One of the  New York Times ’s Ten Best Books of the Year: These traditional stories of Italy, retold by a literary master, are “a treasure” ( Los Angeles Times ).   Filled with kings and peasants, saints and ogres—as well as some quite extraordinary plants and animals—these two hundred tales bring to life Italy’s folklore, sometimes with earthy humor, sometimes with noble mystery, and sometimes with the playfulness of sheer nonsense.   Selected and retold by one of the country’s greatest literary icons, “this collection stands with the finest folktale collections anywhere” ( The New York Times Book Review ).   “For readers of any age . . . A masterwork.” — The Wall Street Journal   “A magic book, and a classic to boot.” — Time   ITALO CALVINO (1923–1985) attained worldwide renown as one of the twentieth century’s greatest storytellers. Born in Cuba, he was raised in San Remo, Italy, and later lived in Turin, Paris, Rome, and elsewhere. Among his many works are Invisible Cities , If on a winter ’ s night a traveler , The Baron in the Trees , and other novels, as well as numerous collections of fiction, folktales, criticism, and essays. His works have been translated into dozens of languages. Italian Folktales By Italo Calvino, George Martin Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Copyright © 1956 Giulio Einaudi editore, s.p.a., Torino All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-15-645489-6 Contents Title Page, Contents, Frontispiece, Copyright, Translator's Acknowledgments, Introduction, Dauntless Little John, The Man Wreathed in Seaweed, The Ship with Three Decks, The Man Who Came Out Only at Night, And Seven!, Body-without-Soul, Money Can Do Everything, The Little Shepherd, Silver Nose, The Count's Beard, The Little Girl Sold with the Pears, The Snake, The Three Castles, The Prince Who Married a Frog, The Parrot, The Twelve Oxen, Crack and Crook, The Canary Prince, King Crin, Those Stubborn Souls, the Biellese, The Pot of Marjoram, The Billiards Player, Animal Speech, The Three Cottages, The Peasant Astrologer, The Wolf and the Three Girls, The Land Where One Never Dies, The Devotee of St. Joseph, The Three Crones, The Crab Prince, Silent for Seven Years, The Dead Man's Palace, Pome and Peel, The Cloven Youth, Invisible Grandfather, The King of Denmark's Son, Petie Pete versus Witch Bea-Witch, Quack, Quack! Stick to My Back!, The Happy Man's Shirt, One Night in Paradise, Jesus and St. Peter in Friuli, The Magic Ring, The Dead Man's Arm, The Science of Laziness, Fair Brow, The Stolen Crown, The King's Daughter Who Could Never Get Enough Figs, The Three Dogs, Uncle Wolf, Giricoccola, Tabagnino the Hunchback, The King of the Animals, The Devil's Breeches, Dear as Salt, The Queen of the Three Mountains of Gold, Lose Your Temper, and You Lose Your Bet, The Feathered Ogre, The Dragon with Seven Heads, Bellinda and the Monster, The Shepherd at Court, The Sleeping Queen, The Son of the Merchant from Milan, Monkey Palace, Rosina in the Oven, The Salamanna Grapes, The Enchanted Palace, Buffalo Head, The King of Portugal's Son, Fanta-Ghirò the Beautiful, The Old Woman's Hide, Olive, Catherine, Sly Country Lass, The Traveler from Turin, The Daughter of the Sun, The Dragon and the Enchanted Filly, The Florentine, Ill-Fated Royalty, The Golden Ball, Fioravante and Beautiful Isolina, Fearless Simpleton, The Milkmaid Queen, The Story of Campriano, The North Wind's Gift, The Sorceress's Head, Apple Girl, Prezzemolina, The Fine Greenbird, The King in the Basket, The One-Handed Murderer, The Two Hunchbacks, Pete and the Ox, The King of the Peacocks, The Palace of the Doomed Queen, The Little Geese, Water in the Basket, Fourteen, Jack Strong, Slayer of Five Hundred, Crystal Rooster, A Boat for Land and Water, The Neapolitan Soldier, Belmiele and Belsole, The Haughty Prince, Wooden Maria, Louse Hide, Cicco Petrillo, Nero and Bertha, The Love of the Three Pomegranates, Joseph Ciufolo, Tiller-Flutist, Bella Venezia, The Mangy One, The Wildwood King, Mandorlinfiore, The Three Blind Queens, Hunchback Wryneck Hobbler, One-Eye, The False Grandmother, Frankie-Boy's Trade, Shining Fish, Miss North Wind and Mr. Zephyr, The Palace Mouse and the Garden Mouse, The Moor's Bones, The Chicken Laundress, Crack, Crook, and Hook, First Sword and Last Broom, Mrs. Fox and Mr. Wolf, The Five Scapegraces, Ari-Ari, Donkey, Donkey, Money, Money!, The School of Salamanca, The Tale of the Cats, Chick, The Slave Mother, The Siren Wife, The Princesses Wed to the First Passers-By, Liombruno, Cannelora, Filo d'Oro and Filomena, The Thirteen Bandits, The Three Orphans, Sleeping Beauty and Her Children, The Handmade King, The Turkey Hen, The Three Chicory Gatherers, Beauty-with-the-Seven-Dresses, Serpent King, The Widow and the Brigand, The Crab with the Golden Eggs, Nick Fish, Gràttula-