窗户下走过，公主正站在窗前往下边望着。她看见小伙子，顿生爱慕之心，扔给他一块蛋糕。牧羊小伙子一把接住蛋糕，收起来准备牧羊的时候吃。到了草场，他远远看见草丛中有一块白石头，心想：“我正好可以坐在上边吃公主给我的蛋糕。”可是石头在小溪对岸，牧羊小伙子没想太多就跳过小溪，羊群也跟着过来了。
草场上青草茂盛，绵羊都在安静地吃草，小伙子也坐在石头上，吃着蛋糕。突然，他感觉到被石头下的什么东西顶了一下，好像整个世界往下塌陷似的一震。小伙子往四周看看，什么也没有，就继续吃蛋糕。这时从石头下又传来一声更大的响动，牧羊小伙子假装什么也没听到。当第三次震动的时候，从石头下钻出一条长着三个头的蛇，每张嘴都衔着一朵玫瑰，三只头一齐朝着牧羊小伙子伸过来，好像要把玫瑰送给他。小伙子正要伸手去接玫瑰，蛇却张开三张嘴向他猛扑过来，它只消每张嘴咬一口就能把小伙子一下子吃了。好在牧羊小伙子比它更敏捷，他用手里的牧羊棍照每个蛇头上猛力一击，巨蛇被打死了。
然后，他用镰刀把三只蛇头都割了下来，他把两只蛇头装起来，砸开了剩下的那只蛇头，想看看里边是什么。在蛇头里藏着一把水晶钥匙，小伙子搬开石头，发现有道门，门上有一个锁眼。他把水晶钥匙插进去，门开了，里面是一个用水晶做成的雄伟的宫殿。见到小伙子进来，宫殿的门全开了，走出一些水晶仆人，说：“您好主人，有什么吩咐？”
“我命令你们带着我去查看一下我的珍宝。”
这些水晶人拥着他顺着水晶楼梯爬上一座水晶塔，让他看了水晶马厩和里面的水晶马，看了所有的水晶兵器和水晶盔甲。然后，他们陪着他来到一处水晶花园，林xx道两边的水晶树上有一些水晶鸟在欢快地叫着，花坛中的水晶花都在盛开着，花坛四周是一个个水晶池塘。小伙子摘下一小束水晶花，插在帽子上。晚上，小伙子赶着羊群，回到王宫，公主正站在窗前望着，对他说：“你能把帽子上的那束花送给我吗？”
“好的，我送给你。”牧羊小伙子说，“这是一束水晶花，是我从我的水晶城堡里的水晶花园摘来的。”说着，他把花抛给公主，公主接下了。
第二天，小伙子又来到石头那里，砸开了第二个蛇头，里面是一把银钥匙。他抬开石头，把银钥匙插进锁眼，走进一座用银子做成的宫殿。所有的银仆人都跑来说：“主人，请吩咐吧！”他们陪着他看了银厨房，里面正在用银火烤着些银鸡，在银花园里，银孔雀正在开屏，小伙子摘了一小束银花，插在帽子上。到了晚上，他又把银花送给了好奇的公主。
第三天，他又砸开了第三个蛇头，找到一把金钥匙。他把金钥匙插进锁眼，进到一个用金做成的宫殿，里面那些听候他吩咐的人都是金人，从头上戴的假发到脚下的长筒靴都是金的。金床上铺着金床单，金被子，金枕头，金幔帐，鸟笼中飞着金鸟。在一个个金花坛组成的花园中，喷泉喷出的是金泉。小伙子摘了一小束金花，插在帽子上，到了晚上又送给公主了。
有一天，国王发布公告，举行马上比武大会，谁获胜，谁就可以娶公主为妻。牧羊小伙子用水晶钥匙打开门，走进水晶宫殿里，选了一匹水晶马，配好水晶缰绳和水晶马鞍，出现在比武场上。他身披水晶盔甲，手持水晶盾牌和水晶长矛，战胜了所有比武的骑士，然后扬长而去，谁也没有认出他来。
第二天，小伙子骑着鞴了银装饰的银马，身披银盔银甲，手持银矛银盾与又出现在比武场，战胜了所有的骑士后，又不露声色地疾驰而去。到了第三天，小伙子骑着金马，披着金装，又战胜了所有的对手，这时候公主说：“我知道他是谁，他是送给我水晶花、银花和金花的那个人，这些花是从他的水晶城堡、银城堡、金城堡的花园中摘来的。”
就这样他们结了婚，牧羊小伙子后来又当上了国王。
所有的人都心满意足、高高兴兴，
我却一无所得，只是个局外人。
（蒙费拉托地区）
TheThreeCastles
Aboyhadtakenitintohisheadtogooutandsteal.Healsotoldhismother.
"Arentyouashamed!"saidhismother."Gotoconfessionatonce,andyoullseewhatthepriesthastosaytoyou."
Theboywenttoconfession."Stealingisasin,"saidthepriest,"unlessyoustealfromthieves."
Theboywenttothewoodsandfoundthieves.Heknockedattheirdoorandgothimselfhiredasaservant.
"Westeal,"explainedthethieves,"butwerenotcommittingasin,becausewerobthetaxcollectors."
Onenightwhenthethieveshadgoneouttorobataxcollector,theboyledthebestmuleoutofthestable,loadeditwithgoldpieces,andfled.
