askedsomebodyfromwithin.

"itisi,"saidhe."bellissimaisgone.openthedoor,andthenkillme."

thenindeedtherewasagreatpanic.madamewassoveryfondofbellissima.sheimmediatelylookedatthewallwherethedog'sdressusuallyhung;andtherewasthelittlelambskin.

"bellissimainthewatch-house!"shecried."youbadboy!howdidyouenticeherout?poorlittledelicatething,withthoseroughpolicemen!andshe'llbefrozenwithcold."

giuseppewentoffatonce,whilehiswifelamented,andtheboywept.severaloftheneighborscamein,andamongstthemthepainter.hetooktheboybetweenhisknees,andquestionedhim;and,inbrokensentences,hesoonheardthewholestory,andalsoaboutthemetalpig,andthewonderfulridetothepicture-gallery,whichwascertainlyratherincomprehensible.thepainter,however,consoledthelittlefellow,andtriedtosoftenthelady'sanger;butshewouldnotbepacifiedtillherhusbandreturnedwithbellissima,whohadbeenwiththepolice.thentherewasgreatrejoicing,andthepaintercaressedtheboy,andgavehimanumberofpictures.oh,whatbeautifulpicturesthesewere!-figureswithfunnyheads;and,aboveall,themetalpigwastheretoo.oh,nothingcouldbemoredelightful.bymeansofafewstrokes,itwasmadetoappearonthepaper;andeventhehousethatstoodbehindithadbeensketched,ifhecouldonlydrawandpaint!hewhocoulddothiscouldconjurealltheworldbeforehim.thefirstleisuremomentduringthenextday,theboygotapencil,andonthebackofoneoftheotherdrawingsheattemptedtocopythedrawingofthemetalpig,andhesucceeded.certainlyitwasrathercrooked,ratherupanddown,onelegthick,andanotherthin;stillitwaslikethecopy,andhewasoverjoyedatwhathehaddone.thepencilwouldnotgoquiteasitought,-hehadfoundthatout;butthenextdayhetriedagain.asecondpigwasdrawnbythesideofthefirst,andthislookedahundredtimesbetter;andthethirdattemptwassogood,thateverybodymightknowwhatitwasmeanttorepresent.

andnowtheglovemakingwentonbutslowly.theordersgivenbytheshopsinthetownwerenotfinishedquickly;forthemetalpighadtaughttheboythatallobjectsmaybedrawnuponpaper;andflorenceisapicture-bookinitselfforanyonewhochoosestoturnoveritspages.onthepiazzadelltrinitastandsaslenderpillar,anduponitisthegoddessofjustice,blindfolded,withherscalesinherhand.shewassoonrepresentedonpaper,anditwastheglovemaker'sboywhoplacedherthere.hiscollectionofpicturesincreased;butasyettheywereonlycopiesoflifelessobjects,whenonedaybellissimacamegambollingbeforehim:"standstill,"criedhe,"andiwilldrawyoubeautifully,toputamongstmycollection."

butbellissimawouldnotstandstill,soshemustbeboundfastinoneposition.hetiedherheadandtail;butshebarkedandjumped,andsopulledandtightenedthestring,thatshewasnearlystrangled;andjustthenhermistresswalkedin.

"youwickedboy!thepoorlittlecreature!"wasallshecouldutter.

shepushedtheboyfromher,thrusthimawaywithherfoot,calledhimamostungrateful,good-for-nothing,wickedboy,andforbadehimtoenterthehouseagain.thenshewept,andkissedherlittlehalf-strangledbellissima.atthismomentthepainterenteredtheroom.

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intheyear1834therewasanexhibitionintheacademyofartsatflorence.twopictures,placedsidebyside,attractedalargenumberofspectators.thesmallerofthetworepresentedalittleboysittingatatable,drawing;beforehimwasalittlewhitepoodle,curiouslyshaven;butastheanimalwouldnotstandstill,ithadbeenfastenedwithastringtoitsheadandtail,tokeepitinoneposition.thetruthfulnessandlifeinthispictureinterestedeveryone.thepainterwassaidtobeayoungflorentine,whohadbeenfoundinthestreets,whenachild,byanoldglovemaker,whohadbroughthimup.theboyhadtaughthimselftodraw:itwasalsosaidthatayoungartist,nowfamous,haddiscoveredtalentinthechildjustashewasabouttobesentawayforhavingtiedupmadame'sfavoritelittledog,andusingitasamodel.theglovemaker'sboyhadalsobecomeagreatpainter,asthepictureproved;butthelargerpicturebyitssidewasastillgreaterproofofhistalent.itrepresentedahandsomeboy,clothedinrags,lyingasleep,andleaningagainstthemetalpiginthestreetoftheportarosa.allthespectatorsknewthespotwell.thechild'sarmswereroundtheneckofthepig,andhewasinadeepsleep.thelampbeforethepictureofthemadonnathrewastrong,effectivelightonthepale,delicatefaceofthechild.itwasabeautifulpicture.alargegiltframesurroundedit,andononecorneroftheframealaurelwreathhadbeenhung;butablackband,twinedunseenamongthegreenleaves,andastreamerofcrape,hungdownfromit;forwithinthelastfewdaystheyoungartisthad-died.