A Sicilian in East Harlem By Salvatore Mondello

introduced to Sicilian popular culture by my grandmother. We would sit for hours in the kitchen while she would spin stories about a fictional Sicilian prankster named Firrazzanu. He was a mischievous scamp who usually got the better of others. Here in Sicilian is a tale she told me on more than one occasion:

Firrazzanu e Chiddu di l’ova

’Na vota Firrazzanu scuntrò unu chi vinnia ova; lu ’mpinci e cci dici: “A vui cull’ova, su frisci?”

“’Nca viditili.” Pigghia Firrazzanu, e cci fa mettiri li vrazza tuttidui ’ncucchiati, e cci dici: “Aspittata un pizzuddu quantu mi nni addiju ’na zuzzina.” E chi fa? Cumincia a nesciri a unu a unu l’ova di lu panaru e cci li metti supra li vrazza. Chiddu cci cridia. Quannu cci parsi a iddu ca chiddu cull’ova ’un si putia arriminari cchiù, cci sfigghia li causi e si nni va. Ddu puvireddu si vitti sciddicari li causi e si misi a gridari; ma lu fattu è ca cchiùchi gridava cchiù genti s’arricugghianu, e videvanu a stu cristianu ca pi ’na manu si strincia tuttu p’ ’un si fari vidiri comu lu fici sò matri; e pi n’autra manu avia lu scantu ca muvennisi cci cadevanu tutti l’ova e facia ’na frocia.¹³

Firrazzanu and the Egg Seller

At one time Firrazzanu met a man who was selling eggs; he stopped him and said: “You with the eggs; are they fresh?”

“Take a look”. Then Firrazzanu tells the merchant to fold his arms and says: “Wait a moment while I select a dozen.” And what does he do? He begins to remove one egg at a time from the basket