{"id":13139,"date":"2016-12-27T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T08:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=13139"},"modified":"2016-12-28T11:13:04","modified_gmt":"2016-12-28T10:13:04","slug":"a-mysterious-christmas-present","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/a-mysterious-christmas-present\/","title":{"rendered":"A Mysterious Christmas Present"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some Christmas presents are more memorable than others. My first memorable one was given to me when I was about four years old.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Presepe<\/a>

Il bellissimo presepe nel giardino di Fernanda a Barcola, vicino a Pontremoli. Questo presepe \u00e8 stato fatto da Nadia, la nuora di Fernanda. Photo by Geoff.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

La mattina di Natale mi svegliai e non trovai nessuno nelle camere da letto<\/b>, n\u00e9 i miei fratelli n\u00e9 i miei genitori<\/b>. Allora andai in sala dove c’era l’albero di Natale e l\u00ec sotto c’erano tante belle scatole. La stanza era tranquilla, la porta fra la sala e il tinello era chiusa e da l\u00ec dietro si sentivano venire delle voci di adulti: avevamo ospiti.<\/b>
\nThat Christmas morning I woke up and didn’t find anybody in the bedrooms, neither my brothers nor my parents. So I went into the living room where the Christmas tree was, and underneath it there were many beautiful boxes. The room was quiet, the door between the living room and the dining room was closed, and from behind it I could hear some adults’ voices: we had guests.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cominciai ad esplorare i pacchi natalizi e ne scelsi uno in particolare, forse perch\u00e9 era il pi\u00f9 gr<\/b>ande<\/b>, non mi ricordo bene. Pian piano <\/b>lo <\/b>scarta<\/b>i<\/b> (non aveva i nastri coi fiocchi, solo un po’ di carta) e poi aprii la scatola. Dentro c’era uno strano animale di plastica, una specie di uccello con un gran becco giallo e le ali blu<\/b>. <\/b>
\nI began to explore the Christmas presents and I chose one in particular, probably because it was the biggest one, I don’t remember very well. Carefully I unwrapped it (it didn’t have ribbons, only some paper), and then opened the box. Inside there was a strange plastic animal, a sort of bird with a massive <\/span>beak<\/span> and blue wings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Non capivo bene cosa fosse e come funzionasse, cos\u00ec dopo vari tentativi di fargli fare qualcosa lo appoggiai per terra e poi ci misi sopra un piede. Le ali si aprirono di colpo ed emise uno strano suono. Spaventata, mi assal\u00ec un dubbio tardivo: e se quel regalo non fosse per me ma per uno dei miei fratelli o, addirittura, se Babbo Natale l’avesse lasciato l\u00ec per sbaglio e fosse per un altro bambino? E io l’avevo rotto! <\/b>
\nI couldn’t understand what it was and how it worked, so after several attempts to make it do <\/span>something<\/span> I put it down on the floor and stepped on it. The wings opened suddenly and a strange sound came out. