Lobina The five brothers, all shepherds, were returning from their pens, to spend Christmas Eve with the family. was a great feast for them that year, girlfriend because their only sister, a young man with very rich.
How is therefore in Sardinia, the boyfriend had to send a gift to his bride, and then he go to spend the holiday with her family.
And the five brothers wanted to crown his sister, also to show that if the future in-law were not rich like him, in return they were strong, healthy, united together as a group of warriors.
They had sent forward his younger brother, Felle, a handsome boy of eleven years, from the large soft eyes, dressed in skins like a little woolly St. John the Baptist wore a bag on his back, and inside the bag that had just killed a pig serve for dinner. The small
country was covered with snow, the houses black, leaning against the mountain, seemed to draw on a white cardboard, and the church, over an embankment supported by stone blocks, surrounded by trees laden with snow and icicles, looked like one of those buildings fantastic clouds that form.
All was silent: the inhabitants seemed buried under the snow.
the road leading to his house, Felle found only on the snow, the footprints of a woman's foot, and enjoyed a walk on. Fingerprints ceased just before the rough wooden gate of the court that his family had shared with another family as well as pastors of them even poorer. The two huts, one on each side of the courtyard, were similar how two sisters went out the smoke from the chimneys, the little doors of light shone wires.
Felle whistled to announce his arrival: and now, near the door of a little girl appeared with his face red from the cold and his eyes sparkling with joy.
- Welcome back, Fell.
- Oh, Leah! - He cried for the greeting, and walked to the door from which, now, with the light coming out the smoke of a great fire burning in the fireplace in the middle of the kitchen.
were sitting around the hearth of the little sisters Lia, to keep the greater good of them, namely the one that came after a friend of Felle, handing them some raisin and sang a song for the occasion, which is a lullaby for the Christ child.
- What are you here? - Lia asked, touching the bag of gall. - Ah, the little pig. Even the servant of your sister's boyfriend has already led to the present. You will make great party you, - he added with a certain envy, but then he recovered and told with malicious joy: - and us! Felle
vain that the party was asked: Lia shut the door on him, and he crossed the courtyard to enter his house.
In his home he felt very festive smell: the smell of honey cake baked, and packed with sweet orange peel and toasted almonds. Felle much that he began to grind his teeth, it seemed to erode all the good things already but still hidden.
sister, tall and thin, was already dressed up, with green brocade corset and black skirt and red: around the pale face had a piece of silk flowers, and even his shoes were embroidered with a bow: it seemed in short, a young fairy, while his mother, dressed all in black for her recent widowhood, she, too, pale face and dark but with an air of pride, he could recall the figure of a witch, without the great sweetness of the eyes resembled those of gall. He drew from the bag while
the pork, because they had all red stained rind in his own blood, and after handing him over to his mother he wanted to see what a gift sent by her boyfriend. Yes, it was more roughly that of the bridegroom, almost a pig, but this brought him, more tender and free from grease, had to be more flavorful.
- What party can our neighbors, if they have a bit 'of raisins, while we have these two animaloni at home? And the cake, and sweets? - Felle thought contemptuously, still angry because Leah, after almost called, had closed the door on him.
Then came his other brothers, leading to the kitchen, before all in order and clean the fingerprints of their boots filled with snow, and their Wild smell. They were all strong, handsome, with eyes blacks, black beard, the bodice tight as a shell and, above, the mastrucca [1].
When he entered the boyfriend got up all standing next to his sister, as if to really kind of a guard around her slender figure and delicate, and not so much about the young man, who was almost still a boy, good and so, as the man who accompanied him. This man was the grandfather of her fiance. Over eighty years old, but still straight and strong, dressed in velvet and cloth as a medieval gentleman, with leggings of wool on the legs strong, the grandfather, who in his youth had fought for the independence of Italy, made the five brothers, a military salute and then seemed to pass in review.
And they were all pleased with one another.
The old was awarded the best place alongside fire, and then on his chest, between the buttons of his sparkling jacket, he also saw a small star shines as his old medal for valor. The bride, poured himself a drink, then poured himself a drink at her boyfriend and he, taking his glass, he put in his hand, secretly, a gold coin.
She thanked him with his eyes, then, secretly she too, went to see the money to his mother and all brothers, in order of age, as he carried them the full glass. The last was
Felle: Felle and tried to take her money, for fun and curiosity, of course, but she closed her fist threateningly: he gave a better eye.
The old man raised his glass, wishing health and happiness to all, and all answered in chorus.
Then they discuss in an original way: that is singing. The old poet was a good impromptu, improvised songs that, and even his older brother's girlfriend could do the same.
Among them two then sang a race in eighth, on a merry-hand arguments, and the others listened, did chorus and applauded.
Outside the bells rang, announcing the development.
was time to start preparing dinner. His mother, aided by Felle, pulled pork and two legs to put the three of them long skewers holding the handle grounding.
- The fourth aircraft carrier as a gift to our neighbors - in Fell said: - Also have the right to enjoy the party.
quite delighted, Felle taken to the leg and thigh fat nice and went out into the yard.
