从前，有一个国王认了一头猪做自己的儿子，人们称它为“克林王”。克林王在王宫里进进出出，平常显得很有教养，还真像一个王室人物，但它也时常故意捣捣乱，发发脾气。父亲拍着它的屁股对他说：“怎么了，你这么捣乱，有什么事吗？”
克林王叽里咕噜地说：“呃，呃，我想娶老婆，呃，呃，娶那个面包师的女儿！”
于是，国王派人把面包师叫了来。面包师有三个女儿，国王问面包师他的大女儿是否愿意嫁给他的猪儿子。面包师的大女儿很想嫁给国王的儿子，但又不愿意嫁给一头猪，左右为难，最后还是答应了。
婚礼的当天晚上，克林王满心欢喜地跑到街上转了一圈，浑身弄得脏兮兮的回来了。新娘正在房间里等着它，它示意新娘爱抚它，自己也直往新娘裙子上拱。新娘觉得很厌烦，不但没有爱抚它，还踹了它一脚，“滚开，脏猪！”
克林王嘟囔着：“呃！早晚和你算这笔帐！”就离开了。
当天晚上，新娘就被发现死在床上了。
老国王对这件事非常头疼。过了几个月，克林王又开始发脾气，又提出娶老婆的事，嘟嘟囔囔地说：“呃！呃！呃！我想要面包师的女儿为妻！”于是国王让人去喊面包师的二女儿，她也同意了。
婚礼的晚上，克林王又在街上弄得浑身脏兮兮的回来了，一回来就在新娘的身上蹭来蹭去，新娘说：“滚开，脏猪！”把它赶走了。第二天早上，她也被人发现死在床上。一连在新婚之夜死了两个新娘，这件事给宫廷带来了很坏的影响。
过了一段时间，克林王又在王宫里捣乱生事。国王说：“怎么，你还想娶面包师的三女儿吗？”
克林王说：“呃！呃！我是想娶她！呃！呃！我是想娶她！”
国王试着派人把那第三个女儿叫来了，问她是否愿意嫁给克林王。没想到她听了非常高兴。婚礼的当晚，克林王像以前一样，到街上转得浑身脏兮兮的跑回房间，让它的新娘抚摸它。新娘就一边抚摸着它，一边用柔细的亚麻布手帕擦着克林王身上的泥水，说：“我的好克林王，我心爱的克林王，我早就喜欢上你了。”克林王感到很高兴。
早上，宫廷中所有的人都在等着这第三个新娘死去的消息，没想到她看上去比来的时候更大方，更快乐。那一天成了王室大庆的日子，国王举行了盛大的宴会。
到了晚上，因为好奇，新娘很想看看克林王睡觉的样子。她点着一根长蜡烛，看到了一个英俊的小伙子，他长得太英俊了，简直令人无法想象。当她正盯着小伙子看的时候，蜡烛从她手中落下，落在了小伙子的手臂上。小伙子惊醒过来，满腔怒火地跳下床，大声喊道：“你破了魔咒，你不会再看到我了！噢，如果你想再见到我，就必须在七个瓶里灌满你的眼泪，踏破七双铁鞋，穿破七件铁衣，戴破七顶铁帽。”说完就消失了。
新娘悲痛万分，她不能只待在家里等着，决定出去寻找他。她找到一个铁匠，让他打好了七双铁鞋、七件铁衣和七顶铁帽，出发了。
走啊，走啊，当她走到一座山上，天黑下来了。她看到有一座茅屋，就去敲门。一位老婆婆说：“可怜的姑娘，我不能留你过夜，因为我的儿子是风，每次一来到家里就会把所有的东西扔得乱七八糟，要是让他找到你，你就麻烦了！”
可是姑娘再三请求，老婆婆只好把她藏在屋内，风回来了，他到处嗅了嗅，说：
“哼，哼
我闻到人的气味。”
老婆婆给了他一些东西吃，他才平静下来。到了早上，风的母亲早早地起来轻轻叫醒年轻的姑娘，说：“快逃吧，趁我儿子还没起床你赶快上路，拿着这个栗子作纪念，如果不是急需就别打开它。”
姑娘走呀，走呀，来到另一座山上，天又黑了。她看到一座茅屋，一位老婆婆站在门口对她说：“咳，我真想留你过夜，但我的儿子是闪电，如果他回来发现你，你就麻烦了。”但老婆婆觉得姑娘实在可怜，就把她藏在屋里。闪电回来了：
“哼，哼，
我闻到人的气味。”
但他没发现她，吃了些东西就睡觉去了。
到了早晨，闪电的母亲对姑娘说：“趁我儿子还没醒过来，你快逃走吧，拿着这个核桃，它对你会很有用。”
姑娘走呀，走呀，走到另一座山上时天又黑了。这里是雷的妈妈家，她终于也留姑娘过夜并把她藏了起来，雷一回到家就说：
“哼，哼，
我闻到人的气味”
但他没发现她。到了早上，姑娘从雷的妈妈那里得到了一颗榛子做礼物，就又出发了。
经过长途跋涉之后，她来到一座城邦。听人说这里的公主将要跟一个英俊无比的小伙子结婚，他们现在正一起待在城堡中。姑娘猜想这个小伙子一定就是她自己的新郎。但怎么才能阻止他们的婚事呢？怎么才能进到城堡里去呢？
她打开那个栗子，从里面出来一大堆珠宝、钻石。于是她带着这些东西来到公主住的宫殿下叫卖。公主从窗口看见后就让她上来了。姑娘对公主说：“我可以把这些东西都白送给你，只要求你让我在那个小伙子的房间里睡上一夜就行，听说他就在这座宫殿里。”
公主不放心让姑娘跟小伙子单独谈话，甚至担心姑娘会带着小伙子逃走，但她的女仆对她说：“这事交给我了，我们给他吃催眠药，他就不会醒过来了。”她们就这么做了，当女仆陪着姑娘来到房间的时候，小伙子已经睡着了，女仆留下姑娘就出去了。姑娘仔细一看，这果然就是她的新郎，就对他说：“快醒醒，我的夫君，快醒醒。我长途跋涉到了这里，已经踏破了七双铁鞋，穿破了七件铁衣，戴破了七顶铁帽，我还装满了七瓶眼泪。现在我总算找到你了，你却睡着听不到我说的话！”
姑娘就这样哭诉着一直到天亮。早晨，她绝望地砸着核桃。从里面掉出一大堆漂亮的衣服和各式各样的绫罗绸缎，一件比一件漂亮。女仆看到这些奇丽的东西，就跑去告诉公主，而公主自然又留下了所有这些东西，就答应她再跟小伙子待一晚，但她让姑娘进去的晚，出来的早，这样就缩短了时间。
这一晚同样一无所获，小伙子一直没醒过来。可怜的姑娘又砸开那颗榛子，从里面跳出来一些马车和数匹骏马。为了得到这些东西，公主又一次答应她跟小伙子过夜。
