Who’s following the Piper? And Why?

Il pifferaio magico
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Lascio aperta la domanda: è da raccontare ad un bambino?

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Si salvò il bimbo zoppo, cosa può voler dire?
Chi è il pifferaio?
Chi segue il pifferaio? Perché?
Who’s following the Piper? And Why? 


Who’s following the Piper?


Inside all of us is something that can see the magic, that wants to march forward laughing and singing, hand in hand with our peers.
That is the best part of us. It is our inner child euphorically running inside of those who can let him dream.
And within the image of the children of Hamelin dancing behind the piper is us chasing our chimeras.

Why such grief?

I can’t justify all those children disappearing; what is the meaning behind it? Is it a lesson for parents? Writes Norma in her comment.


Something tragic happened in Hamelin around 1300 A.D., but what we know is little more than the altered memory of a historic event.


Had the event been told as a fable, as fables end with morals, the ending would have been clear:

Because of their greed the citizens of Hamelin had driven away all cats, an as absolutely unnecessary decision since all canteens, granary and kitchens were well stocked, as near-sighted as it allowed vermin to proliferate and a crisis to manifest itself. Unfortunately later, rather than learning by their mistakes, the townsfolk fell into their old habits. The reward was well within the reach of their pockets, but they refused to pay the Pied Piper.

Had this been a fable the moral would have been clear: the townsfolk were so greedy to behave in such a dishonest way that they brought punishment upon themselves.
Fairy tales, however, have no morals.
Inside the image of the children dancing behind the piper is some sort of indication. It’s not clear what it is, but it’s a haunting omen we need to be wary of.

We feel the desperation of the children of Hamelin and dishonesty and greed are just words to the wind.
With a moral it would be easy to keep our distances and condemn mindlessness turning into greed, then into dishonesty, leading to the loss of the children.

Without a moral it’s harder to keep our distances.
The fact is, we also know that we are supposed to save our money where we can, think about tomorrow and let go of the unnecessary.

“Did we sign anything? Do you have a written contract? No! What now? It’s our word against yours!”
“If we trouble ourselves too much we’re done. Anyways if we won’t do it someone else will”
“The point is: maximize gains and keep costs low”
“I’d like to see him go to a lawyer over a fistful of coins. And even if he gets one, it’s going to take him forever to get a definitive ruling! If they rule in his favor after all…”

The mindlessness of the townsfolk of Hamelin is our own, too.



Why follow the Pied Piper?

In Hamelin everything started with the driving away of the cats, because they had their cost.

It happens to give up on something here and there because of costs.

The cost isn’t always pecuniary, perhaps the coin is time, or energy that we could instead spend on our craft, or our family.
And it’s not always about giving up on an expense: we wouldn’t look back twice on investing in our career or our social status, instead we give up on what’s not functional, on what doesn’t fulfill a specific purpose.

“It’s common for women who aren’t independent to dream of cats and to be attached in a canine-like way to their husbands and children: in this case, I always point out what a cat would do. A cat goes his own way. He knows what he wants and he goes for it. He’s back for his meals to show affection, but when he wants to leave he’ll just “Meow”” *

What happens when we too often tell ourselves we can do without something?
The more we give up on something the more we get mad, we get bitter over our accomplishments feeling unrewarded, over our uncertainties towards the future, over our sense of impotence. Perhaps we just need a little something to turn these things around.
And it’s because of all the vermin that we end up in need of a Piper.
 But instead of chasing a Piper, what would a cat do?
“When I was younger I enjoyed observing how much of a suck-up a cat could be. For example, when he wanted to be fed or pet, he would brush his tail against my legs and at times, if I didn’t have time for him I would say 'go away, I’m reading'.
The cat would answer 'ok, alright…' and he would brush himself against the chair, as if to say: 'If you won’t pet me, I’ll pet myself! That’s fine too…' A dog would have been deeply wounded and would have looked at me full of grief; you wouldn’t do something like that to him. But a cat: 'Oh, nevermind…' He would never put himself in our hands. He’s friendly, he uses us, but he keeps his independence."*

* Excerpts from M.L. Von Franz’s “The Cat: A Tale of Feminine Redemption”

Il pifferaio magico
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...
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Lascio aperta la domanda: è da raccontare ad un bambino?

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Si salvò il bimbo zoppo, cosa può voler dire?
Chi è il pifferaio?
Chi segue il pifferaio? Perché?
Who’s following the Piper? And Why? 

The Golden Goose - Considerations

L'oca d'oro
The golden goose
La oca de oro
L'oie d'or

Riflessioni e considerazioni
Considerations


Those who don’t know Fairy Tales think they’ll just find the usual morals.
However within fairytales lie deep truths, not obvious facts.
The lead character doesn’t earn it, he obtains it through other means.
In Fairy Tales the classic virtues hold no value.

