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One night when the thieves had gone out to rob a tax collector； the boy led the best mule out of the stable； loaded it with gold pieces； and fled。
He took the gold to his mother； then went to town to look for work。 In that town was a king who had a hundred sheep； but no one wanted to be his shepherd。 The boy volunteered； and the king said； 〃Look； there are the hundred sheep。 Take them out tomorrow morning to the meadow； but don't cross the brook； because they would be eaten by a serpent on the other side。 If you e back with none missing； I'll reward you。 Fail to bring them all back； and I'll dismiss you on the spot； unless the serpent has already devoured you too。〃
To reach the meadow； he had to walk by the king's windows； where the king's daughter happened to be standing。 She saw the boy； liked his looks； and threw him a cake。 He caught it and carried it along to eat in the meadow。 On reaching the meadow； he saw a white stone in the grass and said； 〃I'll sit down now and eat the cake from the king's daughter。〃 But the stone happened to be on the other side of the brook。 The shepherd paid no attention and jumped across the brook； with the sheep all following him。
The grass was high there； and the sheep grazed peacefully； while he sat on the stone eating his cake。 All of a sudden he felt a blow under the rock which seemed to shake the world itself。 The boy looked all around but； seeing nothing； went on eating his cake。 Another blow more powerful than the first followed； but the shepherd ignored it。 There was a third blow； and out from under the rock crawled a serpent with three heads。 In each of its mouths it held a rose and crawled toward the boy； as though it wanted to offer him the roses。 He was about to take them； when the serpent lunged at him with its three mouths all set to gobble him up in three bites。 But the little shepherd proved the quicker； clubbing it with his staff over one head and the next and the next until the serpent lay dead。
Then he cut off the three heads with a sickle； putting two of them into his hunting jacket and crushing one to see what was inside。 What should he find but a crystal key。 The boy raised the stone and saw a door。 Slipping the key into the lock and turning it； he found himself inside a splendid palace of solid crystal。 Through all the doors came servants of crystal。 〃Good day； my lord； what are your wishes？〃
〃I wish to be shown all my treasures。〃
So they took him up crystal stairs into crystal towers； they showed him crystal stables with crystal horses and arms and armor of solid crystal。 Then they led him into a crystal garden down avenues of crystal trees in which crystal birds sang； past flowerbeds where crystal flowers blossomed around crystal pools。 The boy picked a small bunch of flowers and stuck the bouquet in his hat。 When he brought the sheep home that night； the king's daughter was looking out the window and said； 〃May I have those flowers in your hat？〃
〃You certainly may；〃 said the shepherd。 〃They are crystal flowers culled from the crystal garden of my solid crystal castle。〃 He tossed her the bouquet； which she caught。
When he got back to the stone the next day； he crushed a second serpent head and found a silver key。 He lifted the stone； slipped the silver key into the lock and entered a solid silver palace。 Silver servants came running up saying； 〃mand； our lord！〃 They took him off to show him silver kitchens； where silver chickens roasted over silver fires； and silver gardens where silver peacocks spread their tails。 The boy picked a little bunch of silver flowers and stuck them in his hat。 That night he gave them to the king's daughter when she asked for them。
