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； and the army got lost in it。 Meanwhile； the shepherd had grown thirsty and； having nothing with him to drink； removed one of the three apples from the cage and cut into it。 A tiny voice said； 〃Gently； please； or you'll hurt me。〃 Gently； he finished cutting the apple； ate one half； and put the other in his pocket。 At length he came to a well near his house； where he reached into his pocket for the rest of the apple。 In its place was a tiny； tiny lady。
〃I'm lovely Bargaglina；〃 she said； 〃and I like cake。 Go get me a cake； I'm famished。〃
The well was one of those closed wells； with a hole in the center； so the shepherd seated the lady on the rim； telling her to wait there until he came back with the cake。
Meanwhile； a servant known as Ugly Slave came to the well for water。 She spied the lovely little lady and said； 〃How e you're so little and beautiful while I'm so big and ugly？〃 And she grew so furious that she threw the tiny creature into the well。
The shepherd returned and was heartbroken to find lovely Bargaglina gone。
Now his mother also went to that well for water； and what should she find in her bucket one day but a fish。 She took it home and fried it。 They ate it and threw the bones out the window。 There where they fell； a tree grew up and got so big that it shut out all the light from the house。 The shepherd therefore cut it down and chopped it up for firewood； which he brought inside。 By that time his mother had died； and he lived there all by himself； now punier then ever； since no matter what he tried； he couldn't grow any bigger。 Every day he went out to the pasture and came back home at night。 How great was his amazement upon finding the dishes and pans he'd used in the morning all washed for him when he came home！ He couldn't imagine who was doing this。 At last he decided to hide behind the door and find out。 Whom should he then see but a very dainty maiden emerge from the woodpile； wash the dishes； sweep the house； and make his bed； after which she opened the cupboard and helped herself to a cake。
Out sprang the shepherd； asking； 〃Who are you？ How did you get in？〃
〃I'm lovely Bargaglina；〃 replied the maiden； 〃the girl you found in your pocket in place of the apple half。 Ugly Slave threw me into the well； and I turned into a fish； then into fishbones thrown out the window。 From fishbones I changed into a tree seed； next into a tree that grew and grew； and finally into firewood you cut。 Now； every day while you're away； I bee lovely Bargaglina。〃
Thanks to the rediscovery of lovely Bargaglina； the shepherd grew by leaps and bounds； and lovely Bargaglina along with him。 Soon he was a handsome youth and married lovely Bargaglina。 They had a big feast。 I was there； under the table。 They threw me a bone； which hit me on the nose and stuck for good。
（Inland vicinity of Genoa）
NOTES：
〃The Little Shepherd〃 （Il pastore che non cresceva mai） from Guarnerio （Due fole nel dialetto del contado genovese collected by P。 E。 Guarnerio； Genoa； 1892）； Torriglia； near Genoa； told by the countrywoman Maria Banchero。
A feature of this Genoese variant of the widespread tale of the 〃three oranges〃 includes encounters with creatures like those in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch tiny fairies rocking in nutshells or eggshells。 We meet the same beings in another Genoese version （Andrews； 51）。
Copyright： Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino；
translated by George Martin；
Pantheon Books； New York 1980
银鼻子
从前，有一个寡妇，带着三个女儿以替人洗衣为生。一家四口每日竭尽全力洗着衣服，但还是过着忍饥挨饿的生活。一天，大女儿对妈妈说：
“这样还不如去给魔鬼干活，我想离家出外谋生。”
“千万别这样说，我的孩子，”妈妈说，“这样你会惹祸上身的。”
没过几天，她们家里来了一位绅士，身着黑衣裤，衣冠楚楚的，长着一只银鼻子。
“我听说您有三个女儿，让我带走一个做我的仆人吧。”他对妈妈说。
妈妈对这人的银鼻子看不惯，要不然，她会立即让女儿跟他走。她把大女儿叫到一旁，对她说：“人世间长着银鼻子的人是没有的，你得留点神，要是跟他走，将来你一定会后悔。”
但女儿急不可待地要离开家，还是跟他走了。他们走了很远的路，穿过森林，越过高山，到了一个地方，远远地看见前边有一处亮光，好像在着火。“那是什么？”姑娘问，这时她开始有点担忧了。
“是我家，我们就去那里。”银鼻子说。
姑娘跟着他继续往前走，全身上下忍不住地哆嗦。他们来到一座巨大的宫殿，银鼻子带着她，参观了所有的房间，一间比一间漂亮，每看一个房间，他都把钥匙交给她。走到最后一个房间门口，银鼻子把钥匙递给她后说：“这个门你无论如何不能打开，否则，你就麻烦了！这里的一切，你都可以做主，只有这个房间除外。”
姑娘心想：这里一定有什么名堂！她决定等银鼻子一离开这里，就打开看看。晚上，姑娘正睡在自己的房间里，银鼻子蹑手蹑脚地走了进来，他走近姑娘的床边，在她的头发上插了一朵玫瑰花，就又蹑手蹑脚地出去了。
第二天早上，银鼻子出去办事了。只剩姑娘一个人拿着一大串钥匙留在家里，她立即跑去开那扇被禁止打开的房门。刚打开一条缝隙，就从里面冲出了好多火苗和烟雾，火苗和烟雾尽是被火烧炼的罪恶的灵魂。姑娘这时才明白银鼻子就是魔鬼，而这个房间就是地狱。她大叫一声，立即关上房门，想尽量跑远一点，离开这个地狱之屋，但火舌还是烧到了她头上的插着的那朵玫瑰花。
银鼻子回到家，看到那朵烫焦了的玫瑰花，就说：“怎么，你就是这样听我的话的吗！”他一把抓住姑娘，打开地狱的门，把她扔进了火中。
第二天，他又来到寡妇家，说：“您的女儿在我那里住得很好，但活儿太多，她需要个帮手。您能让二女儿也跟我去吗？”就这样，银鼻子带着另一个姑娘回到了宫殿。他也给姑娘看了每个房间，把房间的钥匙也都给她，也对她说所有的房间都可以打开，只有最后那间除外。姑娘说：“您不必担心，我为什么要开它呢？我不想了解您的私事。”晚上，姑娘上床休息以后，银鼻子悄悄地来到她的床前，把一朵康乃馨插在她的头发上。
第二天早上，银鼻子一出门，姑娘做的第一件事就是去打开那扇禁门。只见里面满是烟雾、火苗，还有罪恶灵魂的嚎叫，在火中她还发现了自己的姐姐。“妹妹，快救救我！把我从这个地狱里救出去！”姐姐冲她大叫。但姑娘吓得早已魂飞魄散了，她连忙关上门，拔腿就逃，但不知该躲到哪里去，因为她确信银鼻子就是魔鬼，而她早被他捏在手心里，无处可逃。银鼻子一回来，首先看姑娘的头发，看到康乃馨被烤焦了，便一句话不说，抓起她，把她也扔进了地狱。
次日，银鼻子照旧穿得像大人物一样，又来到寡妇家。“我家的活太多，两个姑娘还干不完，您把三