CHAPTER VII
STATUES, MUSIC, AND CHEESE
Tony, under the window, squirmed unhappily. He was everything that Anna'sfather had called him. Lazy! He begged! He did not always tell the truth.He was a disgrace to beautiful Naples!
But he did not want to be disciplined. He did not want to obey. He wasafraid of Anna's father with his ideas of discipline.
He shivered and huddled up closer to the house. It was growing colder,and his nose felt stuffy. How warm and cosy it looked inside!
Anna's father found the page he had been looking for.
"Now," said he, "we are going to hear about a strange mixture of things.Statues, sailors, music, and cheese!"
A FISH MARKET IN GENOA]
Tony forgot the cold. He even forgot Anna's father except for his deepvoice.
"The city of Genoa," read the deep voice, "is Italy's chief seaport.Its streets are lined with palaces. It seems that everything in Genoatakes place in a palace. Even schools are sometimes found in palaces!
"The city is surrounded by forts and strong walls.
"The Palazzo San Giorgio is the oldest bank in Europe. Here there is acurious collection of statues.
"They are the statues of men who have given money for public good. Ifyou see a seated statue, you will know that this man gave a large gift.
"If a statue is standing, it means that the gift was not so large. Nodoubt, they wish to make the generous ones more comfortable.
"Genoa might be called 'America's Cradle.' Do you know why?"
Anna did not know. But Anna was an Italian girl. You, who are Americans,surely know that Genoa was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
COLUMBUS' HOUSE: GENOA]
"Christopher Columbus used to play about the water front when he was alittle boy," read Anna's father. "When he grew up, he sailed off oneday and discovered a new country--America!
"Genoa possesses one of the largest theatres and one of the finestcemeteries in the world!"
"I would rather go to the theatre!" declared Anna.
Tony agreed with her.
So did Tina. For, at that moment, she gave a rumbling grunt, yawned,and went back to sleep.
Anna's father read on:
"In 1813, in the Province of Parma, a baby by the name of GiuseppeVerdi was born. One year after this, a terrible battle took placein the village.
"Women and children rushed to the church for protection. But the enemybroke into the church.
"Among these poor villagers was the mother of Giuseppe Verdi. With herbaby in her arms, she fled up into the belfry tower. Here she hiduntil all danger from the battle was past.
A QUAINT ITALIAN STREET]
"Think what the world would have lost if she had not done this! For thatbaby became the father of Italian opera!
"His haunting melodies are sung everywhere. You have heard them thoughyou may not know it.
"When Verdi was a little boy, he used to assist the priest in church.One day the notes of the organ carried him far away to dreamland. He didnot hear the priest ask for some water.
"No water came. The priest waited. Then he repeated, 'Water!' Still nosign from Giuseppe.
"'Water!' The priest was growing angry. He touched his dreaming assistantwith the toe of his shoe. Down the steps, head first, fell young Verdi!
"The older he grew the more Verdi loved his native land. At this timethe people of Italy were ruled by the Austrians. They were unhappy andwanted their own king, Victor Emmanuel.
"Verdi's music always stirred within them a deep love of their country.
"It was found that the name 'Verdi' could be spelled by using the firstletters of the words, '_V_ictor _E_mmanuel, _R_e _d_'_I_talia' (whichmeans, in English, "Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy").
"The Italians would cry 'Verdi! Verdi!' The Austrians thought, of course,that these were only cheers for the popular composer. But they werereally crying, 'Victor Emmanuel, King of Italy!' Had the Austriansknown this, they would have been very angry."
Anna's father looked up from the book once more.
"Did you ever hear the saying, 'From the sublime to the ridiculous?'"he asked.
"No, Papa," said Anna. "What does it mean?"
"It might mean," he replied, "that we are now going from beautifulmusic to cheese!"
Tony wondered whether the gentleman had suddenly lost his wits.
"Of course, cheese is not at all ridiculous if you like it," he wenton. "And most Italians do like it.
"Macaroni without cheese is like Mexican tamales without chile. Itis like fish without chips in England, or sausage without sauerkrautin Germany!
"Parma is not only the home of a famous composer; it is also the homeof a famous cheese! When I was there, I saw a poster of three,huge-nosed gentlemen sniffing at a piece of Parmesan cheese. Theireyes bulged with delight.
"Just as Verdi once was carried away by music, so these gentlemen werecarried away by the odor of cheese!"
Tony saw Tina's black nose wriggling in her sleep. He almost laughedaloud. Did the little dog understand what was being said?
Little Tony of Italy Page 8
