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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40621 ***
+
+  [Illustration: THE BAY OF NAPLES]
+
+
+
+  LITTLE TONY
+  _of_ ITALY
+
+  BY
+  MADELINE BRANDEIS
+
+  _Photographic Illustrations_
+
+  GROSSET & DUNLAP
+  PUBLISHERS      NEW YORK
+
+  _by arrangement with the A. Flanagan Company_
+
+
+
+  _COPYRIGHT, 1934, BY A. FLANAGAN COMPANY_
+
+  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
+
+
+
+  DEDICATION
+
+    TO MY MOTHER, WHOSE MUSIC AND
+    SINGING ARE SOMEHOW IN TUNE
+    WITH THE "SINGING LAND" ABOUT
+    WHICH THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+When I began to write these stories about children of all lands I had
+just returned from Europe whither I journeyed with Marie and Ref. Maybe
+you don't know Marie and Ref. I'll introduce them: Please meet Marie,
+my very little daughter, and Ref, my very big reflex camera.
+
+These two are my helpers. Marie helps by being a little girl who knows
+what other little girls like and by telling me; and Ref helps by snapping
+pictures of everything interesting that Marie and I see on our travels.
+I couldn't get along without them.
+
+Several years have gone by since we started our work together and Marie
+is a bigger girl--but Ref hasn't changed one bit. Ref hasn't changed any
+more than my interest in writing these books for you. And I hope that
+_you_ hope that I'll never change, because I want to keep on writing
+until we'll have no more countries to write about--unless, of course,
+some one discovers a new country.
+
+Even if a new country isn't discovered, we'll find foreign children to
+talk about--maybe the children in Mars! Who knows? Nobody. Not even
+Marie--and Marie usually knows about most things. That's the reason why,
+you see, though I sign myself
+
+                                    [Signature: Madeline Brandeis]
+
+            I am really only
+                              Marie's Mother.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                       PAGE
+
+  Chapter I
+
+    Tony and Tina                        13
+
+  Chapter II
+
+    Tony and the Balilla                 29
+
+  Chapter III
+
+    Niki                                 42
+
+  Chapter IV
+
+    Rome                                 59
+
+  Chapter V
+
+    Tony and Anna                        72
+
+  Chapter VI
+
+    Cities, Animals, and Discipline      86
+
+  Chapter VII
+
+    Statues, Music, and Cheese          111
+
+  Chapter VIII
+
+    Danger!                             120
+
+  Chapter IX
+
+    The Buried City                     128
+
+  Chapter X
+
+    Fever, Fear, and Troubled Sleep     139
+
+  Chapter XI
+
+    Tony, Anna, and Tina                149
+
+  Pronouncing Vocabulary                160
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+                                                                 PAGE
+
+  THE BAY OF NAPLES                                                 4
+
+  TONY AND TINA                                                    12
+
+  ON A STREET IN NAPLES                                            14
+
+  A FAMILY GROUP ON A STREET IN NAPLES                             17
+
+  THE BAY OF NAPLES                                                20
+
+  IN FRONT OF THE MARIONETTE THEATRE                               22
+
+  LAKE COMO                                                        25
+
+  "I DIE OF HUNGER!"                                               30
+
+  "I WANT TO HELP YOU," SAID THE BOY                               34
+
+  BOYS OF THE BALILLA                                              36
+
+  TINA WAS VERY SERIOUS                                            39
+
+  THE MARIONETTES WERE VERY HANDSOME                               43
+
+  THE MARIONETTE THEATRE                                           45
+
+  THE BAY OF NAPLES AND VESUVIUS                                   47
+
+  ANNA'S HOUSE                                                     52
+
+  CAPRI                                                            53
+
+  TONY DREW CLOSER TO LISTEN                                       56
+
+  ST. PETER'S: ROME                                                60
+
+  THE PANTHEON: ROME                                               61
+
+  THE VATICAN: ROME                                                62
+
+  THE COLOSSEUM: ROME                                              64
+
+  INSIDE THE COLOSSEUM: ROME                                       65
+
+  TREVI FOUNTAIN: ROME                                             67
+
+  A PARADE PASSING THE COLOSSEUM: ROME                             69
+
+  "AH. TINA MIA, I HAVE FOUND YOU AGAIN."                          74
+
+  ANNA                                                             76
+
+  "HUSH," SAID TONY                                                79
+
+  AMALFI                                                           81
+
+  TONY BENT LOW AND KISSED HER HAND                                83
+
+  ALONG THE ROAD, NEAR NAPLES                                      87
+
+  ALONG THE ROAD                                                   88
+
+  FLORENCE AND THE ARNO RIVER                                      91
+
+  PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA: FLORENCE                                  92
+
+  ST. MARK'S: VENICE                                               93
+
+  A CANAL IN VENICE                                                97
+
+  THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA                                        98
+
+  THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS: VENICE                                     101
+
+  THE DOGE'S PALACE: VENICE                                       102
+
+  IN A GONDOLA                                                    103
+
+  FEEDING PIGEONS IN ST. MARK'S SQUARE                            104
+
+  JULIET'S GRAVE: VERONA                                          106
+
+  WASHING CLOTHES                                                 108
+
+  A FISH MARKET IN GENOA                                          112
+
+  COLUMBUS' HOUSE: GENOA                                          114
+
+  A QUAINT ITALIAN STREET                                         116
+
+  MILAN CATHEDRAL                                                 121
+
+  VESUVIUS SEEN FROM POMPEII                                      124
+
+  THE APPIAN WAY                                                  130
+
+  POMPEII                                                         132
+
+  HOUSE OF THE VETTI: POMPEII                                     133
+
+  A STREET IN POMPEII
+    _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_     136
+
+  OLD OLIVE OIL MILL: POMPEII                                     141
+
+  POMPEII                                                         142
+
+  SORRENTO
+    _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_     144
+
+  TONY TRIED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING                                151
+
+  TONY, ANNA, AND TINA-NIKI-FIDO                                  156
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: TONY AND TINA]
+
+
+
+
+Little Tony of Italy
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+TONY AND TINA
+
+
+It was love at first sight.
+
+It happened as Tony was sauntering along a noisy street in Naples. One of
+the noisiest, oldest, and dirtiest streets.
+
+Cries, songs, laughter, scoldings filled the air. And smells! But not the
+smell of roses.
+
+Tony's brown hands were stuffed in his ragged pockets. A never-mind whistle
+was on his saucy lips.
+
+But suddenly he stopped. He planted his legs apart and stared. There, on
+the steps of a church, she sat. Her beautiful, pitiful brown eyes looked
+up at Tony.
+
+She had a bewitching face. It was a white face; thin and rather sad.
+
+"Hungry?" asked Tony.
+
+[Illustration: ON A STREET IN NAPLES]
+
+Then, without waiting for a reply, he added, "Come along. I'll buy you
+something to eat."
+
+He jingled coins in his pockets. His mouth curved at the corners. He had
+black eyes and they gleamed.
+
+They started off together, when, all at once, she stopped and would go no
+farther.
+
+"Come," urged Tony. "Don't be afraid. I have money. See? I begged it of
+the Americans at the big hotel."
+
+He drew the coins from his pocket and showed them to her. But she only
+stood and gazed at him with those mournful, brown eyes. Tony's black
+ones snapped.
+
+"Avanti! (Forward!)" he cried. "What makes you stand like a donkey? See,
+I have enough to buy you all the food you can eat. I am clever."
+
+He smiled roguishly.
+
+"I cry before the foreigners," he continued. "I rub my stomach, so! I
+say, 'Ah, I die of hunger!'"
+
+He made a frightful face and patted his stomach.
+
+But she only looked at him and did not move. Yet there was admiration
+in her eyes.
+
+"Then," he went on, "they feel sorry for me and they say, 'Poor boy!
+Beautiful boy! We must give him some money!' So they do that!"
+
+He laughed and showed his white teeth. But not she. There was something
+very serious about her.
+
+Tony had a temper. Angrily, he now stooped and picked her up. She did not
+resist. In fact, her fluffy tail wagged heartily and she began to lick
+his face.
+
+She seemed to be saying, "I am forbidden to go with you. But if you take
+me, what can I do?"
+
+Tony bought meat from a street vender. He put her down and fed her out of
+his hand. She ate hungrily. Her little ribs showed plainly through the
+dirty white hair of her body.
+
+When she finished, Tony picked her up again. He should have taken her
+back to the church steps. She belonged to the Marionette show around the
+corner. She was a trained dog.
+
+But Tony did not know this. He only knew that he loved the little dog
+very much, that he could not live another day without her.
+
+[Illustration: A FAMILY GROUP ON A STREET IN NAPLES]
+
+Determinedly, he tucked her under his arm and started toward home.
+
+He stuffed the remaining meat inside his shirt. It was not a very clean
+shirt, anyway, so a little meat did not make much difference.
+
+Tony was an orphan. Nobody ever said to him, "Take your bath!" "Have you
+washed your ears?"
+
+He lived with an old woman in the back of a very old house. Everything
+was old on this street. Everything but the children--and there were many
+of them.
+
+It was a poor and crowded street. People sat outside their doors all day
+long. They worked and played and ate outside.
+
+But now Tony ran inside quickly to look for the old woman.
+
+"Look! Look!" he cried. "I have found a poor, lost little dog!"
+
+The old woman was deaf.
+
+"The dog is hurt?" she screamed. She glared at the frightened animal
+which lay quite still in Tony's arms.
+
+"No!" yelled Tony. "I found her and I am going to keep her!"
+
+"You are not going to keep her!" shrilled the old woman.
+
+Then she peered more closely at Tony.
+
+"What is that?" she asked. "Ah, meat inside your shirt! You have been
+feeding animals again. Ah!"
+
+Her mouth fell open. A light of recognition came into her eyes.
+
+"Dio Mio!" she gasped. "It is the trained dog of Guido, the Marionette
+Man! You have stolen it! Ah, Madonna, now you are a thief!"
+
+Tony shrank. His face grew almost as white as the dog's. A thief! Of
+course, Tony knew that often he did not tell the truth. But then, it
+was sometimes much easier to make up falsehoods. And much more fun!
+Besides, he never told stories that would do anyone harm.
