FOR THE LITTLE ONES

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR THE LITTLE ONES

OUR GOOD-NIGHT STORY. THE BOY FIDDLER OF SICILY. ' " * My Dear Little Friends,— Once upon a time in Sicily there lived a merry but simple lad n -t me WaS , Whilst he was y° u ng his parents died, flf ff J 1 u- g before Pedro found himself on the road that led from his village, setting out to seek his fortune. Soon he came upon a beggar man who said: S ° n ' ' starving ' Give me *omething with which to buy "You can have my wages," Pedro replied. "I will go back and serve another three years. , JT° a {"" e " " y°u are simple," the beggar replied, and as he spoke into a bright spirit. "I will grant you three wishes." . . J? ' P j dro ans wered, Give me a violin that will make everybody dance, and a gun that will never miss, and the gift of speech that no one can refuse me anything." The wishes were granted and Pedro turned back to the farm. Tnd thl f a n f P *u easant % 7 „ a r nd> wishin S to test his gun, he fired SSL nJ J • gr ° Und - Before he c °uld pick it up the farmer came out and seized it. 'Well," said Pedro, "you can have it if you dance for it." i Up ? n hIS vl , olm a ? d > °f course, the farmer danced about thJ hnu """J 031116 instrument, until at last he promised the boy a thousand crowns if he would stop his tune. Pedro stopped^ th S reWa - d ' Ut n °, sooner was back turned than the farmer ran to the magistrate and condemned the fiddler as a robber. Justice was harsh to robbers in those times and Pedro was quickly seized, tried, found guilty and ordered to be hung. A. ay of his execution arrived and he stood upon the sallows with the noose about his neck. gaiiows " l h . ave one req uest," he said, "and that is that Ibe allowed to play one tune upon my fiddle before I die." In vain did the farmer protest, for the boy had the gift of speech and the magistrate couldn t refuse his request, and so the violin was Sr n han™ tf the ""T a " ™ thin hea "ng began to danJ-1 rtood tZ m , aglstrate ' the farmer and even a little dog that then the fidJl' 'J 6 went on until all were exhausted, but even him "** and Jn deS P air the magistrate offered him a pardon if he would cease his fiddling. This was what Pedro wanted, so his violin grew silent, the dancers sank wearily to the, ground, and he collected his fiddle and his thousand /*?> crowns and returned to his native ST\ village, where, having the gift of f U f speech, he won the prettiest girl in \Xf Sicily for his wife, and settled down.