Petelinov kamen

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_Minec’Aniello, through the virtue of a stone found in a cock’s head, becomes young and rich; but when two necromancers trick him out of it, he becomes old and penniless again. Searching the world, he reaches the Kingdom of the Mice, where he hears news of the ring; and with the help of two mice he recovers it, regains his former condition, and takes revenge on the rogues._ _The thief’s wife does not laugh forever. Whoever plots deceit weaves his own ruin; there is no trick that will not be discovered, nor treachery that will not come to light. Walls are spies upon scoundrels;

theft and whoring make the very earth crack open and tell the tale, as I shall let you hear, if you will only keep your ears at home._ Once upon a time, in the city of Grotta-negra, there lived a certain Minec’Aniello, so dogged by ill fortune that all his property, movable and immovable, amounted, from top to bottom, to a country cock he had raised on crumbs. But one morning, finding himself ravenous—for hunger drives the wolf out of the woods—he decided to turn it into a little cash. Taking it to market, he met two great owls of necromancers, struck a bargain with them, and sold it for half a patacca. They told him to carry it to their house, where they would count out the coins for him. So the magicians set off, with Minec’Aniello following behind, and he heard them speaking to each other in thieves’ cant. “Who would ever have thought we should stumble on such a stroke of luck, Jennarone? This cock will certainly make our fortune, thanks to that stone you know of, which it has inside its skull. We shall have it set in a ring at once, and then we can have anything we know how to ask for.” And Ghiennarone answered:

“Hush, Jacovuccio! I can already see myself rich, and scarcely believe it. I cannot wait to crack this cock’s skull, give poverty a kick in the teeth, and stretch my legs at ease; for in this world virtue without money is valued no more than a footrag, and people judge you by the clothes you wear.” Minec’Aniello, who had travelled far and eaten bread from more than one oven, understood their jargon. As soon as they reached a narrow alley, he changed tack and took to his heels. Running home, he wrung the cock’s neck, opened its head, and found the stone, which he immediately had set in a brass ring. Wishing to test its power, he said, “I should like to become a lad of eighteen.” Scarcely were the words spoken when his blood grew livelier, his sinews stronger, his legs steadier, his flesh fresher, and his eyes brighter. His silver hair turned to gold; his mouth, which had been a plundered village, filled with teeth; his beard, once a preserve where nothing might be taken, became a field ripe for harvesting. In short, transformed into a handsome young fellow, he spoke again: “I should like a magnificent palace, and to marry into the King’s family.” And there, before his eyes, sprang up a palace of incredible beauty, with marvellous chambers, astonishing columns, and paintings to leave you dumbfounded. Silver overflowed everywhere, gold was trodden underfoot, jewels flashed in your face, and servants swarmed about;

the horses and carriages were beyond counting. In short, he made such a display of wealth that the King opened his eyes wide and was delighted to give him his daughter Natalizia. Meanwhile, the necromancers discovered Minec’Aniello’s great good fortune and resolved to take this fine prize out of his hands. They made a beautiful doll that played music and danced by means of counterweights, dressed themselves as merchants, and went to see Pentella, Minec’Aniello’s daughter, pretending they wished to sell it to her. When she saw so lovely a thing, she asked what price they wanted for it.

They replied that no amount of money could pay for it, but that she might have it if she would do them just one favour: let them examine the workmanship of her father’s ring, so that they could take a pattern from it and make another like it. In return, they would give her the doll without asking a penny. Pentella, who heard this offer and had never heard the proverb, “Think twice about a bargain,”

accepted the terms at once, telling them to return the next morning, when she would have borrowed the ring from her father. The magicians went away, and when her father came home she told him so many pretty tales and coaxed him so sweetly that she persuaded him to lend her the ring, making the excuse that she felt melancholy and wanted something to cheer her heart.

