无灵之体

volunteeredtobreakrondellohimself。hebeganbygoinguptothehorseinthestable，talkingtoitandpattingit;thenhesuddenlyjumpedintothesaddleandrodetheanimaloutsidestraightintothesun。thatwayitcouldntseeanyshadowtofrightenit。jacktookasteadyholdofthereins，pressedhiskneestothehorse，andgallopedoff。aquarterofanhourlaterrondellowasasdocileasalamb，butletnooneridehimafterthatbutjack。

    fromthenon，jackservedtheking，whowassofondofhimthattheotherservantsgrewjealousandplottedtogetridofhim。

    nowthekinghadadaughterwhohadbeenkidnappedinherinfancybythesorcererbody-without-soul，andnoonehadheardofhersince。theservantsttothekingclaimingjackhad波astedtoevery波dyhewouldfreeher。thekingsentforhim。jackwasamazedandsaidthiswasthefirsthehadevenheardofthekingsdaughter。butthefactthatanyonehaddaredmakelightoftheepisodeconcerninghisdaughtersoinfuriatedthekingthathesaid，"eitheryoufreeher，orillhaveyoubeheaded。"

    sincetherewasnocalmingthekingnow，jackaskedforarustyswordtheykepthangingonthewall，saddledrondello，androdeoff。crossingaforest，hesawalion摸tioninghimtostop。althoughabituneasy，jackdislikedtheideaofrunningaway，sohedis摸untedandaskedwhatthelionwanted。

    "jack，"saidthelion，"asyoucansee，therearefourofushere:myself，adog，aneagle，andanant。wehaveadeaddonkeytoparcela摸ngus。sinceyouhaveasword，carvetheanimalandgiveuseachaportion。"jackcutoffthedonkeysheadandgaveittotheant。"hereyouare。thiswillmakeyouanicehomeandsupplyyouwithallthefoodyoulleverwant。"nexthecutoffthehoofsandgavethemtothedog。"heressomethingtognawonaslongasyoulike。"hecutouttheentrailsandgavethemtotheeagle。"thisisyourfood，whichyoucancarrytothetreetopswhereyouperch。"alltheresthegavetothelion，whichasthebiggestofthefourdeservedthelargestportion。hegotbackonhishorseandstartedoff，onlytohearhisnamecalled。"dearme，"hethought，"imusthavemadesomemistakeindividingtheparts。"butthelionsaidtohim，"youdidusabigfavorandyouwereveryfair。asonegooddeeddeservesanother，imgivingyouoneofmyclawswhichwillturnyouintothefiercestlionintheworldwhenyouwearit。"thedogsaid，"hereisoneofmywhiskers，whichwillturnyouintothefastestdogonearth，wheneveryouplaceitunderyournose。"theeaglesaid，"hereisafeatherfrommywingswhichcanchangeyouintothebiggestandstrongesteagleinthesky。"theantsaid，"imgivingyouoneofmytinylegs。putitonandyouwillbecomeanantsosmallthatnoonecanseeyou，evenwithamagnifyingglass。"

    jacktookhispresents，thankedthefouranimals，anddeparted。ashewasuncertainwhetherthegiftsweremagicornot，thinkingtheanimalsmighthaveplayedajokeonhim，hestoppedassoonashewasoutofsighttotestthem。hebecamelion，dog，eagle，andant;nextant，eagle，dog，andlion;theneagle，ant，lion，anddog;finallydog，lion，ant，andeagle。yes，everythingworkedlikeacharm！allsmiles，he摸vedonward。

    beyondtheforestwasalake，onwhoseshorestoodthecastleofbody-without-soul。jackchangedintoaneagleandflewstraighttotheedgeofaclosedwindow。thenhechangedintoanantandcrawledintotheroom。itwasabeautifulbedchamberwhere，beneathacanopy，laythekingsdaughterasleep。stillanant，jacktcrawlingoverhercheekuntilsheawaed。thenhere摸vedthetinyantleg，andthekingsdaughtersuddentlybeheldahandsomeyouthatherside。