+
+But to steal? That was a different thing.
+
+[Illustration: THE BAY OF NAPLES]
+
+He had not known that the dog belonged to the Marionette show.
+
+"You are not satisfied with telling lies," went on the excited old
+woman. "But now you must steal besides! Come, you child of Satan!"
+
+She threw a tattered shawl about her shoulders.
+
+"We are going to take the dog back to Guido!" she announced.
+
+She led Tony away briskly. She was a witch-like old woman. But still, she
+had cared for Tony since his parents had died and left him alone.
+
+She had cared for him in giving him a home and something to eat. But that
+was all. She had not tried to teach him the things that real parents teach
+their children--things like the beauty of truth. Perhaps if she had done
+this, Tony might have been different.
+
+As it was, he was a lying little rascal with the face of an angel. He had
+no thought but for song and story--and, of course, for animals!
+
+[Illustration: IN FRONT OF THE MARIONETTE THEATRE]
+
+They found Guido at his tiny theatre. The old woman pushed Tony up to the
+Marionette Man, the dog nestling in his arms.
+
+"Here is your dog, Mr. Guido!" The old woman's voice was sharp like her
+nose. Tony, who liked beautiful sounds, hated to hear her talk.
+
+"This--this--lost child of a thousand devils brought it home," she
+croaked. "What will he do next? I am disgraced!"
+
+Guido took the dog from Tony's arms. Guido was dark and oily. He smiled.
+But Tony did not smile. Two big tears stood in his eyes. His rosy mouth
+did not curl. It trembled.
+
+"So you love my Tina very much, yes?" asked Guido. He laid his hand on
+Tony's little brown cap. "You would like to own her, eh?"
+
+"What do you say?" screamed the old woman. "Talk louder! I cannot hear."
+
+"The boy would like to own the dog," repeated Guido, louder.
+
+"He would like to own the world!" shrieked the old woman.
+
+She started to drag Tony away, but he escaped her and ran back to Guido.
+
+"Let me stay with you!" he cried.
+
+Then he lowered his voice so the old woman could not hear what he said.
+
+"The witch is cruel to me," he whined. "She beats me every morning. Ah,
+I am not happy."
+
+"What is that? What is he saying?" squealed the old woman, straining to
+hear.
+
+But Tony kept his voice low.
+
+"Let me live with you, sir!" he went on. "I am a good boy and always do
+as I am told!"
+
+Tony's guardian took hold of the Marionette Man's sleeve.
+
+"Please, sir," she implored. "You must not believe the tales Tony tells
+you. I am sure they are lies. I have been good to him. But each day he
+comes home with pockets empty. Yet I know he has begged money from the
+foreigners and has spent it on the way home."
+
+[Illustration: LAKE COMO]
+
+Guido gave Tony an amused look.
+
+The old woman continued, "Always animals!" she groaned. "This stupid
+child would feed every cat, dog, goose, and donkey while I starve!"
+
+In a way, the old woman was right. Tony did just this with his money.
+He spent it on food for stray animals.
+
+Or, sometimes he gave it to beggars who sat on church steps. They were
+not so fortunate as he. For he was beautiful to look at and people
+always believed his sad tales. He was a splendid actor.
+
+He also knew that the old woman had enough for herself. So why should
+he bring home his pennies when men and beasts starved on the streets?
+
+But he did not put it this way to his guardian. It was so much easier to
+turn his pockets inside out and say, with a roguish smile, "Niente!
+(Nothing!)"
+
+"How would you like me to take the lad to live with me?" asked Guido, the
+Marionette Man.
+
+"Heaven protect you, sir!" cried the old woman. "You do not know Tony!"
+
+But here she was wrong, for Guido did know Tony. He had often watched
+him on the streets, begging. Such a clever child would be able to help
+in the Marionette show.
+
+"Let me have him," said Guido, pleasantly. "I am not afraid of little
+boys who do not tell the truth. I will teach him as I teach my little
+trained dog, eh?"
+
+He laughed and looked into Tony's eyes. Tony smiled at him and brushed
+away the tears.
+
+"Yes, I will come to live with you--and with the little dog," he said.
+"Then I can be with her always!"
+
+"Yes, indeed," agreed Guido. He turned to the old woman. "Are you
+willing?" he asked.
+
+"Willing?" she cried. "Do you ask one who suffers with toothache if he
+is willing to part with the aching tooth? He is a rascal and cares
+nothing for me. Indeed I am willing to let you keep him. Yet--"
+
+She hesitated. A softer expression came over her face.
+
+"You must promise to be good to him," she added. "His mother was my
+friend. When she died she left him in my care. For her sake, you must
+promise to treat Tony well."
+
+"I shall treat him as if he were my own," replied Guido, the Marionette
+Man.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+TONY AND THE BALILLA
+
+
+Several weeks passed. Tony was living with Guido.
+
+Each day the Marionette Man sent him to the hotels to beg. Each evening
+he had to help with the show. He set the tiny stage and dusted the
+theatre.
+
+If he did not do his work properly, Guido would smile and say, "No supper
+tonight for lazy people!"
+
+This would not have mattered so much to Tony if it had not been for Tina.
+But when Tony did not eat, then neither did Tina.
+
+The small scraps that Guido threw to the dog were not enough to keep her
+alive. So Tony always divided his meals with the friend he loved.
+
+[Illustration: "I DIE OF HUNGER!"]
+
+Today, as usual, Tony, with his dog, trudged along on his way to the
+hotels. Once there, he stood outside of one and waited. Two foreign
+ladies appeared at the door. Immediately, tears gathered in Tony's eyes.
+He ran up to them eagerly.
+
+"Ah, dear ladies, I am a poor, orphan boy!" he moaned in Italian. Then he
+burst into English: "No mudder! No fadder!" he wailed.
+
+The ladies looked at him pityingly. But just then the hotel manager came
+out.
+
+"Go along!" he commanded Tony. "You are not allowed here. Run!"
+
+He shooed Tony as if he had been stray chickens. Tony scampered a few feet
+away. When the hotel manager had gone, he again began to make mournful
+signs to the strange ladies.
+
+But now they only laughed and shook their heads, for they knew what a scamp
+he was. So Tony laughed, too, and began to sing good-naturedly. A Naples
+street boy is like that.
+
+The ladies drove off in a carriage and as they passed they threw money to
+the rascal. You see, nobody ever took the trouble to explain things to
+Tony. Foreigners enjoyed his pretty acting, which only spoiled him.
+
+For several hours Tony stayed around the hotels, dodging hotel managers,
+and crying his way into the hearts of strangers. Then, he started toward
+the place he called home, walking along the broad drive that faces the
+Bay of Naples.
+
+Naples is built like a giant theatre stage. The shore is where the plays
+take place. The shining Bay is the vast blue audience.
+
+Out, facing the shore, is the famous Castle of the Egg. Many stories are
+told about this historical building.
+
+It was once the home of Lucullus, a Roman general who was very fond of
+eating.
+
+One legend tells that the poet, Virgil, put an enchanted egg between the
+walls of the castle. So long as this egg remained in its place, the city
+of Naples was supposed to be safe.
+
+But the real reason for the castle's strange name is, no doubt, its
+egg-like shape.
+
+High up on a hill of Naples is a park of rare beauty. From here one
+looks down upon the island of Nisida. Like the Castle of the Egg, this
+island was once the home of great Roman generals. Today they are
+both prisons.
+
+But let us go back and find Tony. He now turned into the crowded part of
+the city where the noise and the smells begin. He felt more at home there.
+He stopped and bought a meal of fresh fish for Tina at a small stand.
+
+Then he stuffed himself full of macaroni and candies. At last he had only
+a few pennies left.
+
+A boy in uniform had been watching Tony. He was dressed in olive-green
+breeches and black shirt. He wore a small cap with a tassel on it.
+
+He belonged to the Balilla, the Italian Boy Scouts. The Government is
+directing them in sports and work of all kinds. They are growing up to be
+strong and loyal to their country.
+
+[Illustration: "I WANT TO HELP YOU," SAID THE BOY]
+
+"Hello," said the boy to Tony.
+
+"Good-bye," said Tony to the boy.
+
+He began to saunter off.
+
+"Wait," said the boy. "I would like to speak with you."
+
+Now, every young Italian hopes to join the Balilla. So, of course, Tony
+did, too. But how could a little beggar, who had hardly enough to eat,
+expect to belong to such a grand company?
+
+Tony did not even want to talk with this modern son of Italy.
+
+"I must go," he mumbled.
+
+But the boy walked over to him and began to speak earnestly.
+
+"I just noticed that you were very hungry," he said. "Why was that?"
+
+Tony's eyes gleamed angrily. "Because I had eaten too much!" he snapped.
+
+What right had this fellow to detain and mock him because he was poor?
+
+"I mean no harm," said the lad. "I only want to help you. Do you know
+that you may join the Balilla if you want to?"
+
+"I?" inquired Tony.
+
+[Illustration: BOYS OF THE BALILLA]
+
+"Yes, you, or any other boy who wishes to join."
+
+"But I have no money to pay for the uniform," said Tony.
+
+"If you cannot pay, the State will give you a uniform. Every boy in Italy
+should belong to the Balilla."
+
+As he said this he saluted. His arm shot out stiffly, the palm of his
+hand exposed. He drew himself up like a soldier.
+
+"It is fine to march with a band," he went on. "The State will help to
+educate you and will send you to a seaside camp in summer."
+
+"A poor boy like me?" Tony's eyes were wide.
+
+The other smiled. "Have you never heard how the Balilla started?" he
+asked.
+
+Then he told Tony about another poor boy who had lived in Genoa years
+ago. When the Austrians attacked his city, he threw a stone and started
+an uprising. The enemy was driven away.
+
+"That boy's name was 'Balilla,'" explained Young Italy. "Before he threw
+the stone, he went forward with the words, 'Shall I begin?'"
+
+Tony's face shone with pleasure.
+
+"Shall I begin? Shall I begin?" he muttered to himself. Why not? It would
+be glorious to march through the parks, waving banners. He would study
+hard and learn to be a soldier.
+
+But then, Tony thought of the training and discipline. He did not want
+to be trained. He wanted to run wild and beg money of foreigners.
