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夜游人

夜游人&意大利童话
  很久以前,有一个渔夫,他很穷,三个女儿都已长大了。有个年轻人向三姊妹求婚。但是这里的人们都很讨厌他,因为他在夜晚才出来转悠。大姑娘和二姑娘都拒绝了他,但三姑娘却答应了。婚礼是在夜间举行的。闹新房的人走后,新郎诚恳地对新娘说:“我把这个秘密告诉你吧:我被一个邪恶的符咒镇住了,白天变成乌龟,只能在夜里恢复成人。要破除这个符咒,只有一个办法:结婚后我马上离开自己的妻子,到外面去闯荡,夜间作人,白天作乌龟。等我回来的时候,如果妻子一直对我忠实,而且为我还忍受了种种艰难困苦,我就能永远恢复成人了。”
  “我心甘情愿!”新娘说。
  新郎便摘下一只鉆石戒指,给她戴在手指上,说:“如果用它来做好事的话,不论你碰到什么困难,它都会帮助你你的。”
  天亮时,新郎变成乌龟爬出去,开始了他到外面闯荡的旅程。
  新娘进城去寻找工作。路上,她还到一个哇哇大哭的孩子,便对他的母亲说:“让我来抱抱他吧,好教他不闹。”
  “你是头一个这样做的好人!”孩子的妈妈说,“他一天到晚都在哭闹。”
  新娘低声说:“让鉆石戒指的魔力使孩子欢笑、跳跃吧!”话刚说完,孩子便嬉笑欢跳起来。
  接著,新娘走到一家面包房里,对老板娘说:“你要是雇我给你干活,我不会使你后悔的。”于是,老板娘雇用了她,她开始做面包,并轻声细语地说:“我在这个面包房里干活期间,让鉆石戒指指的魔力使全城的人,都到这里来买面包吧!”从这时起,人们络绎不绝地在这个面包房里进进出出,这儿的生意十分兴隆。在这些人中间,有三个小伙子,他们爱上了她。
  “如果你跟我过一夜,”一个小伙子说:“我就给你一千法郎。”
  “我给你两千法郎!”另一个小伙子说。
  “我加到三千法郎!”第三个小伙子说。
  当天晚上,她收了第三个小伙子三千法郎,偷偷地把他带进了面包房。
  “我马上就跟你在一起,”她对这个小伙子说,“先让我把发酵粉放到面粉里。你等我的时候,等你帮我揉一下面团好吗?”
  这个人开始揉面团。他揉啊,揉啊,揉啊。由于鉆石戒指的魔力,他无论怎样也不能从面团里拔出手来。就这样,他一直揉到了天亮。
  “哟,你已经干好啦!”她对他说,“你干活真卖力。”
  于是,她把这个人打发走了。
  接著,她又答应了那个出两千法郎的小伙子。天一黑,她就把他带进面包房,叫他帮忙吹火,不要让它熄灭。他吹啊,吹啊,吹啊。由于鉆石戒指的魔力,他一直不停地吹到第二天早晨,脸都吹得浮肿起来,象个皮酒囊。
  “你真干得好呀!”清晨,她对这个小伙子说,“你是来看我的,可整夜帮著我吹火!”
  于是,她把这个人打发走了。
  又一个夜晚,她把那个出一千法郎的小伙子带了进来。“我要在面粉里加发酵粉,”她对他说,“你去把大门关上吧。”
  这个人关上了门,可是由于鉆石戒指的魔力,门马上又开了。他整夜都在关门,门关了又开,开了又关,不知不觉地太阳升起来,天亮了。
  “你到底把门关上了没有?好啦,你现在可以把门打开啦,滚吧!”
  三个小伙子憋了一肚子的气,到官府去告发她。那时候,不光有男警察,还有女警察,捉拿女犯要派女警察。于是,四个女警察前来逮捕新娘。
  “让鉆石戒指指的魔力使这四个女人相互打耳光吧,”新娘说,“一直打到明天早晨。”
  这四个女警察便相互打起耳光来。她们打得很重,一个个头肿得象大南瓜,可是还拚命地互打著。
  四个女警察没有带回犯人来,四个男警察就去寻找她们。新娘见他们来了,便说:“让鉆石戒指的魔力使这些人玩跳蛙游戏吧!”于是,一个警察马上四肢著地,匍匐下来。另一个警察向前俯身,将手搭在头一个警察背上,跳了过去。第三、第四个警察也跟著照做。这样,他们连续做起跳蛙游戏来了。
  就在这个节骨眼儿上,一只乌龟爬了过来。这正是新娘的丈夫,从外面归来了。他一见自己的妻子,瞧,他又变成了漂亮的年轻人!从此,他不再变化,跟妻子生活在一起,白头偕老。
  (利古里亚海岸)
  注释:
  材料来源:詹姆士·安德鲁斯编《利古里亚故事集》(巴黎,1892年版)第十四和第二十一篇;搜集地区:曼敦;讲述者:艾琳·吉纳和艾琳·潘杜鲁。
  这是一篇充满稀奇古怪的故事。它最引人注目的是关于女警察的描写。女警察是作为特殊警察制度这样一种历史事实来叙述的。在安德鲁斯的第一种异文里,新郎变成了癞蛤蟆。
  TheManWhoCameOutOnlyatNight
  Longagotherelivedapoorfishermanwiththreemarriageabledaughters.Acertainyoungmanaskedforthehandofoneofthem,butpeoplewerewaryofhimsincehecameoutonlyatnight.Theoldestdaughterandthenthemiddledaughterbothsaidnotohim,butthethirdgirlsaidyes.Theweddingwascelebratedatnight,andassoonasthecouplewasalone,thebridegroomannouncedtohisbride:"Imusttellyouasecret:Iamunderanevilspellanddoomedtobeatortoisebydayandamanatnight.Theresonlyonewaytobreakthespell:Imustleavemywiferightaftertheweddingandtravelaroundtheworld,atnightasamanandbydayasatortoise.IfIcomebackandfindthatmywifehasremainedloyaltomeallalongandenduredeveryhardshipformysake,Illbecomeamanagainforgood."