但这一次，小伙子不想再喝她们每天晚上带来的那杯东西，只是假装喝下去，实际上把它们倒在了地上。姑娘说话的时候，他先假装睡了一会，当他确定她就是自己的妻子时，他马上跳起来，抱住了姑娘。他们坐着变出来的那些马车出发了，回到家后，举行了盛大的宴会。
他们的生活奢侈又冷酷
却将我留在门背后。
（波河地区）
King Crin
Once there was a king who, for a son, had a pig named King Crin. King Crin would saunter through the royal chambers and usually behave beautifully, as befits anybody of royal birth. Sometimes, though, he was cross. On one such occasion, his father asked, while stroking his back, "What is the matter? Why are you so cross?"
"Oink, oink," grunted King Crin. "I want a wife. Oink, oink, I want the bakers daughter!"
The king sent for the baker, who had three daughters, and asked if his oldest daughter was willing to marry his pig-son. Torn between the thrill of wedding the kings son and the horror of marrying a pig, the daughter made up her mind to accept the proposal.
Tickled pink, King Crin went wallowing in the town thoroughfares on his wedding night and got all muddy. He returned to the bridal chamber, where his bride was waiting for him. Intending to caress her, he rubbed against her skirt. The bride was disgusted and, instead of caressing him, gave him a kick. "Get away from here, you nasty pig!"
King Crin moved away, grunting. "Oink! Youll pay for that!"
That night the bride was discovered dead in her bed.
The old king was quite distressed, but a few months later when his son was again as cross as could be and clamoring for a wife, he sent for the bakers second daughter, who accepted.
The evening of the wedding King Crin went back out and wallowed in the muddy roads, only to return and rub against his bride, who drove him out of the room. "Scram, you nasty pig!" In the morning she was found dead. This incident gave the court a bad name, being the second of its kind.
More time went by, and King Crin began acting up again. "Would you have the nerve," said his father, "to ask for the bakers third daughter?"
"Oink, oink, I certainly would. Oink, oink, I must have her!"
So they sent for the third girl to see if she would marry King Crin. She was obviously quite happy to do so. On his wedding night, as usual, King Crin went out to wallow, then ran back inside all muddy to caress his wife. She responded with caresses of her own and dried him off with fine linen handkerchiefs, murmuring, "My handsome Crin, my darling Crin, I love you so." King Crin was overjoyed.
