Above Prali, in Val Germanasca, you can see a nice hamlet: Indiritti.
The story tells us that here, once, an old lady and her two daughters–in–law lived together. Because the husbands of the young women were often abroad for work reasons, the three women were obliged to stay home together.
The problem is that these three women couldn’t share the hood without going ballistic! The quarrels were everyday items, and the neighbours were taking the old lady’s side, because they had realized that the young ones were idler and disrespectful. It was also told that, taking advantage from the pandemonium which was always ruling in the house, also the spirits had took up residency there, and they also sympathized with the old lady.
A day, while the mother–in–law was gone down to the town of Ghigo to go shopping, the two young women had an idea. «Because the old bibby will be away for some hours – said one of them while she was languidly lying down on the grass – let’s go to the cellar and drink some wine!». The wine was jealously preserved in barrels, ready to be tapped for the guests. The two slackers went to the house sniggering and nudging.
«How do we’ll get inside?», said the first one, a bit distressed. «Don’t worry, this morning I looked throught the keyhole and I saw that the old bibby hasleft the key on the table!», answered the second one, thriumphant. They took the key, and then they started to mess with the old latch, until they succeeded in entering into the cellar. «Take this glass and fill it with wine. I’m putting myself on guard duty and I’ll tell you if the old bibby is coming back!». When the young woman descended on the old stairs she couldn’t see anything and fumbled around until she found the barrel. At that point, their eyes had accustomed to the darkness, and so she was able to open the faucet and make the wine flow in the glass. Exactly in that moment she heard a noise.
Looking up, she saw in the dim light a big white buck seated on the barrel, staring at her with shining and unsettling eyes! At that point she screamed and she couldn’t even turn back to run away that the buck was on her and ripped out her white bonnet. Without even looking back she breathlessy ran up the stairs, almost swamping her wrongdoing fellow. Seeing her so upset, the other young woman asked for an explaination. «Heavens! Haven’t you left the faucet open, haven’t you?», said at the end of the story. «Yes, I’ve left it open, but no way I’ll descend again». Exactly in that moment, the old woman came back home and the two troublemakers went away whistling.
The day for the young women was really pitful. They continued to think to the barrel and to the wine lake in the cellar. In every moment they were expecting to be called by a wrathful mother–in–law. The day passed serenely, but they couldn’t get off scot–free forever!
The following morning, the old woman descended the stairs going into the cellar and some minutes after called the daughters–in–law asking them «Who went to the cellar yesterday?». The two young women started to fabricate excuses and lies. «Well done! You don’t hesitate to tell lies! Since when you stop up the barrels with white bonnets?» said the old woman fluttering the bonnet, ruined like a rag and soaked with wine, in front of the youngest. Even if it had been the buck which closed the faucet in that strange way, of course the two rascals couldn’t admit their bad intentions and reveal everything. The buck, which surely was a spirit, saved the wine and arranged everything to make the young women being harshly punished!
How to get there
From the square of Ghigo di Prali, with the Waldesian temple on your right, look straight and you’ll see a bridge. Cross it, and at the crossroad turn right. Go on the main road, which climbs a bit. After a couple of hairpin turns you’ll be in an open space just in front of this delicious hamlet. The route is very nice if you walk, and it’s a very easy promenade which lasts more or less 30 minutes.
Do you want to read the tale in Italian ?