Monday with a Mad Genius

by Mary Pope Osborne

  As they crossed the bridge, it was hard to look for Leonardo. The light was dim and the walkway inside the bridge was filled with people.

  Jack and Annie squeezed through the crowd to the other side of the bridge. The sunlight was so bright that Jack still couldn’t see clearly. He shaded his eyes with his hand. “I still don’t see him,” he said.

  “We can ask again,” said Annie. “That girl said everyone knows Leonardo!” She headed to a shop near the riverbank. Weavers were hanging colorful fabrics on a line. The red and purple silks waved in the breeze.

  “Excuse me!” Annie called. “Have you seen Leonardo da Vinci this morning?”

  A toothless old woman smiled. “Oh, yes! Leonardo passed by only a moment ago,” she said. “On his way to the bakery, I think.” She pointed down a narrow lane. “He goes there every morning.”

  “Thanks!” said Annie.

  Jack and Annie hurried to the bakery. The delicious smell of baking bread filled the air.

  “Excuse me, did Leonardo da Vinci come in here?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, he just bought his daily loaf of bread,” said the baker. “He always goes to the cheese shop next.” He pointed across the street.

  “Thanks!” said Jack.

  Jack and Annie crossed the busy street to the cheese shop. “Is Leonardo da Vinci here?” asked Annie.

  “He just left,” said the cheese man. He pointed up the street. “He was going to the blacksmith’s.”

  “Oh, brother,” said Jack.

  “Thanks!” said Annie, and they headed up the street.

  “I can’t wait to meet him!” said Annie.

  “Me too,” said Jack. “If we ever catch up to him.”

  Loud hammering noises were coming from a shop. Jack and Annie looked inside and saw a blacksmith pounding a horseshoe with a huge iron hammer. A fire was roaring in a hearth nearby.

  “Excuse me!” Jack shouted.

  The burly man stopped pounding.

  “Was Leonardo da Vinci just here?” asked Jack.

  “Yes, he paid me for his iron pots,” the blacksmith said gruffly. “Finally.”

  “Do you know where he was going next?” asked Jack.

  “Headed for the market, in a big hurry, as usual,” said the blacksmith, nodding toward the street. Then he went back to pounding.

  Jack and Annie ran up the street. They rounded a corner and stepped into a huge square. Sunlight shone down on hundreds of tents and stalls. The air smelled of fish and cinnamon and other spices.

  “Oh, man,” said Jack. “It’s huge!”

  The market was jam-packed with shoppers. It was hard to see over the heads of all the grownups. “We could spend all day looking for Leonardo here,” said Jack.

  “This is not good,” said Annie. “We’re supposed to spend the day helping him, not looking for him! Remember the rhyme said, ‘Help the genius all day long, morning, noon, and afternoon, till the night bird sings its song.’”

  “Yeah, whatever that means,” said Jack.

  “Hey, maybe we should use the wand now,” said Annie. “This situation fits the rules. Finding Leonardo is not just for our good—it’s to help Merlin. And I think we’ve tried our hardest.”

  “Okay, let’s use it.” Jack slipped the Wand of Dianthus out of his bag and handed it to Annie. “Five words,” he said.

  “I know, I know,” she said. She held up the wand and counted her words on her fingers: “Help. Us. Find. Leonardo. Now.”

  Jack and Annie held their breath and waited. But nothing changed. Everything around them looked exactly the same.

  “It’s not working,” said Jack. “What did we do wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” said Annie. “I used five words.

  It’s definitely good for others. Maybe we haven’t really tried our hardest yet.”

  Jack sighed. “Okay let’s keep trying.” He took back the wand and slipped it into his bag.

  “Oh, look at the birds over there!” said Annie. She pulled Jack over to a stall that sold caged birds. Only one bird was singing: a brown bird with a reddish tail. He was very plain, but he sang beautifully with whistles and trills.

  “Hi, you,” said Annie.

  The bird tilted his head and looked straight at Annie. He chirped softly.

  “Come on, Annie, we can’t waste time here,” said Jack. “We have to keep looking for Leonardo.”

