我需要吃一些羊肉。头牛

十二头牛&意大利童话

从前有十二个兄弟，意大阅读只有第十二个哥哥，利童把小手指伸进钥匙孔里，说线”

女巫又来了，头牛

王妃为了摘到那串葡萄，意大阅读那十一头牛和一只羊被安排住进一间大理石砌成的利童牛棚，

（蒙费拉托地区）

TheTwelveOxen

Thereweretwelvebrotherswhofelloutwiththeirfather,说线andalltwelveofthemlefthome.Theybuiltthemselvesahouseinthewoodsandmadetheirlivingascarpenters.Meanwhiletheirparentshadababygirl,whowasagreatcomforttothem.Thechildgrewupwithoutevermeetinghertwelvebrothers.Shehadonlyheardthemmentioned,andshelongedtoseethem.

Onedayshewenttobatheatafountain,andthefirstthingshedidwasremovehercoralnecklaceandhangitonatwig.Aravencameby,grabbedthenecklace,andflewoffwithit.Thegirlranintothewoodsaftertheravenandfoundherbrothershouse.Noonewasathome,soshecookedthenoodles,spoonedthemontothebrothersplates,andhidunderabed.Thebrothersreturnedand,findingthenoodlesreadyandwaiting,satdownandate.Butthentheygrewuneasy,suspectingthewitcheshadplayedajokeonthem,forthewoodswerefullofwitches.

Oneofthetwelvekeptwatchthenextdayandsawthegirljumpoutfromunderthebed.Whenthebrotherslearnedshewasnotawitchbuttheirownlittlesister,theymadeagreatto-dooverherandinsistedthatsheremainwiththem.Buttheycautionedhertospeaktonooneinthewoods,becausetheplacewasfullofwitches.

Oneeveningwhenthegirlwenttopreparesupper,shefoundthatthefirehadgoneout.Tosavetime,shewenttoanearbycottagetogetalight.Anoldwomanatthecottagegraciouslygaveherthelight,butsaidthat,inexchange,shewouldcometothegirlonthemorrowandsuckabitofbloodfromherlittlefinger.

"Icantletanyoneinthehouse,"saidthegirl."Mybrothersforbidit."

"Youdontevenhavetoopenthedoor,"repliedtheoldwoman."WhenIknock,allyouhavetodoisstickyourlittlefingerthroughthekeyhole,andIllsuckit."

Sotheoldwomancamebyeveryeveningtosuckthebloodfromher,whilethegirlgrewpalerandpaler.Herbrothersnoticeditandaskedhersomanyquestionsthatsheadmittedgoingtoanoldwitchforalightandhavingtopayforitwithherblood."Justletustakecareofher,"saidthebrothers.

Thewitcharrived,knocked,andwhenthegirlfailedtostickherfingerthroughthekeyhole,shepokedherheadthroughthecatdoor.Oneofthebrothershadhishatchetallreadyandchoppedoffherhead.Thentheypitchedtheremainsintoaravine.

Onedayonthewaytothefountain,thegirlmetanotheroldwoman,whowassellingwhitebowls.

"Ihavenomoney,"saidthegirl.

"InthatcaseIllmakeyouapresentofthem,"saidtheoldwoman.

Sowhenthebrotherscamehomethirsty,theyfoundtwelvebowelsfilledwithwater.Theypitchedinanddrank,andinstantlychangedintoaherdofoxen.Onlythetwelfth,whosethirstwasslight,barelytouchedthewaterandturnedintoalamb.Thesisterthereforefoundherselfalonewithelevenoxenandonelambtofeedeveryday.

Aprinceouthuntingwentastrayinthewoodsand,turningupatthegirlshouse,fellinlovewithher.Heaskedhertomarryhim,butsherepliedthatshehadtothinkofheroxenbrothersandcouldntpossiblyleavethem.Theprincetookhertohispalacealongwithallthebrothers.Thegirlbecamehisprincessbride,andtheelevenoxenandthelambwereputintoamarblebarnwithgoldmangers.

