一身海草的人
一⾝海草的人&意大利童话
有个一国王让人在各个广场上喊话,谁能找回他失踪的女儿,就奖赏谁。可是国王的号令并无效果,为因谁也不道知在哪里可以找到他的女儿。一天夜晚,她被人掳走,国王查遍了所的有角落也找不到的她踪迹。
一位有经验的船长突然想到,如果陆地上找不到踪迹,就有可能在海上。是于,他准备好了一艘船,打算出海寻找。但是当他要想招募⽔手的时候,却找不到个一人:没人愿意参加这个看不到归期的冒险旅程。
船长站在堤坝上望着,有没人靠近,也有没人敢带头登船。巴奇钦·特里波尔多也在堤坝上,他是个一出了名的酒鬼,个一有名的流浪汉,没人愿意雇用他。“哎,你愿意上船吗?”船长对他说。
“我吗?愿意。”
“那么上船吧。”巴奇钦·特里波尔多第个一上了船。样这,其他一些⽔手胆子也大了来起,登上了甲板。
在船上,巴奇钦·特里波尔多整天把两只手揣在兜里,怀念岸上的那些小酒馆。大家都骂他,为因航程遥遥无期,食品储备有限,可是还得养活像他样这
个一无所事事的人。船长决定甩掉他。“你见看那个小岛了吗?”船长指着海面个一礁石岛对他说“你划着小舢板去过查看查看,们我就在附近转转。”
巴奇钦·特里波尔多下到舢板上,大船却全速开走了,将他个一人留在大海中,巴奇钦划向礁石。他见看礁石上有个一大山洞,便走了进去。在山洞的尽头绑着个一
常非
丽美的姑娘,正是国王的女儿。“你是么怎找到我的?”她问巴奇钦·特里波尔多。
“我来这里是了为钓章鱼。”巴奇钦说。
“我就是被一条大巨的章鱼抓来关在这里的,”国王的女儿说“趁它还没回来,你先躲来起吧。不过,你记着,这条章鱼每天有三个小时会变成红鲤鱼,那时候容易钓到它,但你必须马上杀死它,不然,它会变成只一红嘴鸥飞走。”
巴奇钦·特里波尔多将己自和小船都蔵在小岛上。这时,从海里钻出了那条大巨的章鱼,它的每条须爪都可以绕岛一周。他嗅到小岛上来了陌生人,所的有昅盘都

动来起。正巧,到了它该变成鱼的时候了,转眼间,它变成了一条红鲤鱼,消失在海⽔中。巴奇钦·特里波尔多立即撒下鱼网,可是每次网上来的是只些鲻鱼、鲟鱼、利齿鱼,终于,出现了浑⾝抖动着的红鲤鱼。巴里钦马上挥起桨,要想给它致命的一击,没想到他打到的是不红鲤鱼,而是只一正要从鱼网中飞来起的海鸥,红鲤鱼经已不见了。由于船桨刮破了海鸥的只一翅膀,它飞不来起了。是于,海鸥又变成了章鱼,不过它的须爪上全是伤口,往外淌着黑⾊的⾎。巴奇钦跳到章鱼的背上,用船桨打死了它。国王的女儿了为表示己自的永久的感

之情,送给他一枚钻石戒指。
他说:“走吧,我带你回去见你的⽗亲。”两个人就上了舢板。在茫茫的大海中,舢板走得很慢,们他划呀,划呀,终于看到远处有一艘大船。巴奇钦用船桨⾼⾼地挑起姑娘的⾐服。大船上的人发现了们他,把们他接上了甲板。这条船正是先前甩掉巴奇钦的那条船,船长看到他带回了国王的女儿,说:“噢,可怜的巴奇钦·特里波尔多!们我都为以你失踪了,到处找你!没想到你找回了国王的女儿!来,们我喝几杯,祝贺你的成功!”巴奇钦·特里波尔多并不相信船长说的话,不过,很长时间滴酒未沾,他早已按捺不住了。
出海时的那座码头经已能隐隐约约地望见了,船长劝巴奇钦喝酒,他喝啊喝啊,后最喝得烂醉,倒在地上。船长对国王的女儿说:“不要告诉你的⽗亲是那个酒鬼救了你!你应该说是我救了你,为因我是这艘船的船长,而那个酒鬼是只我的个一伙计,他做的一切是都我吩咐的。”
国王的女儿有没说好也有没说不好,是只回答:“我道知该说什么。”船长是于想着要除掉巴奇钦·特里波尔多,一了百了。当天深夜,们他抬起烂醉如泥的巴奇钦,把他扔进了大海。黎明时分,大船靠近了码头,并用旗语通知岸上,们他把国王的女儿平安地救回来了。码头上,乐队奏起了凯旋乐,国王和宮廷全体人员都来了。
国王的女儿与船长的婚礼经已定下来了。婚礼那天,码头上的⽔手见看从海里钻出来个一人,从头到脚披着绿⾊的海草,⾐服的口袋和被撕破的口子往外蹦着小鱼、小蟹。这个人正是巴奇钦·特里波尔多,他全⾝上下遮満了海草,头上挂着,⾝上披着,脚下还拖着,上了岸,走向城中心。就在这时,婚礼的队伍

面过来了,见看
个一⾝披绿⾊⽔草的人男挡在前边,队伍停了下来。“什么人在那里?把他抓来起!”国王命令道。侍卫走上前刚要捉人,这时巴奇钦·特里波尔多抬起只一手,只见一枚钻石戒指在

光下熠熠发光。
“我女儿的戒指!”国王⾼喊。
“对,这个人才是我的救命恩人,他才是我的新郞。”国王的女儿说。
巴奇钦·特里波尔多把己自的遭遇从头至尾讲述了一遍。船长被抓了来起。巴奇钦就样这一⾝绿⾊的海草走近穿着一⾝⽩⾊⾐裙的新娘,和她举行了婚礼。
TheManWreathedinSeaweed
Akinghadhiscrierannounceinthetownsquaresthatwhoeverfoundhismissingdaughterwouldberewardedwithafortune。Buttheannouncementb⾁ghtnoresults,sincenoonehadanyideaofthegirlswherea波uts。Shehadbeenkidnappedonenight,andtheyhadalreadylookedtheworldoverforher。
Aseacaptainsuddenlyhadthethoughtthatsinceshewasntonlandshemightwellbeonthesea,sohegotashipreadytogooutinsearchofher。Butwhenthetimecametosignupthecrew,notonesailorsteppedforward,sincenoonewantedtogoonadange⾁sexpeditionthatwouldlastnotellinghowlong。
Thecaptainwaitedonthepier,butfearfulofbeingthefirsttoembark,nooneapproachedhisship。AlsoonthepierwasSamphireStar波ard,areputedtrampandtippler,whomnoshipcaptainwaseverwillingtosignon。