But when the following day came, and the Sun’s scullion was sweeping the filth of the shadows from the squares of heaven, the magicians returned. No sooner had they got their hands on the ring than they melted away like something conjured out of existence, leaving not so much as a wisp of smoke behind; and poor Pentella nearly died of anguish. Once the magicians reached a wood, where some of the branches formed a trellis while others played hot cockles with one another, they told the ring to undo everything that had been done for the rejuvenated old man. He happened to be in the King’s presence at that very moment, and all at once he felt his hair bristle and whiten, his forehead wrinkle, his eyebrows grow bushy, his eyes sink, his face shrivel, his teeth fall out, his beard grow sparse, his back rise into a hump, and his legs tremble. Above all, his splendid clothes turned back into rags and tatters.

At this, the King, seeing such an ugly beggar sitting there conversing with him, had him driven out at once with blows and insults. Finding himself brought so low in an instant, Minec’Aniello went weeping to his daughter and asked for the ring, to remedy this disaster. When he heard of the trick the sham merchants had played on her, he very nearly threw himself out of a window, cursing his daughter’s foolishness a thousand times over: for the sake of a wretched doll she had left him looking like a hideous bogeyman; for the sake of a thing made of rags, she had driven him to acts of madness. For he was resolved to wander, an outcast and a vagabond, like a bad penny, until he heard news of those merchants. With these words he put on a hooded cloak, slipped his feet into rough shoes, slung a bag across his shoulders, took a staff in his hand, and, leaving his daughter cold and numb, set off in despair. He wore out so much shoe leather that at last he reached the Kingdom of Pertuso-Cupo, which was inhabited by mice. There he was taken for a spy in the service of the cats and brought straight before Rosecone, the King, who asked him who he was, where he had come from, and what he was doing in those parts. Minec’Aniello first presented the King with a pork rind as a token of tribute, then told him all his misfortunes, one by one. He ended by saying that he meant to wear out his wretched hide until he had news of those damned souls who had robbed him of so precious a jewel, taking from him at the same time the flower of youth, the fountain of wealth, and the support of honour. At these words, Rosecone felt pity gnawing at his heart. Wishing to give the poor man some comfort, he summoned the oldest mice to council, asked their advice about Minec’Aniello’s misfortune, and ordered them to make diligent inquiries to see whether any news could be had of these counterfeit merchants. Among them happened to be Rudolo and Sautariello, mice well versed in the ways of the world, who had spent some six years at a wayside inn. “Take heart, comrade,” they said. “Things will turn out better than you think. You must know that one day, while we were in a room at the Inn of the Horn, where the world’s most highly esteemed men lodge and make merry, two fellows from Castiello Rampino passed that way. After dinner, having seen the bottom of the wine jug, they began discussing a trick they had played on a certain old man from Grottanegra, whom they had cheated out of a stone of great power. One of them, whose name was Jennarone, said that he would never take it off his finger, lest he have occasion to lose it, as the old man’s daughter had done.” When Minec’Aniello heard this, he told the two mice that if they felt able to guide him to the rogues’ town and help him recover the ring, he would give them a whole pack-load of cheese and salted meat, which they might enjoy together with His Majesty the King. Since there was something to grease their palms, they offered to move heaven and earth for him; and, having asked leave of the mouse monarch, they set out. After a long journey they reached Castiello-rampino, where the mice had Minecaniello wait beneath some trees beside a river that, like a leech, sucked up the blood of labourers and poured it into the sea. They themselves found the magicians’ house and saw that Ghiennarone never took the ring off his finger. They therefore sought to win their victory by a stratagem. They waited until Night had bathed the sunburnt face of heaven with sour grape juice, and, once he had stretched himself out in bed, Rudolo began to gnaw at the finger that wore the ring. Feeling the pain, Ghiennarone took it off and laid it on a table at the head of the bed. Seeing this, Sautariello took it in his mouth, and in four bounds they were back with Minec’Aniello. Happier than a man on the gallows when his pardon arrives, he immediately turned the necromancers into two donkeys. Spreading his cloak over one of them, he mounted it like a fine count; then he loaded the other with bacon and cheese and set off towards Pertuso-Cupo. There he presented his gifts to the King and his councillors and thanked them for all the good he had received through their help, praying that Heaven would never let a mousetrap hinder them, a cat harm them, or arsenic cause them any grief. Taking his leave of that country, he returned to Grotta-negra, handsomer than ever, and was welcomed by the King and his daughter with all the affection in the world. He had the donkeys hurled down a mountain, then lived happily with his wife, never again taking the ring from his finger, lest he suffer another such calamity: _For a dog once scalded by hot water_ _Is afraid even of cold_.