+
+And what of Tina? There would be no place for a little dog in a military
+group of boys.
+
+Besides, Guido would never allow him to join. Guido needed him.
+
+But suppose he should run away from Guido? Oh, then he felt sure that the
+Marionette Man would starve Tina.
+
+[Illustration: TINA WAS VERY SERIOUS]
+
+Tony always saw that the dog had enough to eat. It was he who cared for
+her, dressed her in her fancy costume and put her through her little
+tricks between each act of the puppet show.
+
+She slept with Tony and did not have to shiver outside any more. No,
+Tony could not leave Tina!
+
+"Will you come with me now?" asked Young Italy. "Will you begin?"
+
+Tony wiped the traces of macaroni from his mouth. He looked straight
+at the boy in uniform.
+
+"I do not wish to join," he lied.
+
+Then he ran off.
+
+When he reached home Guido asked, "Where is the money?"
+
+Tony handed him two pennies.
+
+Guido laughed. "The rest! Come, that is not all!"
+
+"It is all," said Tony.
+
+He was not even thinking of what he was saying. He was thinking only
+of the Balilla and of the words, "Shall I begin?"
+
+"If you do not give me all the money, you and the dog will get no supper
+tonight!" growled Guido. "Come, how much did you make?"
+
+"Shall I begin?" muttered Tony.
+
+Guido looked at him curiously. Had he lost his wits?
+
+"What are you mumbling about?" asked the Marionette Man.
+
+Tony shrugged his shoulders. "I should lie if I told you!" he answered.
+
+This was Tony's favorite expression. It means "I don't know" in the
+language of Naples. But in Tony's language it meant exactly what it
+said!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+NIKI
+
+
+Italy! When you hear the word do you think, as I do, of beautiful
+paintings and music? Of organ grinders, macaroni, and marionettes?
+
+The finest little marionette actors (or puppets) are made in Italy.
+Naples is where they have been most popular.
+
+Today there are few left. Motion pictures have come to Naples as to every
+other city in the world.
+
+Guido's theatre was a small place with crude, wooden benches. Tony helped
+Guido work the puppets. Mrs. Guido played the squeaky piano.
+
+But the marionettes were really handsome. There were Kings and Queens in
+velvet and purple. Knights in armour.
+
+[Illustration: THE MARIONETTES WERE VERY HANDSOME]
+
+Tina performed between the acts. She amused the audience while the scene
+was being changed.
+
+She would walk in on her hind legs, a ruff around her neck. She would
+throw kisses and nearly topple over backwards.
+
+She would turn 'round and 'round in a sort of old-fashioned waltz. She
+might have been a white, furry merry-go-round but for the pink tongue
+that popped out so frequently.
+
+When she finished her part, she always ran straight to Tony. While he
+worked a puppet with one hand, he untied her ruff with the other. He knew
+she disliked the stiff thing.
+
+This afternoon the theatre was well crowded. It was Saturday. As Tony
+lifted Tina up on the stage, she turned and licked his face. Then, out
+she waltzed and the people began to clap.
+
+When the clapping stopped, a child's voice suddenly piped up, "Oh, it's
+Niki! Papa, Papa, it's Niki!"
+
+There was some laughter and whispering, and everyone turned to look.
+
+Tina made her final bow and her part was over.
+
+[Illustration: THE MARIONETTE THEATRE]
+
+After the show, as Tony was putting away the marionettes, a gentleman and
+a little girl came to the back of the stage. They approached Guido.
+
+Tony heard angry talk between the two men. However, it did not interest
+him until he heard the girl say, "I know it is my dog! I want my dog."
+
+Tony listened now. He heard Guido laugh nervously.
+
+"That is absurd," said Guido. "The little lady is mistaken. Tina is my
+dog. She belongs to my show."
+
+The gentleman raised his voice. "My daughter is not mistaken," he said.
+"That is her dog!"
+
+"It was stolen from us," added the little girl.
+
+"We searched for it all over Naples but could not find it," continued
+her father.
+
+"I want Niki!" pleaded the child.
+
+"You have stolen my daughter's pet," said the gentleman. "I demand it
+back!"
+
+Now Tony entered the scene. He held Tina close. The little girl put out
+her arms and cried, "Niki! Niki! I want my Niki!"
+
+"Her name is Tina," said Tony. "She belongs to Guido--and me."
+
+[Illustration: THE BAY OF NAPLES AND VESUVIUS]
+
+"That is not true," said the gentleman. "This Guido, your father, has
+stolen our dog. If he does not give it back at once, I shall call the
+police!"
+
+Guido looked afraid and Tony noticed it. He must think of a way to save
+Tina! With a broad grin the young beggar stepped up to the little girl.
+
+"It is true that Guido stole your dog, Niki," he said. "But this is not
+Niki. You see, that was a long time ago and Niki died. Ah, poor thing!"
+
+He wiped away a false tear and stroked Tina's head fondly.
+
+"This is our own Tina," he added.
+
+"Oh, Papa!" wailed the poor little girl. "Niki is dead!"
+
+But the father was not so easily deceived. "Give me the dog," he said.
+"I wish to see it more closely."
+
+Tony started to draw back with Tina, but the man snatched her out of
+his arms.
+
+"What you have told me is a lie," he declared. "This is indeed my
+daughter's dog. I recognize her by the peculiar marking under her
+chin."
+
+He glared angrily at Tony.
+
+"You are a lying little scamp as your father is a thief!" he said.
+
+Then, he took his daughter's hand and the two, with Tina, departed.
+
+Tony stood like a figure of wax. He hardly heard Guido raging beside him.
+
+"Now what shall I do?" stormed the Marionette Man. "I must have another
+dog. You shall steal one for me, Tony."
+
+As he said this, he turned to face Tony, but the boy had vanished.
+
+Tony had run out of the theatre after Tina and her owners. Now he stood
+on the street, watching them as they stepped into an automobile.
+
+As the car started, Tony sprang onto the back of it. He held fast.
+
+This was his first automobile ride! It was not a pleasant one. It seemed
+to him, holding on with all his might, that it would never end. On, on,
+they sped. Where to, he wondered?
+
+Tony had never been outside of Naples. But often he had read or listened
+to tales of other parts of his country. He knew that Italy was a fine
+land.
+
+The school textbooks told him that "Italy is blessed by God. It is strong,
+powerful, and feared."
+
+He loved to learn all he could about it. He was proud of being an Italian.
+
+Now the automobile had come upon the open road. Tony could see the Bay. He
+could also see the great volcano, Vesuvius, which towers over Naples.
+
+It is a fire-mountain and smoke is always coming out of its top.
+
+In olden days people believed that a lame blacksmith lived under the
+ground. He kept a furnace burning to heat his irons. His
+name was Vulcan and from it comes the word, "volcano."
+
+Tony had heard that this volcano, or fire-mountain, had often caused much
+damage. Villages had been destroyed when the giant spat fire and ashes
+to earth. Houses rocked and fell. Towns were buried.
+
+But Tony was not thinking of this now. He was wishing with all his heart
+that the car would stop. Until it did, however, he must remain at his
+post. Tina was in that car! And where Tina went there went Tony!
+
+The thoughts went racing through his head as the car raced on. The father
+of that little girl had called Guido a thief! Tony shuddered. He
+remembered the time when the old woman had called him a thief. How
+terrible it had made him feel!
+
+[Illustration: ANNA'S HOUSE]
+
+Thieves were bad men. Guido was a bad man. And they thought he was Tony's
+father! What an insult!
+
+The car was slowing up. It stopped before a white house with trees and a
+garden surrounding it. The gentleman and his daughter, with Tina in her
+arms, got out.
+
+[Illustration: CAPRI]
+
+They went inside the house. Tony saw the front door close behind them.
+He slid down from the back of the automobile. He ran to the house and
+crouched under a window. He could look right into a room.
+
+He saw a sweet-faced woman greet the little girl and her father. She
+kissed them both. Then she noticed Tina in the child's arms.
+
+"Why, Anna!" she exclaimed. "It is your little dog that was lost!"
+
+The girl named Anna laughed happily. She showed pearly teeth. Her whole
+face lit up with joy.
+
+"Yes, Mama, it is Niki," she said. "At last we have found her! I am so
+happy!"
+
+The father told how they had discovered Niki in the Marionette theatre.
+
+"It was the Marionette Man who stole Niki away from us," he said. "She
+was performing on the stage."
+
+"And, oh, Mama!" exclaimed Anna, "his little boy said that Niki died, and
+it wasn't true at all! That boy was a story-teller, wasn't he, papa?"
+
+"He was a young rascal," replied her father. "Still, he had such an
+intelligent face. What a pity!"
+
+Tony, under the window, drew closer to listen.
+
+"The lad is already a clever liar and no doubt a beggar as well," Anna's
+father continued. "One day he will become a thief like Guido!"
+
+Tony crouched lower and winced. "A thief like Guido!" The words had a
+dreadful sound.
+
+"I should like to train that boy," remarked Anna's father. "I would
+discipline him!"
+
+The gentleman looked very fierce as he said this. He frightened Tony,
+who hated discipline!
+
+But if Tony had known exactly what he meant, he would not have been
+frightened. Anna's father had always wanted a son of his own. He would
+have been very proud of a son.
+
+[Illustration: TONY DREW CLOSER TO LISTEN]
+
+He would have taught him to be a loyal Italian. For Anna's father was a
+real patriot.
+
+Robert Browning, the poet, has said, "Open my heart and you will see
+inside of it--Italy." If Anna's father had been a poet, he might have
+said something like this.
+
+"Dinner is ready," announced Anna's mother.
+
+Tony watched as the family left the room. He knew that they had gone
+into the dining room. He waited patiently beneath the window until
+they returned.
+
+When they came back, Anna's father eased himself into an armchair.
+
+"Come, little Anna," he said. "I am going to read to you."
+
+Anna crawled on to his lap with Tina clasped lovingly in her arms. Tina
+had a puffed, happy look, as if she, too, had dined well!
+
+Tony smiled to himself. He was going to hear Anna's father read stories.
+No one had ever read to Tony. He loved reading.
+
+The night was warm. The moon shone. The window was open. Tony listened.
+
+Would you like to listen, too?