The Simpleton holds no merit in his surpassing of the King’s trials.
He is neither smart, nor skilled. He never even realizes that it’s always the little old grey man helping him.

As towards the end, the old man says “I’m doing all of this because you were kind to me since the start”, we could be persuaded that the story is aiming to praise the Simpleton’s good will.

All in all, however, the Simpleton is not a good person.
He acts horribly towards those who are left stuck to the goose, girls, priests, workers. He makes them run around. He takes them to the princess for her amusement.

In this fairytale there are no wit, skill, dedication and good will is not rewarded, as this fairytale is not trying to lie.  In real life success often goes to those without any special qualities, or often who is certainly worth less than others. He’s dumber, less skilled and works less.

For years I kept painting The Golden Goose and giving it to children, wondering if it was just a practical joke or if it carried some sort of message.

The Simpleton is a good for nothing fool, as his father says and everyone else knows. And he does nothing to prove otherwise.
Once they found the goose anyone else would try to draw something out of such a treasure, he instead goes to the inn and the morning after he just goes wherever his legs will take him, goose tucked under his arm with a line of people behind him.

The thought that he could become someone who is liked by others doesn’t even brush through his head.

He shouldn’t be eating as soon as he enters the woods. He should be cutting wood, as everyone at home expected him to do and keep the food for later.
His brothers had dutifully gotten to work after explaining to the little old grey man that they couldn’t have given him anything or once their work was done they would have found themselves hungry and exhausted.
Reason always keeps misery into consideration (See “The Sweet Porridge”). The Simpleton doesn’t. He doesn’t worry about the future.

He doesn’t fill the need to fulfill his duties. Everyone knows that he’s a fool, he doesn’t even have a name, he’s just “The Simpleton”. He is therefore completely free from the reason for his own importance, he doesn’t need to hold any responsibilities. 

He shares his food with the first person he encounters, not because he feels for him, but for the simple company of someone while eating.

He isn’t saddened by the fact that his mother gave him less than his brothers, he simply tells the little man that it’s all he has to offer.

The King never holding to his word is unfair, but he doesn’t seem to show suffering, he simply goes through the tests.
He doesn’t have any self-respect, that’s not worthy of consideration to him.

Not even the Goose he cares about.
The goose is like a perfect storm that elevates someone, a brand, a music song to the apex of success.
It gives popularity, through the good and the bad and it often leads to stress, burning out, fear of “losing it”.
But our Simpleton is a happy-go-lucky fool, who sees the comedic side of the situation and makes the princess laugh.
The Goose has now lost all its importance and the story never mentions it again.

The Simpleton only cares about what he wants.
He wants to go to the woods? That’s his destination now.
He wants to make the princess laugh? He does so.
He wants to marry her, and become king? In the end things go the way he wants.

Complaining about fairy tales princesses being limited to being objects to marry and succeed is natural, but superficial.

It is now widely accepted to consider two components to the human personality, a male side, rational and scientific (Reason, Logo, Yang) and a female side, intuitive and sentimental (Soul, Ying) and praising their eventual harmonic fusion.
Fairy Tales eending in marriage allude to this fusion. And the princess who can’t laugh is the female component, the Soul, whose emotions and fragility often leading her to sadness.

Either that, or the princess can be seen as the truer and more profound aspiration. That one purpose that once it’s found we know we want with all our heart. That secret dream that if it became part of our lives would make us feel like kings. Becoming a singer, a writer, living in our personal heaven on earth, becoming who we always wanted to be.
Most of the times we won’t even dare to think what this should be, as we’re far too involved in what we should do, what we should be and our responsibilities.

Instead, if we were free, if we didn’t let anyone and anything push us around we could one day reach the town with the princess we want to marry.

The princess laughs hard and loud when she sees the Simpleton make fun of anyone trying to have their way with him.
With a laughing Soul and the certainty of what we want, we can begin to think about leading a happy life.

But we’re not done yet!

The king who keeps submitting trials is a lot like reality.
Once an objective is completed, instead of a reward lies another obstacle in our path.
Skill, wits, effort are never enough.
The Simpleton doesn’t quit. But he doesn’t kill himself over the impossible. He isn’t affected by feelings of inadequacy, he simply takes it for grant from the start that he wouldn’t be able to make it.
Whenever he is looking for the little old grey man, he knows he can find him in the woods.

He doesn’t need to ask, he always encounters someone whose needs seem to perfectly fit into the solution to the trial the King has given him, what the others need coincides with what he needs. He doesn’t need to ask, all he does is offer opportunities, like at the beginning he wasn’t charitable as much as he was needing for company.

That’s what the story is trying to teach!
It is the Simpleton who marries the princess and becomes king because he holds the merit and virtue of being the Simpleton.