Izvirnik

_Minec’Aniello pe bertù de na Preta trovata ’n capo a no Gallo, deventa giovene, e rricco: ma essennole truffata da duje Nigromante, torna Viecchio, e pezzente; e cercanno pe lo munno, a lo Regno de li surece ha nova de l’aniello, ed ajutato da duje surece, la recupera, torna a lo stato de primmo, e se venneca de li mariuole._ _Non sempre ride la mogliere de lo latro. Chi tramma fraude, se tesse roine; non c’è ’nganno, che non se scopra, nè ttrademiento, che non venga a la luce: le mmura so spiune de li forfante; latrocinio, e pottanicio crepa la terra, e dicelo: comme ve farraggio sentire, si starrite co l’arecchie a la Casa._ Era na vota a la Cettà de Grotta-negra, no cierto Minec’Aniello,

cossì ’ndesditta de la desgrazia, che tutto lo stabele, e lo mobele sujo sotto sopra, era no Gallo patano, che se l’aveva cresciuto a mmollechelle. Ma trovatose na matina allancato da l’appetito, perchè la famme caccia lo lupo da lo vosco, facette penziero de pigliarenne li piccole: e portato a lo mercato, trovaje duje Varvajanne Nigromante, co li quale venuto a li patte, e liberatolo pe mmeza patacca, le decettero, che l’avesse portato a la casa loro, ca l’averriano contato li sbruonzole; e accossì abbiatese li Maghe, e Minec’Aniello retomano, sentette, che parlavano ’nforbisco fra loro, decenno: chi ’nce l’avesse ditto de trovare sto buono ’mmatteto, o Jennarone? sto Gallo senz’autro sarrà la ventura nostra, pe chella Preta, che tu saje, ch’ave drinto

la catarozzola, la quale farrimmo legare subeto a n’aniello, pe avere tutto chello, che saperrimmo demannare; e Ghiennarone responnette: stà zitto, Jacovuccio, ca mme veo ricco, e mmanco lo ccreo; e non veo l’ora de scocozare sto Gallo pe ddare no caucio ’n facce a la pezzentaria, e stirareme la cauza, pocca a sto munno le bertù senza tornise, sò ttenute pe pezza de pede, cossì comme vaje, cossì si ttenuto. Minec’Aniello, ch’aveva curzo paise, ed aveva magnato pane de cchiù fforna, sentuto lo zergo, comme fu a no vicariello stritto, votaje Carena, e truccaje pe la porverosa; e curzo a la casa, torze lo cuollo a lo Gallo, e apertole la capo, trovaje la preta, la quale fatto subeto legare a n’aniello d’attone: volenno fare sperienzia de

la vertù soja, disse: Vorria deventare guagnone de decedotto anne, e ditto ste parole appena, lo sango se tornaje chiù bivo, li nierve chiù ffuorte, le gamme cchiù fferme, la carne cchiù ffresca, l’uocchie cchiù speretuse, li capille d’argiento se fecero d’oro, la vocca, ch’era no Casale sacchejato, se popolaje de diente, la varva ch’era caccia reservata, deventaje terreno semmenatorio, ’nsomma fatto no bellissimo giovaniello, tornaje a dicere: Io desiderarria no Palazzo de sfuorgio, e ffare parentato co lo Rrè, e lloco te vediste schiudere no Palazzo de bellezza ’ncredibele; dov’erano stanze de spanto, colonne da stordire, Petture da strasecolare: l’argiento sbrommava: l’oro se scarpisava pe terra: le gioje te sciongavano ’n facce, li serveture vrellecavano:

