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024 - The Metal Pig · Hans Christian Andersen Fairytales & Short Stories Vol. 1

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty four of Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales and
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  Speaker 1: Short Stories, Volume one. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
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  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
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  Speaker 1: James Curtis. Hans Christian Andersen, Fairy Tales and Short Stories,
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  Speaker 1: Volume one, eighteen thirty five to eighteen forty two by
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  Speaker 1: hands Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paul. The Metal Pig.
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  Speaker 1: In the city of Florence, not far from the Piazza
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  Speaker 1: del Gandusa, runs a little street called Porta Rosa. In
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  Speaker 1: the street, just in front of the market place where
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  Speaker 1: vegetables are sold, stands a pig made of brass and
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  Speaker 1: curiously formed. The bright color has been changed by age
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  Speaker 1: to dark green, but clear. Fresh water pours from the snout,
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  Speaker 1: which shines as if it had been polished, and so
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  Speaker 1: indeed it has for hundreds of poor people and children
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  Speaker 1: seizes it in their hands as they placed their mouths
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  Speaker 1: close to the mouth of the animal to drink. It
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  Speaker 1: is quite a picture to see a half naked boy
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  Speaker 1: clasping the well formed creature by the head as he
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  Speaker 1: presses his rosy lips against his jaws. Every One who
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  Speaker 1: visits Florence can very quickly find the place. He has
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  Speaker 1: only to ask the first beggar he meets for the
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  Speaker 1: metal pig, and he will be told where it is.
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  Speaker 1: It was late on a winter evening. The mountains were
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  Speaker 1: covered with snow, but the moon shone brightly, and moonlight
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  Speaker 1: in Italy is like a dull winter's day in the north,
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  Speaker 1: indeed it is better, for clear air seems to raise
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  Speaker 1: us above the earth, while in the north a cold, gray,
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  Speaker 1: leaden sky appears to press us down to earth, even
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  Speaker 1: as the cold, damp earth shall one day press on us.
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  Speaker 1: In the grave in the garden of the Grand Duke's Palace,
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  Speaker 1: under the roof of one of the wings, where a
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  Speaker 1: thousand roses bloom in water, a little ragged boy had
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  Speaker 1: been sitting the whole day long, a boy who might
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  Speaker 1: serve as a type of Italy, lovely and smiling and
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  Speaker 1: yet still suffering. He was hungry and thirsty, yet no
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  Speaker 1: one give him anything. And when it became dark, when
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  Speaker 1: they were about to close the gardens, the porter turned
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  Speaker 1: him out. He stood a long time musing on the bridge,
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  Speaker 1: which crosses the Arno, and looking at the glittering stars
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  Speaker 1: reflected in the water which flowed between him and the
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  Speaker 1: elegant marble bridge de la Trinita. He then walked away
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  Speaker 1: towards the metal pig, half knelt down, clasped it with
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  Speaker 1: his arms, and then put his mouth to the shining
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  Speaker 1: snout and drank deep droughts of the fresh water. Close
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  Speaker 1: by lay a few salad leaves and two chestnuts, which
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  Speaker 1: were to serve for his supper. No one was in
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  Speaker 1: the street by himself. It belonged only to him, so
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  Speaker 1: he boldly seated himself from the pig's back, leaned forwards
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  Speaker 1: that his curly head could rest on the head of
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  Speaker 1: the animal, and before he was aware, he fell asleep.
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  Speaker 1: It was midnight. The metal pig raised himself gently, and
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  Speaker 1: the boy heard him say, quite distinctly, old type little boy,
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  Speaker 1: for I am going to run and away he started
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  Speaker 1: for a most wonderful ride. First they arrived at the
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  Speaker 1: Piazza del Gandusa, and the metal horse, which bears the
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  Speaker 1: Duke's statues, neighed aloud. The painted coat of arms and
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  Speaker 1: the old council house shone like transparent pictures, and Michelangelov
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  Speaker 1: David tossed his sling. It was as if everything had life.
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  Speaker 1: The metallic groups of figures, among which were Perseus in
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  Speaker 1: the rape of the Sabines, looked like living persons, and
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  Speaker 1: cries of terror sounded from them. All across the noble
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  Speaker 1: square by the Plaza Degliafzi, in the arcade where the
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  Speaker 1: nobility assembled for the carnival, the metal pig stopped. Hold fast,
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  Speaker 1: said the animal, hold fast, for I am going upstairs.
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  Speaker 1: The little boy said not a word. He was half
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  Speaker 1: pleased and half afraid. They entered a long gallery where
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  Speaker 1: the boy had been before. The walls were resplendent with paintings.
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  Speaker 1: Here stood statues and busts, all in a clear light
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  Speaker 1: as fit were day. But the grandest appeared when the
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  Speaker 1: door of a side room opened. The little boy could
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  Speaker 1: remember what beautiful things he had seen there. But to
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  Speaker 1: night everything shone in its brightest colors. Here stood the
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  Speaker 1: figure of a beautiful woman, as beautifully sculptured as possible
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  Speaker 1: by one of the great masters. Her graceful limbs appeared
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  Speaker 1: to move, dolphins sprang at her feet, and immortality shone
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  Speaker 1: from her eyes. The world caught her the Venus de Medici.
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  Speaker 1: By her side were a statues in which the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of life breathed in stone, figures of men, one of
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  Speaker 1: whom wetted his sword and was named the Grinder. Resting
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  Speaker 1: gladiators formed another group. The sword had been sharpen for them,
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  Speaker 1: and they strove for the goddess of beauty. The boy
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  Speaker 1: was dazzled by so much glitter, for the walls were
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  Speaker 1: gleaming with bright colors. All appeared living reality. As they
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  Speaker 1: passed from hall to hall, beauty everywhere shone itself. And
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  Speaker 1: as the metal pig went step by step from one
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  Speaker 1: picture to the other, the little boy could see it
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  Speaker 1: all plainly. One glory eclipsed another. Yet there is one
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  Speaker 1: picture that fixed itself on the little boy's memory, more
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  Speaker 1: especially because of the happy children it represented, For these
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  Speaker 1: the little boy had seen in daylight. Many passed this
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  Speaker 1: picture by of indifference, and yet it contains a treasure
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  Speaker 1: of poetic feeling. It represents Christ to descending into hades.
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  Speaker 1: They are not the lost whom the spectator sees, but
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  Speaker 1: the heathen of olden times. The Florentine and jo Le
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  Speaker 1: Bronzino painted this picture. The most beautiful is the expression
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  Speaker 1: on the face of the two children, who appear to
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  Speaker 1: have full confidence that they shall reach heaven at last.
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  Speaker 1: They are embracing each other, and one little one stretches
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  Speaker 1: out his hand towards another who stand below him, and
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  Speaker 1: points to himself, as if he were saying, I am
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  Speaker 1: going to heaven. The older people stand as if uncertain
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  Speaker 1: yet hopeful, and they bow in humble adoration to the
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  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus. On this picture, the boy's eyes rested longer
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  Speaker 1: than on any other. The metal pig stood still before it.
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  Speaker 1: A low sigh was heard. Did it come from the picture?
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  Speaker 1: From the animal? The boy raised his hands towards the
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  Speaker 1: smiling children, and then the pig ran off with him
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  Speaker 1: through the open vestibule. Thank you, thank you, you, beautiful animal,
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  Speaker 1: said the little boy, caressing the metal pig as it
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  Speaker 1: ran down the steps. Thanks to yourself, also replied the
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  Speaker 1: metal pig. I have helped you, and you have helped me.
