Italian Popular Tales Part 42

In regard to Saint John and the relations.h.i.+p of G.o.dfather, see Pitre's note in vol. I. p. 73.

[29] Bernoni, p. 7; _Cornhill Magazine_, p. 88.

[30] Bernoni, p. 17; _Cornhill Magazine_, p. 89.

[31] Bernoni, p. 19. There are prose versions of the closely related story of Don Juan in Busk, p. 202, "_Don Giovanni_," and in _Nov. tosc._ No. 21, "_Don Giovanni_." There are poetical versions of this legend in G. Ferraro, _Canti popolari raccolti a Pontelagoscuro_, No. 19; "_La Testa di Morto_," in _Rivista di Filologia Romanza_, vol. II. p. 204; Ive, _Canti pop. istriani_, Turin, 1877, cap. xxv. No. 6, "_Lionzo_;"

Salomone-Marino, _Leggende pop. sicil._ XXVII. "_Lionziu_."

[32] Pitre, No. 128. The version in the text is Ralston's condensation, taken from _Fraser's Magazine_, p. 433. As Pitre notes, there is some slight resemblance between this story and that of "_Cattarinetta_" in Schneller, No. 5, which has a close parallel in Bernoni, _Trad. pop.

venez. Punt._ III. p. 76, "_Nono Cocon_" and one not so close in Papanti, _Nov. pop. livor_, No. 1, "_La Mencherina_," p. 7. There is a close parallel to the Sicilian story in a Tuscan tale, "_La Gamba_"

("The Leg"), in _Novelline pop. toscane_, pubb. da G. Pitre, p. 12. In a note Pitre mentions a variant from Pratovecchio in which the leg is of gold. He also gives copious references to versions from all parts of Europe. The English reader will recall at once Halliwell's story of "Teeny-Tiny" (_Nursery Tales_, p. 25). To the above references may be added: "_Le Pendu_" in Cosquin, _Contes pop. lorrains_, No. 41, in _Romania_, No. 28, p. 580. Since the above note was written, another Tuscan version has been published by Pitre, _Nov. tosc._ No. 19.

[33] Pitre, No. 203. The parallels to this story may best be found in J.

Grimm's _Kleinere Schriften_, III. p. 414, _Der Traum von dem Schatz auf der Brucke_. To Grimm's references may be added: Graesse, _Sagenschatz Sachsen's_, No. 587; Wolf, _Hesseche Sagen_, No. 47; Kuhn, _Westfalische Sagen_, No. 169; and _Vierzig Veziere_, p. 270.

CHAPTER V.

NURSERY TALES.

[1] The verse in this story is given somewhat differently by Bolza, _Canzoni pop. Comasche_, Vienna, 1866, Note 9:--

"La storia de Sior Intento, Che dura molto tempo, Che mai no se destriga; Vole che ve la diga?"

The story of Mr. Attentive, which lasts a long time, which is never explained, do you wish me to tell it?

There are in Bernoni, _Punt._ II. pp. 53, 54, two or three other rhymes of this cla.s.s that may be given here.

ONCE UPON A TIME.

Once upon a time--that I remember--into a blind-man's eye--a fly went--and I thought--that it was a quail--wretched blind-man--go away from here!

ONE AND ANOTHER.

Fiaba, aba--Questa xe una--Muro e malta--Questa xe un' altra, Story, ory--This is one--Wall and mud--This is another.

"A long one and a short one, Do you wish me to tell you a long one?

This is the finger and this is the nail.

Do you wish me to tell you a short one?

This is the finger and this the end of it."

[2] Pitre, No. 141. In the notes to this story are given some more of this cla.s.s.

"Once upon a time there was a page who drew three carts: one of wine, one of bread, and one of relishes.... And once upon a time there was a page."

Some poetical versions are given in the same place from various parts of Italy.

"Once upon a time, An old man and an old woman Were on top of a mountain...

Be quiet, for I am going to tell you it."

