Little Tony of Italy Part 11

"Women and children rushed to the church for protection. But the enemy broke into the church.

"Among these poor villagers was the mother of Giuseppe Verdi. With her baby in her arms, she fled up into the belfry tower. Here she hid until all danger from the battle was past.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A QUAINT ITALIAN STREET]

"Think what the world would have lost if she had not done this! For that baby became the father of Italian opera!

"His haunting melodies are sung everywhere. You have heard them though you may not know it.

"When Verdi was a little boy, he used to a.s.sist the priest in church.

One day the notes of the organ carried him far away to dreamland. He did not hear the priest ask for some water.

"No water came. The priest waited. Then he repeated, 'Water!' Still no sign from Giuseppe.

"'Water!' The priest was growing angry. He touched his dreaming a.s.sistant with the toe of his shoe. Down the steps, head first, fell young Verdi!

"The older he grew the more Verdi loved his native land. At this time the people of Italy were ruled by the Austrians. They were unhappy and wanted their own king, Victor Emmanuel.

"Verdi's music always stirred within them a deep love of their country.

"It was found that the name 'Verdi' could be spelled by using the first letters of the words, '_V_ictor _E_mmanuel, _R_e _d_'_I_talia' (which means, in English, "Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy").

"The Italians would cry 'Verdi! Verdi!' The Austrians thought, of course, that these were only cheers for the popular composer. But they were really crying, 'Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy!' Had the Austrians known this, they would have been very angry."

Anna's father looked up from the book once more.

"Did you ever hear the saying, 'From the sublime to the ridiculous?'"

he asked.

"No, Papa," said Anna. "What does it mean?"

"It might mean," he replied, "that we are now going from beautiful music to cheese!"

Tony wondered whether the gentleman had suddenly lost his wits.

"Of course, cheese is not at all ridiculous if you like it," he went on. "And most Italians do like it.

"Macaroni without cheese is like Mexican tamales without chile. It is like fish without chips in England, or sausage without sauerkraut in Germany!

"Parma is not only the home of a famous composer; it is also the home of a famous cheese! When I was there, I saw a poster of three, huge-nosed gentlemen sniffing at a piece of Parmesan cheese. Their eyes bulged with delight.

"Just as Verdi once was carried away by music, so these gentlemen were carried away by the odor of cheese!"

Tony saw Tina's black nose wriggling in her sleep. He almost laughed aloud. Did the little dog understand what was being said?

CHAPTER VIII

DANGER!

Tony was cold. He wanted Tina. He hoped that soon Anna would come out to put the dog to bed. But as soon as that happened, the stories would have to stop.

Tony did not want them to stop. If only he had Tina and a warm blanket!

Then he would stay beneath the window and listen as long as the stories continued. What fun!

He sneezed again.

Anna sat up in her father's arms.

"I must go now and put Niki to bed," she said. "Then I will come back."

Tony saw her climb down from her father's knee. Tina woke up and blinked. Anna left the room, and Tony knew that she was coming out to the garden.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MILAN CATHEDRAL]

He ran over to the dog's tent and soon Anna arrived.

"h.e.l.lo, poor little boy," she said. "I heard you under the window. Are you cold? Are you sad?"

"Ah, Signorina," wailed Tony. "I am nearly dead!"

He made a most horrible face.

"Today I have walked miles and miles, but n.o.body would help me or give me anything to eat. They only kicked me off the road and--will you bring me a blanket?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," she said. She put Tina into his arms. "Hold Niki and I will go into the house for one."

She ran back. Tony, with the dog in his arms, crouched once more under the window. Through it he saw Anna come into the room. Her father called her to him.

"Come," he said. "One more chapter and then to bed."

Anna's face fell. What should she do? She had promised to bring Tony a blanket. Yet she could not say so. She must stay here until her father finished reading.

"Now," he began, "we shall visit Italy's largest city, Milan. The pride of Milan is her beautiful cathedral. It is built of white marble brought from the quarries by ca.n.a.l. The ca.n.a.l was built especially for that purpose.

"With its two thousand slender spires, this cathedral is like fairy lace. Stories are told upon the many beautiful windows of stained gla.s.s.

"In the long ago, Milan was the fashion center of the world. Just as, today, every lady wants a Paris gown, so, at that time, they wanted Milan hats. They spoke of them as 'Milaners.' Can you see how the word 'milliner' was born?

"From the hat to the shoe is a long way. The whole of Italy is shaped like a boot. Milan is far up on the leg. Down at the tip of the toe is the island of Sicily.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VESUVIUS SEEN FROM POMPEII]

"Sicily, originally settled by the Greeks, has often been called the 'football of Italy.' And it has truly been kicked about, for many different nations have ruled it.

"It is a beautiful island. Yet for many years its people have been gradually leaving it. Many thousands went to America.