particolare da Gabriella Cavaliere, tavola I per "La strada lunga lunga", in Buonazia - Cavaliere, Le favole favolose, 2017
questa favola nasce dal mio viaggio di nozze in Australia.
io e Massimiliano ci siamo sposati nel 2012, il 17 marzo.
lo scopo era andare a visitare l'Australia dove abitano i miei cognati, in un periodo che non fosse la nostra estate (andare a cercare l'inverno anche no), né il nostro inverno, perché viaggiavamo con mia figlia Marta di quasi due anni e avevamo paura di farla fritta nel deserto del Western Australia.
quindi ci siamo sposati e abbiamo attaccato due settimane di matrimoniale alle vacanze di Pasqua.
ok, ci siamo sposati per amore, ma quando "hai una figlia a mezzo" non è che ci vuole il foglino del sindaco.
anyway, l'Australia, paese che avrei visitato solo dopo mille altri, è invece un luogo meraviglioso. è dove ho capito che, al di là dei miei museini e città d'arte, c'è anche una potenza del paesaggio naturale che ti lascia senza fiato. proprio il "sublime" tipo Friederich.
ai vede che i paesaggi australiani, soprattutto l'ultimo volo sul bush per raggiungere Monkey Mia, hanno lavorato dentro, e qualche anno dopo sono usciti così.
metto la favola nella meravigliosa traduzione in inglese che mi ha regalato Linda Novi, English teacher, CLIL mate, and, most of all, friend, friend, friend [da leggere con la i del tutto muta se no diventa una iena].
The Stretchy Road
Once upon a time, in a far, far away country across every ocean, lay a very long stretchy street.
It was really so extended and straight that no one could spot its end. It was surrounded by nothing but a desert. Deserts are created by lack of rain and moisture and the Great Desert was no different: a large dull red soil plain with a few thorny bushes that you could not go through without scratching your feet.
A few trees were scattered around the dry area every here and there to allow comforting shadowy spots.
That stretchy road crossed the desert connecting one city to another. Very sparse vehicles rode on that stretchy road since there were no lights at night and no cafes for your wee or your chips during the day. Moreover, kids could not even find a swing to move their legs.
But, most of all, some of the rarest and most unique creatures made that stretchy road really dangerous.
Once a really poisonous snake, who loved soaking up the sun’s rays, curled up on that hot stretchy road to enjoy a sound nap. While he was closing his tired eyes a noise could be heard from afar: a car was approaching. Despite that, the snake didn't move a coil, he was already in dreamland.
‘That snake can’t hear the car coming and the car is not going to see him. I’d better go and save him’ - thought a white cow who was resting in the shadow of a huge tree by that stretchy road.
Very slowly she reached the middle of the street to be seen by the driver, who slowed down and let the sleepy snake move away.
‘Hey, you boy! - said the cow - ‘I’ve just saved you but I haven’t heard you saying thanks’.
‘Saved me?’- replied the peevish snake- ‘Nonsense! I’m a very poisonous snake, hence that car couldn’t have even harmed me! Ih,ih,ih, don’t make me laugh!’. And he moved away without a goodbye. (without a farewell word)
While gently coming back to her shadowy tree by that stretchy road the cow thought to herself she would never burn her hooves again for that disagreeable snake.
The day after, a tortoise was calmly proceeding along that stretchy road, by the side not to burn her paws, when a kangaroo took her over with a big leap without even saying hello.
Later that day, at sunset, the tortoise detected the kangaroo lying on that stretchy road. As he was tired after all those jumps, he was taking in the warmth of that paved stretchy road during the desert cold night.
The tortoise considered it was not the right choice since a car could possibly pass by and hit the pouchy guy.
Nevertheless she settled down under the sheltering tree by that stretchy road . Suddenly, even before she could shut her old wrinkled eyes she noticed a faint light in the distance, which, being she old and wise, immediately recognized as headlights coming up that stretchy road. With a big effort she got on that stretchy road and crouched just in front of the kangaroo. Therefore, when the car got near them her hard shell made it jolt further and jump over the unconscious marsupial.
‘Ehi, young man! If I hadn’t made that car jolt you would have been turned into a pack of meatballs! You’d better be more careful next time!’
‘What the hell are you shouting at me, granny? Look after yourself. I’m young and agile, I would have had the time to move away!’
‘Think of these young fellows? ‘ - muttered the old tortoise - ‘Next time I won’t mind. No way !’
Some days later, two old friends were resting under the shadowy tree by that stretchy road: the cow and the tortoise were chatting about water mouthering recipes, about which herbs were the softest or how to best chew the thorns of those desert bushes, when they realized the kangaroo and the snake were coming down that stretchy road.
They both tossed their heads and told each other about their experiences with the two rude guys. Then they continued to talk about herbs.
Meanwhile the snake and the kangaroo settled down to enjoy the warmth from the road and fell asleep.
A roaring rumble was heard in the distance: it was a huge truck coming along that stretchy road.
The two old friends stared at each other without needing anything to add, it was granted that on that occasion they would do absolutely nothing for the ungrateful sleeping mates.
But the truck was approaching very fast and in the twilight it was hard to detect something running on that stretchy road .
The cow and the tortoise waited for a while, but soon they started to feel guilty until they jumped into the street to warn the kangaroo and the snake.
The tortoise was shouting with her hoarse voice and the cow started to moo loudly while rushing towards them.
The snake startled and saw the cow charging, the truck approaching… so what did he decide to do ? Amid that chaos he thought of biting the kangaroo who was lying next to him, but…
Surprisingly his poison was gone with fright, leaking all at once as a stinky poo!
Currently, scared by the approaching truck, the mooing cow and the screaming tortoise, the kangaroo made the longest leap ever and landed straight on top of the tree by that stretchy road.
The truck pulled its brakes. The wheels screeched. The vehicle started to swing. It strolled dangerously from one to the other side of that stretchy road. The mad track marked the asphalt with hellish black stripes.
Eventually, until it managed to stop just in time to avoid a slaughter. When it restarted its engine, it honked rageously.
The four animals ended up all together under the old tree by that stretchy road still feeling a bit upside down.
‘Didn’t you promise you would never help us again?’ - asked the two guys.
‘We can’t help behaving like that ‘ - replied the old tortoise.
‘I think you’d better be grateful and grant us a nice gift ‘- added the cow.
‘For sure’ said the kangaroo immediately ‘What would you like to have?’
The cow and the tortoise discussed a bit and said to the young animals , ’we learnt that there, at the end of this stretchy road, we can find something fresh and wonderful, that people call the ocean. We’d love to reach it’.
‘Nice, let’s go!’ - said the kangaroo as he started to jump up and down.
‘Well’ - replied the tortoise - ‘ You see I’m old,, wrinkled and I can move very slowly so we will never get there following my pace’.
At that point her friend suggested carrying the tortoise on her back .
‘Thanks, but how can I climb on your back? Can’t you see my paws are really short ?’
‘I’ll put you there’- offered the kangaroo, pushing her with his long tail.
Nevertheless, once in the saddle, the poor tortoise slipped to the sides.
‘I’ve got an idea!’ - argued the snake, and he got near his friend to arrange it.
The snake turned long, very long and the kangaroo climbed him on the cow’s back where he tied him tight with an elegant bow to keep the tortoise in her position as if she were a Christmas present.
Thus, all together they got on their way, telling stories until they reached the ocean.
They found out it was a bluish thing full of fresh water. They had an incredibly pleasant swim in that pleasant blue water at the end of that stretchy road.