L'oca d'oro
The golden goose
La oca de oro
L'oie d'or

Riflessioni e considerazioni
Considerations

Fairy Tales NOT fables

(Original Italian draft Fiabe NON Favole)

The words “fable” and “fairytale” are often used as synonyms. They most certainly are not.
I hold nothing against fables, but I have nothing to say about them.

Fables teach about morals and virtue.
A young shepherd used to play cry wolf.
When the wolf actually came, the shepherd boy tried to cry for help, but nobody would listen, and the wolf ate him.
The moral is: he who always lies won’t be heard when he’s telling the truth.

They teach what’s right and what’s wrong, through animals that behave like humans.
The grasshopper would do nothing but sing the whole summer, while the ant was hard at work storing food in its hill.
When winter came and the crops were dry, the hungry grasshopper came to the ant for help.
The ant said “I have so much food because I worked all summer, what were you doing back then?”
“I sang”
“Well you should dance now”
                                                
Fables belong to reason.

Everything they speak of has a purpose, clear and well understandable, that’s all I have to say.

Fairy Tales speak of princes, princesses, witches and spells.
They narrate events that happened who knows where and who knows when.

Some react with anger, they see chauvinism in princesses getting married, animal cruelty in skinned wolves, ignorance in old ladies being hunted as witches.
But that’s not the case.
Fairy tales do NOT belong to reason.

They simply don’t feature every day common sense.
In this blog I only write about classic fairy tales.

La bella addormentata: Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
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Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono


(English translation Fairytales do as they please)

“Ragionando” il personaggio del principe de “la bella addormentata” così com’è non va. Andrebbe rivisto, non c’è nessuna “ragione” per il suo successo, non supera nessuna prova, non è migliore, più audace o forte o coraggioso di tutti coloro che l’hanno preceduto.

Se non fa e non ha nulla di speciale cosa stiamo insegnando ai bambini? Ci vorrebbe qualcosa di più “educativo”, col principe che non ha nessun merito la fiaba non trasmette nessun “valore”.

Ma chi vogliamo prendere in giro?!

Cos’accade nella realtà?

Oh no, è così frustrante la realtà! Se ne infischia di come dovrebbe essere e di quel che è giusto. Non rispetta gli schemi, improvvisa, cambia le carte in tavola, butta all’aria i progetti. Ed è inutile protestare, “le cose non vanno come dovrebbero andare e non c’è giustizia a questo mondo”, tanto fa quello che vuole.

“Ragionando” dovrebbe esserci qualcosa che motivi, dia senso a ciò che accade, che lo giustifichi, "ragionando" ciò che accade “deve” essere l'effetto di una causa.
E bisogna capire, scavare nel passato, trovare le cause, colpevoli e colpe, incastrare i pezzi. Se la memoria non basta dev’esserci qualcos'altro, devono esserci vite e colpe passate, disegni occulti tracciati chissà da chi.

È una caccia senza fine tra sensi di colpa e paure coi pezzi che non s’incastrano mai.

Se la bella addormentata fosse una favola le ragioni per cui il principe trionfa e quelle per cui gli altri falliscono sarebbero ben chiare.

Invece?
Il principe bacia e sposa la bella solo perché capita al momento giusto.
Ora, proprio il giorno in cui il principe tentò l'impresa erano trascorsi cento anni. Quando si avvicinò al roveto, non trovò che fiori bellissimi che si scostarono spontaneamente al suo passaggio, ricongiungendosi alle sue spalle, sicché‚ egli passò illeso.
Perché? Perché “La bella addormentata” è una fiaba e le fiabe spezzano gli schemi.



E “La bella addormentata” spezza un grande inganno. 
Svela che  non esiste la catena causa effetto!




FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
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....



La Belle au bois dormant

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
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....



Il était une fois un roi et une reine. Chaque jour ils se disaient: "Ah! si seulement nous avions un enfant." Mais d'enfant, point. Un jour que la reine était au bain, une grenouille bondit hors de l'eau et lui dit: "Ton voeu sera exaucé. Avant qu'une année ne soit passée, tu mettras une fillette au monde."

Ce que la grenouille avait prédit arriva. La reine donna le jour à une fille. Elle était si belle que le roi ne se tenait plus de joie. Il organisa une grande fête. Il ne se contenta pas d'y inviter ses parents, ses amis et connaissances, mais aussi des fées afin qu'elles fussent favorables à l'enfant. Il y en avait treize dans son royaume. Mais, comme il ne possédait que douze assiettes d'or pour leur servir un repas, l'une d'elles ne fut pas invitée.

