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悦阅书阁 > 童寓 > 意大利童话 > 有钱能使鬼推磨

  有钱能使鬼推磨&意大利童话

  从前有一位十分富有的王子,他要在王宫的对面造一座宫殿,而且造得比王宫还要宏伟富丽。宫殿一落成,他就在门前写了“有钱能使鬼推磨”几个大字。

  国王外出巡游,看见了写在门前的这些字,马上召见王子。这时,王子刚到都城不久,还没有去拜见国王。

  “恭喜你啦,”国王说,“你的宫殿真是富丽堂皇啊,相比之下,我的小宫不过是茅庐寒舍。真是恭喜你了!不过,在门前写的‘有钱能使鬼推磨’是你出的主意吗?”

  王子意识到,自己可能做得太过份了。

  “是的,是我,”王子答覆说,“可是,如果陛下不喜欢,我就派人把这些字刮掉,这很方便。”

  “哦,不必了。我并不打算让你刮掉,只是想叫你亲自告诉我,你那句话的意思是什么。比如说,你有钱就可以派人行刺我吗?”

  王子感觉到,他的处境不妙了。

  “哦,陛下,请您恕罪。我立刻将那些字刮掉。如果您不喜欢这座宫殿的话,您只管说,我可把它拆毁。”

  “不,不,不要动它。可是,既然你说,有钱什么事都能办到,那么你就得向我证实这话是不是真的。我限你三天之内同我女儿谈话,如果办到了,我就让你跟她结婚。要不,我就砍掉你的脑袋!懂吗?”

  王子愁得吃不下饭,睡不著觉。他日夜想的是怎样才能保住自己的脑袋。到了第二天,他确信自己无路可走了,就决定写遗嘱。他一筹莫展,因为国王的女儿被关在一座城堡里,周围有一百名卫兵看守著。王子脸色苍白,无精打采,躺在床上等死;就在这时候,他的老奶妈走进屋来。王子从小是她奶大的,后来她一直服侍他,现在已是个老态龙钟的老太婆了。老奶妈看见王子面容憔悴,便问他有什么不舒服。王子哼哼唧唧地把事情一五一十全都告诉了她。

  “就这件事?”老奶妈说,“你就毫无办法了吗?真让人笑掉大牙!让我想想看,能帮你什么忙呢。”

  老奶妈颤颤巍巍地走了出去,到了城里最出名的银匠家里。她向银匠定做了一只银鹅;这只银鹅做得要象人一般大,肚子里是空的,还要会张嘴、闭嘴。“必须明天做好!”她又加了一句。

  “明天?你说胡话!”银匠惊叫起来。

  “明天必须做好!”老奶妈掏出一个装著金币的钱包,接著说:“你再想想吧。这是现钱,剩下的钱等你明天交货时再付给你。”

  银匠惊呆了,“这样的话,咱们好商量,好商量,我尽量照办,明天交货。”

  第二天,银鹅做好了,做得非常漂亮。

  老奶妈对王子说:“带上你的提琴,鉆到鹅肚子里去。我们一到街上,你就在里面拉琴。”

  老奶妈在前面用一根缎带拖著银鹅,王子在里面拉著提琴,他们在城里走街串巷地兜著圈子。人们夹道观看这只漂亮的银鹅,城里的人没有不跑出来看的。消息传到了关著国王女儿的城堡里,她要求父亲准许她出去看一看这只银鹅。

  国王说:“明天,那个牛皮王子的死期就到了,那时你再出去看银鹅吧。”

  可是公主听说,那个拖著银鹅的老婆婆明天就要离开了。国王只好叫人把银鹅带到城堡里来,让他女儿看一眼。这正是老奶妈巴不得的事。公主独自看著这只银鹅,听著从它嘴里传出的琴声,感到十分惬意。这时,银鹅突然打开了,一个男人走了出来。

  “别害怕,”这个男人说,“我是一位王子,必须跟您说话,否则明天早晨您父亲就要杀我的头了。请您对您父亲说,说您跟我已谈过话了,这样就救了我的命。”

  第二天,国王召见了王子。“喂,钱使你跟我女儿谈话了吗?”

  “是的,陛下,”王子回答说。

  “怎么?你是说,你跟她谈过话了?”

  “问她吧。”

  公主走了进来,讲了王子藏在银鹅中的事,而银鹅却又是国王亲自下令让带入城堡的。

  听到这里,国王摘下王冠,戴到王子头上。“这样看来,你不但有钱,而且还有个聪明的头脑!我把女儿嫁给你,你们幸福地生活吧!”

  (热那亚地区)

  注释:

  材料来源:詹姆士·安德鲁斯编《利古里亚故事集》(巴黎,1892年版)第六十四篇;搜集地区:热那亚;讲述者:凯特瑞纳·格兰迪。

  这是一篇起源于东方的故事(收集在用梵语写的动物故事集中)。在热那亚人的传说里,这篇故事有自己的独特之处,它强调了功利主义和商业道德(那位国王的最后一句评语与整个故事不协调,我决定赞颂聪明;再说,这也是适当的……)

  MoneyCanDoEverything

  Therewasonceaprinceasrichascream,whotookitintohisheadtoputupapalacerightacrossthestreetfromthekings,butapalacefarmoresplendidthanthekings.Onceitwasfinished,heputonitsfrontinboldlettering:MONEYCANDOEVERYTHING.

