class="c1">PALERMO

 

III.

Marionettists at Home

53

IV.

Malagigi

66

V.

Argantino

73

VI.

The Escape from Paris

82

 

CATANIA

 

VII.

The Buffo’s Holiday

93

 

TRAPANI

 

VIII.

The Nascita

115

 

MOUNT ERYX

 

IX.

The Compare

129

X.

Compare Berto

135

XI.

Berto’s Wedding

142

 

TRABONELLA

 

XII.

Sulphur

151

XIII.

Omertà and the Mafia

157

XIV.

Mala Vita

165

CASTELLINARIA

 

XV.

The Cardinalessa

177

XVI.

The Corporal

185

 

EARTHQUAKE ECHOES

 

XVII.

Totò Carbonara

203

 

Turiddu Balistrieri

208

 

Railway Porters

216

 

Giuseppe Platania

220

 

Giulio Adamo

222

 

Cecè Luna

223

 

Fugitives and Victims

227

 

THE SLOPES OF ETNA

 

XVIII.

Lava

233

XIX.

S. Alfio

242

XX.

The Naked Runners

248

 

CATANIA

 

XXI.

Holy Week

261

 

ORTIGIA

 

XXII.

O Fountain Arethuse

289

CASTELLINARIA

CHAPTER I
CHANGES IN THE TOWN

Enrico Pampalone entered the world with a compliment to his godfather, for of all the days in the year he chose to be born on my birthday.  Peppino sent me a telegram at once, then a formal invitation to the christening, then a letter, an extract from which I translate:

With immense joy I inform you that Brancaccia has given to the light a fine, healthy boy.  Mother and child are well and send you their salutations.  We are all beside ourselves with delight at this happy event and my father is talking of his grandson all day long.  In accordance with your promise, you ought to hold the baby at the baptism, but, as I absolutely cannot permit you to undertake so long a journey for this purpose, I am sending you a formal document and I beg you to return it to me at once signed with your name in order that the ceremony may take place with as little delay as possible.

We are all looking forward to the pleasure of seeing you playing with your godchild which you will be able to do on your next visit.

The formal document was to the following effect:

WHEREAS I the undersigned have undertaken the duty of acting as godfather to Enrico the new-born son of Giuseppe and Brancaccia Pampalone of the Albergo della Madonna (con giardino) Castellinaria Sicily AND WHEREAS I am detained in London for several weeks and desire that the baptism of the said infant shall not be delayed on that account NOW I DO HEREBY APPOINT Luigi Pampalone the father of the said Giuseppe Pampalone to be my substitute for me and in my name to hold the said Enrico Pampalone his grandson at the sacred font on the occasion of his baptism

and to do all such other acts and deeds as may be necessary in the promises as fully and effectually as I could do the same if I were present in my own person I hereby agreeing to ratify and confirm all that the said Luigi Pampalone shall do by virtue of this writing AS WITNESS my hand this day of

I filled up the date, signed the document, and returned it to Peppino, and he told me all about the ceremony.  By virtue of the christening I became the padrino of Enrico, who became my figlioccio, and I also became the compare of Peppino and Brancaccia and in some spiritual way a member of the family.  Peppino sent me a post-card every week, and so I learnt that the baby was the finest ever seen, and weighed more and ate more than any baby that had ever been born in Castellinaria.  Then there came information about the first tooth and the first intelligent, if unintelligible, sounds.  Soon he was three months old, then six, then a year, and still I had not seen him.

When at last I returned to Sicily, he was more than a year old, and came down to the station to meet me.  He laughed as soon as he saw me, threw away his india-rubber ball, and signified that he was to be given to me.  Whatever he wants is always done at once and, as he never wants anything unreasonable, the method is working out admirably.  I took him from Brancaccia, and he