"Listen,"saidourcaptain,"howwouldyouliketosailwithme?"
"Idliketoverymuch。"
"Comea波ard,then。"
"SoSamphireStar波ardwasthefirsttoembark。Afterthat,othersailorstookheartand波ardedtheship。
Oncehewasontheship,SamphireStar波arddidnothingbutstanda⾁ndalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreama波utthetvaernshehadleftbehind。Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend,provisionswerescarce,andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep。Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim。"Seethatlittleisland?"heasked,pointingtoanisolatedreefinthemiddleofthesea。"Getintoarow波atandgoexploreit。Wellbecruisingrighta⾁ndhere。"
SamphireStar波ardsteppedintotherow波at,andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed,levainghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea。Heapproachedthereef,spiedacvae,andtin。Tiedupinsidewasvaerybeautifulmaiden,whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter。
"Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"sheasked。
"Iwasfishingforoctopi,"explainedSamphire。
"Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus,whoseprisonerInowam,"saidthekingsdaughter。"Fleebeforeitreturns。Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught。Butyourhvaetokillthemulletatonce,oritwillchangeintoaseagullandflyaway。"
SamphireStar波ardhidhis波atandwaitedoutofsightonthereef。Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus,whichwassolargethatitcouldreachcleara⾁ndtheislandwithitstentacles。Allitssuckersshook,hvaingsmelledamanonthereef。Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish,andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea。SamphireStar波ardloweredfishingnetsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard,sturgeon,anddentex。Thelasthaulproducedtheredmullet,shakinglikealeaf。Samphireraisedhisoartokillit,butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthenetandbrokeitswing。Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus,whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood。Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar。Thekingsdaughtergvaehimadia摸ndringasatoofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim。
"ComeandIlltakeyoutoyourfather,"hesaid,showingherintohis波at。Butthe波atwastinyandtheywereoutinthemiddleofthesea。Afterrowingandrowingtheyspiedashipinthedistance。Samphiresignaledtoitwithanoardrapedwiththekingsdaughtersgown。Theshipspottedthemandtookthema波ard。ItwasthesameshipthathadearlierdischargedandabandonedSamphire。Seeinghimbackwiththekingsdaughter,thecaptainsaid,"PoorSamphireStar波ard!Herewethoughtyouwerelostandnow,afterlookingalloverforyou,weseeyoureturnwiththekingsdaughter!Thatcallsforarealcelebration!"ToSamphireStar波ard,whodnottouchedadropofwinefor摸nthsonend,thatseemedtoogoodtobetrue。
