。 If anybody gives me meat； I'll make a red mark on the front door； and your guards can go and arrest the thieves。〃
But when he made a red mark on Crack's house； the thief saw it and went and marked all the other doors in the city with red； so there was no telling in the end where Crack and Crook lived。
Snare said to the king； 〃Didn't I tell you they were foxy？ But there's someone else foxier than they are。 Here's the next thing to do： put a tub of boiling pitch at the bottom of the treasury steps。 Whoever goes down to steal will fall right into it； and his dead body will give him away。〃
Crack and Crook had run out of money in the meantime and decided to go back to the treasury for more。 Crook went in first； but it was dark； and he fell into the tub。 Crack came along and tried to pull his friend's body out of the pitch； but it stuck fast in the tub。 He then cut off the head and carried it away。
The next day the king went to see if he had caught the thief。 〃This time we got him！ We got him！〃 But the corpse had no head； so they were none the wiser about the thief or any acplices he might have had。
Snare said； 〃There's one more thing we can do： have the dead man dragged through the city by two horses。 The house where you hear someone weeping has to be the thief's house。〃
In effect； when Crook's wife looked out the window and saw her husband's body being dragged through the street； she began screaming and crying。 But Crack was there and knew right away that would be their undoing。 He therefore started smashing dishes right and left and thrashing the poor woman at the same time。 Attracted by all that screaming； the guards came in and found a man beating his wife for breaking up all the dishes in the house。
The king then had a decree posted on every street corner that he would pardon the thief who had robbed him； if the thief now managed to steal the sheets out from under him at night。 Crack came forward and said he could do it。
That night the king undressed and went to bed with his gun to wait for the thief。 Crack got a dead body from a gravedigger； dressed it in his own clothes； and carried it to the roof of the royal palace。 At midnight the cadaver； held by a rope； was dangling before the king's windows。 Thinking it was Crack； the king fired one shot and watched him fall； cord and all。 He ran downstairs to see if he was dead。 While the king was gone； Crack slipped into his room and stole the sheets。 He was therefore pardoned； and so that he wouldn't have to steal any longer； the king married his daughter to him。
（Monferrato）
NOTES：
〃Crack and Crook〃 （Cric e Croc） from paretti； 13； Monferrato； Piedmont。
