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 to
them. Once he brought his little daughter, Tessa, for Molly and May
wanted very much to see their first little Italian friend again.
That morning Pietro drove them across the city to visit the great
museum. Tessa had been to the museum many times, and knew which rooms
would interest the Sunbonnet Babies most.
"Follow me," she said. "I will show you the oldest and loveliest
things you ever saw."
Fortunately the Sunbonnet Babies' father and mother understood Tessa's
language, so they could tell Molly and May in English all that Tessa
said in Italian. Before long the two little girls began to
understand 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 by
the volcano in the year seventy-nine. It remained buried more than
seventeen hundred years. In fact, the world had forgotten all about
the old city, when one day an Italian workman discovered a very old
house right underneath his farm. Some say he was digging a well when
he discovered it.
Other men helped dig away the earth and ashes, and now, after more
than a hundred years, a large part of the old city is uncovered.
The strangest thing about it is that the ashes and cinders which
buried the city did very little injury to the houses, except to crush
in the roofs.
Many of the beautiful paintings on the walls of the houses, as well as
lovely marble vases and fountains, are almost as perfect now as when
they were buried so many, many years ago. But the sun and the rain and
the air might spoil them if they were left in the uncovered
houses, now that the ashes have been taken out. So the best things
have been carried up to the city of Naples and put in the museum there
for safe-keeping.
It was some of these interesting old things Tessa wanted the Sunbonnet
Babies to see. They wandered together through room after room of the
great museum, looking at vases and dishes of all shapes and kinds.
There were queer old bronze pots and pans and kettles, and lovely
bottles and pitchers made of beautiful blue-green glass. There was an
iron fireplace, and there were queer bronze lamps and money chests and
rings and bracelets and combs and needles and thimbles and fishhooks.
But the children were most interested in some slates and slate pencils
and inkstands and pens and musical instruments which they found there.
"It looks as if the boys and girls who lived two thousand years ago
had to study and practice just as we do now," said Molly.
"Yes, and the women baked bread, too," said Tessa. "Here are some
round loaves that a poor woman was taking out of her oven when
the ashes from the volcano covered her."
[Illustration: _The children were interested in some slates and slate
pencils_]
"And here are jars of apricots and olives which were put up nearly two
thousand years ago. I wonder how they would taste now."
"I am glad I don't have to eat them," said Molly. "But when are we
going 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 hungry
now, 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 not
too 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 as
he can sew."
"Do you know what that man on the corner is doing?" asked Pietro.
"He is writing," said May.
[Illustration]
"Yes," said Pietro. "He writes letters for people who cannot write for
themselves. He is writing a letter now for the woman who stands beside
him. She tells him what she wants to say and he writes it down for
her. A great many of our people cannot read or write, so the public
letter writers do a very good business."
[Illustration: _"Oh! oh! oh! May we have them?" they cried all
together_]
"I should rather sell flowers than write letters," said Tessa.
"So should I!" exclaimed May. "Look at the beautiful roses that man
has to sell. He wants us to buy some. Please stop, Pietro!"
But before Pietro could stop his horses, the man had sprung up onto
the low step of the carriage and was holding a big bunch of beautiful
roses right in front of the three happy children.
"Oh! oh! oh! May we have them? How much are they?" they cried all
together.
"Una lira, signorine, una lira," said the man, smiling and lifting his
cap.
"O father!" cried May. "He will sell us a big bouquet of beautiful
roses for one lira. That is only a few cents, isn't it? Please buy
some for us."
In a moment one bunch of the lovely roses was in Molly's hands and
another bunch was in May's hands and another in Tessa's hands, while
the happy flower man hurried back to his stand with three whole lire
in his pocket.
A little later Pietro and Tessa were driving alone toward their home
on a crowded side street. Tessa still held the lovely roses, and tied
up in her handkerchief was the money the Sunbonnet Babies' father had
paid Pietro and his little daughter for taking care of them all the
forenoon. It seemed a real fortune to Tessa. She had a wonderful time
planning how she would like to spend it, and thinking about her
generous little American friends.
[Illustration: An Afternoon in the Park]
[Illustration]