Journal of Italian Translation

Santi Buscemi / Luigi Capuana 69
The king wanted to try guarding the tree himself. And when
the oranges ripened, the goldfinch perched on a branch and began
to sing. The king wanted to pull him down, but the garden was
covered in darkness and the king felt very sleepy.
“Traitorous goldfinch, this time you will not succeed,” but he
had a hard time keeping his eyes open.
The goldfinch began to make fun of him:
“Hush! Hush! The king is sleeping! Hush! Hush! The king is
sleeping!”
And as he sang, and sang, and sang, the king himself fell into
a deep sleep.
In the morning, he opened his eyes; the golden oranges were
gone!
Therefore, he proclaimed throughout his realm:
”Whoever brings me this goldfinch, dead or alive, will receive
a mule loaded with gold as a reward.”
However, six months later, no one had come forward.
Finally, one day there appeared a crusty old peasant, who was
shabbily dressed:
“Majesty, do you truly want that goldfinch? Promise me the
hand of the princess, and in less than three days you shall have
him.”
The king grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him out the
door.
The next day, he returned.
“Majesty, do you truly want that goldfinch? Promise me the
hand of the princess, and in less than three days you shall have
him.”
The king grabbed him by the shoulders, gave him a strong
kick, and put him out the door.
However, the peasant was stubborn, and the next day he returned.
“Majesty, do you truly want that goldfinch? Promise me the
hand of the princess, and in less than three days you shall have
him.”
Annoyed, the king called for a guard and had the peasant
thrown into prison.
Meanwhile, he ordered that an iron net be built around the
tree; such a barrier eliminated the need for a guard. When the oranges
had ripened, the king went into the garden one