+
+Very well.
+
+Wouldn't Anna's father be surprised if he knew about his big audience?
+Under the window is a poor Italian boy--Tony. Out in the great United
+States are other boys and girls--you who are reading this tale!
+
+So be very quiet and don't make a noise for fear of disturbing Anna's
+father while he reads.
+
+Let us crouch under the window with Tony!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+ROME
+
+
+"Tonight," began Anna's father, "we are going to read about one of our
+Italian cities. Many fine stories have come out of it.
+
+"Rome is called 'The Eternal City' because there is a saying that it will
+live forever. It is built upon seven hills.
+
+"A long time ago there lived a great artist named Michelangelo. He built
+the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. This is the largest church in
+the world. Thirty services may be conducted in it at the same time.
+
+"The bones of St. Peter are believed to have been buried beneath the
+Cathedral.
+
+[Illustration: ST. PETER'S: ROME]
+
+"But the oldest church of all is the Pantheon, which means 'all the Gods,'
+It was built when people worshipped more than one God. It has no windows
+but only a hole in the top called an 'eye.' Today it is the burial ground
+of renowned writers and artists.
+
+[Illustration: THE PANTHEON: ROME]
+
+"Near Rome are the famous catacombs. It was here that the early Christians
+buried their dead.
+
+[Illustration: THE VATICAN: ROME]
+
+"The catacombs are long, narrow passages with graves built into the walls,
+one above the other. When the Christians were not allowed to worship in
+their own way, they often fled to these underground cemeteries to pray.
+
+"There is a curious park in Rome," went on the father. "One which you,
+little Anna, would like."
+
+Anna looked up. "Why, Papa?" she asked.
+
+"Because it is filled with cats," answered her father. "Tabbies and
+Tommies, black and white, grey and yellow. They wander about and sprawl
+in the shade of fine old trees. They have plenty to eat and nothing
+to fear. It is a kitty paradise!"
+
+"I want to go to that park some day," said Anna.
+
+"There is a magic fountain in Rome," read her father. "It is said that
+he who drinks from the Fontana Trevi will some day be drawn back to The
+Eternal City.
+
+"The Appian Way is sometimes called The Queen of Roads. It was a great
+highway built by the ancient Romans. Parts of it are still in use.
+
+"These ancient Romans were very clean. They dotted their city with many
+fine public baths. We are able to see by the ruins how very handsome
+they were.
+
+[Illustration: THE COLOSSEUM: ROME]
+
+"Outdoor theatres, called 'circuses,' were also numerous. The oldest of
+these is the Circus Maximus, where races were held.
+
+[Illustration: INSIDE THE COLOSSEUM: ROME]
+
+"The Colosseum is a huge outdoor arena where slaves and criminals were
+thrown to hungry lions. People sat about and enjoyed the show.
+
+"Of course the poor men were killed. But the audience watched this
+terrible sport as naturally as we, today, watch a tennis game. They
+pitied the victims no more than we pity the tennis balls!"
+
+Anna squirmed unhappily. "Now read something nice," she said. "The
+story of Romulus and Remus, because I like the good wolf."
+
+Her father smiled and turned a page. Always stories about animals for
+little Anna!
+
+"Here we are," he said. "The old myth goes that Romulus and Remus were
+twin babies, cast upon the River Tiber by a jealous king. Their basket
+floated ashore and was found by a mother wolf.
+
+"Taking pity on the babies, she brought them to her cave and cared for
+them. But at last the good wolf was killed by hunters and Romulus and
+Remus, now grown boys, ran away.
+
+[Illustration: TREVI FOUNTAIN: ROME]
+
+"A herdsman found them and gave them a home. They were very wild and
+strong and they were wonderful hunters.
+
+"One day they learned the story of their lives. They discovered that
+they were really meant to be kings. So they determined to punish their
+enemy and take their rightful place in the world.
+
+"Remus was killed in battle, but Romulus became the first king of Rome.
+
+"The legend tells that, at this time, there were very few women in Rome.
+Romulus wished his people to marry women of the neighboring cities. But
+the neighbors refused to marry the Romans.
+
+"So Romulus invited a people called The Sabines to a great feast. During
+the entertainment the Romans seized the young Sabine women and carried
+them off. Later, however, this savage act was forgotten and the two
+nations became one.
+
+"In 218 B.C. Rome suffered a defeat. Hannibal, a great general
+of ancient Carthage, crossed the tall Alps and attacked the Romans.
+
+"His army consisted of 90,000 foot soldiers, 12,000 horsemen, and 37
+elephants. This march over the Alps is considered one of the most
+wonderful military feats of ancient days.
+
+[Illustration: A PARADE PASSING THE COLOSSEUM: ROME]
+
+"Nero was one of the most wicked emperors who ever ruled Rome. In the
+year 64 a terrible fire broke out. For six days flames swept the city.
+Yet Nero made no attempt to stop the fire nor to help the suffering
+people.
+
+"Some say that the cruel Emperor played upon his fiddle while Rome burned.
+
+"After the World War there came to Rome a new kind of King. He was really
+not a king at all but...."
+
+"Il Duce! (The Commander!)" interrupted Anna.
+
+"Yes, my dear," agreed her father. "His name was Benito Mussolini, the
+great chief of Italy.
+
+"Mussolini was a poor boy, the son of a blacksmith. Like wicked Nero, he
+sometimes played upon his fiddle. But while he played, Rome did not burn.
+It grew.
+
+"He founded a new system of government called Fascism.
+
+"A wise man once was asked, 'What is the best quality for a child to
+have?' He replied, 'Obedience,' 'And the second best?' 'Obedience,'
+'And the third?' 'Obedience!'
+
+"This is what the Fascist teachers believe. Their moral is: 'Be strong
+to be pure. Be pure to be strong,' Il Duce has taught our people this
+wonderful lesson.
+
+"At one time there were many lazy ones in Italy. Now we work and clean
+and teach. It is better that way. Italy is a beautiful land. It is worth
+working for."
+
+Tony, under the window, felt a great pride in his heart. He began to see
+ahead into the future when he would be an Italian soldier. He would fight
+for beautiful Italy!
+
+He waggled his head back and forth against the side of the house. He
+muttered to himself, "Viva Italia! (Hurrah for Italy!) Viva! Viva....
+Ouch!" he cried suddenly.
+
+He had bumped his head!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+TONY AND ANNA
+
+
+"Did I hear a noise outside?" asked Anna's father.
+
+Anna hugged Tina. "It must have been a little mama animal putting its
+babies to bed," she said.
+
+Her father sighed. Some day Anna would be a little mama herself. That was
+what Mussolini wanted all of Italy's women to be.
+
+But Anna's father would so have liked a son. One who would be more
+interested in the Balilla than in "little mama animals."
+
+Yet he loved his daughter very dearly. He now kissed her dark curls as he
+said, "It is time for bed, mia cara (my dear). Tomorrow night more
+stories."
+
+Anna sat up in his arms. Tina awoke and blinked.
+
+"Before I go to bed, I must put Niki to bed, too," said Anna.
+
+Her father answered, "Then we must make a house for her."
+
+Tony saw him open a chest of drawers and take out some curious things.
+
+"Now," he said to his daughter, "Come into the back garden, and we shall
+see what kind of house-builder I am!"
+
+Tony watched them leave the room and saw a light switch on in the hallway.
+Then the back door opened. Father, daughter, and dog went into the garden.
+
+They found an old crate with the top missing. They covered it with what
+appeared to be a fancy tablecover. They tied the little dog securely to
+the side.
+
+"There!" said Anna's father. "It looks like a tent on the desert. Niki
+will feel like an Arabian Princess!"
+
+[Illustration: "AH. TINA MIA, I HAVE FOUND YOU AGAIN."]
+
+Anna stooped down and caressed her pet.
+
+"Felicissima notte, Niki," said Anna. This meant "Happiest night, Niki,"
+and it is what the Italians say for "Good-night."
+
+When Anna and her father had left, Tony ran over to the kennel-tent.
+Tina nearly wagged herself to pieces with joy. Tony sank down beside
+her. He buried his head in her soft hair.
+
+"Ah, Tina mia (my Tina)!" he said. "I thought they had taken you from
+me forever! But I have found you again."
+
+He started to untie the dog. He would run away with her. Far away!
+Never back to Guido! Guido was a thief. A man who stole little dogs!
+
+Then, suddenly, Tony remembered that he, too, was about to steal a
+little dog! He, too, would be a thief if he did that. Tina did not
+belong to him. She belonged to little Anna.
+
+But how could he bear to leave Tina? A tear ran down his cheek. Tina
+licked it sadly. She seemed to know what he was thinking about.
+
+How he longed to snuggle up close to the little dog and go fast asleep.
+Just as he had done every night since he went to live with Guido.
+
+[Illustration: ANNA]
+
+Why did Anna have to love Tina, too?
+
+He would stay. Just tonight. He would crawl into Tina's tent with her.
+In the morning he could decide what to do. He was so sleepy now.
+
+He yawned, brushed his tears away, and wriggled into the tent. He
+curled up in there, with Tina in his arms.
+
+But just as sleep came creeping over him, a sound was heard in the
+garden. Tony gave a start and opened his eyes. Tina gave a low growl.
+
+Tony looked out and saw a white figure approaching the tent. It was Anna.
+She was coming back to see her new-found Niki once more.
+
+She would find Tony there. She would tell her father! What should he do?
+His heart began to thump. He lay quite still.
+
+"Niki!" whispered Anna, softly.
+
+Silence.
+
+"Niki!" repeated Anna. "I have come to kiss you good-night. Here, Niki!"
+
+She bent down in front of the tent and looked in. It was dark inside.
+Tony lay flat on the floor and kept very quiet.
+
+Anna put her hand inside the tent and felt for her pet. Tina tried to
+hide from the hand, but it found her and lifted her out tenderly.
+
+Anna caressed the dog and spoke gently to her.
+
+"Now, Niki," she said. "You shall go back to bed and mama will cover
+you up."
+
+She had brought with her a doll's blanket. She put Tina back into the
+tent and tried to make her lie down flat. She could do this so easily
+with her dolls.
+
+But, somehow, Tina was different. Tina did not want to lie down flat!
