意大利童话 作者:卡尔维诺-第28部分

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　　敲门声还在响个不停，商人的女儿想让屋外的人进来，就先问了鹦鹉一句：“你的故事讲玩了还是没讲完？”　
　　“还没讲完，”鹦鹉说，“你听着：姑娘不想在王宫里做御医，又来到另一个城邦。她听说这里的国王疯了。他在森林中捡回一个玩具娃娃就爱上了它，把自己关在房间里一边凝视着娃娃，一边哭，因为它不是一个真的女人。姑娘听了这个消息后，来到国王的房间一看，惊奇地说：‘这是我的那个娃娃！’而国王看见姑娘长得跟娃娃一模一样，就说：‘这就是我要娶的新娘！’”　
　　敲门声还在响着，鹦鹉实在不知道如何再把故事讲下去了。只是说：“等一下，等一下，还有一段呢。”但它不会往下讲了。　
　　门外传来商人的说话声：“开门，开门啊，我是你爸爸。”　
　　鹦鹉一听，说：“故事讲完了，国王娶了这个姑娘，两个人幸福地生活在一起了。”　
　　姑娘这才跑去打开门，紧紧抱住远道归来的爸爸。　
　　商人说：“我的女儿真乖，一步也没跨出家门。那只鹦鹉呢？”　
　　他们走回房间里找鹦鹉，却找不到鹦鹉了，看到的是一个英俊的小伙子，小伙子说：“请原谅，先生，我是一个乔装成鹦鹉的国王，我爱上了您的女儿。我了解到我的情敌――另一个国王――想要拐骗您的女儿，就披上鹦鹉皮，诚心诚意地跟她交谈，阻止她陷进我的情敌设下的圈套。我相信我成功了，现在我可以向您的女儿求婚了。”　
　　商人答应了他们的婚事，于是姑娘嫁给了那个给他讲过童话的国王，而另一个国王被气死了。　
　　（蒙费拉托地区）　
The　Parrot　
　　Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　merchant　who　was　supposed　to　go　away　on　business；　but　he　was　afraid　to　leave　his　daughter　at　home　by　herself；　as　a　certain　king　had　designs　on　her。　
　　〃Dear　daughter；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　leaving；　but　you　must　promise　not　to　stick　your　head　out　of　the　door　or　let　anyone　in　until　I　get　back。〃　
　　Now　that　very　morning　the　daughter　had　seen　a　handsome　parrot　in　the　tree　outside　her　window。　He　was　a　well…bred　parrot；　and　the　maiden　had　delighted　in　talking　with　him。　
　　〃Father；〃　she　replied；　〃it　just　breaks　my　heart　to　have　to　stay　home　all　by　myself。　Couldn't　I　at　least　have　a　parrot　to　keep　me　pany？〃　
　　The　merchant；　who　lived　only　for　his　daughter；　went　out　at　once　to　get　her　a　parrot。　He　found　an　old　man　who　sold　him　one　for　a　song。　He　took　the　bird　to　his　daughter；　and　after　much　last…minute　advice　to　her；　he　set　out　on　his　trip。　
　　No　sooner　was　the　merchant　out　of　sight　than　the　king　began　devising　a　way　to　join　the　maiden。　He　enlisted　an　old　woman　in　his　scheme　and　sent　her　to　the　girl　with　a　letter。　
　　In　the　meantime　the　maiden　got　into　conversation　with　the　parrot。　〃Talk　to　me；　parrot。〃　
　　〃I　will　tell　you　a　good　story。　Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　king　who　had　a　daughter。　She　was　an　only　child；　with　no　brothers　or　sisters；　nor　did　she　have　any　playmates。　So　they　made　her　a　doll　the　same　size　as　herself；　with　a　face　and　clothes　exactly　like　her　own。　Everywhere　she　went　the　doll　went　too；　and　no　one　could　tell　them　apart。　One　day　as　king；　daughter；　and　doll　drove　through　the　woods　in　their　carriage；　they　were　attacked　by　enemies　who　killed　the　king　and　carried　off　his　daughter；　leaving　the　doll　behind　in　the　abandoned　carriage。　The　maiden　screamed　and　cried　so；　the　enemies　let　her　go；　and　she　wandered　off　into　the　woods　by　herself。　She　eventually　reached　the　court　of　a　certain　queen　and　became　a　servant。　She　was　such　a　clever　girl　that　the　queen　liked　her　better　all　the　time。　The　other　servants　grew　jealous　and　plotted　her　downfall。　'You　are　aware；　of　course；'　they　said；　'that　the　queen　likes　you　very　much　and　tells　you　everything。　But　there's　one　thing　which　we　know　and　you　don't。　She　had　a　son　who　died。'　At　that；　the　maiden　went　to　the　queen　and　asked；　'Majesty；　is　it　true　that　you　had　a　son　who　died？'　Upon　hearing　those　words；　the　queen　almost　fainted。　Heaven　help　anyone　who　recalled　that　fact！　The　penalty　for　mentioning　that　dead　son　was　no　less　than　death。　The　maiden　too　was　condemned　to　die；　but　the　queen　took　pity　on　her　and　had　her　shut　up　in　a　dungeon　instead。　There　the　girl　gave　way　to　despair；　refusing　all　food　and　passing　her　nights　weeping。　At　midnight；　as　she　sat　there　weeping；　she　heard　the　door　bolts　slide　back；　and　in　walked　five　men：　four　of　them　were　sorcerers　and　the　fifth　was　the　queen's　son；　their　prisoner；　whom　they　were　taking　out　for　exercise。〃　
　　At　that　moment；　the　parrot　was　interrupted　by　a　servant　bearing　a　letter　for　the　merchant's　daughter。　It　was　from　the　king；　who　had　finally　managed　to　get　it　to　her。　But　the　girl　was　eager　to　hear　what　happened　next　in　the　tale；　which　had　reached　the　most　exciting　part；　so　she　said；　〃I　will　receive　no　letters　until　my　father　returns。　Parrot；　go　on　with　your　story。〃　