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  Speaker 1: For it is only when I have an innocent child
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  Speaker 1: on my back that I receive the power to run. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: as you see, I can even venture under the rays
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  Speaker 1: of the lamp in front of the picture of the bandanna,
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  Speaker 1: but I may not enter the church still from without,
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  Speaker 1: and while you are upon my back, I may look
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  Speaker 1: in through the open door. Do not get down yet,
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  Speaker 1: for if you do, then I shall be lifeless, as
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  Speaker 1: you have seen me in the Porta Rosa. I will
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  Speaker 1: stay with you, my dear creature, said the little boy.
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  Speaker 1: So then they went on at a rapid pace through
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  Speaker 1: the streets of Florence. So they came to the square
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  Speaker 1: before the Church of Santa Corchi. The flolding doors flew open,
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  Speaker 1: and lights streamed from the altar through the church into
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  Speaker 1: the deserted square. A wonderful blaze of light streamed from
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  Speaker 1: one of the monuments in the left side aisle, and
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  Speaker 1: a thousand moving stars seemed to form a glory round it.
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  Speaker 1: Even the coat of arms on the tombstone shone, and
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  Speaker 1: a red ladder on a blue field gleamed like fire.
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  Speaker 1: It was the grave of Galileo. The monument is unadorned,
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  Speaker 1: but the red ladder is an emblem of art, signifying
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  Speaker 1: that the way to glory lids up a shining ladder
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  Speaker 1: on which the prophets of mine rise to heaven like
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  Speaker 1: eliuld in the right aisle of the church, every statue
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  Speaker 1: on the richly carved sucophage, seemed endowed with life. Here
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  Speaker 1: stood Michaelanggo. There Dantes with the law wreath round his brow,
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  Speaker 1: Alfieri and Machiavelli. For here, side by side arrest the
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  Speaker 1: great men the pride of Italy. Opposite to the grave
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  Speaker 1: of Galliare is the tomb of Michelangelo. His bust stands
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  Speaker 1: upon it with three figures representing sculpture, painting and architecture.
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  Speaker 1: Close by is a monument to Dantes, whose body is
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  Speaker 1: buried in a ravenna. On this monument, Italy is represented
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  Speaker 1: pointing to the colossal statue of Dantes, while poetry weeps
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  Speaker 1: over his loss. A few steps further is Alfieri's monument,
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  Speaker 1: which is adorned with laurel the lyre and dramatic masts.
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  Speaker 1: Italy weeps over the grave. Macchiavelli is the last in
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  Speaker 1: the list of these celebrated men. The church herself is
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  Speaker 1: very beautiful, even more beautiful than the marble cathedral at Florence,
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  Speaker 1: though not so large. It seemed as if the carved
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  Speaker 1: vestment stirred, and as if the marble figures they covered
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  Speaker 1: raised their heads higher to gaze upon the brightly colored
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  Speaker 1: glowing altar, where the white robed voice swung the golden
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  Speaker 1: senses amid music and song, while the strong fragrance of
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  Speaker 1: incense filled the church and streamed forth into the square.
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  Speaker 1: The boy stretched forth his hands towards the light, and
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  Speaker 1: at the same moment the metal pig started again, so
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  Speaker 1: rapidly that he was obliged to cling tightly to him.
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  Speaker 1: The wind whistled in his ears. He heard the church
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  Speaker 1: door creak on its hinges as it closed, and it
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  Speaker 1: seemed to him as if he had lost his senses.
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  Speaker 1: Then a cold shudder passed over him, and he awoke.