The third day； he crushed the third head and found a gold key。 He slipped the key into the lock and entered a solid gold palace； where his servents were gold too； from wig to boots； the beds were gold； with gold sheets； pillows； and canopy； and in the aviaries fluttered hundreds of gold birds。 In a garden of gold flowerbeds and fountains with gold sprays； he picked a small bunch of gold flowers to stick in his hat and gave them to the king's daughter that night。
Now the king announced a tournament； and the winner would have his daughter in marriage。 The shepherd unlocked the door with the crystal key； entered the crystal palace and chose a crystal horse with crystal bridle and saddle； and thus rode to the tournament in crystal armor and carrying a crystal lance。 He defeated all the other knights and fled without revealing who he was。
The next day he returned on a silver horse with trappings of silver； dressed in silver armor and carrying his silver lance and shield。 He defeated everyone and fled； still unknown to all。 The third day he returned on a gold horse； outfitted entirely in gold。 He was victorious the third time as well； and the princess said； 〃I know who you are。 You're the man who gave me flowers of crystal； silver； and gold； from the gardens of your castles of crystal； silver； and gold。〃
So they got married； and the little shepherd became king。
And all were very happy and gay；
But to me who watched they gave no thought nor pay。
（Monferrato）
NOTES：
〃The Three Castles〃 （I tre castelli） from paretti； 62 and 22； Monferrato； Piedmont。
These two Piedmontese tales are variants of a single type。 I took the beginning from one and concluded with the other。 Nothing was added； I merely underlined a few elements already in the text （such as the tax collector） and the rhythm。
Copyright： Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino；
translated by George Martin；
Pantheon Books； New York 1980
王子娶了一只青蛙
从前，有一个国王，他的三个儿子都到了娶妻的年龄了。为了不让三个王子在挑选新娘的时候发生争斗，国王对他们说：“你们用投石器尽力向远处拋石头，石头落在哪里，你们就娶哪里的姑娘为妻。”
三个儿子拿了投石器拋出石头。大儿子把石头拋在了一家面包房的屋顶上，于是他娶了那面包女工。二儿子把石头拋进了一个纺织女工的家里。而小儿子拋的石头则落进了一条水沟里。
投完石头，三个王子赶快带着订婚戒指去找各自的未婚妻。大王子找到的是一个美丽的姑娘，皮肤柔嫩得像刚出炉的蛋糕；二王子找到的是一个脸色苍白的姑娘，身体纤细得像根线；而小王子朝水沟里望啊、望啊，最后只找到一只青蛙。
三个王子回来向国王禀告了自己找到的未婚妻的情况。国王说：“这样吧，谁的妻子最优秀，谁就能继承王位。现在我们就试试她们。”他给每个儿子分了一些麻，让他们的未婚妻在三天内纺出来，比比谁纺得更好。
儿子们找到自己的未婚妻，叮嘱她们仔细地纺。小王子觉得很沮丧，他拿着麻，来到水沟边，喊道：
“青蛙啊，青蛙！”
“谁在喊我呀？”
“不太喜欢你的未婚夫！”
“你现在不喜欢我，当你看到我美丽时，一定会喜欢我。”
青蛙从水中跳出来，落在一片叶子上。小王子把麻交给她，告诉她三天后他会来取纺好的线。
三天过后，两个哥哥急不可耐地跑到面包女工和纺织女工那里取纺好的线，面包女纺得很漂亮，而纺织女就更不必说了，纺线是她最拿手的，纺出来的麻线像丝一样细。小王子怎么样了呢？他来到水沟边：
“青蛙啊，青蛙！”
“谁在喊我呀？”
“不太喜欢你的未婚夫！”
“你现在不喜欢我，当你看到我美丽时，一定会喜欢我！”
青蛙跳到一片叶子上，嘴里衔着一颗核桃。两位哥哥都带来了纺好的线，自己却只带回一颗核桃见父亲，小王子很难为情，他硬着头皮来到父亲面前。国王先是翻来覆去地查看了面包女和纺织女纺出的线，然后才打开小王子带来的核桃，两位哥哥在旁边暗暗地讥笑他。国王打开核桃，从里面取出了一球细线，细得像蜘蛛网一样，国王拽呀拽，拉呀拉，越拉越长，拉出来的线堆满了整个大殿。“这线怎么没有个头啊！”国王话刚一出口，线就拉到头了。国王不甘心就这样让一只青蛙当上王后。正好，他的那只良种猎犬刚生下三只小狗，他就把牠们交给三个王子，说：“把牠们带给你们的未婚妻，一个月后再带回来，谁养得好谁就成为王后。”
一个月后，面包女养的那只狗长成一只肥大的猎犬，因为一个月来牠从没断过面包。纺织女养的那只狗却显得尖瘦，一个月来缺吃少喝的。小王子来的时候带来了一个笼子，国王打开笼子，从里面跳出来的是一只毛光皮亮的鬈毛狗，脖子上束着饰带，浑身散发着香气，不仅会抬起前爪直立起来，还能练武术，懂得数数。国王于是说：“毫无疑问，小儿子将继承王位，而青蛙将成为王后。”
三位兄弟的婚礼定在同一天举行。两个哥哥坐着四匹马拉的车去接新娘，马车上饰满了漂亮的鲜花，两位新娘一身羽毛和珠宝，登上了马车。小王子来到水沟边，青蛙正在一架四只蜗牛拉着的车子上等着他，车子是用无花果的树叶做成的。他们出发了，他在前边走着，而蜗牛拉着树叶上的青蛙在后面跟着。一路上，小王子不得不几次停下来等着青蛙，最后一次他甚至睡着了。他醒过来的时候，发现在他面前停着一辆金子做成的马车，两匹白马在前边拉着，车厢被天鹅绒裹着，里面坐着一位美丽的姑娘，一身碧绿的穿著，光彩照人。
小王子问：“你是谁？”
“我就是青蛙啊，”看见王子半信半疑，姑娘就打开一个珍宝盒，只见里面放着无花果的树叶，一张青蛙的皮和四个蜗牛壳。“我本来是一个公主，被变成了一只青蛙，只有遇到一位从来不知道我的美貌却心甘情愿娶我的王子，我才会重新变回人身。”
国王满心欢喜，看到两个大王子心存嫉妒，就开导他们说，一个人没有能力选好自己的妻子也就不配得到王冠。就这样，小王子和他的新娘当上了国王和王后。
（蒙费拉托地区）
The Prince Who Married a Frog
There was once a king who had three sons of marriageable age。 In order to avoid any dispute over their choice of three brides； he said； 〃Aim as far as you can with the sling。 There where the stone falls you will get your wife。〃
The three sons picked up their slings and shot。 The oldest boy sent his stone flying all the way to the roof of a bakery； so