Note: Translator Pauline Bancroft Flach died in 1966, less than 70 years ago. Therefore, this work is protected by copyright, restricting your legal rights to reproduce it. However, you are welcome to view it on screen, as you do now. Read more about copyright.
Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second book - IX. Palazzo Geraci and Palazzo Corvaja
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PALAZZO GERACI — PALAZZO CORVAJA 275
stories: “It is said,” and “It is told,” and “Once
upon a time,” she said.
Then the children were told of the Christchild
who turned himself into roses and lilies when the
Madonna met one of Herod’s soldiers, who had been
commanded to kill all children. And they were
told the legend of how the Christchild once had sat
and shaped birds out of clay, and how he clapped his
hands and gave the clay pigeons wings with which
to fly away when a naughty boy wished to break
them to pieces.
While the old lady was talking, many children
gathered about her, and also big people. It was a
Saturday evening, so that the laborers were coming
home from their work in the fields. Most of them
came up to the Corvaja fountain for water. When
they heard that some one was telling legends they
stopped to listen. Both the ladies were soon
surrounded by a close, dark wall of heavy, black cloaks
and slouch hats.
Suddenly the old lady said to the children: “Do
you like the Christchild?” “Yes, yes,” they said,
and their big, dark eyes sparkled. — “ Perhaps you
would like to see him?” — “Yes, we should
indeed.”
The lady threw back her mantilla and showed the
children a little Christ-image in a jewelled dress,
and with a gold crown on his head and gold shoes
on his feet. “Here he is,” she said. “I have
brought him with me to show you.”
The children were in raptures. First they clasped
their hands at the sight of the image’s grave face,
then they began to throw kisses to it.
“ He is beautiful, is he not ?” said the lady.
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