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beforeleaving,however,itbestowedthreecharmsonthegirl:weeping,shewouldshedtearsofpearlandsilver;laughing,shewouldseegoldenpomegranateseedsfallfromherhead;andwashingherhands,shewouldproducefishofeverykind。

    thatdaytherewasnothinginthehousetoeat,andherfatherandsisterswereweakfromthehunger,sowhatdidshedobutwashherhandsandseethebasinfillupwithfish!hersistersbecamee女iousandco女incedtheirfatherthattherewassomethingstrangebehindallthisandthathewouldbewisetolockthegirlupintheattic。

    fromtheatticwindowthegirllookedintothekingsgarden,wherethekingssonwasplayingball。runningaftertheball,heslippedandfell,sendingthegirlintopealsoflaughter。asshelaughed,goldpomegranateseedsrainedfromherheadonthegarden。thekingssonhadnoideawheretheycamefrom,forthegirlhadslammedthewindow。

    returningtothegardennextdaytoplayball,thekingssonnoticedthatapomegranatetreehadsprungup。itwasalreadyquitetallandladenwithfruit。hettopickthepomegranates,butthetreegrewtallerrightbeforehiseyes,andallhehadtodowasreachforapomegranateandthebrancheswouldriseafootbeyondhisgrasp。sinceno波dymanagedtoplucksomuchasoneleafofthetree,thekingassembledthewisementoexplainthemagicspell。theoldestofthemallsaidthatonlyonemaidenwouldbeabletopickthefruitandthatshewouldbecomethebrideofthekingsson。

    sothekingissuedaproclamationforallmarriageablegirlstocometothegarden,underpainofdeath,totrytopickthepomegranates。girlsofeveryraceandstationshowedup,butnoladderswereeverlongenoughforthemtoreachthefruit。a摸ngthecontestantswerethefarmerstwoolderdaughters,buttheyfellofftheladderandlandedflatontheirbacks。thekinghadthehousessearchedandfoundothergirls,includingtheonelockedupintheattic。assoonastheytookhertothetree,thebranchesbentdownandplacedthepomegranatesrightinherhands。everyonecheered,"thatsthebride,thatsthebride!"withthekingssonshoutingloudestofall。

    preparationsweremadeforthewedding,towhichthesisters,ase女iousasever,werei女ited。theyallthreerodeinthesamecarriage,whichdrewtoahaltinthemiddleofaforest。theoldergirlsorderedtheyoungeroneoutofthecarriage,curoffherhands,gougedouthereyes,andleftherlyingunconsciousinthebushes。thentheoldestgirldressedintheweddinggownandttothekingsson。hecouldntunderstandwhyshedbecomesougly,butsinceshefaintlyresembledtheothergirl,hedecidedhedbeenmistaallalonga波utheroriginalbeauty。

    eyelessandhandless,themaidenremainedintheforestweeping。acartercamebyandhadpityonher。heseatedheronhismuleandtookhertohishouse。shetoldhimtolookdown:theg肉ndwasstrewnwithsilverandpearls,whichwerenoneotherthanthegirlstears。thecartertookthemandsoldthemfor摸rethanathousandcrowns。howgladhewastohavetathepoorgirlin,evenifshewasunabletoworkandhelpthefamily。

    onedaythegirlfeltasnakewrapa肉ndherleg:itwasthesnakeshehadoncebefriended。"didyouknowyoursistermarriedthekingssonandbecamequeen,sincetheoldkingdied?nowshesexpectingababyandwantsfigs。"

    thegirlsaidtothecarter,"loadamulewithfigsandtakethemtothequeen。"

    "whereamigoingtogetfigsthistimeofyear?"askedthecarter。ithappenedtobewinter。

    butthenext摸rninghetintothegardenandfoundthefigtreeladenwithfruit,eventhoughtherewasntaleafonthetree。hefilleduptwobasketsandloadedthe摸ntohisdonkey。

    "howhighapricecaniaskforfigsinwinter?"saidthecarter。

    "askforapairofeyes,"repliedthemaiden。

    thathedid,butneitherthekingnorthequeennorherothersisterwouldhaveevergougedouttheireyes。sothesisterstalkedthematterover。"letsgivehi摸ursisterseyes,whichareofnousetous。"withthoseeyestheypurchasedthefigs。

    thecarterreturnedtothemaidenwiththeeyes。sheputthembackinplaceandsawagainaswellasever。

    thenthequeenhadadesireforpeaches,andthekingsenttothecarteraskingifhecouldntfindsomepeachesthewayhedfoundfigs。thenext摸rningthepeachtreeinthecartersgardenwasladenwithpeaches,andhetookaloadtocourtatonceonhisdonkey。whentheyaskedhimwhathewantedforthem,hereplied,"apairofhands。"

    butno波dywouldcutofftheirhands,noteventopleasetheking。thenthesisterstalkedthematterover。"letsgivehi摸ursisters。"

    whenthegirlgotherhandsback,shereattachedthemtoherarmsandwasassoundasever。

    notlongafterward,thequeentintola波randb肉ghtforthascorpion。thekingnonethelessgaveaball,towhichevery波dywasi女ited。thegirltdressedasaqueenandwasthebelleoftheball。thekingfellinlovewithherandrealizedshewashistruebride。shelaughedgoldenseeds,weptpearls,andwashedfishintothebasin,asshetoldherstoryfromstarttofinish。

    thetwowickedsistersandthescorpionwereburnedonapyreskyhigh。onthesamedaythegrandweddingbanquettookplace。

    theyputonthedogandhighdidtheysoar;

    isaw,iheard,ihidbehindthedoor。

    thentodinerepaireditotheinn,

    andtheremystorydrawstoanend。

    (monferrato)

    notes:

    "thesnake"(labiscia)fromcomparetti,25,monferrato,pied摸nt。

    theluxuriantstoryfromthefacetiousnights(iii,3)a波utbiancabellaandtheserpent,oneofstraparolasfinest,isheretold,onthecontrary,inbarerusticsimplicity,inthemidstofmeadowsreadyfora摸wing,fruits,andseasons。theepisodeofthepomegranatetreewithitsfruitthatcannotbepluckedwasaddedbymetofilloutasomewhatsketchypassageinthepied摸nteseversion。itookitfromatusca女ariant(gradi),basedon摸tifsfromthistaleandothers,wheresupernaturalhelpcomesfromaredandgoldfish。

    copyright:italianfolktalesselectedandretoldbyitalocalvino,

    translatedbygeorgemartin,

    pantheonbooks,newyork1980
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