意大利童話：Those Stubborn Souls, the Biellese 倔強(qiáng)的彼埃拉人

　　A farmer was on his way down to Biella one day The weather was so stormy that it was next to impossible to get over the roads But the farmer had important business and pushed onward in the face of the driving rain

　　He met an old man, who said to him, "A good day to you! Where are you going, my good man, in such haste?"

　　"To Biella," answered the farmer, without slowing down.

　　"You might at least say, 'God willing'"

　　The farmer stopped, looked the old man in the eye, and snapped, "God willing, I'm on my way to Biella But even if God isn't willing, I still have to go there all the same"

　　Now the old man happened to be the Lord "In that case you'll go to Biella in seven years," he said "In the meantime, jump into this swamp and stay there for seven years"

　　Suddenly the farmer changed into a frog and jumped into the swamp.

　　Seven years went by The farmer came out of the swamp, turned back into a man, clapped his hat on his head, and continued on his way to market.

　　After a short distance he met the old man again "And where are you going, my good man?"

　　"To Biella"

　　"You might say, 'God willing'".

　　"If God wills it, fine If not, I know the consequence and can now go into the swamp unassisted"

　　Nor for the life of him would he say one word more.

　　(Biellese)

　　NOTES:

　　"Those Stubborn Souls, the Biellese" (I biellesi, gente dura) from Virginia Majoli Faccio (L'incantesimo della mezzanotte, [Il Biellese nelle sue leggende], Milan, 1941), Valdengo, Piedmont

　　This tale is also found in Trieste, starring the Friulians (Pinguenti, 51)

　　Copyright: Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino,

　　translated by George Martin,

　　Pantheon Books, New York 1980

　　倔強(qiáng)的彼埃拉人

　　一個(gè)農(nóng)夫要去彼埃拉。正趕上刮風(fēng)下雨的惡劣天氣，路都幾乎無(wú)法走了。但這個(gè)農(nóng)夫有要緊的事，他低著頭頂著風(fēng)雨雷電繼續(xù)往前走。 他遇上一個(gè)老人，對(duì)他說(shuō)：“你好啊!你這樣急急忙忙的要去哪里啊?好人。” “去彼埃拉。”農(nóng)夫答道，繼續(xù)往前走。 “你至少應(yīng)該說(shuō)一聲‘愿上帝保佑’吧。” 農(nóng)夫停了下來(lái)，望著面前的老人高聲說(shuō)：“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(shí)，那個(gè)老人就是上帝。他對(duì)農(nóng)夫說(shuō)：“那好吧，你七年以后才能到彼埃拉去，現(xiàn)在，你跳進(jìn)池塘，在里面待上七年吧。” 農(nóng)夫立即變成了一只青蛙，跳進(jìn)了池塘。 七年過(guò)去了。農(nóng)夫從池塘中出來(lái)，又變回人，他戴緊帽子，又上路了。 沒(méi)走幾步，上次那個(gè)老人又出現(xiàn)了。“好人，你這是去哪里啊?” “去彼埃拉。” “你應(yīng)該祈禱一聲‘愿上帝保佑’。” “要是上帝保佑，那很好;要是不保佑，那個(gè)懲罰我知道，我會(huì)自己跳進(jìn)池塘里去。” 說(shuō)完，他再也不開(kāi)口說(shuō)話了。 (比埃拉地區(qū))