La fête fut magnifique. Alors qu'elle touchait à sa fin, les fées offrirent à l'enfant de fabuleux cadeaux: l'une la vertu, l'autre la beauté, la troisième la richesse et ainsi de suite, tout ce qui est désirable au monde. Comme onze des fées venaient d'agir ainsi, la treizième survint tout à coup. Elle voulait se venger de n'avoir pas été invitée. Sans saluer quiconque, elle s'écria d'une forte voix: "La fille du roi, dans sa quinzième année, se piquera à un fuseau et tombera raide morte." Puis elle quitta la salle. Tout le monde fut fort effrayé. La douzième des fées, celle qui n'avait pas encore formé son voeu, s'avança alors. Et comme elle ne pouvait pas annuler le mauvais sort, mais seulement le rendre moins dangereux, elle dit: "Ce ne sera pas une mort véritable, seulement un sommeil de cent années dans lequel sera plongée la fille du roi."

Le roi, qui aurait bien voulu préserver son enfant adorée du malheur, ordonna que tous les fuseaux fussent brûlés dans le royaume. Cependant, tous les dons que lui avaient donnés les fées s'épanouissaient chez la jeune fille. Elle était si belle, si vertueuse, si gentille et si raisonnable que tous ceux qui la voyaient l'aimaient. Il advint que le jour de sa quinzième année, le roi et la reine quittèrent leur demeure. La jeune fille resta seule au château. Elle s'y promena partout, visitant les salles et les chambres à sa fantaisie. Finalement, elle entra dans une vieille tour. Elle escalada l'étroit escalier en colimaçon et parvint à une petite porte. Dans la serrure, il y avait une clé rouillée. Elle la tourna. La porte s'ouvrit brusquement. Une vieille femme filant son lin avec application, était assise dans une petite chambre.

"Bonjour, grand-mère, dit la jeune fille. Que fais-tu là?" - "Je file, dit la vieille en branlant la tête." - "Qu'est-ce donc que cette chose que tu fais bondir si joyeusement," demanda la jeune fille. Elle s'empara du fuseau et voulut filer à son tour. À peine l'eut-elle touché que le mauvais sort s'accomplit: elle se piqua au doigt. À l'instant même, elle s'affaissa sur un lit qui se trouvait là et tomba dans un profond sommeil.

Et ce sommeil se répandit sur l'ensemble du château. Le roi et la reine, qui venaient tout juste de revenir et pénétraient dans la grande salle du palais, s'endormirent. Et avec eux, toute la Cour. Les chevaux s'endormirent dans leurs écuries, les chiens dans la cour, les pigeons sur le toit, les mouches contre les murs. Même le feu qui brûlait dans l'âtre s'endormit et le rôti s'arrêta de rôtir. Le cuisinier, qui était en train de tirer les cheveux du marmiton parce qu'il avait raté un plat, le lâcha et s'endormit. Et le vent cessa de souffler. Nulle feuille ne bougea plus sur les arbres devant le château. Tout autour du palais, une hale d'épines se mit à pousser, qui chaque jour devint plus haute et plus touffue. Bientôt, elle cerna complètement le château, jusqu'à ce qu'on n'en vît plus rien, même pas le drapeau sur le toit.

Dans le pays, la légende de la Belle au Bois Dormant - c'est ainsi que fut nommée la fille du roi, - se répandait. De temps en temps, des fils de roi s'approchaient du château et tentaient d'y pénétrer à travers l'épaisse muraille d'épines. Mais ils n'y parvenaient pas. Les épines se tenaient entre elles, comme par des mains. Les jeunes princes y restaient accrochés, sans pouvoir se détacher et mouraient là, d'une mort cruelle.

Au bout de longues, longues années, le fils d'un roi passa par le pays. Un vieillard lui raconta l'histoire de la haie d'épines. Derrière elle, il devait y avoir un château dans lequel dormait, depuis cent ans, la merveilleuse fille d'un roi, appelée la Belle au Bois Dormant. Avec elle, dormaient le roi, la reine et toute la Cour. Le vieil homme avait aussi appris de son grand-père que de nombreux princes étaient déjà venus qui avaient tenté de forcer la hale d'épines; mais ils y étaient restés accrochés et y étaient morts d'une triste mort. Le jeune homme dit alors: "Je n'ai peur de rien, je vais y aller. Je veux voir la Belle au Bois Dormant." Le bon vieillard voulut l'en empêcher, mais il eut beau faire, le prince ne l'écouta pas. Or, les cent années étaient justement écoulées et le jour était venu où la Belle au Bois Dormant devait se réveiller. Lorsque le fils du roi s'approcha de la haie d'épines, il vit de magnifiques fleurs qui s'écartaient d'elles-mêmes sur son passage et lui laissaient le chemin. Derrière lui, elles reformaient une haie. Dans le château, il vit les chevaux et les chiens de chasse tachetés qui dormaient. Sur le toit, les pigeons se tenaient la tête sous l'aile. Et lorsqu'il pénétra dans le palais, il vit les mouches qui dormaient contre les murs. Le cuisinier, dans la cuisine, avait encore la main levée comme s'il voulait attraper le marmiton et la bonne était assise devant une poule noire qu'elle allait plumer.