li cavalle, e carrozze erano senza numero; ’n somma fece tanta mostra de recchezza, che lo Rrè nce aperze l’uocchie, ed appe a ccaro darele Natalizia la Figlia. Ntra chisto tiempo scopierto li Nigromante la fortuna granne de Minec’Aniello, fecero penziero de levarele da mano sta bona sciorta, e fatta na bella Pipata, che ssonava, e abballava a forza de contrapise, vestennose da Mercante, jettero a ttrovare Pentella la figlia de Minec’Aniello, co scusa de vennerencella; la quale visto cossì bella cosa, le disse, ’n che ppriezzo la tenevano; li quale resposero, che non c’era denaro, che l’avesse potuto pagare; ma ch’essa poteva esserene patrona co ffarele no piacere schitto, ch’era, lassarele vedere la fattura de l’aniello, che teneva lo patre,

pe pigliarene lo modiello, e farene n’autro simmele, ca l’averriano donato la Pipata senza pagamiento nesciuno. Pentella, che ’ntese st’afferta, e non aveva sentuto lo Proverbio, a buon mercato penzace; azzettaje subeto la partita, decenno, che fossero tornate la matina appriesso, ca se l’averria fatto prestare da lo Patre. Jutesenne li Maghe, e benuto lo patre a la casa, tante cassessie le disse, e tanta vruoccole le fece, che lo tiraje a pprestarele l’aniello, trovannose scusa, ca steva malenconeca, e se voleva rallegrare no poco lo core.

Ma venuto lo juorno seguente, quanno lo pagliamenuta de lo Sole fa scopare le llordizie dell’ombre pe le cchiazze de co Cielo, vennero li Maghe, che non cossì priesto avettero ’n mano lloro l’aniello, che squagliattero comm’a cchillo che scria, che non se ne vedde fummo, che la negra Pentella appe a mmorire d’abbasca. Ma arrivate li Maghe a no vosco, dove de li ramme dell’arvole arcune facevano la ’mpertecata, ed autre joquanno a pane caudo fra lloro, dissero a l’aniello, ch’avesse guastato tutta la ’nvenzione de lo Viecchio rengiovenuto, lo quale trovatose a chillo tiempo ’nnanze lo Rrè, ’nnitto ’n fatto se vedde ’ngrifare, e ghianchiare li capille, ’ncrespare la fronte, ’nzetolire le cciglia, scarcagnare l’uocchie, arrepecchiare la facce, sdentare la

vocca, ’mmoscare la varva, auzare lo scartiello, tremmare le ggamme, e sopra tutto li vestite sciammante tornare a brenzole, ed a ppezzolle. Pe la quale cosa lo Rrè, che bedde sto brutto pezzente seduto ’n commertazione cod’isso, lo fece subeto cacciare co mmazze, e mmale parole; lo quale vedennose caduto ’nchiummo, jette chiagnenno a la figlia, e ccercato l’aniello pe remmediare a sto desordene, sentette la burla fattale da li mercante fauzarie, e mmancaje poco, che non se derrupasse pe na fenestra, jastemmanno mille vote la ’ngnoranzia de la Figlia, che pe na negra Pipata l’aveva fatto restare comm’a no brutto Paputo; pe na cosa fatta de pezze, l’aveva arredutto a fare cose de pazzo, pocca era resoluto de ire tanto spierto, e demierto,

comm’a lo male denaro, fi che avesse nova de sti mercante. Accossì decenno, puostose no Capopurpo ’n cuollo, li Calantrielle a li piede, na vertola a ttravierzo le spalle, e na mazza ’n mano, e llassanno la Figlia fredda, e ghielata, se pose pe desperato a cammenare, e ttanto vottaje li piede, ch’arrivaje a lo Regno de Pertuso-Cupo abetato da surece, dove pigliato pe spione de le Gatte, fu portato subeto ’nnanze a Rosecone lo Rrè, da lo quale addemmannato chi era, da dove veneva, e che ghiesse facenno da chille paise; Minec’Aniello, dato ’n primmo a lo Rrè na cotena pe ssigno de tributo, le contaje ad una ad una tutte le desgrazie soje, e cconcruse, ca voleva conzumare tanto chillo nigro scuorzo, nficchè avesse nova de chell’arme dannate, che l’avevano

