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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 he got the baker girl。 The second boy released his stone； which came down on the house of a weaver。 The youngest son's stone landed in a ditch。
Immediately after the shots； each boy rushed off to his betrothed with a ring。 The oldest brother was met by a lovely maiden as fresh as a newly baked cake； the middle brother by a fair girl with silky hair and skin； while the youngest； after looking and looking； saw nothing but a frog in that ditch。
They returned to the king to tell him about their betrothed。 〃Now；〃 said the king； 〃whoever has the best wife will inherit the kingdom。 Here begin the tests。〃 He gave them each some hemp to be spun and returned within three days； to see which betrothed was the best spinner。
The sons went to their betrothed and urged them to spin their best。 Highly embarrassed； the youngest boy took the hemp to the rim of the ditch and called：
〃Frog； frog！〃
〃Who calls？〃
〃Your love who loves you not。〃
〃If you love me not； never mind。 Later you shall； when a fine figure I cut。〃
The frog jumped out of the water onto a leaf。 The king's son gave her the hemp； telling her he'd pick up the spun thread three days later。
Three days later the older brothers anxiously hastened to the baker girl and the weaver girl to pick up their spun hemp。 The baker girl produced a beautiful piece of work； the weaver girl； who was an expert at this sort of thing； had spun hers to look like silk。 But how did the youngest son fare？ He went to the ditch and called：
〃Frog； frog！〃
〃Who calls？〃
〃Your love who loves you not。〃
〃If you love me not； never mind。 Later you shall； when a fine figure I cut。〃
She jumped onto a leaf holding a walnut in her mouth。 He was somewhat embarrassed to give his father a walnut while his brothers brought spun hemp。 He nevertheless took heart and presented the king with the walnut。 The king； who had already scrutinized the handiwork of the baker and the weaver girls； cracked open the walnut as the older brothers looked on； snickering。 Out came cloth as fine as gossamer that continued to unroll until the throne room was covered with it。 〃But there's no end to this cloth！〃 exclaimed the king。 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the cloth came to an end。
But the father refused to accept the idea of a frog being queen。 His favorite hunting bitch had just had three puppies； which he gave the three sons。 〃Take them to your betrothed and go back for them a month later。 The one who's taken the best care of her dog will bee the queen。〃
A month later； the baker girl's dog had turned into a big； fat mastiff； having got all the bread he could eat。 The weaver's dog； not nearly so well supplied； was now a half…starved hound。 The youngest son came in with a small box。 The king opened it and out jumped a tiny； beribboned poodle； impeccably groomed and perfumed； that stood on its hind legs and marched and counted。
〃No doubt about it；〃 said the king； 〃my youngest son will be king； and the frog will be queen。〃
The wedding of all three brothers was set for the same day。 The older brothers went for their brides in garlanded carriages drawn by four horses； and the brides climbed in； decked with feathers and jewels。