En haut, sur les marches du trône, le roi et la reine étaient endormis. Le prince poursuivit son chemin et le silence était si profond qu'il entendait son propre souffle. Enfin, il arriva à la tour et poussa la porte de la petite chambre où dormait la Belle. Elle était là, si jolie qu'il ne put en détourner le regard. Il se pencha sur elle et lui donna un baiser.

Alors, la Belle au Bois Dormant s'éveilla, ouvrit les yeux et le regarda en souriant. Ils sortirent tous deux et le roi s'éveilla à son tour, et la reine, et toute la Cour. Et tout le monde se regardait avec de grand yeux. Dans les écuries, les chevaux se dressaient sur leurs pattes et s'ébrouaient les chiens de chasse bondirent en remuant la queue. Sur le toit, les pigeons sortirent la tête de sous leurs ailes, regardèrent autour d'eux et s'envolèrent vers la campagne. Les mouches, sur les murs, reprirent leur mouvement; dans la cuisine, le feu s'alluma, flamba et cuisit le repas. Le rôti se remit à rissoler; le cuisinier donna une gifle au marmiton, si fort que celui-ci en cria, et la bonne acheva de plumer la poule.

Le mariage du prince et de la Belle au Bois Dormant fut célébré avec un faste exceptionnel. Et ils vécurent heureux jusqu'à leur mort.


Fiaba n 50 dei fratelli Grimm

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

La bella addormentata (Rosaspina)

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

C'era una volta un re e una regina che ogni giorno dicevano: "Ah, se avessimo un bambino!" Ma il bambino non veniva mai. Un giorno, mentre la regina faceva il bagno, ecco che un gambero saltò fuori dall'acqua e le disse: "Il tuo desiderio sarà esaudito: darai alla luce una bambina."

La profezia del gambero si avverò e la regina partorì una bimba così bella che il re non stava più nella pelle dalla gioia e ordinò una gran festa. Non invitò soltanto i suoi parenti, amici e conoscenti, ma anche le fate perché‚ fossero benevole e propizie alla neonata. Nel suo regno ve n'erano tredici, ma siccome egli possedeva soltanto dodici piatti d'oro per il pranzo, dovette rinunciare a invitarne una.

Dopo la festa, le fate diedero alla bimba i loro doni meravigliosi: la prima le donò la virtù, la seconda la bellezza, la terza la ricchezza, e così via, tutto ciò che si può desiderare al mondo. Dieci fate avevano già formulato il loro auspicio, quando giunse la tredicesima che voleva vendicarsi perché‚ non era stata invitata. Ella disse ad alta voce: "A quindici anni, la principessa si pungerà con un fuso e cadrà a terra morta." Allora si fece avanti la dodicesima, che doveva formulare il suo voto; certo non poteva annullare la spietata sentenza, ma poteva attenuarla e disse: "La principessa non morirà ma cadrà in un sonno profondo che durerà cento anni."

Il re, sperando di poter preservare la sua bambina da quella grave disgrazia, ordinò che tutti i fusi del regno fossero bruciati. Frattanto, nella fanciulla si adempirono i voti delle fate: ella era così bella, virtuosa, gentile e intelligente, che non si poteva guardarla senza volerle bene. Ora avvenne che proprio il giorno in cui compì quindici anni, il re e la regina erano fuori ed ella rimase sola nel castello. Giro dappertutto, visitò ogni stanza a piacer suo e giunse infine a una vecchia torre. Salì una stretta scaletta che la condusse fino a una porticina. Nella serratura c'era una chiave arrugginita e quand'ella la girò, la porta si spalancò: in una piccola stanzetta c'era una vecchia con un fuso che filava con solerzia il suo lino.

"Oh, nonnina," disse la principessa, "che cosa stai facendo?" - "Filo," rispose la vecchia, e assentì con il capo. "Come gira quest'aggeggio!" esclamò la fanciulla, e prese in mano il filo per filare anche lei. Ma non appena lo toccò, si compì l'incantesimo ed ella si punse un dito.

Come sentì la puntura, cadde a terra in un sonno profondo. E il re e la regina, che stavano rincasando, si addormentarono anch'essi con tutta la corte. I cavalli si addormentarono nelle stalle, i cani nel cortile, le colombe sul tetto, le mosche sulla parete; persino il fuoco che fiammeggiava nel camino si smorzò e si assopì, l'arrosto smise di sfrigolare e il cuoco, che voleva prendere per i capelli uno sguattero colto in flagrante, lo lasciò andare e si addormentò anche lui. Tutto ciò che aveva parvenza di vita, tacque e dormì.


