Una lezione meritata (Spada prose story): Difference between revisions

From MandrakeWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
Line 10: Line 10:
'''"Una lezione meritata"''' is an Italian made [[Mandrake]] prose story from 1972.  
'''"Una lezione meritata"''' is an Italian made [[Mandrake]] prose story from 1972.  


==Una lezione meritata==
==A Well-Deserved Lesson==
Il giovanotto avanzava fischiettando allegramente lungo il sentiero ai margini del basco. Era grande e grosso, e portava in spalla una cassa di legno ruvido: Giunto all'altezza di Mandrake fece un breve cenno di saluto con la testa.<br>
 
- Buon giorno, mister! - disse.<br>
The young man was walking along the path at the edge of the woods, whistling cheerfully. He was tall and sturdy, carrying a rough wooden box on his shoulder. As he reached Mandrake, he gave a brief nod of greeting.
- Buon giorno a voi, amico. Bella giornata, vero? Ideale per una passeggiata!<br>
 
- Purtroppo, io vengo da queste parti per ragioni di lavoro. Vedete - confidò il giovanotto - vendo canti, ed è possibile trovarne solo qui!<br>
"Good morning, mister!" he said.
Mandrake lo guardo perplesso.<br>
 
- Canti? Non capisco...<br>
"Good morning to you, my friend. Beautiful day, isn't it? Ideal for a walk!"
- Adesso vi faccio vedere - disse il giovane posando a terra la cassa e aprendola. Dalla cassa si sprigionò immediatamente un coro di gorgheggi. Sistemate una sull'altra, nell'angusto spazio, cerano una ventina di gabbiette, ognuna sufficiente appena a contenere un uccellino. Ed ognuna di esse conteneva appunto una di quelle bestiole, che nonostante l'evidente scomodità delle loro prigioni gorgheggiavano a piena gola, quasi a salutare l'arrivo della luce provocato dall'apertura della cassa.<br>
 
Mandrake guardava lo spettacolo con un senso di pena. II giovane dovette scambiarlo per interesse, perché si affrettò a chiedere:<br>
"Unfortunately, I'm here for work. You see," the young man confided, "I sell birdsongs, and they can only be found here!"
- Vi interessano, mister? Potrei cedervene uno per un paio di dollari!<br>
 
Senza fiatare, Mandrake estrasse dal portafogli un mazzetto di biglietti.<br>
Mandrake looked at him, puzzled.
- Affare fatto! - disse Li compro tutti!<br>
 
Estrasse lentamente dalla cassa le gabbiette, le allineò sul bordo del sentiero, poi cominciò ad aprirne le porticine. Un frullo e le bestiole schizzarono nel cielo puro del mattino, andando a perdersi tra i rami degli alberi.<br>
"Birdsongs? I don't understand..."
- Ehi! - esclamò il giovane sbalordito - Ma vi costano tanti bei bigliettoni! Non potete lasciarli scappare cosi!<br>
 
Mandrake lo guardo.<br>
"Let me show you," said the young man, setting the box on the ground and opening it. Immediately, a chorus of chirps erupted from the box. Inside, stacked one on top of the other in the cramped space, were about twenty small cages, each just big enough to hold a bird. And each of them indeed contained one of these little creatures, which, despite the obvious discomfort of their prisons, sang at the top of their lungs, almost as if to greet the light that entered when the box was opened.
- Soldi! - disse con una nota di disprezzo nella voce - Non potete capire che quel linguaggio, voi! Ma cosa direste se vi trovaste, senza colpa, nella situazione delle Vostre vittime?<br>
 
E Mandrake fece un gesto con a mano. Robuste sbarre di ferro si materializzarono dal nulla tutt’attorno al venditore di uccelli, stringendolo in una gabbia. Per un attimo, il giovane fu incapace di pronunciare una parola. Si guardò attorno, provò a smuovere le sbarre. Inutilmente. Cominciò a sudare, chiaramente terrorizzato da quello che gli stava succedendo.<br>
Mandrake watched the scene with a sense of pity. The young man must have mistaken it for interest, as he quickly asked:
- Fatemi uscire! - urlò infine - Fatemi uscire! Non potete tenermi prigioniero qui!<br>
 
