倔強的彼埃拉人&義大利童話

一個農夫要去彼埃拉。正趕上颳風下雨的惡劣天氣，路都幾乎無法走了。但這個農夫有要緊的事，他低著頭頂著風雨雷電繼續往前走。

他遇上一個老人，對他說：“你好啊！你這樣急急忙忙的要去哪裡啊？好人。”

“去彼埃拉。”農夫答道，繼續往前走。

“你至少應該說一聲‘願上帝保佑’吧。”

農夫停了下來，望著面前的老人高聲說：“如果上帝保佑，我去彼埃拉；如果上帝不保佑，我照樣得去。”

其實，那個老人就是上帝。他對農夫說：“那好吧，你七年以後才能到彼埃拉去，現在，你跳進池塘，在裡面待上七年吧。”

農夫立即變成了一隻青蛙，跳進了池塘。

七年過去了。農夫從池塘中出來，又變回人，他戴緊帽子，又上路了。

沒走幾步，上次那個老人又出現了。“好人，你這是去哪裡啊？”

“去彼埃拉。”

“你應該祈禱一聲‘願上帝保佑’。”

“要是上帝保佑，那很好；要是不保佑，那個懲罰我知道，我會自己跳進池塘裡去。”

說完，他再也不開口說話了。

（比埃拉地區）

ThoseStubbornSouls,theBiellese

AfarmerwasonhiswaydowntoBiellaoneday.Theweatherwassostormythatitwasnexttoimpossibletogetovertheroads.Butthefarmerhadimportantbusinessandpushedonwardinthefaceofthedrivingrain.

Hemetanoldman,whosaidtohim,"Agooddaytoyou!Whereareyougoing,mygoodman,insuchhaste?"

"ToBiella,"answeredthefarmer,withoutslowingdown.

"Youmightatleastsay,Godwilling."

Thefarmerstopped,lookedtheoldmanintheeye,andsnapped,"Godwilling,ImonmywaytoBiella.ButevenifGodisntwilling,Istillhavetogothereallthesame."

NowtheoldmanhappenedtobetheLord."InthatcaseyoullgotoBiellainsevenyears,"hesaid."Inthemeantime,jumpintothisswampandstaythereforsevenyears."

Suddenlythefarmerchangedintoafrogandjumpedintotheswamp.

Sevenyearswentby.Thefarmercameoutoftheswamp,turnedbackintoaman,clappedhishatonhishead,andcontinuedonhiswaytomarket.

Afterashortdistancehemettheoldmanagain."Andwhereareyougoing,mygoodman?"

"ToBiella."

"Youmightsay,Godwilling."

"IfGodwillsit,fine.Ifnot,Iknowtheconsequenceandcannowgointotheswampunassisted."

Norforthelifeofhimwouldhesayonewordmore.

(Biellese)

NOTES:

"ThoseStubbornSouls,theBiellese"(Ibiellesi,gentedura)fromVirginiaMajoliFaccio(Lincantesimodellamezzanotte,[IlBiellesenellesueleggende],Milan,1941),Valdengo,Piedmont.

ThistaleisalsofoundinTrieste,starringtheFriulians(Pinguenti,51).

Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

PantheonBooks,NewYork1980