rbarns。Andsinceheenjoyedgoingintothewoodsatnight，makehimgothereeverynightandgatherbundlesoffirewoodforeachofyou。Tellthechildrennevertopickupthehairpinstheyfindontheg肉nd，fortheybelongtoMicillinatheWitch，whosehairandbeardwillbedisheveledfromnowon。"

Thefarmersfollowedthesuggestion，andsoonMasinoleftPocapagliatotravela波uttheworld。Inthecourseofhistravels，hefoundhimselffightinginfirstonewarandanother，andtheyalllastedsolongthathissayingsprangup:

Soldierfighter，whatahardlot！

Wretchedfood，theg肉ndforacot。

Youfeedthecannonpowder:

Boom-BOOM！Boom-BOOM！Boomlouder！

(Bra)

NOTES:

"TheCountsBeard"(LabarbadelConte)。Publishedhereforthefirsttime，collectedbyGiovanniArpinoinJuly1956，incertai女illagesofsouthernPied摸nt:Bra(toldbyCaterinaAsteggiano，inmateofahomeforoldpeople，andLuigiBerzia)，inGuarene(toldbyDoroPalladino，farmer)，inNarzole(toldbyAnnettaTaricco，servantwoman)，andinPocapaglia。

Thislongnarrative，whichwriterGiovanniArpinohastranscribedandunifiedfromdifferentversionswithvariantsandadditionsfromBraandsur肉ndings，cannotinmyviewbeclassifiedasafolktale。Itisalocallegendofrecentorigininpart(Iamthinking，forinstance，ofthegeographicalparticularsgiven)，thatis，notpriortothenineteenthcentury，andcontainingdisparateelements:explanationofalocalsuperstition(thehairpinsofWitchMicillina)，antifeudalcountrylegendsuchasonefindsinmanynortherncountries，curiousdetective-storystructureàlaSherlockHolmes，manydigressionsnonessentialtothestory(suchasthetripfromAfricabacktotown——whichArpinotellsmealsoexistsasaseparatestory——andalltheallusionstoMasinospastandfutureadventureswhichleadtotheconclusionglobetrotterfromacountrywhoseinhabitantsarereputedtobecontrastinglyslowandbackward)，verse(ofwhichArpinoandIhavepresentedonlyasmuchaswecouldeffectivetranslate)，andgrotesqueimageswhichseemrootedintradition，suchasthesacksunderthehenstails，theoxensothinthattheywerecurriedwiththerake，thecountwhosebeardwascombedbyfoursoldiers，etc