- E chi vi ci tiene? - rispose Mandrake. Infatti, ad un suo nuovo gesto le sbarre svanirono come nebbia spinta dal vento.<br>
"Are you interested, mister? I could sell you one for a couple of dollars!"
- Ouff! - borbottò il giovane asciugandosi la fronte - Meglio che me ne vada. Ho da fare, io...<br>
 
E comincio a rimettere nella cassa le gabiette ormai vuote.<br>
Without a word, Mandrake took out a handful of bills from his wallet.
- Intendete riempirle di nuovo? - chiese Mandrake.<br>
 
- Certo! Qualche dollaro in più non mi fa mica schifo rispose garbato il giovane dirigendosi verso il vicino bosco. Si aggirò lento tra gli alberi, guardando tra il fogliame. Era talmente assorto nel suo "lavoro" che non si rese conto che Mandrake lo aveva seguito.<br>
"Deal!" he said. "I'll buy them all!"
D'improvviso, il cercatore di uccelli posò a terra la sua cassa e abbrancò il tronco di un albero. Agile come una scimmia, cominciò ad arrampicarsi e in pochi attimi raggiunse i rami più bassi.<br>
 
Il nido era sistemato nella forcella formata da due rami. II giovane allungo una mano. Dovevano esserci almeno quattro inquilini, pensò. Altri otto dollari guadagnati con poca fatica.<br>
He slowly took the cages out of the box, lined them up along the edge of the path, and then began opening their little doors. With a flutter, the birds shot up into the clear morning sky, disappearing among the branches of the trees.
Di botto, ritirò le dita. Rimase immobile a cavalcioni del ramo. Davanti a lui si ergeva una magnifica aquila. Il becco robusto, gli artigli taglienti non promettevano niente di buono. Senza starci a pensare due volte, i venditore di uccelli si lasciò cadere giù dall'albero.<br>
 
Gli andò bene, perché un attimo dopo si era rialzato e filava via alla velocità del vento.<br>
"Hey!" exclaimed the astonished young man. "But they cost you so much money! You can't just let them go like that!"
- Ehi, giovanotto! - gli gridò Mandrake - Dimenticate la cassetta!<br>
 
- All'inferno la cassetta! - ansimò l'altro - E all'inferno anche tutti gli uccelli! Dovranno tagliarmi la testa, prima che ne prenda un altro!<br>
Mandrake looked at him.
Tra i rami dell'albero, mamma cardellina, ripresasi dalla paura provocatale dall'apparizione dell'uomo, aveva ricominciato ad imboccare i suoi piccoli che stava per perdere!
 
"Money!" he said with a note of disdain in his voice. "You can't understand that language! But how would you feel if you found yourself, through no fault of your own, in the situation of your victims?"
 
Mandrake made a gesture with his hand. Sturdy iron bars materialized out of nowhere all around the bird seller, trapping him in a cage. For a moment, the young man was speechless. He looked around, tried to shake the bars. It was useless. He began to sweat, clearly terrified by what was happening to him.
 
"Let me out!" he finally shouted. "Let me out! You can't keep me prisoner here!"
 
"And who's keeping you?" Mandrake replied. Indeed, with another gesture, the bars vanished like mist driven by the wind.
 
"Phew!" muttered the young man, wiping his brow. "I'd better go. I have things to do..."
 
He began to pack the now-empty cages back into the box.
 
"Do you intend to fill them again?" asked Mandrake.
 
"Of course! A few extra dollars never hurt anyone," the young man replied casually, heading toward the nearby woods. He wandered slowly among the trees, looking through the foliage. He was so absorbed in his "work" that he didn't notice Mandrake following him.
 
Suddenly, the bird catcher set his box on the ground and grabbed the trunk of a tree. As agile as a monkey, he began to climb and within moments reached the lower branches.
 
The nest was nestled in the fork formed by two branches. The young man reached out a hand. There had to be at least four occupants, he thought. Another eight dollars earned with little effort.
 
Suddenly, he withdrew his fingers. He remained frozen, straddling the branch. Before him stood a magnificent eagle. Its strong beak and sharp talons didn't promise anything good. Without a second thought, the bird seller let himself drop from the tree.
 
He was lucky; a moment later, he was back on his feet, running away as fast as the wind.
 
"Hey, young man!" Mandrake called after him. "You're forgetting your box!"
 
