一身海草的人

    一身海草的人&意大利童话


    有一个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，因为谁也不知道在哪里可以找到他的女儿。一天夜晚，她被人掳走，国王查遍了所有的角落也找不到她的踪迹。


    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。于是，他准备好了一艘船，打算出海寻找。但是当他想要招募水手的时候，却找不到一个人：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，没有人靠近，也没有人敢带头登船。巴奇钦·特里波尔多也在堤坝上，他是一个出了名的酒鬼，一个有名的流浪汉，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·特里波尔多第一个上了船。这样，其他一些水手胆子也大了起来，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，因为航程遥遥无期，食品储备有限，可是还得养活像他这样一个无所事事的人。船长决定甩掉他。“你看见那个小岛了吗？”船长指着海面一个礁石岛对他说，“你划着小舢板过去查看查看，我们就在附近转转。”


    巴奇钦·特里波尔多下到舢板上，大船却全速开走了，将他一个人留在大海中，巴奇钦划向礁石。他看见礁石上有一个大山洞，便走了进去。在山洞的尽头绑着一个非常美丽的姑娘，正是国王的女儿。“你是怎么找到我的？”她问巴奇钦·特里波尔多。


    “我来这里是为了钓章鱼。”巴奇钦说。


    “我就是被一条巨大的章鱼抓来关在这里的，”国王的女儿说，“趁它还没回来，你先躲起来吧。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，它会变成一只红嘴鸥飞走。”


    巴奇钦·特里波尔多将自己和小船都藏在小岛上。这时，从海里钻出了那条巨大的章鱼，它的每条须爪都可以绕岛一周。他嗅到小岛上来了陌生人，所有的吸盘都蠕动起来。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，可是每次网上来的只是些鲻鱼、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，想要给它致命的一击，没想到他打到的不是红鲤鱼，而是一只正要从鱼网中飞起来的海鸥，红鲤鱼已经不见了。由于船桨刮破了海鸥的一只翅膀，它飞不起来了。于是，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。国王的女儿为了表示自己的永久的感激之情，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，他们划呀，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。大船上的人发现了他们，把他们接上了甲板。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！我们都以为你失踪了，到处找你！没想到你找回了国王的女儿！来，我们喝几杯，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。


    出海时的那座码头已经能隐隐约约地望见了，船长劝巴奇钦喝酒，他喝啊喝啊，最后喝得烂醉，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，因为我是这艘船的船长，而那个酒鬼只是我的一个伙计，他做的一切都是我吩咐的。”


    国王的女儿没有说好也没有说不好，只是回答：“我知道该说什么。”船长于是想着要除掉巴奇钦·特里波尔多，一了百了。当天深夜，他们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，他们把国王的女儿平安地救回来了。码头上，乐队奏起了凯旋乐，国王和宫廷全体人员都来了。


    国王的女儿与船长的婚礼已经定下来了。婚礼那天，码头上的水手看见从海里钻出来一个人，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，他全身上下遮满了海草，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，婚礼的队伍迎面过来了，看见一个身披绿色水草的男人挡在前边，队伍停了下来。“什么人在那里？把他抓起来！”国王命令道。侍卫走上前刚要捉人，这时巴奇钦·特里波尔多抬起一只手，只见一枚钻石戒指在阳光下熠熠发光。


    “我女儿的戒指！”国王高喊。


    “对，这个人才是我的救命恩人，他才是我的新郎。”国王的女儿说。


    巴奇钦·特里波尔多把自己的遭遇从头至尾讲述了一遍。船长被抓了起来。巴奇钦就这样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.Buttheannouncementbroughtnoresults,sincenoonehadanyideaofthegirlswhereabouts.Shehadbeenkidnappedonenight,andtheyhadalreadylookedtheworldoverforher.


    Aseacaptainsuddenlyhadthethoughtthatsinceshewasntondshemightwellbeonthesea,sohegotashipreadytogooutinsearchofher.Butwhenthetimecametosignupthecrew,notonesailorsteppedforward,sincenoonewantedtogoonadangerousexpeditionthatwoulstnotellinghowlong.


    Thecaptainwaitedonthepier,butfearfulofbeingthefirsttoembark,nooneapproachedhisship.AlsoonthepierwasSamphireStarboard,areputedtrampandtippler,whomnoshipcaptainwaseverwillingtosignon.


    "Listen,"saidourcaptain,"howwouldyouliketosailwithme?"


    "Idliketoverymuch."


    "Comeaboard,then."


    "SoSamphireStarboardwasthefirsttoembark.Afterthat,othersailorstookheartandboardedtheship.


    Oncehewasontheship,SamphireStarboarddidnothingbutstandaroundalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreamaboutthetavernshehadleftbehind.Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend,provisionswerescarce,andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep.Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim."Seethatlittleind?"heasked,pointingtoanistedreefinthemiddleofthesea."Getintoarowboatandgoexploreit.Wellbecruisingrightaroundhere."