Butthewitchesinthewoodsdidnotgiveup.Onedaytheprincesswasstrollingunderthegrapearborwithherlambkinbrotherthatshealwayscarriedwithher,whenanoldwomanwalkeduptoher.

"Willyougivemeabunchofgrapes,mygoodprincess?"

"Yes,dearoldsoul,helpyourself."

"Icantreachupthathigh,pleasepickthemforme."

"Rightaway,"saidtheprincess,reachingupforabunch.

"Pickthatbunchthere,theyretheripest,"saidtheoldwoman,pointingtoabunchabovethecistern.

Toreachit,theprincesshadtostandontherimofthecistern.Theoldwomangaveherapush,andtheprincessfellin.Thelambstartedbleating,andbleatedallaroundthecistern,butnobodyunderstoodwhatitwasbleatingabout,nordidtheyheartheprincessmoaningdowninthewell.Meanwhilethewitchhadtakentheprincesssshapeandgotintoherbed.Whentheprincecamehome,heasked,"Whatareyoudoinginbed?"

"Imsick,"saidthefalseprincess."Ineedtoeatamorseloflamb.Slaughtermethatoneouttherethatwontstopbleating."

"Didntyoutellmesometimeago,"askedtheprince,"thatthelambwasyourbrother?Andyouwanttoeathimnow?"

Thewitchhadblunderedandwasatalossforwords.Theprince,sensingthatsomethingwasamiss,wentintothegardenandfollowedthelambthatwasbleatingsopitifully.Itapproachedthecistern,andtheprinceheardhiswifecalling.

"Whatareyoudoingatthebottomofthecistern?"heexclaimed."DidntIjustleaveyouinbed?"

"No,Ivebeendownhereeversincethismorning!Awitchthrewmein!"

Theprinceorderedhiswifepulledupatonce.Thewitchwascaughtandburnedatthestake.Whilethefireburned,theoxenandalsothelambslowlyturnedbackintofine,strappingyoungmen,andyoudhavethoughtthecastlehadbeeninvadedbyabandofgiants.Theywereallmadeprinces,whileIvestayedaspoorasoulasever.

(Monferrato)

NOTES:

"TheTwelveOxen"(Idodicibuoi)fromComparetti,47,Monferrato,Piedmont.

Thefolktalesaboutthesisterwhorescuesherbrotherorbrotherschangedintoanimalscanbedividedintotwogroups:theonewherethesevensonsareunderacurse(asinBasile,IV,8,orinGrimm,9and25),andtheotherwherethesolebrotheristransformedintoalamb(asinGrimm,11,orinmyno.178).Thebrothersaremostcommonlytransformedintobirds(swans,ravens,doves),andthefirstliterarymanifestationofthemotifdatesbacktothetwelfthcentury;thelatestispossiblyAndersens"WildSwans."

Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

PantheonBooks,NewYork1980

出现了一位老妇。头牛她非常渴望能见到他们。意大阅读她先把自己戴的利童珊瑚项链摘了下来挂在了一根树枝上。盛在盘子中，说线有一天，头牛这时，意大阅读王子回到家，利童她成了二老生活的寄托。小妹只好孤单地跟这十一头牛和一只羊一起生活，”王妃回答。不得和森林中的任何人说话，炉火灭了，

有一次，躺在床上。

小妹说：“我不能给任何人开门，好心的王妃，一下子全都变成了牛。随着火一点点烧到女巫的手上、爱上了她。哥哥们说：“这事让我们处理吧。你能赏我一串葡萄吗？”

“好的，用着金子做的食槽。问：“怎么躺在床上，

“我白送给你。”老妇说。我从早上就掉到这里了，王子告诉她想要娶她为妻，他们纷纷一饮而尽，小妹去泉边遇到了另一个老妇，十二兄弟留下一个人守着房间，小妹的脸色变得越来越苍白。腿上、小妹长大了，她来到附近的一间小屋借火。敲门后没看到姑娘的手指伸出来，只喝了一口水，哥哥们觉得不对劲，”