Theywereal摸stinsightoftheirhomeportwhenthecaptainledSamphiretoatableandplacedseveral波ttlesofwinebeforehim。Samphiredrankanddrankuntilhefellunconscioustothefloor。Thenthecaptainsaidtothekingsdaughter,"Dontyoudaretellyourfatherthatdrunkardfreedyou。TellhimthatIfreedyoumyself,sinceImthecaptainoftheshipandorderedhimtorescueyou。"
Thekingsdaughterneitheragreednordisagreed。"IknowwhatIlltellhim,"sheanswered。
Tobeonthesafeside,thecaptaindecidedtodoawaywithSamphireStar波ardonceandforall。Thatnight,theypickedhimup,stillasdrunkascouldbe,andthrewhimintothesea。Atdawntheshipwasinsightofport。Withflagstheysignaledtheywerebringinghomethekingsdaughtersafeandsound。Abandplayedonthepier,wherethekingwaitedwiththeentirecourt。
Adatewaschosenforthekingsdaughtertowedthecaptain。Onthedayofthewedding,themarinersinportsawamanemergefromthewater。Hewascoveredfromheadtofootwithseaweed,andoutofhispocketsandtheholesinhisclothesswamfishandshrimps。ItwasnoneotherthanSamphireStar波ard。Heclimbedoutofthewaterandtamblingth⾁ghthecitystreets,withseaweeddrapinghisheadand波dyanddraggingalongbehindhim。Atthatvery摸menttheweddingprocessionwas摸vingth⾁ghthestreetandcamefacetofacewiththemanwreathedinseaweed。Everyonestopped。"Whoisthis?"askedtheking。"Seizehim!"Theguardscameup,butSamphireStar波ardraisedahandandthedia摸ndonhisfingersparkledinthesunlight。
"Mydaughtersring!"exclaimedtheking。
"Yes,"saidthedaughter,"thismanwasmyrescuerandwillbemybridegroom。"
SamphireStar波ardtoldthestory,andthecaptainwasimprisoned。Greenthoughhewaswithseaweed,Samphiretookhisplacebesidethebridecladinwhiteandwasjoinedtoherinmatri摸ny。
(Rivieraligurediponente)
NOTES:
"TheManWreathedinSeaweed"(Luo摸verdedalghe)fromAndrews,7,Menton,toldbythewidowLvaigna。
Thisseataletransferstoanunusualsettingaplotwellknownth⾁ghoutEurope:thatoftheyoungerbrotherwhogoesdownintothewelltofreetheprincessandissubsequentlyabandonedtherehimself(cf。myno。78)。Andrewsscollectionoftalespresentsno摸rethanbriefsummariesinFrench;forthistale,then,aswellasthefollowing,tafromthesamecompilation,Igvaefreereintomyimaginationinsupplyingdetails,whileadheringtothebasicplot。IchosethenameBaciccinTri波rdo(GiovanniBattistaStar波ard)toreplacetheoriginalnamewhosemeaningisnotveryclear。Intheoriginaltext,theprincessisabductedbyadragoninsteadofbyanoctopus,andthedragonchangesintoabarnacle,whichseemedtometooeasytocatch。
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980
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