Next morning at the court everybody expected to hear that the third bride had been found dead, but out she came in higher spirits than ever. That was a grand occasion for celebration in the royal house, and the king gave a reception.
The next night the bride became curious to see King Crin as he slept, because she had her suspicions. She lit a taper and beheld a youth handsome beyond all stretches of the imagination. But as she stood there rapt with admiration, she accidentally dropped the taper on his arm. He woke up and jumped out of bed, furious. "You broke the spell and will never see me again, or only when you have wept seven bottles of tears and worn out seven pairs of iron shoes, seven iron mantles, and seven iron hats looking for me." At that, he vanished.
So deep was her distress that the bride had no choice but to go in search of her husband. She had a blacksmith forge seven pairs of iron shoes, seven iron mantles, and seven iron hats for her, then departed.
She walked all day long until night overtook her on a mountain, where she saw a cottage and knocked on the door. "My poor girl," said an old woman, "I cant give you shelter, since my son is the Wind who comes home and turns everything upside down, and woe to anyone in his way!"
But she begged and pleaded until the old woman brought her in and hid her. The Wind soon arrived and sniffed all around, saying:
"Human, human, I smell a human."
But his mother quieted him down with food. In the morning she rose at daybreak and softly awakened the young lady, advising, "Flee before my son gets up and take along this chestnut as a souvenir of me, but crack it open only in a serious emergency."
She walked all day long and was overtaken by night on top of another mountain. She spied a cottage, and an old lady on the doorstep said, "I would gladly lodge you, but Im Lightnings mother, and poor you if my son came home and caught you here!" But then she took pity on her and hid her. Lightning arrived soon afterward:
"Human, human, I smell a human."
But he didnt find her and, after supper, went to bed.
"Flee before my son wakes up," said Lightnings mother in the morning, "and take along this walnut, which might come in very handy."
She walked all day long and was overtaken by night on top of another mountain. There stood the house of Thunders mother, who ended up hiding her. Thunder too came in saying:
"Human, human, I smell a human."
But neither did he find her, and in the morning she went off with a hazelnut as a present from Thunders mother.
After walking for miles and miles she reached a city whose princess, she learned, would soon marry a handsome young man staying at her castle. The young lady was sure that was her own husband. What could she do to prevent the marriage? How could she get into the castle?
She cracked open the chestnut and out poured diamonds and other jewels, which she went off to sell under the princesss windows. The princess looked out and invited her inside. The young lady said, "Ill let you have all these gems for nothing, if you allow me to spend one night in the bedchamber of the young man staying at your palace."
The princess was afraid the young lady would talk to him and maybe persuade him to flee with her, but her maid said, "Leave everything to me. Well give him a sleeping potion and he wont wake up." They did just that, and as soon as the handsome youth went to sleep, the maid took the young lady into his bedchamber and left her. With her own eyes, the young lady saw that his(sic) was none other than her husband.
"Wake up, my love, wake up! Ive walked all over for you, wearing out seven pairs of iron shoes, seven iron mantles, and seven iron hats: and Ive wept seven bottles of tears. Now that Ive finally found you, you sleep and dont hear me!"
And that went on till morning, when, at her wits end, she cracked the walnut. Out rolled exquisite gowns and silks, each lovelier than the other. At the sight of all these wonderful things, the maid called the princess, who simply had to have them all and therefore granted the young lady another night with the youth. But the young lady was taken into the bedchamber later than the last time and brought out earlier in the morning.
Nor was this second night any more fruitful than the first. The poor girl cracked the hazelnut and out came horses and carriages. To acquire them, the princess again let her spend the night with the young man.
But by this time he had grown tired of drinking what they brought him every night, so he only pretended to swallow it while actually emptying the glass over his shoulder. When the young lady began talking to him, he made out as if he were sleeping, but the moment he was sure it was his wife, he jumped to his feet and embraced her. With all those horses and carriages they had no problem getting away and back home, where there was a grand celebration.
They put on the dog and high did they soar,
They saw me not, I stood behind the door.
(Colline del Po)
NOTES:
"King Crin" (Re Crin) from Pitrè (in Archivio per lo studio delle tradizioni popolari, I [1882], 424), Monteu da Po, Piedmont.
Of illustrious origin (since it is certainly related--at least in the motif of the bridegroom who cannot be seen in his true form--to the myth of Amor and Psyche), the folktale about the swine king is one of the most widespread in Italy. This Piedmontese version has a beginning full of brio. The development repeats--with the walnuts to be cracked, spying on the sleeper, etc.--a motif also common to other types and of which my no. 140 presents a richer version.
Copyright: Italian Folktales Selected and Retold by Italo Calvino,
translated by George Martin,
Pantheon Books, New York 1980