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  Speaker 1: It was morning. The metal pig stood in its old
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  Speaker 1: place from the portoza, and the boy found he had
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  Speaker 1: slipped nearly off its back. Fear and trembling came upon
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  Speaker 1: him as he thought of his mother. She had sent
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  Speaker 1: him out the day before to get some money. He
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  Speaker 1: had not done so, and now he was hungry and
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  Speaker 1: thirsty once more. He clasped the neck of his metal horse,
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  Speaker 1: kissed its nose, and nodded farewell to it. Then he
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  Speaker 1: wandered away into one of the narrowest streets, where there
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  Speaker 1: was scarcely room for a loaded donkey to pass. A
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  Speaker 1: great iron bound door stood ajar, and he passed through
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  Speaker 1: and climbed up a brick staircase with dirty walls and
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  Speaker 1: a rope for a balustrade, till he came to an
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  Speaker 1: open gallery hung with rags. From here a flight of
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  Speaker 1: steps led down to a court where from a well
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  Speaker 1: water was drawn up by iron rollers to the different
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  Speaker 1: stories of the house, and where the water buggets hung
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  Speaker 1: side by side. Sometimes the roller in the bucket danced
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  Speaker 1: in the air, splashing the water all over the court.
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  Speaker 1: Another broken down staircase led from the gallery, and two
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  Speaker 1: Russian sailors running down it almost upset the poor boy.
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  Speaker 1: They were coming from their nightly carousal. A woman not
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  Speaker 1: very young, with an unpleasant face and a quantity of
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  Speaker 1: black hair, followed them. What have you brought home? She
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  Speaker 1: asked when she saw the boy. Don't be angry, he pleaded,
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  Speaker 1: I received nothing. I have nothing at all, And he
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  Speaker 1: seized his mother's dress and would have kissed it. Then
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  Speaker 1: they went into the little room. I need not describe it,
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  Speaker 1: but only say that there stood in it an earthen
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  Speaker 1: pot with handles made for holding fire, which in Italy
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  Speaker 1: has called a marito. This part she took on her lap,
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  Speaker 1: warmed her fingers and pushed the boy with her elbow.
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  Speaker 1: Certainly you must have somebody. The boy began to cry,
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  Speaker 1: and then she struck him with her foot till he
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  Speaker 1: cried out louder. Will you be quiet, or I'll break
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  Speaker 1: your screaming head. And she swung about the firepot, which
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  Speaker 1: she held in her hand, while the boy crouched the
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  Speaker 1: earth and screamed. Then a neighbor came in, and she
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  Speaker 1: also had a mariito under her arm. Felicita, she said,
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  Speaker 1: what are you doing to the child? The child is mine.
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  Speaker 1: She answered, I can murder him if I like, and
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  Speaker 1: you too, Jianya. And then she swung about the firepot.
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  Speaker 1: The other woman lifted up hers to defend herself from
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  Speaker 1: the two pots clashed together so violently that they were
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  Speaker 1: dashed to pieces, and fire and ashes flew about the room.
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  Speaker 1: The poor child ran till he was quite out of breath.
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  Speaker 1: At last he stopped at the church, the doors of
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  Speaker 1: which were opened to him the night before, and went in.
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  Speaker 1: Here everything was bright, and the boy knelt down by
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  Speaker 1: the first whomb on his right, the grave of Michelangelo,
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  Speaker 1: and sobbed as if his heart would break. People came
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  Speaker 1: and went. Mass was performed, but no one noticed the boy,
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  Speaker 1: excepting an elderly citatin, who stood still and looked at
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  Speaker 1: him for a moment and then went away. Like the rest,
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  Speaker 1: Hunger and thirst overpowered the child, and he became quite
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  Speaker 1: faint and ill. At last he crept into a corner
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  Speaker 1: behind the marble monuments and went to sleep. Towards evening,
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  Speaker 1: he was awakened by a pulleted sleeve. He started up,
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  Speaker 1: and the same old citizen stood before him. Are you ill?
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  Speaker 1: Where do you live? Have you been here all day?
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  Speaker 1: Were some of the questions asked by the old man.
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  Speaker 1: After hearing his answers, the old man took him home
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  Speaker 1: to a small house close by. In a back street.