    SamphireStarboardsteppedintotherowboat,andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed,leavinghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea.Heapproachedthereef,spiedacave,andwentin.Tiedupinsidewasaverybeautifulmaiden,whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter.


    "Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"sheasked.


    "Iwasfishingforoctopi,"exinedSamphire.


    "Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus,whoseprisonerInowam,"saidthekingsdaughter."Fleebeforeitreturns.Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught.Butyourhavetokillthemulletatonce,oritwillchangeintoaseagundflyaway."


    SamphireStarboardhidhisboatandwaitedoutofsightonthereef.Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus,whichwassrgethatitcouldreachcleararoundtheindwithitstentacles.Allitssuckersshook,havingsmelledamanonthereef.Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish,andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea.SamphireStarboardloweredfishinsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard,sturgeon,anddentex.Thsthaulproducedtheredmullet,shakinglikealeaf.Samphireraisedhisoartokillit,butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthandbrokeitswing.Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus,whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood.Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar.Thekingsdaughtergavehimadiamondringasatokenofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim.


    "ComeandIlltakeyoutoyourfather,"hesaid,showingherintohisboat.Buttheboatwastinyandtheywereoutinthemiddleofthesea.Afterrowingandrowingtheyspiedashipinthedistance.Samphiresignaledtoitwithanoardrapedwiththekingsdaughtersgown.Theshipspottedthemandtookthemaboard.ItwasthesameshipthathadearlierdischargedandabandonedSamphire.Seeinghimbackwiththekingsdaughter,thecaptainsaid,"PoorSamphireStarboard!Herewethoughtyouwerelostandnow,afterlookingalloverforyou,weseeyoureturnwiththekingsdaughter!Thatcallsforarealcelebration!"ToSamphireStarboard,whodnottouchedadropofwineformonthsonend,thatseemedtoogoodtobetrue.


    TheywerealmostinsightoftheirhomeportwhenthecaptainledSamphiretoatableandcedseveralbottlesofwinebeforehim.Samphiredrankanddrankuntilhefellunconscioustothefloor.Thenthecaptainsaidtothekingsdaughter,"Dontyoudaretellyourfatherthatdrunkardfreedyou.TellhimthatIfreedyoumyself,sinceImthecaptainoftheshipandorderedhimtorescueyou."


    Thekingsdaughterneitheragreednordisagreed."IknowwhatIlltellhim,"sheanswered.


    Tobeonthesafeside,thecaptaindecidedtodoawaywithSamphireStarboardonceandforall.Thatnight,theypickedhimup,stisdrunkascouldbe,andthrewhimintothesea.Atdawntheshipwasinsightofport.Withgstheysignaledtheywerebringinghomethekingsdaughtersafeandsound.Abandyedonthepier,wherethekingwaitedwiththeentirecourt.


    Adatewaschosenforthekingsdaughtertowedthecaptain.Onthedayofthewedding,themarinersinportsawamanemergefromthewater.Hewascoveredfromheadtofootwithseaweed,andoutofhispocketsandtheholesinhisclothesswamfishandshrimps.ItwasnoneotherthanSamphireStarboard.Heclimbedoutofthewaterandwentamblingthroughthecitystreets,withseaweeddrapinghisheadandbodyanddraggingalongbehindhim.Atthatverymomenttheweddingprocessionwasmovingthroughthestreetandcamefacetofacewiththemanwreathedinseaweed.Everyonestopped."Whoisthis?"askedtheking."Seizehim!"Theguardscameup,butSamphireStarboardraisedahandandthediamondonhisfingersparkledinthesunlight.


    "Mydaughtersring!"eximedtheking.


    "Yes,"saidthedaughter,"thismanwasmyrescuerandwillbemybridegroom."


    SamphireStarboardtoldthestory,andthecaptainwasimprisoned.Greenthoughhewaswithseaweed,Samphiretookhiscebesidethebridedinwhiteandwasjoinedtoherinmatrimony.


    (Rivieraligurediponente)


    NOTES:


    "TheManWreathedinSeaweed"(Luomoverdedalghe)fromAndrews,7,Menton,toldbythewidowLavigna.


    ThisseataletransferstoanunusualsettingaplotwellknownthroughoutEurope:thatoftheyoungerbrotherwhogoesdownintothewelltofreetheprincessandissubsequentlyabandonedtherehimself(cf.myno.78).AndrewsscollectionoftalespresentsnomorethanbriefsummariesinFrench;forthistale,then,aswesthefollowing,takenfromthesamption,Igavefreereintomyimaginationinsupplyingdetails,whileadheringtothebasicplot.IchosethenameBacinTribordo(GiovanniBattistaStarboard)torecetheoriginalnamewhosemeaningisnotveryclear.Intheoriginaltext,theprincessisabductedbyadragoninsteadofbyanoctopus,andthedragonchangesintoabarnacle,whichseemedtometooeasytocatch.


    Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,


    trantedbyGeorgeMartin,


    PantheonBooks,NewYork1980