  “But didn’t you hear his song?” said Annie. “He wants to fly away. He wants to be free.”

  Jack looked around for the bird seller. He was standing nearby talking to a customer. “Forget it, Annie. We don’t have money to pay for him,” said Jack.

  “But he wants me to help him,” said Annie. “I can feel it.” She reached toward the cage door.

  “Annie, don’t!” said Jack.

  But Annie unlatched the door. The bird hopped onto the ground.

  “Oh, no!” said Jack. He grabbed for the bird, but he was too late. The brown bird was already flying away into the blue sky.

  “Yay!” said Annie.

  “Hey!” shouted the bird seller, rushing over to them. “Were you trying to steal my bird?”

  “We weren’t stealing him!” said Annie. “We were setting him free!”

  The bird seller grabbed Jack by the arm. “You’ll have to pay for him, then!” he barked.

  “But … but …,” stammered Jack.

  “Marco, unhand that boy!” a man’s voice boomed.

  Jack turned to see a tall man in a purple cloak and floppy blue cap. He had a long nose, bright, kind eyes with heavy eyebrows, and a flowing beard. He looked exactly like the man on the cover of their book.

  “Leonardo!” said Annie. “The wand worked!”

  “Let the boy go, Marco,” Leonardo said again.

  “But I caught him trying to steal my bird,” said Marco.

  “No, Marco. The girl said they were setting him free,” said Leonardo. “And I believe her.”

  “Then let them pay me!” the bird seller said.

  “We don’t have any money,” Annie said in a small voice.

  “I will take care of it,” said Leonardo. He put down the basket he was carrying. It was filled with flowers, cheese, and a loaf of bread. He pulled out a gold coin. The bird seller let go of Jack and took the coin.

  “Marco, when I lay in my cradle as a child, a bird flew down and struck me with its tail,” said Leonardo. “Ever since then, I have wished—”

  “I know, I know,” interrupted Marco, “to be a bird yourself. You have told me this many times, Leonardo.” The bird seller turned away to help a customer.

  Leonardo turned to Jack and Annie. “Yes,” he said, “to be a bird myself—which is why I often buy birds from Marco and set them free. So you see, my friends, you and I are kindred spirits.”

  “Yes, we are!” said Annie, grinning.

  “Thanks for helping us!” said Jack. He gave Leonardo a big smile. He wanted the great genius to like them so they could spend the whole day with him. “I’m Jack and this is my sister, Annie. Actually it was Annie who freed—”

  But Leonardo didn’t give Jack a chance to finish. He kept talking. “In truth, I love all creatures! Every bird and animal known to man—and even the ones not known!” He laughed heartily.

  “Me too!” said Annie.

  “Me too!” said Jack.

  Leonardo picked up some bird feathers from the ground. “Ah, beautiful,” he said, holding them up to the sun. “I will sketch these later.” He tucked the feathers into his basket with the bread and cheese and flowers. “Well, I must be on my way now, friends,” he said. “Good day!” Leonardo turned and began walking briskly away from the bird stand.

  Oh, no! thought Jack.

  Before he could think of anything to say, Annie shouted, “Mr. da Vinci! Leonardo!”

  Leonardo looked back at her. “Yes?”

  “Do you … um … do you need any help today?” Annie asked. “Jack and I would really, really like to help yo
u … all day … somehow.”

  Jack was embarrassed. He was sure Leonardo would say no. But to his surprise, the great genius was looking at them closely and tapping his chin. “Well … actually I am facing a great task this morning,” he said with a smile. He nodded. “Yes. Perhaps you could be my apprentices—just for today.”

  “Great!” said Annie.

  “What’s an apprentice?” asked Jack.

  “Apprentices help a master artist or skilled worker,” said Leonardo. “They work hard and study hard in hopes they’ll become masters themselves someday.”

  “Cool,” said Jack.

  “Come along, then!” said Leonardo. He started walking again. Jack and Annie hurried alongside him. They left the crowded market and started up a cobblestone street.

  “Do you children live in Florence?” asked Leonardo.

  “No, we’re from … um … far away,” said Jack.

  “We’re here on a mission,” said Annie. “We’re looking for the secret of happiness.”