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  Speaker 1: They entered the glove maker's shop, where a woman sat
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  Speaker 1: sewing busily. A little white poodle so closely shaven that
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  Speaker 1: his pink skin could plainly be seen, frisked about the
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  Speaker 1: room and gamboled upon the boy. Innocent souls are soon intimate,
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  Speaker 1: said the woman, as she caressed both the boy and
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  Speaker 1: the These good people give their child food and drink,
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  Speaker 1: and said he should stay with them all night, and
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  Speaker 1: that the next day. The old man, who was called
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  Speaker 1: Giuseppe would go and speak to his mother. A little
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  Speaker 1: homely bed was prepared for him. But to him who
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  Speaker 1: had so often slept on the hard stones, there was
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  Speaker 1: a royal couch, and he slept sweetly and dreamed of
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  Speaker 1: the splendid pictures and of the metal pig. Giuseppe went
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  Speaker 1: out the next morning, and the poor child was not
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  Speaker 1: glad to see him go, for he knew that the
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  Speaker 1: old man was gone to his mother, and that perhaps
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  Speaker 1: he would have to go back. He wept to the thought,
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  Speaker 1: and then he played with the little lively dog and
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  Speaker 1: kissed it, while the old woman looked kindly at him
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  Speaker 1: to encourage him. And what news did Giuseppe bring back?
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  Speaker 1: At first the boy could not hear, for he talked
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  Speaker 1: a great deal to his wife, and she nodded and
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  Speaker 1: stroked the boy's cheek. Then she said, he is a
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  Speaker 1: good lad. He shall still were, thus he may become
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  Speaker 1: a clever glove maker like you. Look what delicate fingers
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  Speaker 1: he has got, for Donna intended him for a glove maker.
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  Speaker 1: So the boy stayed with them, and the woman herself
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  Speaker 1: taught him to sew, and he ate well and sept well,
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  Speaker 1: and became very merry, But at last he began to
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  Speaker 1: tease Bellissima, as the little dog was called. This made
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  Speaker 1: the woman angry, and she scolded him and threatened him,
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  Speaker 1: which made him very unhappy, and he went and sat
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  Speaker 1: in his own room full of sad thoughts. The chamber
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  Speaker 1: looked upon the street in which hung skins to dry,
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  Speaker 1: and there were thick iron bires across his window. That
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  Speaker 1: night he lay awake thinking of the metal Pig. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: it was always in his thoughts. Suddenly he fancied heard
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  Speaker 1: feet outside going a bit of pat He sprung herut
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  Speaker 1: bed and went to the window. Could it be the
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  Speaker 1: metal pig, for there was nothing to be seen. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: he had heard had passed already. Next morning, their neighbor
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  Speaker 1: the artists, passed by, carrying a paint box and a
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  Speaker 1: large roll of canvas. Help the gentleman to carry his
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  Speaker 1: box of colors, said the woman to the boy, and
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  Speaker 1: he obeyed. Instantly took the box and followed the painter.
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  Speaker 1: They walked on till they reached the picture gallery and
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  Speaker 1: mounted the same staircasse up which he had ridden that
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  Speaker 1: night on the metal Pig. He remembered all the statues
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  Speaker 1: and pictures the beautiful marble Venus, and again he looked
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  Speaker 1: at the Madonna with the Savior in Saint John. They
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  Speaker 1: stopped before the picture by Broondino, in which Christ is
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  Speaker 1: represented as standing in the lower world, with the children
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  Speaker 1: smiling before him in the sweet expectation of entering heaven,
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  Speaker 1: and the poor boy smiled too, for here was his heaven.
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  Speaker 1: You may go home now, said the painter, while the
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  Speaker 1: boy stood watching him till he had set up his easel.
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  Speaker 1: May I see you paint, asked the boy. May I
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  Speaker 1: see you put the picture on this white canvas. I
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  Speaker 1: am not going to paint yet, replied the artist. Then
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  Speaker 1: he brought out a piece of chalk. His hand moved quickly,
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  Speaker 1: and his eye measured the great picture, And though nothing
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  Speaker 1: appeared but a faint line, the figure of the Savior
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  Speaker 1: was as clearly visible as in the colored picture. Why
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  Speaker 1: don't you go, said the painter. Then the boy wandered
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  Speaker 1: home silently, and seated himself on the table and learned
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  Speaker 1: to sew gloves. But all day long his thoughts were
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  Speaker 1: in the picture gallowy, and so he prickled his fingers
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  Speaker 1: and was awkward, But he did not tease Bellissima When
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  Speaker 1: evening came and the house door stood open, he slipped out.
