Books › The Red Book 1912-07: Vol 19 Iss 3, 1912 › scan 88
Scan 88
The Red Book 1912-07: Vol 19 Iss 3, 1912
45 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 471. See the scan on archive.org.
1TOMASO AND THE WHALE
3A little boy carrying his lunch-pail leaned over and grinned too.
5Simple Simon went a-fishin'
6For to catch a whale,
7An' all the water that he had
8Was in his mother's pail!
10he sang.
12Tomaso shot a fierce glance at him, and he ducked behind the rail and ran. But Marianna's heart was torn with the conflict of hope and fear.
14"Tomaso," she said, "we aint got but four centses and we must get thad salt pork."
16But the noon whistle blew and the bells began to ring. Tomaso's head drooped a little; there was nothing on the line; even the worm had slipped off the hook, and Dino was crying for dinner. Marianna untied the knot in the corner of
18"Our fathaire will not lika us to sell thees violin," she said. "If we do nod get salt pork, he will stay inside the whay-al," replied Tomaso
20her apron and took out her four remaining pennies.
22"Buns is five centesimi apiece," she said; "I can getta four, but we have nod then salt pork."
24"Me hungry!" wailed Dino, clinging to her.
26The little mother-sister looked painfully at Tomaso; he nodded, and she rose and led Dino to the bake-shop. The three trudged home at nightfall with only three buns, Dino having eaten one at noon. They were very sad; the difficulties of catching a whale seemed to preclude the necessity of carrying a dandelion knife with which to dismember him. When the baby was asleep in the corner, Marianna and Tomaso consulted.
28"Salt pork is five centses a bit," said Marianna, "—twenty-five centesimi, and we have nod one centesimo."
30Tomaso had aged prematurely; one bun has remarkably small staying powers when taken on an empty stomach.
32"We must catcha thad whay-al," he persisted. "Our fathaire is in thad whay-al."
34Marianna looked dreamily out of the little attic window. Her heart still
36longed for the enchanted island.
38"We must getta our fathaire," she admitted simply. "All will be righd then."
40They sat on the floor in silence. Pickled pork had become a luxury. Tomaso's chin wobbled a little but, being a man, he winked back the tears.
42"We will sell the violin," Marianna decided gravely.
44Her brother's face relaxed. "An' mebbe there'll be enough for a bun, too," he suggested.
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