  Leonardo smiled. “Ah, yes, I discovered that secret some time ago,” he said.

  “You did?” asked Jack.

  “Yes, it’s something I sought and now I have it,” said Leonardo. “It’s really quite simple.”

  “What is it?” said Jack.

  “The secret of happiness is fame,” said Leonardo.

  “Really? Fame?” said Annie.

  “Yes!” said Leonardo. “When I look into the eyes of complete strangers and see their awe and admiration—that makes me very happy!”

  As Leonardo strode a few feet ahead of them, Annie looked at Jack. “Fame,” she said. “I guess that’s our answer.”

  “I don’t know,” said Jack in a soft voice. “Remember what the rhyme said: ‘Though the question is quite simple, simple answers might be wrong.’”

  “Oh, yeah!” said Annie. “And the rhyme says that to learn the answer, we have to stay with him all day.”

  “Yep,” said Jack. He didn’t mind that part. Spending the day with one of the most amazing geniuses who ever lived seemed like a great idea.

  Jack and Annie followed Leonardo into a square with a huge cathedral. On the top of the building was the enormous eight-sided dome that they’d seen from the tree house. How did anyone ever build that? Jack wondered.

  As hundreds of people moved about the square, Leonardo stopped. He stared into the crowd. “Oh! Oh!” he said.

  “What? What?” asked Annie.

  “I see an angel!” said Leonardo.

  “An angel?” said Jack. He looked at the crowd. He didn’t see any angels.

  “Over there!” Leonardo pointed to a short, dark-haired girl standing by herself. The girl didn’t look at all like an angel to Jack. She looked like an ordinary kid.

  Leonardo put down his basket, untied a small book from his belt, and pulled out a piece of chalk. He started to draw. “I have been seeking an angel for one of my paintings,” he murmured as he sketched the girl. “I think I may have found her.”

  In a moment, Leonardo was done. “There.” He showed his sketch to Jack and Annie. With just a few quick lines, he had created an angel. The drawing looked just like the real girl, yet somehow she really did look like an angel now.

  “That’s the nicest angel I’ve ever seen,” said Annie.

  “Hmm, I don’t know,” said Leonardo. “I fear the nose is not quite right. I’m afraid I must keep looking.” He tore the page out of his sketchbook. “Perhaps you and Jack would like to have this?”

  “Oh … yes!” said Annie. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll carry it,” said Jack. He took the drawing from Leonardo and carefully slid it into his bag, between the pages of their research book.

  Leonardo put away his chalk and sketchbook and picked up his basket. “Come along,” he said.

  Jack and Annie half walked and half ran, trying to keep up with Leonardo’s long strides.

  “When I travel through the streets, I am always gathering information,” Leonardo said. “I observe like a scientist. For instance, after years of observation, I now know there are ten different types of noses.”

  “Really?” said Annie. She felt her nose.

  “Yes,” said Leonardo, “straight, round, pointed, flat, narrow…. Of course that is from the side. If you look people straight in the face, you will find eleven types of noses.”

  “No kidding,” said Jack.

  Jack tried to get a good look at the noses they passed. He saw flat ones, round ones, straight ones … but many were hard to describe.

  “My observations have also led me to conclude that there are many more types of mouths than noses,” said Leonardo. “But the location of every mouth is almost always the same. It is halfway between the base of the nose and the chin.”

  “Really?” said Annie. She held up two fingers, trying to measure the distance between her nose, mouth, and chin. “I think you’re right, Leonardo.”

  “I study people’s expressions and gestures,” said Leonardo. “I study their hands, their eyes, their hair. But to be a truly great artist, you must learn to combine your observations with your imagination.” Suddenly he stopped. “Look up, look up!”

  Jack and Annie stopped and looked up.

  “See the clouds?” said Leonardo.

  A few billowy clouds dotted the sky.

  “What do they look like to you?” asked Leonardo. “What sorts of things?”

  Big white blobs, thought Jack.

  “The biggest one looks sort of like a castle,” said Annie.

  “Good, good!” said Leonardo.

  “And that little one looks like a dog’s head,” said Annie, “like a Scottie puppy.”