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  Speaker 1: It was a bright, beautiful starlight evening, but rather cold. Away.
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  Speaker 1: He went through with the already deserted streets, and soon
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  Speaker 1: came to the metal pig. He stooped down and kicked
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  Speaker 1: its shining nose, and then seated himself on its back.
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  Speaker 1: You happy creature, he said, how I have longed for you.
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  Speaker 1: We must take a ride to night. But the metal
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  Speaker 1: pig lay motionless while the fresh steam gushed forth from
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  Speaker 1: its mouth. The little boy still sat aside on its back.
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  Speaker 1: When he felt something pulling at its clothes. He looked
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  Speaker 1: down and there was Bellissima, little smooth shaven Bellissima, barking
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  Speaker 1: as if she would have said, here, I am too,
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  Speaker 1: Why are you sitting there? A fiery dragon could not
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  Speaker 1: have frightened the little boy as so much as did
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  Speaker 1: the little dog in this place. Bellissima in the street,
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  Speaker 1: and not dressed as the old lady called it, all
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  Speaker 1: would be the end of this. The dog never went
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  Speaker 1: out in winter unless she was attired in a little
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  Speaker 1: lambskin coat which had been made for her. It was
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  Speaker 1: fastened round the little dog's neck and body with red ribbons,
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  Speaker 1: and was decorated with rosette and little bells. The dog
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  Speaker 1: looked almost like a little kid when she was allowed
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  Speaker 1: to go out in winter and trot after her mistress.
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  Speaker 1: And now here she was in the cold and not dressed.
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  Speaker 1: Oh how would it all end? All his fancies were
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  Speaker 1: quickly put to flight. Yet he kissed the metal pig
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  Speaker 1: once more, and then took Billissima in his arms. The
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: poor little thing trembled so of cold that the boy
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: ran homeward as fast as he could. What are you
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: running away with? There, asked two of the police, whom
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: he met, and at whom the dog barked. Where have
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: you stolen that pretty dog? They asked, and they took
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: it away from him. Oh I have not stolen it.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: Do give it to me back again, cried the boy despairingly.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: If you have not stolen it, you may stay at
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: home that they can send the watchhouse with a dog.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Then they taught him where the watchhouse was and went
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: away with Bellissima. Here was a dreadful trouble. The boy
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: did not know whether he had better jump into the
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: arno or go home and confess everything. They would certainly
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: kill him. He thought, well, I will gladly be killed,
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: he reasoned, for then I shall die and go to heaven.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: And so he went home, almost hoping for death. The
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: door was locked and he could not reach the knocker.