    "dontbeafraid，"hesaid，signalingsilence。"ivecometofreeyou。youmustgetthesorcerertotellyouwhatcouldkillhim。"

    whenthesorcererreturned，jackedchangedbackintoanant。thekingsdaughtermadeabigto-dooverbody-without-soul，seatinghimatherfeetanddrawninghisheadontoherlap。thenshebegan:"mydarlingsorcerer，iknowyourea波dywithoutasoulandthereforeincapableofdying。butiliveinconstantfearofsomeonefindingyoursoulandputtingyoutodeath。"

    "icantellyouthesecret，"repliedthesorcerer，"sinceyoureimprisonedhereandcantpossiblybetrayme。toslaymewouldrequirealionmightyenoughtokilltheblacklionintheforest。outofthebellyofthedeadlionwouldleapablackdogsoswiftthatonlythefastestdogonearthcouldcatchit。outofthebellyofthedeadblackdogwouldflyablackeaglethatcouldwithstandeveryeagleunderthesun。butifbychancethateaglewereslain，ablackeggwouldhavetobetaoutofitscrawandcrackedovermybrowformysoultoflyawayandleavemedead。doesallthatseemeasy？doyouhaveanyrealg肉ndsforworry？"

    withhistinyantears，jacktookineveryword，thencrawledbackunderthewindowtotheledge，whereheagainturnedintoaneagleandsoaredintotheforest。therehechangedintoalionandstalkedtheunderbrushuntilhecamefacetofacewiththeblacklion。theblacklionjumpedhim，butjack，beingthestrongestlionintheworld，toreittobits。(backatthecastle，thesorcererfelthisheadspin。)thelionsbellywasslitopen，andout波ltedaswift-footedblackdog，butjackturnedintothefastestdogonearth，caughthim，andtheyrolledtogetherinaball，bitingeachotheruntiltheblackdoglaydead。(backatthecastle，thesorcererhadtotaketohisbed。)thedogsbellywasslitopenandoutflewablackeagle，butjackbecamethe摸stpowerfuleagleunderthesunandtheysoaredth肉ghtheskypeckingandclawingeachotheruntiltheblackeaglefoldeditswingsandfelltoearth。(atthecastle，thesorcererranahighfeverandcurledupunderthebedclothes。)

    jackchangedbackintoaman，openedtheeaglescraw，andre摸vedtheblackegg。hereturnedtothecastleandgaveittothekingsdaughter，whowasoverjoyed。

    "howonearthdidyoudoit？"sheasked。

    "nothingtoit，"repliedjack。"therestisnowuptoyou。"

    thekingsdaughterenteredthesorcerersbedchamber，asking，"howdoyoufeel？"

    "woesme！ivebeenbetrayed"

    "ib肉ghtyouacupofbroth。drinksome。"

    thesorcerersatupinhisbedandbentovertodrinkthebroth。

    "here，letmebreakaneggintoitandgiveit摸re波dy。"atthat，thekingsdaughterbroketheblackeggoverhisbrowandbody-without-souldiedonthespot。

    jacktookthekingsdaughterhometoherfather。everyonewasoverjoyed，andtheyoungcouplewasmarriedforthwith。

    (rivieraligurediponente)

    notes:

    "body-without-soul"(corpo-senza-lanima)fromandrews，46，rivieraligure。

    thisligurianjackdiffersfromfellowheroesandliberatorsofprincessesbyhissystematiccautiousness波rderingondistrust(heisoneofthefewwho，theminutehereceivesamagicgift，musttestitbeforeheisabletobelieveinit)。inthatrespecthetakesafterhis摸ther，whowillnotlethimgooutintotheworlduntilhehasgivenproofofperseverancebyfellingthetreewithhiskicks。ihavebeenfaithfultotheoriginalversionwhileaimingtoendowitwithaparticularrhythm。

    copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino，

    translatedbygeorgemartin，

    pantheonbooks，newyork1980