The youngest boy went to the ditch； where the frog awaited him in a carriage fashioned out of a fig leaf and drawn by four snails。 They set out。 He walked ahead while the snails followed； pulling the fig leaf with the frog upon it。 Every now and then he stopped for them to catch up with him； and once he even fell asleep。 When he awakened； a gold carriage had pulled up beside him。 It was drawn by two white horses； and inside on velvet upholstery； sat a maiden as dazzling as the sun and dressed in an emarald…green gown。
〃Who are you？〃 asked the youngest son。
〃I am the frog。〃
He couldn't believe it； so the maiden opened a jewel case containing the fig leaf； the frog skin； and four snail shells。 〃I was a princess turned into a frog； and the only chance I had of getting my human form back was for a king's son to agree to marry me the way I was。〃
The king was overjoyed and told his two older sons； who were consumed with envy； that whoever picked the wrong wife was unworthy of the crown。 So the youngest boy and his bride became king and queen。
（Monferrato）
NOTES：
〃The Prince Who Married a Frog〃 （Il principe che sposò una rana） from paretti； 4； Monferrato； Piedmont。
The tale of the frog bride is mon to all of Europe； scholars have counted 300 versions。 paring it； for instance； with Grimm； no。63； or with Afanas'ev's 〃The Frog Prince；〃 this variant which we can classify as distinctly Italian （since it shows up uniformly throughout the Peninsula； even if slinging to locate the bride is rather rare） stands out in its near…geometrical logic and linearity。
Copyright： Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino；
translated by George Martin；
Pantheon Books； New York 1980
鹦鹉
从前有一个商人要外出经商，但他不敢把女儿一个人留在家里，因为有个国王早就在打她的坏主意了。
他叮嘱女儿：“孩子啊，我要动身了，你一定要答应我，在我回来之前，你不要踏出家门一步，也不要为任何人开门。”
那天早晨，姑娘发现窗外的树上落着一只漂亮的鹦鹉，彬彬有礼，很讨人喜爱，她跟这只鹦鹉聊了一会，觉得很有意思。
姑娘说：“亲爱的爸爸，我一个人留在家里会很孤单的，能不能买一只鹦鹉陪伴我呢？”
商人视女儿为掌上明珠，马上就出去给她找鹦鹉。他遇到了一位卖鹦鹉的老者，而且卖得很便宜，就买下了这只鹦鹉送给了女儿。他对女儿千叮万嘱后，才离家上路。
商人刚一离家，国王就开始琢磨用什么方法能接近姑娘。他与一个老妇串通好了，派她给姑娘送去一封信。
但那时，姑娘正在跟鹦鹉说着话：“鹦鹉，你给我说些什么有趣的事呢？”
“我给你讲一个动人的故事。从前有一个国王，他只有一个女儿，因为是独生女，没有兄弟姐妹陪她玩。人们给她做了一个玩具娃娃，跟她真人一样大，脸也像她，穿的也像她。她不管到哪里总把娃娃带在身边，大家常常错把她当做娃娃，错把娃娃当成她。有一次，国王带着她和娃娃坐着马车来到一片森林，敌人袭击他们，杀死了国王，掳走了公主，把娃娃丢在了车里。公主伤心地嚎啕大哭，敌人只好放了她，她就独自一人在森林中走着。走到一个女王的王宫里，女王把她收为女仆。姑娘聪明贤惠，深得女王宠爱。别的奴仆开始嫉妒她了，为了让她失宠，她们对她说：‘你知道吗。女主人对你真的很好，有什么话都对你说，不过，有一件事情我们都知道，她却不曾对你说，就是她曾有过一个儿子但后来死了。’于是姑娘便去问女王：‘陛下，你真的有一个儿子，后来死了吗？’听到这句话，女王差点气晕过去。这件事没人敢提，谁提到她死去的儿子，就是死罪。姑娘照例要判死刑的，可是女王对她有点怜惜，只把她关进了地牢。姑娘被关进来后，觉得很失落；她吃不下饭，整夜哭泣。半夜，她正在哭着，突然听到开门的声音，只见有五个人，其中四个是魔法师，另一个正是女王的儿子，他被他们囚禁着，他们带他出来散散步。”
故事讲到这里，一个仆人打断了鹦鹉，他给姑娘送来一封信。信是那个国王写的，他想方设法让人把这封信递到了这里。但是当时姑娘正在兴头上，她想知道故事的下文，就说：“我爸爸回来之前，我不收任何信。请不要打扰我。鹦鹉，继续讲下去吧。”
仆人拿着那封信出去了，鹦鹉继续讲故事：“到了早上，看管姑娘的狱卒发现犯人什么也没吃，就禀报了女王。女王传她上殿，姑娘就把在地牢里看见王子还活着、被四个魔法师关押着、每晚半夜押他出来放风的情况告诉了女王。女王马上派了十二名军士，手持长矛来到地牢，杀死了四个魔法师，把女王的儿子就了回来。女王因为姑娘救了王子，决定让王子娶姑娘为妻。”
正讲到这里，敲门声又响了，家仆来请求小主人读一读那个国王写来的信。商人的女儿说：“好了，故事讲完了，我现在可以看信了。”
“还没完，还有一段呢。”鹦鹉急忙劝阻她，“你听着：那个姑娘并不愿意嫁给女王的儿子，她只要了些钱和一套男人服装就离开了，到了另一个城邦。这里国王的儿子得了一种病，没有一个医师能医好他：他从半夜到早晨，瞪着眼睛，胡言乱语，就像一个恶魔。姑娘穿着一身男装来了，自称是从外国来的医师，请求让自己和病人单独待上一夜。她先察看了一下床，发现床下有一个暗道口，从暗道口下去，是一条走廊，尽头放着一盏油灯。”
这时，又传来了敲门声，家仆进来说一位老妇，自称是姑娘的姑妈，想要见见姑娘。（其实她根本不是什么姑娘的姑妈，而是为国王办事的那个老妇。）商人的女儿急不可待地想要知道故事的结局，就告诉家仆不接待任何人。“鹦鹉，继续讲下去。”
鹦鹉继续讲：“姑娘走近油灯一看，只见一个老妇正在用一口大锅煮王子的心，因为那个国王曾经处死了她自己的孩子。姑娘从锅里把那颗心拿走了，并让国王的儿子吞下它，病立即就好了。国王说：‘我许诺过，哪位医师治好了我儿子，我就把城邦的一半送给他，你是一个女人，你就嫁给我儿子，当他的王后吧。’”
“真是神奇啊！”商人的女儿说，“故事讲完了，我现在可以接待那个自称是我姑妈的老妇人了。”
鹦鹉说：“故事还没完呢，后边还有一段。你仔细听着。装扮成医生的姑娘也不愿意嫁给国王的儿子，又离开了，她来到另一个城邦，这里国王的儿子中了魔法，不会说话。晚上姑娘躲在床下，到了半夜她看见两个女巫从窗户钻进来，她们从王子嘴里取出一块宝石，王子就能说话了，走的时候，她们又把那块宝石放进王子嘴里，他又变哑了。”
又响起了敲门声，不过商人的女儿正在聚精会神地听着故事，根本没听见。鹦鹉接着讲：
“第二天晚上，当那两个女巫把小宝石放在床上的时候，姑娘拽起床单，将宝石抖落在地，并顺手捡起来装进口袋。到了早上，女巫找不到宝石，只好逃走了。国王的儿子能开口说话了，姑娘被任命为宫廷御医。”
敲门声还在响个不停，商人的女儿想让屋外的人进来，就先