This is one of the oldest and most famous tales； which has occupied the attention of scholars for generations。 The Piedmontese version I followed is faithful to the oldest tradition and includes the curious character…names and a brisk dose of rustic cunning。 Herodotus （Histories） tells in detail about Egyptian King Rhampsinitus's treasure； chief source of the vast narrative tradition concerning wily robbers put to the test by a ruler。 The beheading of a cadaver so it will not be recognized is also encountered in Pausanias； who presents the myth of Trophonius and Agamedes （Description of Greece； IX； 372）。 Either through the Greeks or through oriental tradition the tale entered medieval literature； in the various translations of the Book of the Seven Sages and other Italian； English； and German texts。 Literary versions by Italian Renaissance story writers are numerous。
Copyright： Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino；
translated by George Martin；
Pantheon Books； New York 1980
金丝雀王子
从前有一个国王，他有一个女儿。这女孩的母亲去世后，继母容不下她，总对国王说她的坏话。姑娘一再为自己辩白，可继母说尽了坏话，用尽了手段，尽管国王很疼爱自己的女儿，最终也不得不顺从王后之意，让她把姑娘送走。不过一定要给公主安排一个好去处，不能亏待了她。继母说：“这件事，您就放心吧，不必操劳了。”可一转脸，她就命人把公主关进森林中的一个城堡里了。还挑选了一批宫中贵妇，让她们到城堡陪伴公主，并下令不许公主出去，连窗户也不能靠近，当然，她也照着王宫里的标准支付这些侍女的报酬。她给公主安排了一间不错的房间，吃的喝的都可以满足她，只是不许她跨出大门一步。但是，那些拿着优厚报酬的侍女，整天无所事事，只顾自己寻乐，根本不管公主。
国王时不时问妻子：“我们的女儿现在怎么样了？过得好吗？”而王后为了让国王相信自己关心公主，就去看望她。到了城堡，刚下马车，侍女们就都跑上前来，告诉她公主一切都好，每天高高兴兴的，让她放心。王后到公主的房间转了一下，说：“你在这里过得不错，是吗？这里什么也不缺吧？你看上去脸色很好，这里的空气很新鲜，你舒舒服服地住着吧。再见！”说完就走了。回到王宫，她告诉国王她从没见过他的女儿这样高兴过。
而实际上公主总是孤独地待在房间里，那些陪伴她的侍女连管都不管她，她整天站在窗前伤心地度过一天又一天，如果不是想起在窗台上垫了一个坐垫，她那支在窗台上的双肘早就磨出茧子来了。窗户朝着森林，公主整天整天地望着窗外的树梢、远处的白云和猎人们行走的小路。有一天，她看见一个王子从小路上经过，他是追赶一只野猪才来到这座城堡附近的。他知道这是一座荒废了多年的城堡，当他望见上面有人居住的样子，觉得很惊奇。只见城墙垛间晾晒着衣物，窗户打开着，烟囱冒着烟。他正惊奇地看着，突然发现城堡上面的一扇窗户里，站着一个美丽的姑娘，就冲着她微微一笑。因为相距太远无法交谈，王子和公主又是微笑又是点头，又是鞠躬，就这样含情脉脉地对视了一个小时。
第二天，那个王子身着黄色猎装，假装打猎，又来到了城堡下，他们对望了两个小时。这一次除了微笑、点头、鞠躬，他们两人还都用手捂住自己的心口，然后向对方挥动着手帕。第三天，王子站了三个小时，他们还互相用手传递着飞吻。第四天，王子像前几次一样又来了，这时一个女巫从一棵树后探出身，大声笑起来：“哈哈，哈哈，哈哈！”
“你是谁？有什么好笑的？”王子厉声喝道。
“我从没见过像你们两个这样隔得这么远又这么痴情的恋人。”
“你知道我怎么才能上去见她呢？老婆婆。”王子问。
女巫说：“看你挺可爱的，我就帮你一把。”然后，就去敲城堡的门。她递给侍女们一本老旧的厚书，皱巴巴、脏兮兮的，说是她送给公主的一份礼物，好让公主读着它打发时间。侍女们把书送给了公主，公主急忙打开来一看，上面写着：这是一本魔书。如果你从前往后翻，你的心上人就会变成一只鸟，而如果你从后往前翻，你的心上人就会由鸟变成人。
公主立即跑到窗前，把书放在窗台上，急不可耐地翻起来，同时紧盯着那个身着黄色猎装、站在小路上的小伙子。只见小伙子的两臂动了起来，上下拍动变成了翅膀，而小伙子变成了一只金丝雀。金丝雀从地上飞起来，飞得比树梢还高，然后直奔窗口飞来，停在窗台上的垫子上。公主情不自禁地把这只美丽的金丝雀小心翼翼地捧在手里，亲吻着它，这时，她想起这是一个小伙子，感到很难为情，可转念一想，又觉得很自然了，恨不能马上让它变回先前的那个小伙子。她拿起那本书，向前快速地翻着，只见金丝雀竖起黄色的羽毛，拍动着翅膀，慢慢变成了双臂，又重新变回到那个身着黄色猎装、打着绑腿的小伙子。小伙子跪在她脚下，对她说：“我爱你！”
两个人互相倾诉着爱慕之情，不知不觉中夜幕已经降临。公主缓缓地开始翻着书页。小伙子双眼紧盯着公主，变成了一只金丝雀，它跳上阳台，又跳上屋檐，随后，迎风飞起来，盘旋着向下，落在一根低矮的树枝上。这时，公主又把书向前翻，金丝雀又变成了王子，王子跳到地上，吹了声口哨唤来了猎狗，朝着公主的窗口抛了一个飞吻，便沿着小路远去了。
就这样，那本魔书每天都为了让王子飞到城堡尖塔上的窗口翻一遍，又为把他变回人身翻一遍，然后又为了让他飞去翻一遍，为了让他回家又翻一遍。两个年轻人从没感受过如此的幸福。
一天，王后来看继女，她到公主的房间转了一圈后，还是假惺惺地说：“你过得不错，是吗？你看上去瘦了一点，但这也没什么，对吗？你过得从没有这样舒服过，是吗？”她一边说着，一边环顾四周查看一下有什么不妥。她打开窗户往外看，发现了那个身着黄色猎装的王子带着猎狗走进城堡。王后想：“要是这个小骚货胆敢在窗口卖弄风情，我就好好教训她一下。”于是，她让公主去端来一杯水和糖，而她急忙从头发上摘下自己戴的五六根别针，插在垫子里，针尖朝上，但又使别人很难发现。“这样，她就会尝到趴在窗台上的滋味了。”公主把她要的水和糖端过来，她却说：“噢，我又不渴了，你喝了吧，小可怜！我得回到你父亲那里。你什么也不需要，是吧？那我走了。”说完就走了。
王后的马车刚一走远，公主就急切地翻起书来，王子变成了金丝雀，飞向窗台，箭一般落在垫子上。金丝雀当即疼得大叫起来，鲜血染红了黄色的羽毛，是垫子里的那几根针刺进了金丝雀的胸脯。它挣扎着抬起那对摇晃不稳的翅膀，借着风力，摇摆着飞下去，张着翅膀摔在地上。公主吓懵了，弄不清到底发生了什么事，急急忙忙向前翻着书页，希望金丝雀变回人身后，王子的伤痛能够消失。唉，变回人身后，