ptyingtheglassoverhisshoulder.Whentheyoungladybegantalkingtohim,hemadeoutasifheweresleeping,butthemomenthewassureitwashiswife,hejumpedtohisfeetandembracedher.Withallthosehorsesandcarriagestheyhadnoproblemgettingawayandbackhome,wheretherewasagrandcelebration.
Theyputonthedogandhighdidtheysoar,
Theysawmenot,Istoodbehindthedoor.
(CollinedelPo)
NOTES:
"KingCrin"(ReCrin)fromPitrè(inArchivioperlostudiodelletradizionipopolari,I[1882],424),MonteudaPo,Piedmont.
Ofillustriousorigin(sinceitiscertainlyrelated——atleastinthemotifofthebridegroomwhocannotbeseeninhistrueform——tothemythofAmorandPsyche),thefolktaleabouttheswinekingisoneofthemostwidespreadinItaly.ThisPiedmonteseversionhasabeginningfullofbrio.Thedevelopmentrepeats——withthewalnutstobecracked,spyingonthesleeper,etc——amotifalsocommontoothertypesandofwhichmyno.140presentsaricherversion.
Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,
translatedbyGeorgeMartin,
PantheonBooks,NewYork1980