--Naples.

"Once upon a time there was a man Behind the church With a basket on his back...

But be still if I am to tell you it!"

--Milan, _Nov. fior._ p. 570.

Some more rhymes of this cla.s.s may be found in Papanti, _Nov. pop.

livor_, p. 17: "Once upon a time there was a man, whose name was Boccabella, who skinned his wife to make a skirt; and skinned his children to make some towels."

"Once upon a time there was a man, A woman, and a little bottle...

Listen to this!"

"Once upon a time there was a king Who ate more than you; He ate bread and cheese, Pull, pull this nose."

Here the speaker pulls the child's nose.

"Once upon a time there was a rich poor man Who had seven daughters to marry: On one hand there came a felon, And on the other seven blisters."

[3] _Rivista di Letteratura popolare_, vol. I. p. 161 (1878). "_Una Variante toscana della Novella del Pet.i.t Poucet_." Versions from the Marches, the Abruzzi, and Tuscany may now be found in _Giornale di Filologia romanza_, II. p. 23; Finamore, _Tradizioni popolari abruzzesi_, 1882, No. 47, p. 233; and _Nov. tosc._ No. 42.

[4] The myth of "Tom Thumb" has been thoroughly examined in an admirable monograph: _Le Pet.i.t Poucet et la Grande Ourse_ par Gaston Paris, Paris, 1875. The author says in conclusion (p. 52): "Si nous cherchons enfin quels sont les peuples qui nous offrent soit ce conte, soit cette denomination, nous voyons qu'ils comprennent essentiellement les peuples slaves (lithuanien, esclavon) et germaniques (allemand, danois, suedois, anglais). Les contes des Albanais, des Roumains et des Grecs modernes sont sans doute empruntes aux Slaves, comme une tres-grande partie de la mythologie populaire de ces nations. Le nom wallon et le conte forezien nous montrent en France (ainsi que le _t.i.tre_ du conte de Perrault) la legende de Poucet: mais elle a pu fort bien, comme tant d'autres recits semblables, y etre apportee par les Germains. Ni en Italie, ni en Espagne, ni dans les pays celtiques je n'ai trouve trace du conte ou du nom." This latter statement must now, of course, be modified. To the references in Paris' book may be added: _Romania_, No. 32, p. 59 (Cosquin, No. 53), and Kohler in _Zeit. f. rom. Phil._ III. p. 617.

The transformation of the chick-peas into children has a parallel in the Greek story of "Pepper-Corn" shortly to be mentioned.

[5] The discussion of this point may best be found in the following works: Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes of England_ (_Percy Soc._ IV.), London, 1842, pp. 2, 159; _Romania_, I. p. 218; and _Un Canto popolare piemontese e un Canto religioso popolare israelitico_. Note e confronti di Cesare Foa, Padova, 1879. The references to the other European versions of this story may be found in _Romania_, No. 28, p. 546 (Cosquin, No. 34), and Kohler in _Zeit. f. rom. Phil._ III. 156.

[6] Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 160.

[7] There is a poetical version of this story in Vigo, _Raccolta amplissima di Canti pop. sicil._ 2^{da} ediz. Catania, 1870-1874, No.

4251, beginning:--

"Susi, Bittudda Va scupa la casa.

--Signura, non pozzu Mi doli lu cozzu," etc.

The ending, however, is incomplete.

[8] Imbriani, _Pomiglianesi_, p. 232, "_Micco_."

[9] The version from Siena is in _Saggio di Letture varie per i Giovani_ di T. Gradi, Torino, 1865, p. 175, "_La Novella di Petuzzo_;" the Tuscan (Florence) version is in Imbriani, _Nov. fior._ p. 548, "_Petruzzo_."

Another Tuscan version may be found in Nerucci, _Cincelle da Bambini_, No. 7; and one from Apulia in _Archivio_, III. p. 69.

[10] Bernoni, _Punt._ III. p. 72, "_Petin-Petele_."