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er； he went to look at his watch and found it missing。 the only person in this world who could have taken it without my knowledge； he thought； is crook。 so what did crack do but turn right around and steal crooks purse。 when the stranger got ready to pay for his lunch； he found his purse gone and said to his table panion； 〃well； well； you must be crack。〃
〃and you must be crook。〃
〃right。〃
〃fine； well work together。〃
they went to the city and made for the kings treasury； which was pletely surrounded by guards。 the thieves therefore dug an underground tunnel into the treasury and stole everything。 surveying his loss； the king had no idea how he might catch the robbers。 he went to a man named snare； who had been put in prison for stealing； and said； 〃if you can tell me who mitted this robbery； ill set you free and make you a marquis。〃
snare replied； 〃it can be none other than crack or crook； or both of them together； since they are the most notorious thieves alive。 but ill tell you how you can catch them。 have the price of meat raised to one hundred dollars a pound。 the person who pays that much for it will be your thief。〃
the king had the price of meat raised to one hundred dollars a pound； and everybody stopped buying meat。 finally it was reported that a friar had gone to a certain butcher and bought meat。 snare said； 〃that had to be crack or crook in disguise。 ill now disguise myself and go around to the houses begging。 if anybody gives me meat； ill 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 cracks 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； 〃didnt i tell you they were foxy？ but theres someone else foxier than they are。 heres 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 friends 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； 〃theres 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 thiefs house。〃
in effect； when crooks wife looked out the window and saw her husbands 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 kings 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 wouldnt 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 rhampsinituss 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
小！说
金丝雀王子&意大利童话
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。
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