  A Scottie puppy? thought Jack. He squinted, trying to see a puppy.

  “Excellent!” said Leonardo. “And you, Jack? What about that one?” He pointed at a long cloud. “What do you see?”

  Jack studied it. “Uh … well, I guess it sort of looks like a boat,” he said.

  “Wonderful!” said Leonardo. “I get ideas for my paintings from everything! I look at a watermark on a wall and see an old woman’s face. I look at a food stain on my tablecloth and see a horse! I study rain puddles and rocks and see oceans and mountains!”

  “Oh, I do that kind of thing, too!” said Annie.

  “I imagine that the very first drawing might have been a simple line drawn around the shadow of a man on the wall of a cave,” said Leonardo.

  “Wow,” breathed Annie.

  Pretty cool, thought Jack. He liked Leonardo’s way of thinking.

  “Listen now to the cathedral bells,” said Leonardo.

  Jack listened. The bells played notes that went up and down:

  Bong-bing-bong-bing.

  Bong-bing-bong-bing.

  “I hear the bells’ voices as if they were singing to me,” said Leonardo. “Can you hear what they are saying?”

  Well … no, thought Jack. He just heard bongs and bings.

  “They’re saying: You have much to do this Monday, Leonardo da Vinci! Get to work!” Leonardo laughed. “So let us be on our way, my friends!” And the great genius took off, walking quickly through the streets of Florence.

  Jack and Annie hurried to keep up with Leonardo. “So where are we going?” Annie asked.

  “To the palace of the great council,” said Leonardo. “I was hired to paint a fresco in the council hall. I have been working on it for months.”

  “What’s a fresco?” asked Jack.

  “It is a work of art painted onto a wall,” said Leonardo. “One must spread plaster on the wall and then paint very quickly before it dries.”

  “Sounds like fun,” said Annie.

  “Not for me,” said Leonardo. “I believe great art requires much thought. I like to paint slowly, and I change things as I go along. So for this fresco, I have invented a special oil paint that dries very slowly.”

  “Does it work?” said Jack.

  “Too well,” said Leonardo. “Now I have a new p
roblem: Neither the plaster nor my oil paints have dried at all.”

  “Oh, no,” said Annie.

  “But today all will be well!” Leonardo said cheerfully. “I have a plan to speed up the drying process. This morning I will fix everything!”

  Leonardo led Jack and Annie into a square with a large building. “There it is,” he said. “The palace of the great council.”

  The palace looked like a fortress. It had rough-looking stone walls and a tower that rose high into the air.

  “The palace is a very important place,” said Leonardo. “It is where the governing council of Florence meets. Come along.” He opened one of the grand doors and guided Jack and Annie into a courtyard with a fountain. “This way to the council hall,” he said, “and the latest work of Leonardo da Vinci.”

  Leonardo bounded up some steps and down a corridor. Jack and Annie hurried after him until he passed through another grand doorway and stopped.

  Leonardo put down his basket and raised his hands. “My fresco,” he said.

  “Oh, man,” breathed Jack.

  They were in an enormous room with tall, arched windows and vast white walls. Several young men stood on a wooden platform on the far side of the room. On the wall above them was a giant painting of a battle scene. It showed a tangle of men on horseback, fighting over a flag.

  The men in the painting seemed to be in a fury as they slashed at each other with their swords. Their faces were twisted, their mouths snarling. Even their horses looked wild and angry.

  “The city has paid me to paint a scene from a battle once fought to defend Florence,” said Leonardo. “They wanted me to paint a scene of glory. But I believe war is a beastly madness. I hope my painting shows that.”

  “Oh, it does,” said Annie.

  Jack nodded. It was the scariest painting he’d ever seen.

  “Zorro!” called Leonardo.

  One of the young men on the platform climbed down a ladder and jumped to the floor. He was a sturdy-looking teenager with a red face and wavy black hair.

  “Are things any better this morning?” asked Leonardo.

  “No, the paint is still very damp to the touch,” said Zorro.

  “Then let us proceed with our plan,” said Leonardo. “Did the pots arrive from the blacksmith?”