  Whenthekingcameoutandsawthat,hesentimmediatelyfortheprince,whowasnewintownandhadntyetvisitedthecourt.

  "Congratulations,"thekingsaid."Yourpalaceisatruewonder.Myhouselookslikeahutcomparedwithit.Congratulations!Butwasityourideatoputupthewords:Moneycandoeverything?"

  Theprincerealizedthatmaybehehadgonetoofar.

  "Yesitwas,"heanswered,"butifYourMajestydoesntlikeit,Icaneasilyhavethelettersstrippedoff."

  "Oh,no,Iwouldntthinkofhavingyoudothat.Imerelywantedtohearfromyourownlipswhatyoumeantbysuchastatement.Forinstance,doyouthinkthat,withyourmoney,youcouldhavemeassassinated?"

  Theprincerealizedhehadgothimselfintoatightspot.

  "Oh,Majesty,forgiveme.Illhavethewordsremovedatonce.Andifyoudontlikethepalace,justsayso,andIllhaveittorndowntoo."

  "No,no,leaveitthewayitis.Butsinceyouclaimapersonwithmoneycandoanything,proveittome.Illgiveyouthreedaystotrytotalktomydaughter.Ifyoumanagetospeaktoher,wellandgood;youwillmarryher.Ifnot,Illhaveyoubeheaded.Isthatclear?"

  Theprincewastoodistressedtoeat,drink,orsleep.Dayandnight,allhethoughtofwashowhemightsavehisneck.Bytheseconddayhewascertainoffailureanddecidedtomakehiswill.Hisplightwashopeless,forthekingsdaughterhadbeenclosedupinacastlesurroundedbyonehundredguards.Paleandlimpasarag,theprincelayonhisbedwaitingtodie,wheninwalkedhisoldnurse,adecrepitoldsoulnowwhohadnursedhimasababyandwhostillworkedforhim.Findinghimsohaggard,theoldwomanaskedwhatwaswrong.Hemmingandhawing,hetoldherthewholestory.

  "So?"saidthenurse."Andyouregivingup,likethat?Youmakemelaugh!IllseewhatIcandoaboutallthis!"

  Offshewobbledtothefinestsilversmithintownandorderedhimtomakeasolidsilvergoosethatwouldopenandcloseitsbill.Thegoosewastobeasbigasamanandhollowinside."Itmustbereadytomorrow,"sheadded.

  "Tomorrow?Yourecrazy!"exclaimedthesilversmith.

  "TomorrowIsaid!"Theoldwomanpulledoutapurseofgoldcoinsandcontinued,"Thinkitover.Thisisthedownpayment.Illgiveyoutheresttomorrowwhenyoudeliverthegoose."

  Thesilversmithwasdumbfounded."Thatmakesallthedifferenceintheworld,"hesaid."Illdomybesttohavethegoosetomorrow."

  Thenextdaythegoosewasready,anditwasabeauty.

  Theoldwomansaidtotheprince,"Takeyourviolinandgetinsidethegoose.Playassoonaswereachtheroad."

  Theywoundtheirwaythroughthecity,withtheoldwomanpullingthesilvergoosealongbyaribbonandtheprinceinsideplayinghisviolin.Thepeoplelinedthestreetstowatch:therewasntasoulintownthatdidntcomerunningtoseethebeautifulgoose.Wordofitreachedthecastlewherethekingsdaughterwasshutup,andsheaskedherfathertolethergoandseetheunusualsight.

  Thekingsaid,"Timesupforthatboastfulprincetomorrow.Youcangooutthenandseethegoose."

  Butthegirlhadheardthattheoldwomanwiththegoosewouldbegonebytomorrow.Thereforethekinghadthegoosebroughtinsidethecastlesohisdaughtercouldseeit.Thatsjustwhattheoldwomanwascountingon.Assoonastheprincesswasalonewiththesilvergooseanddelightinginthemusicpouringfromitsbill,thegoosesuddenlyopenedandoutsteppedaman.

  "Dontbeafraid,"saidtheman."Iamtheprincewhomusteitherspeaktoyouorbedecapitatedbyyourfathertomorrowmorning.Youcansayyouspoketomeandsavemylife."

  Thenextdaythekingsentfortheprince."Well,didyourmoneymakeitpossibleforyoutospeaktomydaughter?"

  "Yes,Majesty,"answeredtheprince.

  "What!Doyoumeanyouspoketoher?"

  "Askher."

  Thegirlcameinandtoldhowtheprincewashiddeninthesilvergoosewhichthekinghimselfhadorderedbroughtinsidethecastle.

  Theking,atthat,removedhiscrownandplaceditontheprinceshead."Thatmeansyouhavenotonlymoneybutalsoafinehead!Livehappily,forIamgivingyoumydaughterinmarriage."

  (Genoa)

  NOTES:

  "MoneyCanDoEverything"(Ildanarofatutto)fromAndrews,64,Genoa,toldbyCaterinaGrande.

  Thisstory,oforientalorigin(foundinthePanchatantra),stressesinitsGenoeseversionautilitarianandcommercialmoralallitsown.(Thefinalremarkofthekingwaseventooharshalongthatline,soIdecidedtogivecreditalso,asitmeet,tocleverness)

  Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

  translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

  PantheonBooks,NewYork1980