hetownsquareandcompletelydiscouraged,thefarmershadnoideawhattodonext.Buttheseniorofthemall,theonewhohadspokentothecount,said,"TheresnothinglefttodobutsendforMasino!"
SotheywroteMasinoaletterandsentittoAfrica.Thenoneevening,whiletheywereallgatheredaroundthebonfireasusual,Masinoreturned.Imaginethewelcometheygavehim,theembraces,thepotsofhot,spicedwine!"Whereonearthhaveyoubeen?Whatdidyousee?Ifyouonlyknewwhatwehavebeengoingthrough!"
Masinoletthemhavetheirsay,thenhehadhis."InAfricaIsawcannibalswhoatenotmenbutlocusts;inthedesertIsawamadmanwhohadlethisfingernailsgrowtwelvemeterslongtodigforwater;intheseaIsawafishwithashoeandaslipperwhowantedtobekingoftheotherfish,sincenootherfishpossessedshoeorslipper;inSicilyIsawawomanwithseventysonsandonlyonekettle;inNaplesIsawpeoplewhowalkedwhilestandingstill,sincethechatterofotherpeoplekeptthemgoing;IsawsinnersandIsawsaints;Isawfatpeopleandpeoplenobiggerthanmites;many,manyfrightenedsoulsdidIsee,butneversomanyashereinPocapaglia."
Thefarmershungtheirheadsinshame,forMasinohadhitasensitivespotinsuggestingtheywerecowards.ButMasinowasnotcrosswithhisfellowtownsmen.Heaskedforadetailedaccountofthewitchsdoings,thensaid,"Letmeaskyouthreequestions,andatthestrokeofmidnightIllgooutandcatchthewitchandbringherbacktoyou."
"Letshearyourquestions!Outwiththem!"theyallsaid.
"Thefirstquestionisforthebarber.Howmanypeoplecametoyouthismonth?"
Thebarberreplied:
"Longbeards,shortbeards,
Finebeards,coarsebeards,
Locksstraight,lockscurly,
AllItrimmèd(sic)inahurry."
"Yourturnnow,cobbler.Howmanypeoplebroughtyoutheiroldshoestomendthismonth?"
"Alas!"beganthecobbler:
"Shoesofwood,shoesofleather,
NailbynailIhammeredbacktogether,
Mendedshoesofsatinandshoesofserpent.
Buttheresnothinglefttodo,
Alltheirmoneyisspent."
"Thethirdquestiongoestoyou,ropemaker.Howmuchropedidyousellthismonth?"
Theropemakerreplied:
"RopegaloreofeverysortIsold:
Hemprope,braided,wicker,cord,
Needle-thintoarm-thick,
Lard-softtoiron-strong
ThismonthIcouldntgowrong."
"Verywell,"saidMasino,stretchingoutbyt
本章未完，点击下一页继续阅读。