倔強的彼埃拉人&意大利童話
一個農夫要去彼埃拉。正趕上颳風下雨的惡劣天氣，路都幾乎無法走了。但這個農夫有要緊的事，他低著頭頂著風雨雷電繼續往前走。
他遇上一個老人，對他說：“你好啊！你這樣急急忙忙的要去哪裡啊？好人。”
“去彼埃拉。”農夫答道，繼續往前走。
“你至少應該說一聲‘願上帝保佑’吧。”
農夫停了下來，望著面前的老人高聲說：“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，那個老人就是上帝。他對農夫說：“那好吧，你七年以後才能到彼埃拉去，現在，你跳進池塘，在裡面待上七年吧。”
農夫立即變成了一隻青蛙，跳進了池塘。
七年過去了。農夫從池塘中出來，又變回人，他戴緊帽子，又上路了。
沒走幾步，上次那個老人又出現了。“好人，你這是去哪裡啊？”
“去彼埃拉。”
“你應該祈禱一聲‘願上帝保佑’。”
“要是上帝保佑，那很好；要是不保佑，那個懲罰我知道，我會自己跳進池塘裡去。”
說完，他再也不開口說話了。
（比埃拉地區）
ThoseStubbornSouls,theBiellese
AfarmerwasonhiswaydowntoBiellaoneday.Theweatherwassostormythatitwasnexttoimpossibletogetovertheroads.Butthefarmerhadimportantbusinessandpushedonwardinthefaceofthedrivingrain.
Hemetanoldman,whosaidtohim,"Agooddaytoyou!Whereareyougoing,mygoodman,insuchhaste?"
"ToBiella,"answeredthefarmer,withoutslowingdown.
"Youmightatleastsay,Godwilling."
Thefarmerstopped,lookedtheoldmanintheeye,andsnapped,"Godwilling,ImonmywaytoBiella.ButevenifGodisntwilling,Istillhavetogothereallthesame."
NowtheoldmanhappenedtobetheLord."InthatcaseyoullgotoBiellainsevenyears,"hesaid."Inthemeantime,jumpintothisswampandstaythereforsevenyears."
Suddenlythefarmerchangedintoafrogandjumpedintotheswamp.
Sevenyearswentby.Thefarmercameoutoftheswamp,turnedbackintoaman,clappedhishatonhishead,andcontinuedonhiswaytomarket.
Afterashortdistancehemettheoldmanagain."Andwhereareyougoing,mygoodman?"
"ToBiella."
"Youmightsay,Godwilling."
"IfGodwillsit,fine.Ifnot,Iknowtheconsequenceandcannowgointotheswampunassisted."
Norforthelifeofhimwouldhesayonewordmore.
(Biellese)
NOTES:
"ThoseStubbornSouls,theBiellese"(Ibiellesi,gentedura)fromVirginiaMajoliFaccio(Lincantesimodellamezzanotte,[IlBiellesenellesueleggende],Milan,1941),Valdengo,Piedmont.
ThistaleisalsofoundinTrieste,starringtheFriulians(Pinguenti,51).
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980