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Updated: June 20, 2025
Tuttu, his eyes blazing with wrath, placed the scaldino by the side of the kerbstone, and darted at the boy, waving his umbrella; while Tutti threw his arms round Bianca's neck and tried to hush her mews of terror by a shower of tears and kisses. "How dare you?" shouted Tuttu, beside himself with anger. "Go away, and leave our poor Bianca! You've killed her, I expect; and I wish I could kill you!"
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" shouted the driver but it was too late! The gig flew on, and Tuttu lay white and quiet, the scaldino still grasped in his two little outstretched hands. "Where's the scaldino, grandmother?" were Tuttu's first words, when he woke up to find himself lying on a little bed in a long room, with Maddalena and Father Giacomo bending over him.
"You may, Tuttu," said Father Giacomo, turning away his head. "If you tell me where it is, I will send for it." "By the melon bed. Tutti knows. He'll bring it," whispered Tuttu. "It's nearly full only four days more. Put one in for Tutti." As the setting sun streamed into the long room, Tutti crept in, holding Father Giacomo's hand; carrying the broken fiasco.
Tuttu was not killed, however. Tutti was allowed to ride home in the cart, and sat holding Tuttu's hand, his eyes round with solemnity, the traces of tears still on his cheeks.
Tutti burst into loud sobs of terror and remorse, but Tuttu took him by the hand and, without speaking, led him away to the house. "Why don't you cry, too, Tuttu?" asked Tutti, stopping his tears to look in astonishment at his brother. "I'm too old," said Tuttu. "Grandmother's quite right, we do behave badly to her." And that was the beginning of a new era for Tuttu.
"Very well, Tuttu, she has only a slight scratch.... Oh, my poor boy!" and Father Giacomo's voice broke. "Is it near evening?" said Tuttu, after a few minutes, during which he lay moving his head restlessly. "It soon will be," said the Padre. "Why do you ask, Tuttu?" "The fiasco.... Do you think I may put a bean in to-night, or was I too angry?"
"Oh, she'll be glad enough of that!" said Tuttu, and tramped on steadily up the street. "Come along, Tutti, we'll go into the Cathedral." Tutti remonstrated no more, he knew it was useless; and the two little boys, ascending a steep flight of steps, entered the Cathedral at a side door, and knelt down in the dim light in one of the chapels.
"We saved up.... It's all for you...." he muttered brokenly, "Have you got it?" "Yes, my lamb. A beautiful one it is," said the old woman, the tears streaming down her wrinkled face. "You lie still and get better, my Tuttu." "I will, grandmother, but I want you to see the surprise inside. It's from weeding.... Father Giacomo will tell you. I'm so tired, grandmother.... How's Bianca?"
She guessed that Tuttu was determined to replace the scaldino, as on several occasions he had not been able to resist a veiled hint on the subject; but she pretended perfect ignorance, and the two little boys might whisper and laugh to their heart's content it was quite certain she never heard anything! One soft evening in May, Tuttu came into the Palazzo garden in a state of great excitement.
She was a kind old woman and fond of the twins, who had been left orphans when they were mere babies, but she often thought that surely no grandmother had ever been plagued before, as she was plagued by Tuttu and Tutti. "When they were infants it was easy enough," she would declare to a sympathizing neighbour.
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