The Sunbonnet Babies were now really frightened. The streets were
crowded, and the drivers all seemed to be trying to get ahead of the
carriages in front of them. They cracked their whips, they shouted to
one another in loud voices, and they drove their horses as fast as
they could make them go.
The noise and the strange faces and the stranger language might have
frightened even the Overall Boys just a little, if they had been with
Molly and May.
But no one needed to be frightened. The men in Naples are fine
drivers, though they do like to make a great show about it. And the
nervous little horses enjoy dashing through the streets to the sound
of cracking whips.
Everybody was jolly and happy, so the Sunbonnet Babies soon forgot
their fears and began to enjoy their first drive in Italy. The
carriage passed along a busy street where there were many small shops
and handsome stores.
After a few minutes Molly said, in a somewhat disappointed voice,
"Why, this street looks like the streets in our city at home. I
thought it would look different in Italy."
"Look up that side street," said her father. "Did you ever see a
street like that in America?"
"That is not a street, father," said Molly. "That is a long flight of
stairs. But why do they build stairs out of doors?"
"Yes, that is a street, and a very popular one, too," said her father.
"Naples is built on the side of a hill, you know, and many of the
streets that go up the hill are flights of steps like this one."
"O father, may we get out and walk a little way up the street?" asked
Molly. "I want to see what all those people are doing."
"And I want to take some pictures with my camera," said May.
[Illustration: _They lifted the long, white strips of macaroni high
above their heads_]
So they quickly got out of the carriage and began climbing the long
flight of steps. It was about noon, and some of the people seemed to
be eating their midday meal.
One poor old man was sitting on a step eating some hard bread and
olives. Near him were two barefooted boys who had just bought a plate
heaping full of macaroni. A man stood in an open doorway cooking the
macaroni over a queer little stove and selling it to the people.
The boys had no knives or forks to use, but fingers were much
better. They lifted the long white strips of macaroni high above their
heads, then they opened their mouths very wide, and down it slipped.
They didn't bite it, they didn't chew it, they just sucked the long
pieces down their throats as fast as they could. They seemed to be
racing with each other to see who could swallow the most in the
shortest time.
Molly and May watched the boys anxiously until the macaroni was all
gone. Then how they laughed and clapped their hands! They thought it
was the strangest dinner and the strangest game they had ever seen.
The boys thought it was a fine dinner. They were business boys. That
morning they had sold more brushes and fans than usual, so they were
celebrating by having some delicious macaroni for dinner.
[Illustration]
These boys made their own brushes and fans, and went about the streets
selling them. Of course Molly and May each bought one of the fans, for
they wanted the boys to have another good dinner the next day.
As the little party walked on up the steps they saw many things that
were strange and interesting. Little children were leaning out of the
high windows, talking and laughing with other children in the houses
across the way.
Women were hanging out their washing on ropes stretched from one
window to another, and talked loudly with people who were on the steps
below.
One woman stood on a narrow iron balcony in front of her window and
lowered a basket by a long rope. When the basket reached the steps, a
small boy ran to it and took out a covered bowl in which he found two
big copper pennies.
The boy carried the pennies to a man near by, who was making hot snail
soup over a small stove. The man filled the bowl with some of his
delicious soup, and the boy put it carefully back into the basket.
Then the woman drew it slowly up, up to her high balcony.
The small boy reached the balcony almost as quickly as the basket did,
for he knew that some of that hot soup was for him, and he liked snail
soup almost better than macaroni.
[Illustration: _One woman stood on an iron balcony, lowered a basket
by a long rope_]
As Molly and May watched the preparations for dinner on the little
balcony, May suddenly cried, "Look! Look! They have a big dog up
there!"
"No, that is not a dog, it is a goat," said her father. "I suppose it
lives up there with the family and gives them milk every day. That
family must have more money than most of the people who live on this
street. They eat snail soup for dinner, they have a balcony in front
of their window, and they keep a goat."
"Perhaps the little boy's father owns one of these small shops and
makes lots of money selling macaroni, or soup, or onions, or bread, or
flowers, or roasted chestnuts," said May.
"Well, shall we buy our dinner here, or shall we go to the hotel for
it?" asked their father. "Wouldn't you like some snail soup, or
macaroni, or onions for dinner?"
"Oh, no, no!" cried both Molly and May. "We are hungry, but we don't
want snail soup or onions."
So they hurried back to their carriage and were soon driving rapidly
up the hill to a fine hotel, where they were to stay for several days.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Seeing Strange Sights]
[Illustration]