thoutrevealingwhohewas.
Thenextdayhereturnedonasilverhorsewithtrappingsofsilver,dressedinsilverarmorandcarryinghissilverlanceandshield.Hedefeatedeveryoneandfled,stillunknowntoall.Thethirddayhereturnedonagoldhorse,outfittedentirelyingold.Hewasvictoriousthethirdtimeaswell,andtheprincesssaid,"Iknowwhoyouare.Yourethemanwhogavemeflowersofcrystal,silver,andgold,fromthegardensofyourcastlesofcrystal,silver,andgold."
Sotheygotmarried,andthelittleshepherdbecameking.
Andallwereveryhappyandgay,
Buttomewhowatchedtheygavenothoughtnorpay.
(Monferrato)
NOTES:
"TheThreeCastles"(Itrecastelli)fromComparetti,62and22,Monferrato,Piedmont.
ThesetwoPiedmontesetalesarevariantsofasingletype.Itookthebeginningfromoneandconcludedwiththeother.Nothingwasadded;Imerelyunderlinedafewelementsalreadyinthetext(suchasthetaxcollector)andtherhythm.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980