"See that smoking mountain, Molly! Look! I believe it is a volcano. It
is Mount Vesuvius. Yes, I know it is Mount Vesuvius!"
May, the Sunbonnet Baby, was talking with Molly, her little Sunbonnet
Baby sister. They were standing on the deck of a great ocean steamer.
They had been sailing on the steamer for days and days. They had
sailed more than four thousand miles away from their home in America.
Now they were almost at the end of their journey. They would very soon
be in Italy.
The big steamer was moving slowly up the beautiful Bay of Naples,
straight toward the busy, noisy city of Naples. Rising from the
shore, not far away, was the smoking mountain of Vesuvius, about which
the Sunbonnet Babies' father had told them such strange stories.
He told them that Mount Vesuvius was like a great kettle full of
boiling rock, that sometimes the fire under the kettle becomes so hot
it boils over, covering the mountain sides and even the plains with
melted rock and hot ashes. Such mountains, he said, are called
volcanoes.
Molly and May stood on the deck of the steamer eagerly watching the
smoking volcano, wondering if it would ever boil over again.
"I almost wish it would boil over now!" cried Molly. "Wouldn't it be
wonderful to see red-hot rock come right out of the top of the
mountain and fall down all around it!"
"Yes, it would be wonderful," said May, "but I am sure I don't want to
see it. The hot ashes might even reach us here on the steamer."
"Father says he will take us to see the old city of Pompeii, which was
buried by Vesuvius nearly two thousand years ago. Men are digging
away the ashes and cinders now, so we can see just how the people used
to live."
[Illustration: _"Pompeii must be right over there," said May_]
"Pompeii must be right over there near the foot of the mountain," said
May. "Isn't it strange to think that those trees and farms may be
growing on top of an old, old city?"
"Look at the big city just ahead of our boat!" cried Molly. "It is
Naples. We are almost there!"
"Why, the city is the shape of a big, new moon," said May. "It curves
right around the shore of this lovely, blue bay, and climbs up
the hillside to meet the blue sky. Our boat is sailing straight in
between the long points."
"O May! Do you suppose it is snowing at home to-day? It seems like
summer here, but it is really the middle of March. The trees and the
grass are all green. And there is a boat full of oranges and lemons
just being unloaded."
"See that basketful of beautiful roses! I hope we can go ashore
quickly. I want to buy a lovely red rose for mother to wear."
Not many minutes later the happy travelers were hurrying from the big
steamer. There were other travelers going ashore, too, and a crowd of
noisy, jolly people seemed to be waiting for them. Most of the women
and little girls were bareheaded and wore gay-colored dresses and
aprons. They were very much interested in the strange travelers,
especially in the two little Sunbonnet Babies.
A smiling, brown-eyed Italian girl ran along beside them, peeping at
the two happy faces hidden under the big sunbonnets, and talking very
fast in a soft, sweet voice.
[Illustration: _They knew she liked them because she smiled so
sweetly_]
The Sunbonnet Babies could not understand one word she said, but they
knew she liked them because she smiled so sweetly.
If it had not been for this kind little girl, Molly and May might
easily have been frightened. A great many men and boys were standing
close about them shouting and swinging their arms, trying to get
passengers for their carriages. Even the Sunbonnet Babies' father did
not quite know what to do, so many men wanted to carry his bags for
him.
[Illustration: _She took Molly and May each by the hand_]
The little girl, seeing his trouble, looked up with a smile and asked
him to follow her. She then took Molly and May each by the hand and
led them through the crowd to a long line of carriages. In a moment a
smiling, brown-eyed man was beside them, bowing and offering to drive
them to their hotel.
The little girl called the man _il padre_, which means "father," and
he spoke to her as _Tessa mia_, which means "my Tessa." Indeed, the
little girl looked so much like the brown-eyed man, it was easy
to guess that she was his own little daughter. They had the same
bright smile, the same soft voice, and the same kind manner.
[Illustration: _They each took a big brown penny out of their bags_]
The travelers gladly stepped into the man's low carriage and told him
where to drive them, saying a pleasant _grazie_ to the little girl
whom they were leaving behind. Yes, they did something more than just
say "thank you." They each took a big brown penny from their bags and
dropped the pennies into Tessa's hand.
Then they all three said _grazie_ again, and laughed and waved their
good-bys. The driver cracked his long whip, and the horses dashed away
up the busy street.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: The First Drive]
[Illustration]