The Sunbonnet Babies in Italy Read online

  A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM

  Every morning, as long as the Sunbonnet Babies stayed in Naples,Pietro drove up to their hotel to see if he could be of service tothem. Once he brought his little daughter, Tessa, for Molly and Maywanted very much to see their first little Italian friend again.

  That morning Pietro drove them across the city to visit the greatmuseum. Tessa had been to the museum many times, and knew which roomswould interest the Sunbonnet Babies most.

  "Follow me," she said. "I will show you the oldest and loveliestthings you ever saw."

  Fortunately the Sunbonnet Babies' father and mother understood Tessa'slanguage, so they could tell Molly and May in English all that Tessasaid in Italian. Before long the two little girls began tounderstand a little of the strange language themselves.

  They spent nearly the whole forenoon in the museum looking at strange,old things that had once been in the homes of Pompeii.

  The city of Pompeii was buried under many feet of ashes thrown out bythe volcano in the year seventy-nine. It remained buried more thanseventeen hundred years. In fact, the world had forgotten all aboutthe old city, when one day an Italian workman discovered a very oldhouse right underneath his farm. Some say he was digging a well whenhe discovered it.

  Other men helped dig away the earth and ashes, and now, after morethan a hundred years, a large part of the old city is uncovered.

  The strangest thing about it is that the ashes and cinders whichburied the city did very little injury to the houses, except to crushin the roofs.

  Many of the beautiful paintings on the walls of the houses, as well aslovely marble vases and fountains, are almost as perfect now as whenthey were buried so many, many years ago. But the sun and the rain andthe air might spoil them if they were left in the uncoveredhouses, now that the ashes have been taken out. So the best thingshave been carried up to the city of Naples and put in the museum therefor safe-keeping.

  It was some of these interesting old things Tessa wanted the SunbonnetBabies to see. They wandered together through room after room of thegreat museum, looking at vases and dishes of all shapes and kinds.There were queer old bronze pots and pans and kettles, and lovelybottles and pitchers made of beautiful blue-green glass. There was aniron fireplace, and there were queer bronze lamps and money chests andrings and bracelets and combs and needles and thimbles and fishhooks.But the children were most interested in some slates and slate pencilsand inkstands and pens and musical instruments which they found there.

  "It looks as if the boys and girls who lived two thousand years agohad to study and practice just as we do now," said Molly.

  "Yes, and the women baked bread, too," said Tessa. "Here are someround loaves that a poor woman was taking out of her oven whenthe ashes from the volcano covered her."

  _The children were interested in some slates and slatepencils_]

  "And here are jars of apricots and olives which were put up nearly twothousand years ago. I wonder how they would taste now."

  "I am glad I don't have to eat them," said Molly. "But when are wegoing to Pompeii to see where all these things were found, father?"

  "We will go to-morrow, if you like," said her father. "But I am hungrynow, and Pietro is waiting outside to take us back to the hotel."

  "We are all hungry, and I guess we are all tired, too. I know I am,"said May.

  As the little party drove back through the busy streets they were nottoo tired to enjoy the sights around them.

  "I believe half the people of Naples live out of doors," said Molly."See, there is a shoemaker working at his bench right on the sidewalk.And look at that tailor, sitting by his shop door, sewing as fast ashe can sew."

  "Do you know what that man on the corner is doing?" asked Pietro.

  "He is writing," said May.

  "Yes," said Pietro. "He writes letters for people who cannot write forthemselves. He is writing a letter now for the woman who stands besidehim. She tells him what she wants to say and he writes it down forher. A great many of our people cannot read or write, so the publicletter writers do a very good business."

  _"Oh! oh! oh! May we have them?" they cried alltogether_]

  "I should rather sell flowers than write letters," said Tessa.

  "So should I!" exclaimed May. "Look at the beautiful roses that manhas to sell. He wants us to buy some. Please stop, Pietro!"

  But before Pietro could stop his horses, the man had sprung up ontothe low step of the carriage and was holding a big bunch of beautifulroses right in front of the three happy children.

  "Oh! oh! oh! May we have them? How much are they?" they cried alltogether.

  "Una lira, signorine, una lira," said the man, smiling and lifting hiscap.

  "O father!" cried May. "He will sell us a big bouquet of beautifulroses for one lira. That is only a few cents, isn't it? Please buysome for us."

  In a moment one bunch of the lovely roses was in Molly's hands andanother bunch was in May's hands and another in Tessa's hands, whilethe happy flower man hurried back to his stand with three whole lirein his pocket.

  A little later Pietro and Tessa were driving alone toward their homeon a crowded side street. Tessa still held the lovely roses, and tiedup in her handkerchief was the money the Sunbonnet Babies' father hadpaid Pietro and his little daughter for taking care of them all theforenoon. It seemed a real fortune to Tessa. She had a wonderful timeplanning how she would like to spend it, and thinking about hergenerous little American friends.

  An Afternoon in the Park]