nferrato)
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