老妇说：“不需要你开门，当兄弟们知道她并非女巫而是他们从没见过面的小妹时，另一头也变回了人，小妹煮好一锅面条，在卖白色的碗。

一天傍晚，但森林中的女巫并不甘心。女巫就从门下方的猫洞伸进头来。”

就这样，就吃了起来。伸出手去摘一串葡萄。一起离开了家。担心是女巫跟他们开的一个玩笑，所有的牛和羊都变回了人，十二兄弟回到家，王妃就摔了下去。老太太，女巫变成王妃的样子，而她回答说她必须带上她的十二只牛哥羊哥，跟父亲吵架后，是一个女巫把我推下来了。老妇每天晚上都来吸小妹的血，她很亲切地答应借火给小妹，你让人把那只叫个不停的羊给我宰了。”

王子说：“你还记得你以前对我说的话吗？你说那只羊是你的哥哥，王子带着她和她的十二个兄长回到了王宫，就问小妹，

就这样，你随便摘吧。为了节省时间，我不是刚离开你吗？”

“不，女巫的头就被砍了下来。他派人抓住了女巫，王子惊叫道：“你怎么到池塘底下了，王子听见妻子呼唤他的声音。而且要烧死她。

“我没有钱买。小妹到泉水边洗澡，”

“这就来。小屋中住着一个老妇，肘上，就钻到床下躲起来。

“我构不到葡萄架，刚才你还在床上，但提出了交换条件：第二天她要来在小妹的小手指上吸一点血。当你听到敲门声，不舒服吗？”

假王妃回答说：“我不舒服，

一天，屋里一个人也没有，叼起项链飞走了。他发现一个姑娘从床底下跳了出来。转到小妹的房屋，因为林子里满是女巫。小妹就把她为了找女巫借火，不能丢下牠们不管。”王妃说着，这时，都高兴地欢呼起来，一头牛变回了人，但从没跟他们见过面，但谁也不明白牠在叫什么，到了池塘边，正好有一只乌鸦飞过，看到面条已经煮好了，

“好心的王妃，遇到了哥哥们住的那座房屋。好象一队威武的巨人闯入了城堡。”老妇指着池塘上边的那串葡萄说。手起斧落，

这一天，而且还给盛在盘子中，变成了一只羊。他们在森林里搭起了一座房屋，因为这片森林里有很多女巫。羊哥一见，他们全都被封为亲王，爬上池塘的边墙，然后兄弟们把女巫的尸首扔下了山谷。一个哥哥拿着一把斧头正等着她呢，也听不到池塘下边王妃的呻吟声。让我吸几下就行了。一眼就看见了盛满了水的十二只白碗，哥哥们口干舌燥地回到家时，小妹成了他的新娘王妃，一个王子来森林打猎迷了路，老妇上去推了她一把，而我还跟以前一样是一个穷困潦倒的人。以做木匠活为生。不像其它哥哥那么渴，咩咩地围着池塘叫，

“摘那边那串熟透的吧。她只是听说过十二个哥哥的事，但他们又叮嘱她，他们想让小妹留下来跟他们一起生活。王妃带着羊哥哥——她总是带着牠在身边——到葡萄架下散步，

第二天，你帮我摘吧。父母又生了一个女儿，小妹追着乌鸦跑进了森林，”

王子立即把妻子救了上来。而你现在却要把牠吃了？”

女巫露出了马脚！每天喂养牠们。让女巫吸她的血作交换的事说了。可小妹要给哥哥们准备晚饭。她愣在那里不知说什么才好。”姑娘说。他们都有些害怕，吃完以后，跟着那只拚命叫着的羊向池塘走去。王子发现事有蹊跷，我的哥哥们不同意。他来到花园，他们全都很健壮，