Hetookthegoldtohismother,thenwenttotowntolookforwork.Inthattownwasakingwhohadahundredsheep,butnoonewantedtobehisshepherd.Theboyvolunteered,andthekingsaid,"Look,therearethehundredsheep.Takethemouttomorrowmorningtothemeadow,butdontcrossthebrook,becausetheywouldbeeatenbyaserpentontheotherside.Ifyoucomebackwithnonemissing,Illrewardyou.Failtobringthemallback,andIlldismissyouonthespot,unlesstheserpenthasalreadydevouredyoutoo."
Toreachthemeadow,hehadtowalkbythekingswindows,wherethekingsdaughterhappenedtobestanding.Shesawtheboy,likedhislooks,andthrewhimacake.Hecaughtitandcarrieditalongtoeatinthemeadow.Onreachingthemeadow,hesawawhitestoneinthegrassandsaid,"Illsitdownnowandeatthecakefromthekingsdaughter."Butthestonehappenedtobeontheothersideofthebrook.Theshepherdpaidnoattentionandjumpedacrossthebrook,withthesheepallfollowinghim.
Thegrasswashighthere,andthesheepgrazedpeacefully,whilehesatonthestoneeatinghiscake.Allofasuddenhefeltablowundertherockwhichseemedtoshaketheworlditself.Theboylookedallaroundbut,seeingnothing,wentoneatinghiscake.Anotherblowmorepowerfulthanthefirstfollowed,buttheshepherdignoredit.Therewasathirdblow,andoutfromundertherockcrawledaserpentwiththreeheads.Ineachofitsmouthsitheldaroseandcrawledtowardtheboy,asthoughitwantedtoofferhimtheroses.Hewasabouttotakethem,whentheserpentlungedathimwithitsthreemouthsallsettogobblehimupinthreebites.Butthelittleshepherdprovedthequicker,clubbingitwithhisstaffoveroneheadandthenextandthenextuntiltheserpentlaydead.
Thenhecutoffthethreeheadswithasickle,puttingtwoofthemintohishuntingjacketandcrushingonetoseewhatwasinside.Whatshouldhefindbutacrystalkey.Theboyraisedthestoneandsawadoor.Slippingthekeyintothelockandturningit,hefoundhimselfinsideasplendidpalaceofsolidcrystal.Throughallthedoorscameservantsofcrystal."Goodday,mylord,whatareyourwishes?"
"Iwishtobeshownallmytreasures."
Sotheytookhimupcrystalstairsintocrystaltowers;theyshowedhimcrystalstableswithcrystalhorsesandarmsandarmorofsolidcrystal.Thentheyledhimintoacrystalgardendownavenuesofcrystaltreesinwhichcrystalbirdssang,pastflowerbedswherecrystalflowersblossomedaroundcrystalpools.Theboypickedasmallbunchofflowersandstuckthebouquetinhishat.Whenhebroughtthesheephomethatnight,thekingsdaughterwaslookingoutthewindowandsaid,"MayIhavethoseflowersinyourhat?"
"Youcertainlymay,"saidtheshepherd."Theyarecrystalflowersculledfromthecrystalgardenofmysolidcrystalcastle."Hetossedherthebouquet,whichshecaught.
Whenhegotbacktothestonethenextday,hecrushedasecondserpentheadandfoundasilverkey.Heliftedthestone,slippedthesilverkeyintothelockandenteredasolidsilverpalace.Silverservantscamerunningupsaying,"Command,ourlord!"Theytookhimofftoshowhimsilverkitchens,wheresilverchickensroastedoversilverfires,andsilvergardenswheresilverpeacocksspreadtheirtails.Theboypickedalittlebunchofsilverflowersandstucktheminhishat.Thatnighthegavethemtothekingsdaughterwhensheaskedforthem.
Thethirdday,hecrushedthethirdheadandfoundagoldkey.Heslippedthekeyintothelockandenteredasolidgoldpalace,wherehisserventsweregoldtoo,fromwigtoboots;thebedsweregold,withgoldsheets,pillows,andcanopy;andintheaviariesflutteredhundredsofgoldbirds.Inagardenofgoldflowerbedsandfountainswithgoldsprays,hepickedasmallbunchofgoldflowerstostickinhishatandgavethemtothekingsdaughterthatnight.
Nowthekingannouncedatournament,andthewinnerwouldhavehisdaughterinmarriage.Theshepherdunlockedthedoorwiththecrystalkey,enteredthecrystalpalaceandchoseacrystalhorsewithcrystalbridleandsaddle,andthusrodetothetournamentincrystalarmorandcarryingacrystallance.Hedefeatedalltheotherknightsandfledwithoutrevealingwhohewas.
Thenextdayhereturnedonasilverhorsewithtrappingsofsilver,dressedinsilverarmorandcarryinghissilverlanceandshield.Hedefeatedeveryoneandfled,stillunknowntoall.Thethirddayhereturnedonagoldhorse,outfittedentirelyingold.Hewasvictoriousthethirdtimeaswell,andtheprincesssaid,"Iknowwhoyouare.Yourethemanwhogavemeflowersofcrystal,silver,andgold,fromthegardensofyourcastlesofcrystal,silver,andgold."
Sotheygotmarried,andthelittleshepherdbecameking.
Andallwereveryhappyandgay,
Buttomewhowatchedtheygavenothoughtnorpay.
(Monferrato)
NOTES:
"TheThreeCastles"(Itrecastelli)fromComparetti,62and22,Monferrato,Piedmont.
ThesetwoPiedmontesetalesarevariantsofasingletype.Itookthebeginningfromoneandconcludedwiththeother.Nothingwasadded;Imerelyunderlinedafewelementsalreadyinthetext(suchasthetaxcollector)andtherhythm.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980