Intorno al castello crebbe una siepe di fitte spine, che ogni anno diventava sempre più alta finché‚ arrivò a cingerlo completamente e a ricoprirlo tutto; così non se ne vide più nulla, neanche le bandiere sul tetto. Ma nel paese si diffuse la leggenda di Rosaspina, la bella addormentata, come veniva chiamata la principessa; e ogni tanto veniva qualche principe che si avventurava attraverso il roveto tentando di raggiungere il castello. Ma non riuscivano a penetrarvi perché‚ le spine li trattenevano come se si fosse trattato di mani, ed essi si impigliavano e morivano miseramente.

Dopo molti, molti anni, giunse nel paese un altro principe; un vecchio gli parlò dello spineto che circondava un castello nel quale una meravigliosa principessa di nome Rosaspina dormiva con tutta la corte. Già suo nonno gli aveva narrato che molti principi avevano tentato di penetrare fra le spine ma vi erano rimasti imprigionati ed erano miseramente periti. Allora il giovane disse: "Io non ho timore: attraverserò i rovi e vedrò la bella Rosaspina." Il vecchio cercò di dissuaderlo in tutti i modi, ma egli non gli diede retta.

Ora, proprio il giorno in cui il principe tentò l'impresa erano trascorsi cento anni. Quando si avvicinò al roveto, non trovò che fiori bellissimi che si scostarono spontaneamente al suo passaggio, ricongiungendosi alle sue spalle, sicché‚ egli passò illeso. Giunto nel cortile del castello, vide cavalli e cani da caccia pezzati che dormivano, distesi a terra; sul tetto erano posate le colombe con le testine sotto l'ala. Quando entrò, le mosche dormivano sulla parete e il cuoco, in cucina, tendeva ancora la mano per afferrare lo sguattero, mentre la serva sedeva davanti al pollo nero che doveva spennare.

Egli andò oltre e vide dormire tutta la corte e in alto, sul trono, dormivano il re e la regina. Proseguì ancora e il silenzio era tale che egli udiva il proprio respiro. Finalmente giunse alla torre e aprì la porta della cameretta in cui dormiva Rosaspina. Giaceva là, ed era così bella che egli non riusciva a distoglierne lo sguardo. Si chinò e le diede un bacio.

E, come l'ebbe baciata, Rosaspina aprì gli occhi, si svegliò e lo guardò tutta ridente. Allora scesero insieme e il re, la regina e tutta la corte si svegliarono e si guardarono l'un l'altro stupiti. I cavalli in cortile si alzarono e si scrollarono; i cani da caccia saltarono su scodinzolando; le colombe sul tetto levarono la testina da sotto l'ala, si guardarono intorno e volarono nei campi; le mosche ripresero a muoversi sulle pareti; il fuoco in cucina si ravvivò, si mise ad ardere e continuò a cuocere il pranzo; l'arrosto ricominciò a sfrigolare, il cuoco diede allo sguattero uno schiaffo che lo fece gridare, e la serva finì di spennare il pollo.

Poi furono celebrate con gran fasto le nozze del principe e di Rosaspina, che vissero felici fino alla morte.

Fiaba n 50 dei fratelli Grimm

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every day of their lives, "Would that we had a child!" and yet they had none. But it happened once that when the queen was bathing, there came a frog out of the water, and he squatted on the ground, and said to her: "Thy wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, thou shalt bring a daughter into the world."

And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the queen bore a daughter so beautiful that the king could not contain himself for joy, and he ordained a great feast. Not only did he bid to it his relations, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women, that they might be kind and favourable to the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden plates for them to eat from, one of them had to be left out.

However, the feast was celebrated with all splendour; and as it drew to an end, the wise women stood forward to present to the child their wonderful gifts: one bestowed virtue, one beauty, a third riches, and so on, whatever there is in the world to wish for. And when eleven of them had said their say, in came the uninvited thirteenth, burning to revenge herself, and without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud voice: "In the fifteenth year of her age the princess shall prick herself with a spindle and shall fall down dead." And without speaking one more word she turned away and left the hall. Every one was terrified at her saying, when the twelfth came forward, for she had not yet bestowed her gift, and though she could not do away with the evil prophecy, yet she could soften it, so she said: "The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years."

Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave commandment that all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up. The maiden grew up, adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, an
d kind and clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her. It happened one day, she being already fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was left behind alone in the castle. She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and parlours, as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She climbed the narrow winding stair which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.

"Good day, mother," said the princess, "what are you doing?" - "I am spinning," answered the old woman, nodding her head. "What thing is that that twists round so briskly?" asked the maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. In that very moment she fell back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.