　　The　servant　took　the　letter　away；　and　the　parrot　continued。　〃In　the　morning　the　jailers　noticed　the　prisoner　had　not　eaten　a　thing　and　they　told　the　queen。　The　queen　sent　for　her；　and　the　maiden　told　her　that　her　son　was　alive　and　in　the　dungeon　a　prisoner　of　four　sorcerers；　who　took　him　out　every　night　at　midnight　for　exercise。　The　queen　dispatched　twelve　soldiers　armed　with　crowbars；　who　killed　the　sorcerers　and　freed　her　son。　Then　she　gave　him　as　a　husband　to　the　maiden　who　had　saved　him。〃　
　　The　serant　knocked　again；　insisting　that　the　young　lady　read　the　king's　letter。　〃Very　well。　Now　that　the　story　is　over；　I　can　read　the　letter；〃　said　the　merchant's　daughter。　
　　〃But　it's　not　finished　yet；　there's　still　some　more　to　e；〃　the　parrot　hastened　to　say。　〃Just　listen　to　this：　the　maiden　was　not　interested　in　marrying　the　queen's　son。　She　settled　for　a　purse　of　money　and　a　man's　outfit　and　moved　on　to　another　city。　The　son　of　this　city's　king　was　ill；　and　no　doctor　knew　how　to　cure　him。　From　midnight　to　dawn　he　raved　like　one　possessed。　The　maiden　showed　up　in　man's　attire；　claiming　to　be　a　foreign　doctor　and　asking　to　be　left　with　the　youth　for　one　night。　The　first　thing　she　did　was　look　under　the　bed　and　find　a　trapdoor。　She　opened　it　and　went　down　into　a　long　corridor；　at　the　end　of　which　a　lamp　was　burning。〃　
　　At　that　moment　the　servant　knocked　and　announced　there　was　an　old　woman　to　see　the　young　lady；　whose　aunt　she　claimed　to　be。　（It　was　not　an　aunt；　but　the　old　woman　sent　by　the　king。）　But　the　merchant's　daughter　was　dying　to　know　the　oute　of　the　tale；　so　she　said　she　was　receiving　no　one。　〃Go　on；　parrot；　go　on　with　your　story。〃　
　　Thus　the　parrot　continued。　〃The　maiden　walked　down　to　that　light　and　found　an　old　woman　boiling　the　heart　of　the　king's　son　in　a　kettle；　in　revenge　for　the　king's　execution　of　her　son。　The　maiden　removed　the　heart　from　the　kettle；　carried　it　back　to　the　king's　son　to　eat；　and　he　got　well。　The　king　said；　'I　promised　half　of　my　kingdom　to　the　doctor　who　cured　my　son。　Since　you　are　a　woman；　you　will　marry　my　son　and　bee　queen。'〃　
　　〃It's　a　fine　story；〃　said　the　merchant's　daughter。　〃Now　that　it's　over；　I　can　receive　that　woman　who　claims　to　be　my　aunt。〃　
　　〃But　it's　not　quite　over；〃　said　the　parrot。　〃There's　still　some　more　to　e。　Just　listen　to　this。　The　maiden　in　doctor's　disguise　also　refused　to　marry　that　king's　son　and　was　off　to　another　city　whose　king's　son　was　under　a　spell　and　speechless。　She　hid　under　the　bed；　at　midnight；　she　saw　two　witches　ing　through　the　window　and　remove　a　pebble　from　the　young　man's　mouth；　whereupon　he　could　speak。　Before　leaving；　they　replaced　the　pebble；　and　he　was　again　mute。〃　
　　Someone　knocked　on　the　door；　but　the　merchant's　daughter　was　so　absorbed　in　the　story　that　she　didn't　even　hear　the　knock。　The　parrot　continued。　
　　〃The　next　night　when　the　witches　put　the　pebble　on　the　bed；　she　gave　the　bedclothes　a　jerk　and　it　dropped　on　the　floor。　Then　she　reached　out　for　it　and　put　it　in　her　pocket。　At　dawn　the　witches　couldn't　find　it　and　had　to　flee。　The　king's　son　was　well；　and　they　named　the　maiden　physician　to　the　court。〃　
　　The　knocking　continued；　and　the　merchant's　daughter　was　all　ready　to　say　〃e　in；〃　but　first　she　asked　the　parrot；　〃Does　the　story　go　on；　or　is　it　over？〃　
　　〃It　goes　on；〃　replied　the　parrot。　〃Just　listen　to　this。　The　maiden　wasn't　interested　in　remaining　as　physician　to　the　court；　and　moved　on　to　another　city。　The　talk　there　was　that　the　king　of　this　city　had　gone　mad。　He'd　found　a　doll　in　the　woods　and　fallen　in　love　with　it。　He　stayed　shut　up　in　his　room　admiring　it　and　weeping　because　it　was　not　a　real　live　maiden。　The　girl　went　before　the　king。　'That　is　my　dool！'　she　exclaimed。　'And　this　is　my　bride！'　re