"To hell with the box!" the other panted. "And to hell with all the birds too! They'll have to cut off my head before I catch another one!"
 
Among the tree branches, mother finch, having recovered from the fear caused by the man's appearance, had resumed feeding her little ones, whom she had almost lost!


== Reprints ==
== Reprints ==

Latest revision as of 19:03, 4 September 2024

Una lezione meritata
Spada-FPT-01.jpg
1st publication: Mandrake #1 (1972)
# of pages: 2 pgs
Writer: n/a
Artist: n/a
Producer: Fratelli Spada

"Una lezione meritata" is an Italian made Mandrake prose story from 1972.

A Well-Deserved Lesson

The young man was walking along the path at the edge of the woods, whistling cheerfully. He was tall and sturdy, carrying a rough wooden box on his shoulder. As he reached Mandrake, he gave a brief nod of greeting.

"Good morning, mister!" he said.

"Good morning to you, my friend. Beautiful day, isn't it? Ideal for a walk!"

"Unfortunately, I'm here for work. You see," the young man confided, "I sell birdsongs, and they can only be found here!"

Mandrake looked at him, puzzled.

"Birdsongs? I don't understand..."

"Let me show you," said the young man, setting the box on the ground and opening it. Immediately, a chorus of chirps erupted from the box. Inside, stacked one on top of the other in the cramped space, were about twenty small cages, each just big enough to hold a bird. And each of them indeed contained one of these little creatures, which, despite the obvious discomfort of their prisons, sang at the top of their lungs, almost as if to greet the light that entered when the box was opened.

Mandrake watched the scene with a sense of pity. The young man must have mistaken it for interest, as he quickly asked:

"Are you interested, mister? I could sell you one for a couple of dollars!"

Without a word, Mandrake took out a handful of bills from his wallet.

"Deal!" he said. "I'll buy them all!"

He slowly took the cages out of the box, lined them up along the edge of the path, and then began opening their little doors. With a flutter, the birds shot up into the clear morning sky, disappearing among the branches of the trees.

"Hey!" exclaimed the astonished young man. "But they cost you so much money! You can't just let them go like that!"

Mandrake looked at him.

"Money!" he said with a note of disdain in his voice. "You can't understand that language! But how would you feel if you found yourself, through no fault of your own, in the situation of your victims?"

Mandrake made a gesture with his hand. Sturdy iron bars materialized out of nowhere all around the bird seller, trapping him in a cage. For a moment, the young man was speechless. He looked around, tried to shake the bars. It was useless. He began to sweat, clearly terrified by what was happening to him.

"Let me out!" he finally shouted. "Let me out! You can't keep me prisoner here!"

"And who's keeping you?" Mandrake replied. Indeed, with another gesture, the bars vanished like mist driven by the wind.

"Phew!" muttered the young man, wiping his brow. "I'd better go. I have things to do..."

He began to pack the now-empty cages back into the box.

"Do you intend to fill them again?" asked Mandrake.

"Of course! A few extra dollars never hurt anyone," the young man replied casually, heading toward the nearby woods. He wandered slowly among the trees, looking through the foliage. He was so absorbed in his "work" that he didn't notice Mandrake following him.

Suddenly, the bird catcher set his box on the ground and grabbed the trunk of a tree. As agile as a monkey, he began to climb and within moments reached the lower branches.

The nest was nestled in the fork formed by two branches. The young man reached out a hand. There had to be at least four occupants, he thought. Another eight dollars earned with little effort.

Suddenly, he withdrew his fingers. He remained frozen, straddling the branch. Before him stood a magnificent eagle. Its strong beak and sharp talons didn't promise anything good. Without a second thought, the bird seller let himself drop from the tree.

He was lucky; a moment later, he was back on his feet, running away as fast as the wind.

"Hey, young man!" Mandrake called after him. "You're forgetting your box!"

"To hell with the box!" the other panted. "And to hell with all the birds too! They'll have to cut off my head before I catch another one!"

Among the tree branches, mother finch, having recovered from the fear caused by the man's appearance, had resumed feeding her little ones, whom she had almost lost!

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Mini france.gif France

Mini italy.gif Italy

Retrieved from "http://www.mandrakewiki.org/index.php?title=Una_lezione_meritata_(Spada_prose_story)&oldid=79469"