And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the king and queen, who had returned and were in the great hall, fell fast asleep, and with them the whole court. The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons on the roof, the flies on the wall, the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still, and slept like the rest; and the meat on the spit ceased roasting, and the cook, who was going to pull the scullion's hair for some mistake he had made, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind ceased, and not a leaf fell from the trees about the castle. Then round about that place there grew a hedge of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole castle was hidden from view, and nothing of it could be seen but the vane on the roof.

And a rumour went abroad in all that country of the beautiful sleeping Rosamond, for so was the princess called; and from time to time many kings' sons came and tried to force their way through the hedge; but it was impossible for them to do so, for the thorns held fast together like strong hands, and the young men were caught by them, and not being able to get free, there died a lamentable death.

Many a long year afterwards there came a king's son into that country, and heard an old man tell how there should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a beautiful enchanted princess named Rosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her the king and queen, and the whole court. The old man had been told by his grandfather that many king's sons had sought to pass the thorn-hedge, but had been caught and pierced by the thorns, and had died a miserable death. Then said the young man: "Nevertheless, I do not fear to try; I shall win through and see the lovely Rosamond." The good old man tried to dissuade him, but he would not listen to his words. For now the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Rosamond should be awakened. When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a hedge of beautiful large flowers, which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then closed behind him in a thick hedge. When he reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled hunting-dogs lying asleep, and on the roof the pigeons were sitting with their heads under their wings. And when he came indoors, the flies on the wall were asleep, the cook in the kitchen had his hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to pluck.

Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them, on their thrones, slept the king and the queen. And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that he could hear his own breathing; and at last he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair, and opened the door of the little room where Rosamond lay. And when he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and presently he stooped and kissed her.

And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on each other with great eyes of wonderment. And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.

Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived very happily together until their lives' end.

Fiaba n 50 dei fratelli Grimm

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

La Bella Durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....

Hace muchos años vivían un rey y una reina quienes cada día decían: "¡Ah, si al menos tuviéramos un hijo!" Pero el hijo no llegaba. Sin embargo, una vez que la reina tomaba un baño, una rana saltó del agua a la tierra, y le dijo: "Tu deseo será realizado y antes de un año, tendrás una hija."

Lo que dijo la rana se hizo realidad, y la reina tuvo una niña tan preciosa que el rey no podía ocultar su gran dicha, y ordenó una fiesta. Él no solamente invitó a sus familiares, amigos y conocidos, sino también a un grupo de hadas, para que ellas fueran amables y generosas con la niña. Eran trece estas hadas en su reino, pero solamente tenía doce platos de oro para servir en la cena, así que tuvo que prescindir de una de ellas.

La fiesta se llevó a cabo con el máximo esplendor, y cuando llegó a su fin, las hadas fueron obsequiando a la niña con los mejores y más portentosos regalos que pudieron: una le regaló la Virtud, otra la Belleza, la siguiente Riquezas, y así todas las demás, con todo lo que alguien pudiera desear en el mundo.

Cuando la décimoprimera de ellas había dado sus obsequios, entró de pronto la décimotercera. Ella quería vengarse por no haber sido invitada, y sin ningún aviso, y sin mirar a nadie, gritó con voz bien fuerte: "¡La hija del rey, cuando cumpla sus quince años, se punzará con un huso de hilar, y caerá muerta inmediatamente!" Y sin más decir, dio media vuelta y abandonó el salón.

Todos quedaron atónitos, pero la duodécima, que aún no había anunciado su obsequio, se puso al frente, y aunque no podía evitar la malvada sentencia, sí podía disminuirla, y dijo: "¡Ella no morirá, pero entrará en un profundo sueño por cien años!"

El rey trataba por todos los medios de evitar aquella desdicha para la joven. Dio órdenes para que toda máquina hilandera o huso en el reino fuera destruído. Mientras tanto, los regalos de las otras doce hadas, se cumplían plenamente en aquella joven. Así ella era hermosa, modesta, de buena naturaleza y sabia, y cuanta persona la conocía, la llegaba a querer profundamente.

Sucedió que en el mismo día en que cumplía sus quince años, el rey y la reina no se encontraban en casa, y la doncella estaba sola en palacio. Así que ella fue recorriendo todo sitio que pudo, miraba las habitaciones y los dormitorios como ella quiso, y al final llegó a una vieja torre. Ella subió por las angostas escaleras de caracol hasta llegar a una pequeña puerta. Una vieja llave estaba en la cerradura, y cuando la giró, la puerta súbitamente se abrió. En el cuarto estaba una anciana sentada frente a un huso, muy ocupada hilando su lino.

"Buen día, señora," dijo la hija del rey, "¿Qué haces con eso?" - "Estoy hilando," dijo la anciana, y movió su cabeza. "¿Qué es esa cosa que da vueltas sonando tan lindo?" dijo la joven. Y ella tomó el huso y quiso hilar también. Pero nada más había tocado el huso, cuando el mágico decreto se cumplió, y ellá se punzó el dedo con él.