+The real reason for this was because Anna was spreading Tina on Tony's
+face!
+
+The poor dog struggled and kicked. The poor boy tried his best to lie
+still and make no noise. But would you enjoy a dog plastered upon
+your face?
+
+So Tony wriggled. He snorted. He sneezed.
+
+Anna saw. She heard. She started and gave a little cry. Tony's head
+came out of the tent like a turtle's head coming out of its shell.
+
+[Illustration: "HUSH," SAID TONY]
+
+"Hush!" said Tony.
+
+Anna drew back. "Who are you?" she gasped.
+
+"I'm Tony," he replied. "Please let me stay here with Tina tonight.
+Tomorrow I'll go away."
+
+Then Anna recognized him. "Oh," she exclaimed. "You are that naughty
+Marionette boy who told a lie! I am going to call my father!"
+
+She turned toward the house but Tony quickly caught her arm.
+
+"No, no!" he pleaded. "I mean no harm. I love the little dog. Let
+me stay. Only one night. Do not tell your father--please!"
+
+In the moonlight Anna could see that tears filled his eyes. She
+began to feel sorry for him.
+
+"Are you a very poor little boy?" she asked, innocently.
+
+"Oh, yes, very, very poor!" he moaned. "I have no home. No mother.
+No father. Everyone is cruel to me. The little dog was my only friend,
+and now you have taken her from me."
+
+[Illustration: AMALFI]
+
+Tony was born with the Italian gift for beautiful acting. He now acted
+his best for Anna. While some of his pitiful tale was true, some was
+sprinkled with the fairy dust of fancy.
+
+"Every morning Guido beats me," he made up. "He uses a big stick. And
+when he stops beating me, he makes me sing to him. Then, all day long
+he feeds me bird-seed mixed with soap and nothing else!"
+
+Anna's gentle eyes grew wider and wider, her tender heart softer and
+softer.
+
+Tony warmed to his work. His success encouraged him. He began to gesture
+with his arms. He began to invent wild tales.
+
+"Often I fall upon the streets because I am so hungry," he continued.
+"When it rains, Guido makes me lie outside the whole night through.
+
+"One morning, when I awoke, I found myself in a pool of water. I had
+to swim all the way home!"
+
+[Illustration: TONY BENT LOW AND KISSED HER HAND]
+
+The little girl's lip began to tremble. This gave Tony added courage.
+He drew a deep breath. His style improved.
+
+"And once I was thrown over a cliff. Lions came prowling...."
+
+He stopped, for little Anna had begun to cry.
+
+"Oh, you poor boy!" she sobbed. "I am so sorry for you! I shall tell
+my father and mother. They will take care of you."
+
+"No, you must not do that," said Tony, quickly. "If your father knows
+I am here, he will discipline me!"
+
+"But my father is good," said Anna.
+
+"That is why he will discipline me," replied Tony. "Because I am bad."
+
+Now, to a very little girl like Anna, that seemed sensible enough. She
+believed what Tony told her. She even believed that her father might
+not be kind to the beggar boy. Often her father was very severe.
+
+So she promised that she would not tell.
+
+"You may stay here every night, poor little boy," she said. "I will
+bring food and leave it for you in a dish. I will put a soft cushion
+inside the tent. I will never tell my father that you are here."
+
+"Ah, grazie signorina (thank you, Miss)," said Tony, charmingly. He
+smiled and showed his white teeth. "How kind you are! And will you
+also put some candy on the dish?"
+
+"Yes, I will, poor little boy," she answered. "What kind do you like?"
+
+Tony thought a moment. Then he replied, "Torrone." (This is the finest
+and most expensive Italian candy.)
+
+Anna promised to leave some torrone. Tony bent low and kissed her hand
+as he had seen the marionettes do in romantic plays.
+
+"Felicissima notte, bella signorina! (Good-night, beautiful Miss!)"
+he murmured.
+
+Again his play acting and falsehoods had brought him success! He did
+not even know that he had done anything wrong. Poor neglected little
+Tony!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+CITIES, ANIMALS, AND DISCIPLINE
+
+
+Next day Tony left Anna's garden early in the morning. He ambled along
+the smooth motor road, singing and begging whenever he found someone
+to beg from.
+
+On each side of the road were black posts with white caps on them,
+glistening in the sun, polished to shine. Snow-white oxen passed, driven
+by farmers.
+
+In vineyards grapevines climbed and twisted about old trees. In nearly
+every archway a baby, a goat, or a donkey stood and stared at Tony as he
+passed.
+
+Women and children with large baskets or bundles on their heads trudged
+by. Tiny donkeys carried mountainous loads on their backs.
+
+[Illustration: ALONG THE ROAD, NEAR NAPLES]
+
+Occasionally, there would be an automobile. Tony liked the little cars
+named "Balilla," after the Boys' Group. They are the smallest Italian
+cars made.
+
+[Illustration: ALONG THE ROAD]
+
+Tony bought chestnuts and munched them. Chestnuts often take the place
+of bread among the poor people.
+
+Toward the end of day Tony began to miss Tina. He had seldom been
+separated from her for such a long time. So he returned to Anna's house.
+
+He hoped that Anna had not forgotten to leave his dinner. He also hoped
+that her father would not forget to tell more stories tonight. This was
+a pleasant life.
+
+But, of course, Tony was too wise to think that he could go on living
+like this forever. Guido might find him. Or Anna's father might discover
+him.
+
+Yet if he ran off with Tina he would be a "thief like Guido!" No, that
+would never, never do!
+
+Oh, how difficult it all was!
+
+But upon arriving at Tina's tent he forgot his troubles, for he found
+there a neatly covered dish. It contained macaroni, meat, and salad.
+An ideal meal for an Italian boy!
+
+Also, Anna had really left some torrone on the plate. Tony sighed with
+pleasure and began to eat. Good little Anna!
+
+All day the little girl had been thinking of the beggar boy. However,
+she had kept her adventure a secret.
+
+But, oh, Tony, beware! Anna is very young, and it is difficult for small
+children to keep secrets. Especially, when secrets are as interesting as
+you are!
+
+This evening the weather was cooler. The moon did not shine. When Tony
+finished his dinner, he slipped under the window as he had done before.
+He hoped Anna's father would tell more stories of Italy.
+
+Presently, he saw the family enter the room. They had dined. The mother
+took up her sewing. The father settled himself in his chair with a book.
+
+Anna, with her dog, nestled down in his lap. Tony knew that now more
+stories were coming. He leaned against the side of the house.
+
+[Illustration: FLORENCE AND THE ARNO RIVER]
+
+He closed his eyes contentedly and listened.
+
+[Illustration: PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA: FLORENCE]
+
+"It is early," said Anna's father. "We shall have a long time to read
+tonight. Shall we hear more about the cities of Italy?"
+
+[Illustration: ST. MARK'S: VENICE]
+
+"Yes, and about animals, too," said Anna.
+
+Her father laughed. "Perhaps we shall meet some as we wander," he said.
+"Listen, now, while I tell you of Florence.
+
+"It is a city of ancient palaces! In the days of the civil war, homes
+of the rich were built like fortresses. This was to protect them from
+the enemy. Most of these prison-like palaces still stand.
+
+"Florence is a city of art! The famous Campanile, or bell tower,
+reminds us of its artist-architect, Giotto. Here is a story told
+about the painter when he was a peasant lad tending his father's sheep.
+
+"One day a great artist named Cimabue paid a visit to the countryside.
+He was impressed by a sketch which the young shepherd had made.
+
+"He gained the consent of Giotto's father to take his son to Florence.
+There he promised to teach the boy how to paint.
+
+"So Giotto became Cimabue's apprentice, or helper. He worked hard and
+learned a great deal. But, like all boys, he was fun-loving. One day
+he played a joke upon his master.
+
+"Cimabue had gone out, leaving in the studio an unfinished portrait of
+a gentleman. When he returned, there was a fly sitting upon the nose
+of his painting.
+
+"He tried to brush off the fly but it would not move. He looked more
+closely and discovered what had happened. His mischievous young
+apprentice, Giotto, had painted that fly!
+
+"The master was not angry. He enjoyed the joke and recognized the lad's
+skill.
+
+"Giotto became known as the father of one of the first schools of
+painting.
+
+"Florence is also a city of great men!
+
+"One day, long ago, a nine-year-old boy named Dante went to the feast
+of flowers, which is celebrated every year. Here, among the beautiful
+blossoms, he beheld one more beautiful and sweet than all the rest.
+
+"But this one was not a flower. She was a little maiden and her name
+was Beatrice. All day long Dante watched her as she played about, and
+never, throughout his whole life, did he forget her.
+
+"Though they seldom met, the little girl named Beatrice was forever
+with Dante in his dreams. To her he wrote most of his marvelous poetry.
+For Dante became Italy's greatest poet!
+
+"Florence, city of wonders!
+
+"A legend tells that when Christ went to heaven he carried with him
+a cricket. So, each year, before Ascension Day, everybody buys a
+cricket.
+
+"They guard their crickets most carefully. For, if one should die,
+misfortune befalls its owner.
+
+"On Ascension Day a crowd gathers in the park. Here there is much
+gaiety, with balloons, music, and fireworks.
+
+"At a certain time each person opens the door of his cricket's cage
+and frees it.
+
+[Illustration: A CANAL IN VENICE]
+
+"This is an anxious moment. For, if the cricket leaps into the air,
+good fortune will follow the owner. But if he creeps slowly away,
+his poor owner will suffer bad luck.
+
+[Illustration: THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA]
+
+"Of course, today few people really believe this. But they still keep
+up the quaint old custom.
+
+"Florence is a grey cluster of narrow streets and dignified squares. It
+seems to bulge with art treasures, and it has a charm of its own.
+
+"Near Florence, in Pisa, is the curious Leaning Tower. It is one of the
+Seven Wonders of the World. It seems to be toppling over. Yet it has
+stood this way for hundreds of years. Maybe it is tired."
+
+Anna's father stopped reading.
+
+"Is my little girl tired, too?" he asked. "Shall I put down the book?"
+
+"No, no, Papa!" said Anna.
+
+Tony, under the window wanted to answer, "No, no!" too. But, then, his
+opinion had not been asked.