  "Iamwilling,"saidthebride.
  Thebridegroomslippedadiamondringonherfinger."Ifyouuseittoagoodend,thisringwillhelpyouinwhateversituationyoufindyourself."
  Dayhaddawned,andthebridegroomturnedintoatortoiseandcrawledofftobeginhisjourneyaroundtheworld.
  Thebridewentaboutthecityinsearchofwork.Alongtheway,shecameacrossachildcryingandsaidtohismother,"Letmeholdhiminmyarmsandcalmhim."
  "Youdbethefirstpersontodothat,"answeredthemother."Hesbeencryingalldaylong."
  "Bythepowerofthediamond,"whisperedthebride,"maythechildlaughanddanceandfrolic!"Atthat,thechildstartedlaughing,dancing,andfrolicking.
  Next,thebrideenteredabakeryandsaidtothewomanwhoownedit,"Youllhavenoregretsifyouhiremetoworkforyou."Theownerhiredher,andshebeganmakingbread,sayingunderherbreath,"Bythepowerofthediamond,letthewholetownbuybreadatthisbakeryaslongasIworkhere!"Fromthenon,peoplepouredinandoutwithnosignofaletup.Amongthecustomerswerethreeyoungmenwhosawthebrideandfellinlovewithher.
  "Ifyouletmespendanightwithyou,"oneofthemsaidtoher,"Illgiveyouathousandfrancs."
  "Illgiveyoutwothousand,"saidanother.
  "AndIllmakeitthreethousand,"saidthethird.
  Shecollectedthethreethousandfrancsfromthethirdmanandsmuggledhimintothebakerythatverynight.
  "Illbewithyouinaminute,"shetoldhim,"afterIveputtheyeastintotheflour.Whileyourewaiting,wouldyoupleasekneadthedoughalittlebitforme?"
  Themanbegankneading,andkneadedandkneadedandkneaded.Bythepowerofthediamond,hecouldntforthelifeofhimtakehishandsoutofthedough,andthereforewentonkneadingtilldaylight.
  "Soyoufinallyfinished!"shesaidtohim."Youreallytookyourtime!"
  Andshesenthimpacking.
  Thenshesaidyestothemanwiththetwothousandfrancs,broughthiminassoonasitgrewdark,andtoldhimtoblowonthefireamomentsothatitwouldntgoout.Heblewandblewandblew.Bythepowerofthediamond,hehadtokeeprightonblowinguptothenextmorning,withhisfacebulginglikeawineskin.
  "Whatawaytobehave!"shesaidtohiminthemorning."Youcometoseeme,butspendthenightblowingonthefire!"
  Andshesenthimpacking.
  Thenextnightshebroughtinthemanwiththethousandfrancs."Ihavetoaddtheyeast,"shetoldhim."WhileImdoingthat,goshutthedoor."
  Themanshutthedoor,whichbythepowerofthediamondcameopenagainrightaway.Allnightlonghecloseditonlytoseeitimmediatelyreopen,andinnotimethesunwasup.
  "Didyoufinallyclosethisdoor?Well,youmaynowopenitagainandgetout."
  Seethingwithrage,thethreemendenouncedhertotheauthorities.Inthatdayandtimetherewere,inadditiontopolicemen,womenofficerswhowerecalledwheneverawomanwastobebroughtintocustody.Sofourwomenofficerswenttoapprehendthebride.
  "Bythepowerofthediamond,"saidthebride,"letthesewomenboxoneanothersearsuntiltomorrowmorning."
  Thefourwomenofficersbeganboxingoneanothersearssohardthattheirheadsswelleduplikepumpkins,andtheystillwentonstrikingeachotherforalltheywereworth.
  Whenthewomenofficersfailedtoreturnwiththeculprit,fourmaleofficersweresentouttolookforthem.Thebridesawthemcomingandsaid,"Bythepowerofthediamond,letthosemenplayleapfrog."Oneofthemaleofficersdroppeddownatonceonallfours;asecondonemovedup,puthishandsontheofficersback,andleapedoverhim,withthethirdandfourthfollowinginhistracks.Thusbeganagameofleapfrog.
  Rightatthatpoint,atortoisecamecrawlingintoview.Itwasthehusbandreturningfromhistriparoundtheworld.Hesawhiswife,andbehold!Hewasagainahandsomeyoungman,andahandsomeyoungmanheremained,byhiswifesside,uptoaripeoldage.
  (Rivieraligurediponente)
  NOTES:
  "TheManWhoCameOutOnlyatNight"(Luomocheuscivasolodinotte)fromAndrews,14and21,Menton,toldbyIrenGenaandIrenePanduro.
  Atalefullofoddities,themoststrikingofwhichisthatofwomenconstables,givenasahistoricalfactregardingaparticularpolicesystem.InAndrewssfirstvariant,thebridegroomturnsintoatoad.
  Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
  translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
  PantheonBooks,NewYork1980

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