En cuanto sintió el pinchazo, cayó sobre una cama que estaba allí, y entró en un profundo sueño. Y ese sueño se hizo extensivo para todo el territorio del palacio. El rey y la reina quienes estaban justo llegando a casa, y habían entrado al gran salón, quedaron dormidos, y toda la corte con ellos. Los caballos también se durmieron en el establo, los perros en el césped, las palomas en los aleros del techo, las moscas en las paredes, incluso el fuego del hogar que bien flameaba, quedó sin calor, la carne que se estaba asando paró de asarse, y el cocinero que en ese momento iba a jalarle el pelo al joven ayudante por haber olvidado algo, lo dejó y quedó dormido. El viento se detuvo, y en los árboles cercanos al castillo, ni una hoja se movía.

Pero alrededor del castillo comenzó a crecer una red de espinos, que cada año se hacían más y más grandes, tanto que lo rodearon y cubrieron totalmente, de modo que nada de él se veía, ni siquiera una bandera que estaba sobre el techo. Pero la historia de la bella durmiente "Preciosa Rosa," que así la habían llamado, se corrió por toda la región, de modo que de tiempo en tiempo hijos de reyes llegaban y trataban de atravesar el muro de espinos queriendo alcanzar el castillo. Pero era imposible, pues los espinos se unían tan fuertemente como si tuvieran manos, y los jóvenes eran atrapados por ellos, y sin poderse liberar, obtenían una miserable muerte.

Y pasados cien años, otro príncipe llegó también al lugar, y oyó a un anciano hablando sobre la cortina de espinos, y que se decía que detrás de los espinos se escondía una bellísima princesa, llamada Preciosa Rosa, quien ha estado dormida por cien años, y que también el rey, la reina y toda la corte se durmieron por igual. Y además había oído de su abuelo, que muchos hijos de reyes habían venido y tratado de atravesar el muro de espinos, pero quedaban pegados en ellos y tenían una muerte sin piedad. Entonces el joven príncipe dijo: -"No tengo miedo, iré y veré a la bella Preciosa Rosa."- El buen anciano trató de disuadirlo lo más que pudo, pero el joven no hizo caso a sus advertencias.

Pero en esa fecha los cien años ya se habían cumplido, y el día en que Preciosa Rosa debía despertar había llegado. Cuando el príncipe se acercó a donde estaba el muro de espinas, no había otra cosa más que bellísimas flores, que se apartaban unas de otras de común acuerdo, y dejaban pasar al príncipe sin herirlo, y luego se juntaban de nuevo detrás de él como formando una cerca.

En el establo del castillo él vio a los caballos y en los céspedes a los perros de caza con pintas yaciendo dormidos, en los aleros del techo estaban las palomas con sus cabezas bajo sus alas. Y cuando entró al palacio, las moscas estaban dormidas sobre las paredes, el cocinero en la cocina aún tenía extendida su mano para regañar al ayudante, y la criada estaba sentada con la gallina negra que tenía lista para desplumar.

Él siguio avanzando, y en el gran salón vió a toda la corte yaciendo dormida, y por el trono estaban el rey y la reina. Entonces avanzó aún más, y todo estaba tan silencioso que un respiro podía oirse, y por fin llegó hasta la torre y abrió la puerta del pequeño cuarto donde Preciosa Rosa estaba dormida. Ahí yacía, tan hermosa que él no podía mirar para otro lado, entonces se detuvo y la besó. Pero tan pronto la besó, Preciosa Rosa abrió sus ojos y despertó, y lo miró muy dulcemente.

Entonces ambos bajaron juntos, y el rey y la reina despertaron, y toda la corte, y se miraban unos a otros con gran asombro. Y los caballos en el establo se levantaron y se sacudieron. Los perros cazadores saltaron y menearon sus colas, las palomas en los aleros del techo sacaron sus cabezas de debajo de las alas, miraron alrededor y volaron al cielo abierto. Las moscas de la pared revolotearon de nuevo. El fuego del hogar alzó sus llamas y cocinó la carne, y el cocinero le jaló los pelos al ayudante de tal manera que hasta gritó, y la criada desplumó la gallina dejándola lista para el cocido.

Días después se celebró la boda del príncipe y Preciosa Rosa con todo esplendor, y vivieron muy felices hasta el fin de sus vidas.


fiaba n 50 dei fratelli Grimm

FIABA
La bella addormentata (Rosaspina) 
Sleeping Beauty (Rosamond)
La bella durmiente (Preciosa Rosa)
La belle au bois dormant

Riflessioni e considerazioni:
Le fiabe fanno quello che vogliono
Fairytales do as they please
Quando i tempi non sono maturi - Il merito del principe
La bella addormentata è la fiaba del Risveglio
....
....