+
+"The next story is about Venice," continued the father.
+
+"Once upon a time there lived in Italy a people known as the Veneti.
+They were not fish, yet they built a city in the water.
+
+"Savage tribes had driven them from their land. They had no home. So
+they settled upon some small islands at the head of the Adriatic Sea.
+They called their island-city Venice.
+
+"Fish were plentiful. They salted them and traded them for treasures
+of all kinds. People began to come from everywhere to buy these
+treasures. Venice became the most important market in Europe.
+
+"St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice. To him the Veneti, or
+Venetians, have built a wonderful cathedral. In front stands the
+statue of a lion, the favorite animal of St. Mark.
+
+"Four huge horses adorn the door. Though they are made of bronze, they
+have travelled widely. They have been moved to different places at
+many times.
+
+[Illustration: THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS: VENICE]
+
+"Inside, the cathedral is decorated with mosaics. They are made of
+bits of colored stone or glass fitted together.
+
+[Illustration: THE DOGE'S PALACE: VENICE]
+
+[Illustration: IN A GONDOLA]
+
+"St. Mark's Square is the largest piece of ground in Venice. The rest
+is water. Streets are canals. Boatmen guide long, black boats called
+gondolas through these canals. They sing and cry out strange signals
+to other boatmen.
+
+"In years gone by Venice, like Rome, was a world of its own. A Doge,
+or Duke, ruled over the city.
+
+[Illustration: FEEDING PIGEONS IN ST. MARK'S SQUARE]
+
+"Between the Doge's Palace and the prison is a bridge. Over this bridge
+marched those condemned to prison by the Doge. As they marched they
+sighed and that is why the bridge is known as 'The Bridge of Sighs.'
+
+"On one of the little islands live the glass blowers. Just as you blow
+soap bubbles, so they blow melted glass into vases and bowls. Venetian
+glass is famous.
+
+"There are hundreds of pigeons flying about St. Mark's Square. While
+you are in Venice, you must surely allow a pigeon to sit upon your
+head. If you do not do this, your visit will not be complete and I am
+sure the pigeon will be disappointed!
+
+"Naturally (and this is most important to the pigeon) you must put some
+corn on your head first. It is not your hair nor your hat which attracts
+him!
+
+"Venice is a city of Dreams! And--animals!"
+
+The father looked up from his book. Anna laughed.
+
+"Yes, that is true," she said. "There was St. Mark's lion, the bronze
+horses, the pigeons, and--and--oh, yes, the fish!"
+
+[Illustration: JULIET'S GRAVE: VERONA]
+
+"You have forgotten some of the other animals we read about in the
+stories of other cities," said her father.
+
+Anna looked puzzled.
+
+"Don't you remember the crickets of Florence?" asked her father. "And
+that fly which Giotto painted on the nose of Cimabue's painting!"
+
+"Oh, that was a nice chapter," said the little girl. "Now some more."
+
+Her father began to read again:
+
+"The greatest playwright in the world was Shakespeare. He was an
+Englishman. He wrote a play called 'Romeo and Juliet.'"
+
+"Was it about animals?" asked Anna.
+
+"No," smiled her father. "It was about two lovers. It is a very famous
+story and the scene is laid in Verona, an Italian city.
+
+"In Verona there is a beautiful little grave where they say Romeo and
+Juliet are buried. The statue of Shakespeare stands over it."
+
+"But how can they be buried if they were only book people?" asked Anna.
+
+"That is a good question," said her father. "Of course, it cannot be
+true unless such people really lived."
+
+[Illustration: WASHING CLOTHES]
+
+"Maybe they buried the book which Mr. Shakespeare wrote!" decided Anna.
+
+Just then there came a queer, muffled noise under the window. Tony had
+sneezed! Anna's father, turning the pages of the book, did not seem to
+hear it. But Anna, who had been thinking of Tony, did.
+
+She wanted so much to tell her father about the poor boy. She really did
+not think that her father would be unkind to him. Yet she had promised
+to say nothing, and she must keep her word.
+
+"Papa," she suddenly asked. "If you had a little boy who told stories
+and did not obey, what would you do to him?"
+
+Her father hesitated a moment. Then he answered, "I would try to teach
+him the beauty of truth and I would discipline him."
+
+His voice had a very severe ring. He continued:
+
+"There are too many lazy little beggars in the streets of Naples, like
+that lying young son of the Marionette Man. They have never been properly
+trained, and they are a disgrace to a beautiful city. They should be
+taught. They should be made to obey!"
+
+Upon the word "obey," his hand came down with a bang on the arm of the
+chair. It made Tony jump.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+STATUES, MUSIC, AND CHEESE
+
+
+Tony, under the window, squirmed unhappily. He was everything that Anna's
+father had called him. Lazy! He begged! He did not always tell the truth.
+He was a disgrace to beautiful Naples!
+
+But he did not want to be disciplined. He did not want to obey. He was
+afraid of Anna's father with his ideas of discipline.
+
+He shivered and huddled up closer to the house. It was growing colder,
+and his nose felt stuffy. How warm and cosy it looked inside!
+
+Anna's father found the page he had been looking for.
+
+"Now," said he, "we are going to hear about a strange mixture of things.
+Statues, sailors, music, and cheese!"
+
+[Illustration: A FISH MARKET IN GENOA]
+
+Tony forgot the cold. He even forgot Anna's father except for his deep
+voice.
+
+"The city of Genoa," read the deep voice, "is Italy's chief seaport.
+Its streets are lined with palaces. It seems that everything in Genoa
+takes place in a palace. Even schools are sometimes found in palaces!
+
+"The city is surrounded by forts and strong walls.
+
+"The Palazzo San Giorgio is the oldest bank in Europe. Here there is a
+curious collection of statues.
+
+"They are the statues of men who have given money for public good. If
+you see a seated statue, you will know that this man gave a large gift.
+
+"If a statue is standing, it means that the gift was not so large. No
+doubt, they wish to make the generous ones more comfortable.
+
+"Genoa might be called 'America's Cradle.' Do you know why?"
+
+Anna did not know. But Anna was an Italian girl. You, who are Americans,
+surely know that Genoa was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
+
+[Illustration: COLUMBUS' HOUSE: GENOA]
+
+"Christopher Columbus used to play about the water front when he was a
+little boy," read Anna's father. "When he grew up, he sailed off one
+day and discovered a new country--America!
+
+"Genoa possesses one of the largest theatres and one of the finest
+cemeteries in the world!"
+
+"I would rather go to the theatre!" declared Anna.
+
+Tony agreed with her.
+
+So did Tina. For, at that moment, she gave a rumbling grunt, yawned,
+and went back to sleep.
+
+Anna's father read on:
+
+"In 1813, in the Province of Parma, a baby by the name of Giuseppe
+Verdi was born. One year after this, a terrible battle took place
+in the village.
+
+"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.
+
+[Illustration: 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 assist 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 assistant
+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_é _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.
+
+[Illustration: MILAN CATHEDRAL]
+
+He ran over to the dog's tent and soon Anna arrived.
+
+"Hello, 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 nobody 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 canal. The canal 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
+glass.
+
+"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.
+
+[Illustration: 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.
+
+"At one time the United States bought quantities of lemons from Sicily.
+Now the Americans are growing their own.
+
+"There is a volcano on the island called Mt. Etna. Great sulphur mines
+were made by this volcano, and for years Sicily supplied the world with
+sulphur. But now the United States also supplies sulphur.
+
+"Another volcano is that of Stromboli. It is an island off the coast of
+Sicily. For two thousand years this fire island has been like a glowing
+torch in the water. It is therefore called the Lighthouse of the
+Mediterranean Sea.
+
+"And while we are speaking of volcanoes, here is the terrible story of
+Pompeii. I have told you many legends, but this tale is true.
+
+"Hundreds of years ago a beautiful little city called Pompeii nestled at
+the foot of Mt. Vesuvius.
+
+"Here men, women, and children lived happy, carefree lives. Their
+houses were small jewels. They feasted and lived in luxury. Pompeii
+was a pleasure city.
+
+"Then, one day, a frightful thing happened. The volcano, Vesuvius, grew
+very angry. Black smoke gushed from the hole in her great head. Ashes
+and hot stones came tumbling down upon Pompeii. The earth rocked.
+Thunder roared. Darkness fell upon the town. People fled, groping
+their way through the streets.
+
+"Next day Pompeii, the jewel city, lay buried beneath the earth."
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Tony felt a chill run up his back. He glanced at the fire-mountain
+behind the house. Then he looked into the window again. Anna lay very
+still in her father's arms.
+
+Anna had heard that story many times. Besides, Anna was very young.
+She was now asleep!
+
+"Wake up, little sleepy one," said her father. He smoothed her hair
+gently.
+
+Anna stirred and rubbed her eyes. She had been dreaming about Tony. Oh,
+Tony, your secret is in danger!
+
+All at once she sat up straight and looked about in a startled way.
+
+She cried, "I must go out to Tony, Papa! I promised to bring him a
+blanket!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE BURIED CITY
+
+
+Tony clutched Tina and started. Anna's father looked at his daughter in
+a puzzled way.
+
+"Who is Tony and what do you mean?" he asked.
+
+Then poor little Anna's heart sank. She had given away her friend's
+secret!
+
+Tony balanced himself on his toes, squatting, ready to run. He saw
+Anna burst into tears, heard her pour out her whole story.
+
+"He is such a poor little boy, Papa!" she wept. "He is so hungry and
+cold! But I promised I would not tell and now ... oh...."
+
+She sobbed pitifully. Her father held her close.
+
+"There, my darling, don't cry," he said. "Tony is a bad boy. Come, let
+us go out there to him and...."
+
+Tony did not wait to hear more. With Tina clasped tightly he ran. He
+ran as fast as his legs would carry him, out, on to the main road.
+
+He saw Vesuvius towering above, a terrible giantess puffing on a
+poisonous pipe! Would she ever again break out in anger?
+
+The wind blew. It had started to rain. The night was so black.
+
+His legs ached. But he must run, run far away from Anna's father. He
+could never, never go back again. Now he was really a thief. He was
+running away with Tina!
+
+The little dog began to shiver in his arms. He stopped for a moment,
+took off his coat, and wrapped it around the animal.