fatto Priore de na gioja accossì cara, levannole a lo stisso tiempo lo sciore de la gioventù, lo fonte de la recchezza; la pontella de lo nnore. Rosecone a ste pparole se sentette rosecare da la pietate, e desederuso de dare quarche conzolazione a lo poverommo, chiammaje li Surece cchiù biecchie a conziglio, demannannole parere ’ntuorno a la desgrazia de Minec’Aniello, e commannannole a fare delegenzia si se potesse avere quarche nnova de sti mercante a pposticcio, fra li quale trovannose pe bentura Rudolo, e Sautariello, surece pratteche de le ccose de lo munno, li quale erano state una seina d’anne a na taverna de passo, dissero; stà de bona voglia Cammarata, ca le ccose saranno meglio, che non te cride. Ora sacce, che trovannoce no juorno drinto

na Cammara dell’Ostaria de lo Cuorno, dove alloggiano, e sguazzano allegramente l’uommene cchiù stimmate a lo munno, da llà passaro duje de Castiello Rampino, li quale da pò magnare avenno visto lo funno de l’arciulo, descorrevano de la burla fatta a no cierto viecchio de Grottanegra, avennolo corrivato de na preta de gran bertute, la quale disse uno de chille; che se chiammava Jennarone, ca non se l’averria levata maje da lo dito, pe n’avere accasione de la perdere, comm’aveva fatto la figlia de sto Viecchio. Sentenno sta cosa Minec’Aniello, disse a li duje Surece, che si se confidavano d’accompagnarelo a lo pajese de sti mariuole, e de farele recuperare l’aniello, l’averria dato na sarma de caso, e de carne salata, che se l’avessero gauduta

’nzemmora co lo Segnore Rrè; li quale trattannose d’ontare la mano, s’offerzero de fare mare, e mmunte, e cercato lecienzia a la sorecesca corona, partettero: e arrivato dapò luongo cammino a Castiello-rampino, li Surece fecero fermare Minecaniello sotto cierte arvole a ppede de no sciummo, che comm’a sangozuca se pigliava lo sango de li fatecature, e lo ghiettava a lo maro, ed isse trovato la casa de li Maghe, veddero, che Ghiennarone non se levava maje l’aniello da lo dito, pe la quale cosa cercaro pe bia de strataggemma guadagnare sta vettoria; ed aspettato, che la notte tegnesse d’agresta la facce de lo Cielo, ch’era cotta de Sole, comme se fu ghiuto luongo luongo a corcare, accommenzaje Rudolo a rrosecare lo dito de l’aniello, lo

quale sentennose fare male, se lo levaje posannolo ’ncoppa na tavola a ccapo lo lietto; la quale cosa visto Sautariello se lo pose ’n vocca, e ’n quatto zumpe foro a ttrovare Minec’Aniello, lo quale co cchiù allegrezza, che non ha lo ’mpiso, quanno l’arriva la grazia, fece subeto deventare duje Asene li Negromante, sopra l’uno de li quale stiso lo ferrajuolo, se accravaccaje comm’a no bello Conte, e carrecato l’autro de lardo, e ccaso, toccaje a la vota de Pertuso-Cupo, dove regalato lo Rrè, e li Conzigliere, le rrengraziaje de quanto bene pe causa lloro aveva receputo, preganno lo Cielo, che maje mastrillo le facesse ’mpedemiento, maje Gatta le portasse dammaggio, maje arzeneco le causasse despiacere; e partutose da chillo pajese, ed arrivato a

Grotta-negra, tornato cchiù bello de primma, fu receputo da lo Rrè, e da la figlia co li maggiure carizze de lo munno; e fatto derropare l’Asene da na montagna, se gaudette co la mogliere, non levannose maje chiù l’aniello da lo dito pe non fare quarc’autro scassone, _Che cane, ch’è scottato d’acqua cauda_, _Ha paura perzì de l’acqua fredda_.

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