The night was cold but calm, and suddenly it seemed that the whole country had awakened in that amazing glow of snow, because, in addition to the sound of bells could be heard singing and shouting.
In the nearby house, but now all were silent: even the girls still seemed to be crouched around the fire were still asleep but he waits in a dream, a wonderful gift. At the entrance to
Felle were shaken, looked at the leg of pork that he would shake here and there like a censer, but did not speak: no, not the gift that was expected. Meanwhile, Lia was running down from room above: taken without the gift compliments, and questions of Felle said impatiently
- The mother feels badly and my dad went to buy a beautiful thing. Go away.
He returned pensively home. There were no mysteries or pain: it was all life, movement and joy. Never a Christmas was so beautiful, even when the father was still alive: Felle, however, he felt at the bottom a bit 'sad, thinking of the feast of the weird neighbor's house.
the third touch of the Mass, the grandfather of her boyfriend beat his stick on the stone hearth.
- Oh, boys, up in a row.
And everybody got to go to mass. Remained at home only the mother to look after the spit that ran slowly by the fire to roast the meat of the pork well.
Children, therefore, the engaged couple and the grandfather, who seemed to lead the company, went to church. The snow muffled their footsteps: muffled figures emerging from all sides, with lanterns in hand, raising around fantastic shadows and flares. They exchanged greetings, he fought at the gates closed, to call all to mass.
Felle walked as if in a dream and he was cold, and indeed the white trees, around the church, seemed almond bloom. He felt then, under her woolly clothes, warm and happy as a lamb to the May sun: his hair, that look of fresh snow, the facts seemed grass. He thought of the good things that would eat at home from saying mass in his heated house, and instead pointing out that Jesus was born in a stable cold, naked and hungry, he was like crying, covering it with his clothes, to take it home her.
Inside the church kept the illusion of spring: the altar was adorned with all branches of red fruit with strawberry, myrtle and laurel: the candles shining through the foliage and the shadow of these walls as you drew on the walls a garden.
In a chapel was built the crib, with a mountain made of cork and covered with moss: the three wise men descended from a cautious steep path, and a comet gold shone their way.
Everything was beautiful, everything was light and joy. The powerful king came down from their thrones to bring the gift of their love and their wealth to the poor son, Jesus born in a stable; the stars guided them, and the blood of Christ, who died for the happiness of mankind, it rained on shrubs and the roses did bloom, it was raining on the trees to ripen the fruit.
So her mother had taught Felle and so it was.
- Glory, glory - singing priests on the altar and the people answered
- Glory to God in the highest heaven.
And on earth peace to men of good will.
Felle sang too, and felt the joy that filled his heart was the best gift that Jesus sent him.
Leaving church felt a little 'cold, because he was always kneeling on the bare floor, but his joy did not decrease, even increased. The smell of roast that came out of the house, opened his nostrils like a hungry dog, and ran to arrive in time to help the mother to the table for dinner. But now everything was ready. The mother had laid a linen tablecloth, the floor on a mat of reeds, and other mats around. And, according to ancient custom, had set out, under the shelter of the courtyard, a meat dish and a pot of mulled wine where floating slices of orange peel, because the soul of her husband, if they ever returned to this world , had something to eat.
Felle went to see: placed the pot and the pot as high above the roof plank, because dogs do not affect them, then looked again toward the neighbor's house. You could always see light at the window, but all was silence, the father still had to be back with his mysterious gift.
Felle went into the house, and took active part in the dinner.
In the middle of the table stood a small tower, round and shiny buns that looked like ivory each of the guests from time to time he leaned forward and pulled one to himself, even the roast, cut into thick slices, was in some large trays of wood and clay: and everyone served themselves at will.
Felle, sitting next to her mother, had pulled ahead around a tray on his own, and eat more without noticing anything through the crunch of the rind of roasted pork, the speeches of the great seemed to him far away, and did not interest him anymore.
When he came to the table the yellow cake and warm like the sun, and appeared around the cakes in the shape of hearts, birds, fruit and flowers, he felt faint: he closed his eyes and leaned on his mother's shoulder. She believed that he was crying: but she laughed with pleasure.
But when he heard he had had enough and need to move, I think back to his neighbors: what ever happened to them? And the father had returned with the gift?
An invincible curiosity led him to leave again in the yard, to approach and spy. Moreover, the door was ajar: in the kitchen the girls were still around the hearth and the father, arrived late but always on time, the spit roasted leg of pork donated by neighbors.
But the gift he bought from his father, where was it?
- Come forward, and goes on to see - the man said, guessing the thought of him.
Felle entered, climbed the wooden stairs, and in the bedroom up, he saw his mother asleep in bed Leah Wood, Leah and kneel before a basket.
And inside the basket, including diapers hot, he was a newborn baby, a beautiful red baby with two curls on her temples and her eyes are already open.
- It's our first little brother - Lia muttered. - My father bought it at midnight exact, while the bells were ringing the "Gloria". His bones, therefore, not ever will separate themselves, and he finds himself intact, the Day of Judgement. This is the gift that Jesus gave us this night.
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