+
+The rain came down harder and harder. Finally, Tony found a haystack,
+and the boy and dog cuddled down for the night.
+
+
+Early morning brought a blue sky. The rain was gone. The Bay shone
+and the smoke from Vesuvius sailed straight up in a thin grey line.
+
+[Illustration: THE APPIAN WAY
+  _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_]
+
+But Tony awoke in a fever. Tina stood beside him, her tail beating a
+pleasant tune on the ground. Her sweet, white face smiled down at him.
+
+Why did he not jump up and play with her as he always did in the
+morning? Why did her little god lie so still?
+
+Tony's dark eyes sparkled unnaturally. There were red patches on either
+cheek.
+
+For a moment he could not remember where he was. Then it all came back
+to him. Anna! Anna's father!
+
+He had stolen Tina! He was a thief!
+
+He sat up suddenly. Perhaps they were already looking for him.
+
+He shivered and put on his coat. It was damp. Tina barked joyfully. They
+were going for a walk!
+
+It was a long walk! Miles and miles. Hours and hours. Tony's head
+throbbed. His feet ached. Tina's tongue swept the ground.
+
+At last they reached the buried city of Pompeii. Its ruins are now the
+most famous in the world. Tourists visit it every day. Tony knew this.
+He stood beside a wall and began to beg.
+
+"I die of hunger!" he whined.
+
+[Illustration: POMPEII]
+
+It was a lie. Tony felt too ill to eat. But he wanted to buy food for
+Tina.
+
+He screwed up his face and added in English, "Poor leetle boy!"
+
+[Illustration: HOUSE OF THE VETTI: POMPEII]
+
+"Go away from here!" roared a guide. "And take that dog with you!"
+
+Tony scampered. He knew that dogs are not allowed in Pompeii. He
+crouched beside a fence. When the guide's back was turned, he slipped
+under the fence.
+
+He was inside the gates. He was in Pompeii. Really inside the gates
+of Pompeii! Standing upon the long, silent streets, in the shadow of
+stately ruins.
+
+Columns and statues stood like graceful ghosts. It was a place to
+impress any child. To Tony, light-headed with fever, it was a wonder
+and a dream.
+
+A guide came along, leading a party of tourists through the streets.
+To Tony his voice droned like a swarm of bees.
+
+"It was a city of pleasure and wealth," said the guide. "Tinkling
+fountains played. Painted chariots clattered over the cobble-stones.
+Boys and girls laughed and sang."
+
+Tony saw it, felt it, heard it all!
+
+"See the tracks of the chariots in the pavements," droned the guide's
+voice. "The plumbing was so good that the fountains are still running
+today."
+
+Tony followed them through restored palaces, courtyards, wine shops.
+
+Some of the houses had four dining rooms--one for each season: Spring,
+Summer, Fall, and Winter. Before one house was the word "Have." This
+means "Welcome" in Greek. The Fascists say this when they salute.
+
+In the old Roman Bath was a case with images like mummies. The guide
+entered the building with his tourist train--a train of human question
+marks.
+
+Tony followed. He hid in a dark corner so they would not see him.
+
+"Here we have the forms of some of the ancient people found in the
+ruins," explained the guide. "They are, however, only hollow forms.
+They have been surrounded by lava."
+
+"What is lava, Mama?" squeaked a tourist child.
+
+"Hush!" said the mother.
+
+[Illustration: A STREET IN POMPEII
+  _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_]
+
+"I want some if it is to eat!" howled the child.
+
+"Lava," said the guide, "is the fiery fluid which comes out of a
+volcano during an eruption. When it cools it hardens and becomes
+like rock."
+
+"I don't want to eat any!" decided the child.
+
+"Here is the form of a dog," went on the guide.
+
+"I want a 'hot dog,' Mama!" whined the child.
+
+They finally left the building. Tony heard the child's irritable voice
+far down the street. He came out from his corner. The building was
+empty.
+
+He looked at the strange, rock-covered images. The little dog was about
+the size of Tina. He shivered. He went outside. The sun had dropped
+behind a hill. He could see Vesuvius puffing, puffing on her pipe.
+
+"Oh, you--you wicked one!" He shook his fist at the mountain.
+
+His head began to spin. The streets were more silent than ever, for
+the sight-seers had all gone. Tall columns, like black knights, stood
+guard over the buried city.
+
+Tony had heard the guide say that at a certain hour the gates would
+close. Was that hour now past? Was he locked in the deserted city,
+alone? Trapped, like victims of the volcano so long ago?
+
+He felt ill. He was burning with fever. He started toward the gate,
+squeezing Tina until she grunted.
+
+Then, all at once, his legs seemed to disappear beneath him and he
+sank to the earth.
+
+The ruins of Pompeii whirled all about him. Vesuvius blew a great
+column of smoke in his face, and he knew no more!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+FEVER, FEAR, AND TROUBLED SLEEP
+
+
+The next thing Tony knew, he was in ancient Pompeii. He was in the
+buried city before it had been buried!
+
+"How could this be?" you ask. "A person cannot live in the past!"
+
+Ah, but Tony had arrived upon a queer ship. The name of the ship was
+_Fever, Fear, and Troubled Sleep_.
+
+Tony really and truly lay upon the ground dreaming. He lay where he had
+fallen when we last left him. But, in his dream, he was in old Pompeii.
+Old Pompeii appeared to him just as Anna's father and the guide had
+told about it.
+
+Tony believed that he lay in a corner of the Forum, the main square of
+the town. It was night, and a group of beggars slept beside him. Tina
+cuddled snugly in his arms.
+
+All about him slumbered Pompeii with the smoke from Vesuvius curling
+above in the black sky.
+
+Tony looked up at the fire-mountain and, all at once, his heart seemed
+to stand still. Why, that volcano was going to destroy Pompeii! It was
+written in books of history! Everyone in the modern world knew it!
+
+But here nobody knew it. How could they? They were ancient people. He
+was living in the past. Tony, the beggar boy, was the only one who knew!
+He must tell them!
+
+He stood up. He saw those beautiful homes and gardens he had heard so
+much about. Tomorrow they would be in ruins!
+
+Tomorrow? How did he know that the end would come tomorrow? Tony could
+not explain. But he did know. Dreams are like that.
+
+[Illustration: OLD OLIVE OIL MILL: POMPEII]
+
+He woke the beggars. He warned them of the coming terror. Frantically
+he tried to explain to them the danger of what was about to happen.
+
+"Vesuvius will erupt and destroy Pompeii," he said.
+
+[Illustration: POMPEII]
+
+But the beggars laughed at him.
+
+"Stuff!" said one.
+
+"Liar!" cried another.
+
+Then they went back to sleep.
+
+"You must believe me," cried poor Tony. "Run away before it is too late!"
+
+"Stop your silly talk," said one of the beggars. "If you do not let us
+sleep, we shall have you arrested as a mad sorcerer!"
+
+Tony stole away with Tina under his arm. There was only one thing for
+him to do. He must wake the town.
+
+Soon dawn would come. Then the mountain would begin to shoot flames and
+the whole city would rock.
+
+He knocked at doors and tried to arouse the people. But angry, sleepy
+voices told him to go away. Nobody would believe him.
+
+Tony began to wonder whether anyone would ever believe him again. He had
+lied so often. And now he was a thief besides!
+
+He thought of little Anna. He had lied to her and he had stolen her pet.
+He would be punished by the fire-mountain for all his wickedness!
+
+[Illustration: SORRENTO
+  _Photo by Courtesy of Italian Tourist Information Office_]
+
+But he and everyone else in Pompeii could still be saved if they would
+only listen to him.
+
+He began to cry out in the streets and to run back and forth. A young
+Paul Revere!
+
+"Awake! Awake! Vesuvius will erupt today! Pompeii will be buried! Run
+and save yourselves!" he cried.
+
+"Go home to bed, stupid boy!" growled the people.
+
+But Tony would not go. He screamed louder and louder.
+
+"To jail with him," said someone. "He must have an evil spirit!"
+
+So poor Tony and his dream were thrown into jail in ancient Pompeii.
+
+Morning came. Over the top of the volcano hung a dark cloud. The leaden
+sky frowned down. Tony kicked at the bars of the jail. He screamed. He
+pleaded. He cried.
+
+"Quiet, foolish child," said one of the prison guards. "If you keep
+your peace, you will be free tomorrow."
+
+"There will be no tomorrow!" wailed poor Tony. "Oh, believe me and let
+us all run! Run from Pompeii!"
+
+"Ha! Ha!" laughed the guard. "You are only a lying little beggar! Nobody
+believes lying little beggars!"
+
+"But I am telling the truth!" insisted poor Tony. "I am! I am! You must
+believe me!"
+
+But it was useless.
+
+As time went on the black cloud grew larger. Suddenly, a great rumbling
+started. An immense wall of fire-red stones came crashing down the
+mountain, destroying everything in its path.
+
+The city was plunged into darkness. People began screaming and running
+from their houses. Everything rocked back and forth.
+
+"Let me out!" cried Tony. "Oh, save me! Madonna mia, never again will
+I lie or steal! Oh, never! Save me! Save me!"
+
+He held Tina tightly. She wriggled and tried to break away. All at
+once she began to squeal. He had never heard a dog squeal like that!
+
+Stones came hurtling against the prison wall. Some entered through the
+bars and hit Tony in the face. He closed his eyes. He put up his arm
+to ward them off.
+
+Then the roar of the mountain ceased and the quaking of the earth
+stopped. But that strange squealing went right on. A few small pebbles
+still came flying.
+
+He opened his eyes. The sun was shining. The sky was blue overhead.
+Grey ruins lay all about him. Old, old ruins! Tony was in the modern
+world. He had awakened from his dream!
+
+But what was that something squirming to break away from him? It was
+not Tina. It felt fat and slippery and.... He looked.
+
+He was holding, by one leg, a frisky, pink pig! Its piteous shrieks
+filled the silent, ruined city of Pompeii.
+
+Where was Tina?
+
+Just then, a shower of stones from a near-by wall hit him. He turned.
+There was Tina, standing upon the wall, digging with her two busy,
+front paws. She was scattering ruined Pompeii in Tony's eyes as fast as
+she could scatter!