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: No one was in the street, so he took up
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: a stone and with amid a tremendous noise at the door.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: Who is there, asked some one from within. It is,
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: I said he Bellissima is gone, open the door and
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: then kill me. Then, indeed there was a great panic.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: Madame was so very fond of Bellissima. She immediately looked
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: at the wall where the dog's rest usually hung, and
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: there was the little lambskin Bellissima in the watchhouse. She cried, you,
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: bad boy, how did you entice her out, poor little
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: delicate thing with the rough policeman, and she'll be fazen
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: with cold. Giuseppe went off at once, while his wife
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: lamented and the boy wept. Several of the neighbors came in,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: and amongst them the painter. He took the boy between
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: his knees and questioned him, and in broken sentences, he
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: soon heard the whole story, and also about the metal
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: pig and the wonderful ride to the picture gallery. Which
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: was certainly rather incomprehensible. The painter, however, consoled the little
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: fellow and tried to soften the lady's anger, But she
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: would not be pacified till her husband returned with Bellissima,
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: who had been with the police. Then there was a
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: great rejoicing, and the painter caressed the boy and gave
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: him a number of pictures. Oh, what beautiful pictures. These
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: were figures with funny heads. And above all the metal
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: pig was there too. Oh, nothing could be more delightful.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: By means of a few strokes, it was made to
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: appear on the paper, and even the house that stood
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: behind it had been sketched in. Oh, if he could
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: only draw and paint, he who could do this could
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: conjure all the world before him. At leisure moment, during
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: the next day, the boy got a pencil, and on
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: the back of one of the other drawings, he attempted
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: to copy the drawing of the metal pig. And he succeeded. Certainly.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: It was rather crooked, rather up and down, one leg
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: thick and another thin. Still it was like the copy,
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: and he was overjoyed at what he had done. The
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: pencil would not go quite as it ought. He had
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: found that out. For the next day he tried again.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: A second pick was drawn by the side of the first,
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: and this looked a hundred times better. And the third
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: attempt was so good that everybody might know what it
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: was meant to represent. And now the glove making went on,
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: but slowly. The orders given by the shops in the
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: town were not finished quickly, for the metal pick had
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: told the boy that all objects may be drawn upon paper,
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: And Florence is a picture book in itself for any
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: one who chooses to turn over its pages. On the
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: Piazza del Trinita stands a slender pillar, and upon it
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: is the Goddess of Justice, blind forwarded with his scales
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: in her hand. She was soon represented on paper, and
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: it was the glove maker's boy who placed her there.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: His collection of pictures increased, but as yet there were
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: only copies of lifeless objects. When one day Bellissima came
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: gamboling before him, stand still, cried he, and I will
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: draw you beautifully to put among my collection. But Bellissima
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: would not stand still, so she must be bound fast
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: in one position. He tied her head and tail, but
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: she barked and jumped, and so pulled and tightened the
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: string that she was nearly strangled. And just then her
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: mistress walked in. You, wicked boy, the poor little creature,
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: was all she could utter. She pushed the boy from her,
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: thrust him away with her foot, called him a most ungrateful,
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: good for nothing, wicked boy, and forbade him to enter
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: the house again. Then she wept and kissed her little
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: half st angle of Blissner. At this moment the painter
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: entered the room. In the year eighteen thirty four, there
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: was an exhibition in the Academy of Arts at Florence.
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: Two pictures, placed side by side, attracted a large numbers
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: of spectators. The smaller of the two represented a little
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: boy sitting at a table. Drawing before him was a
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: little white poodle, curiously shaven. But as the animal would
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: not stand still, it had been fastened with a string
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: to its head and tail to keep it in one position.
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: The truthfulness and life in this picture interested every one.
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: The painter was said to be a young Florentine who
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: had been found in the streets for a child by
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: an old glove maker, who had brought him up. The
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: boy had taught himself to draw. It was also said
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: that a young artist, now famous, had discovered talent in
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: the child, just as he was about to be sent
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: away for having tied up Madame's favorite little dog and
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: using it as a model. The glove maker's boy had
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: also become a great painter, as the picture proved, but
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: the larger picture by its side was still greater proof
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: of his talent. It represented a handsome boy clothed in rags,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: lying asleep and leaning against the metal pig in the
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: street of the potter Horsa. All the spectators knew the
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: spot well. The child's arms were round the neck of
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: the pig, and he was in a deep sleep. The
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: lamp before the picture of the Madonna threw a strong,
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: effective light on the pale, delicate face of the child.
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: It was a beautiful picture. A large gilt frame surrounded it,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: and on one corner of the frame a lower wreath
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: had been hung, but a black band twined unseen amongst
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: the green leaves, and the streamer of crape hung down
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: from it. For within the last few days the young
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: artist had died. End of the Metal Pig recording by
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: Jane Yams Curtis