+
+He freed the pink pig. It hurried off to its neighboring farm, a wiser
+but sadder pig. It would never again go sight-seeing!
+
+"Here, Tina!" he called.
+
+She stopped her morning's work. She looked at her master.
+
+"Good-morning," wagged her tail.
+
+She jumped down into his arms and started to lick his cheek.
+
+"Oh, Tina, Tina," he sighed, as he hugged her close. "All this time I
+have been asleep! I have been dreaming about old Pompeii! It was not
+true. It was a dream. Dio mio, how happy I am!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+TONY, ANNA, AND TINA
+
+
+Tony sat up and stretched. He felt very weak but the fever had passed.
+The day was young. Nobody stirred in the streets of Pompeii. It was too
+early for the gates to open.
+
+Tony arose. "Come," he said to his dog. "Let us go. We can crawl through
+the fence. We shall have breakfast. Then, I know what I shall do."
+
+It was all so simple. It had come to him quite suddenly. He must be a
+thief no longer! He must take Tina back to Anna. Tina was Anna's pet.
+
+He bought some food for the dog. But Tony himself could not eat. His
+heart ached. He was going to lose his dear little friend.
+
+But it was the only thing to do. He saw that now. He shuddered as he
+recalled his horrible dream. Why, perhaps if he had been a truthful
+boy the ancient people might have believed him!
+
+If they had believed him, think how many lives could have been saved!
+
+He suddenly laughed aloud.
+
+"It was, after all, only a dream," he reminded himself. "But I shall
+always remember how terrible it is not to be believed!"
+
+All morning he walked. Several times he would have liked to stop, for
+his head felt curiously light and his legs trembled. But he was going
+to bring Tina back to Anna. He could not be happy until he had done
+that!
+
+He approached Anna's house. It looked so new and shiny. The flowers and
+trees made a pretty frame for it. How different from the ugly houses
+in the poor section of Naples where he lived.
+
+It would be pleasant to wake up in the morning and smell the fields
+and the Bay. Not the horrible odors of narrow streets. Dust and dirt
+and cooking things!
+
+[Illustration: TONY TRIED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING]
+
+He must go bravely to the front door and ring the bell. He must confess
+to Anna's father all that he had done. He was ready to take his
+punishment like a brave soldier of Italy!
+
+"Good-day."
+
+The front door opened. Anna's mother stood there with Anna close
+beside her.
+
+When Anna caught sight of her pet, she cried out, "Niki! Oh, I thought
+you were lost! I thought the naughty boy had stolen you! Come to me,
+Niki!"
+
+She held out her arms. But Tony drew Tina away from her. Why did his
+throat feel so full and queer? Why did his nose tickle and his eyes
+blur with tears?
+
+No! No! He could not give up his Tina! Anna had everything and he had
+only this little dog! It was not fair.
+
+He planted his poor, wobbly legs as sturdily as he could. His dark eyes
+flashed at the little girl.
+
+"Do not touch her!" he cried. "She bites!"
+
+Anna shrank back, afraid.
+
+"She is a bad dog!" continued Tony. "It is not safe for you to keep
+her. She has bitten me."
+
+The mother went forward and gently touched Tony's sleeve.
+
+"Where has the dog bitten you, my poor boy?" she inquired.
+
+"Er--on my back!" lied Tony.
+
+"Turn around and let me see," said the good woman.
+
+But Tony did not turn around. Instead, he fell upon his knees and
+clutched the skirt of Anna's mother.
+
+"I have lied again! Oh, forgive me!" he sobbed. "What I just said
+was not true. Tina does not bite. She is the gentlest little dog
+that ever lived. And I am the greatest liar!"
+
+He was sobbing so that the woman could hardly understand him. He
+tried hard to explain everything that had happened to him. But he
+felt weak and could barely talk.
+
+Anna's mother raised him to his feet and led him to a bedroom. Here she
+undressed him and prepared a bath.
+
+At first this frightened Tony. There were no bathrooms in the house
+where he had lived! But somehow, he felt that this kind woman would not
+hurt him. He allowed her to bathe him and put him to bed.
+
+He soon found himself tucked between clean, cool sheets. The woman was
+offering him something to drink. His eyes were closing. Then he was
+asleep.
+
+When he awoke it was late afternoon. The window shades were drawn and
+the room was fairly dark.
+
+Tony lay gazing up at the smooth, white ceiling. He felt well and strong
+now. He thought that he loved the mother of Anna better than anyone he
+had ever known. Yes, better even than Tina!
+
+How could he have lied to Anna again? After promising himself that he
+would change. After that terrible dream! Oh, surely that would be his
+last lie! Surely!
+
+As he lay with his thoughts, the door slowly opened. Anna peeped in.
+She held Tina in her arms. When she saw Tony's eyes open, she came into
+the room.
+
+"I thought you would like to have Niki," she said.
+
+She approached his bed. Tony held out his arms for the dog.
+
+"Her name is not Niki. It is Tina," he said.
+
+The little girl smiled.
+
+"It is Niki," she repeated.
+
+"Tina!" said Tony.
+
+"Niki!" said Anna.
+
+She was laughing now. So was Tony.
+
+"Very well," he said. "Let us call her 'Fido.'"
+
+"Fido" is taken from an Italian word meaning "faithful."
+
+So Anna put "Tina-Niki-Fido" into Tony's arms and sat down beside him.
+
+"Papa says you are to stay here with us," she said.
+
+[Illustration: TONY, ANNA, AND TINA-NIKI-FIDO]
+
+Tony shot up in bed. A look of fear came over his face.
+
+"But your papa will discipline me!" he exclaimed.
+
+"No! No!" said Anna. "He says that you must not be afraid of him.
+Discipline does not hurt. It will make you happy to grow up good."
+
+Tony's eyes grew wide. So Anna's father, with the deep voice, wanted to
+make him happy!
+
+"Papa has just been to see the Marionette Man," went on Anna. "He told
+him all about you, poor little boy!"
+
+"And will I have to go back to Guido?" asked Tony.
+
+"No, never," replied Anna. "You are to live with us, and Papa says you
+shall join the Balilla."
+
+Join the Balilla! Live in Anna's pretty house! Never again be parted
+from his beloved Tina! Oh, it was almost too good to be true!
+
+"But your father will punish me," he said, suddenly. He could not seem
+to forget the gentleman's severe words.
+
+"No, no," said Anna. "He says he thinks you have been punished enough.
+He thinks you will obey now and never lie again. Will you promise, Tony?"
+
+Tony hung his head. "I promise," he said.
+
+"Papa always wanted a little boy of his own," continued Anna. "He will
+be so proud to have you march with the boys of Italy. And I ... I would
+like a brother."
+
+"Have you never had a brother?" asked Tony.
+
+"No," she answered, solemnly. "But I once had a monkey!"
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So Tony remained with Anna. He joined the Balilla and he never lied or
+stole again.
+
+Well, _almost_ never. At first Anna's father had to talk with him very
+seriously to make him understand the beauty of truth.
+
+When Anna grew a little older, she joined the "Piccole Italiane," the
+girls' legion.
+
+Tina-Niki-Fido did not join anything. At least, I do not think she did.
+However, if there is a "Bone-and-Biscuit Dog Scouts" in Italy, you may
+be sure she became one.
+
+She now belonged to both Tony and Anna. Still, it was Tony who cared
+for her, fed her, and slept with her.
+
+You see, between Tony and Tina it had been love at first sight!
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY
+
+
+  Amalfi                 ä mäl´f[=e]
+
+  Avanti                 ä vänt´[=e]
+
+  Balilla                b[)a]l l[=e]´l[=a]
+
+  Bella signorina        b[)e]l´[.a] s[=e]´ny[+o] r[=e]´nä
+
+  Benito Mussolini       b[)e]n [=e]´t[=o] m[=oo]s´s[+o] l[=e]´n[=e]
+
+  Campanile              k[)a]m´p[.a] n[)i]l
+
+  Cimabue                ch[=e]´mä b[=oo]´[=a]
+
+  Colosseum              k[)o]l´[)o] s[=e]´[)u]m
+
+  Dante                  d[)a]n´t[+e]
+
+  Dio mio                d[=e]´[=o] m[=e]´[=o]
+
+  Doge                   d[=o]j
+
+  Felicissima notte      f[=a] l[=e] ch[=e]´s[+e] m[.a] n[=o]´t[)e]
+
+  Fontana Trevi          f[)o]n tä´nä tr[)e]´v[=e]
+
+  Genoa                  j[)e]n´[+o] [.a]
+
+  Giotto                 jôt´t[=o]
+
+  Giuseppe Verdi         j[=oo] s[)e]p´p[=a] vâr´d[=e]
+
+  Grazie                 gr[.a]tz´i [)e]
+
+  Il Duce                [=el] d[=oo]´ch[=a]
+
+  Lucullus               l[+u] k[)u]l´[)u]s
+
+  Mia                    m[=e]´[.a]
+
+  Milan                  m[)i] l[)a]n´
+
+  Niki                   n[=e]´k[=e]
+
+  Palazzo San Giorgio    p[)a]l ätz´[=o] sän j[+o]r´jy[=o]
+
+  Piccole Italiane       p[=e]´c[=o] l[)e] [)i] täl [)i] än´[)e]
+
+  Stromboli              str[+o]m´b[+o] l[+e]
+
+  Tina                   t[=e]´nä
+
+  Torrone                tôr r[=o]´n[)e]
+
+  Viva Italia            v[=e]´vä [+e] täl´yä
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+
+1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.
+
+2. The list of illustrations with their page numbers have been added
+after the table of contents.
+
+3. Images have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the closest
+paragraph break.
+
+4. In this etext, a letter with a diacritical mark is enclosed within
+square brackets. For example, diacritical marks for letter 'e' are shown
+below:
+
+  [)e] represents 'letter e with breve above'
+  [=e]            'letter e with macron above'
+  [+e]            'letter e with up tack above'
+
+Similar representation is used for vowels other than 'e'. The following
+two also appear within this etext:
+
+  [.a] represents 'letter a with dot above'
+  [=oo]           'letters oo with combined macron above'
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Little Tony of Italy, by Madeline Brandeis
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40621 ***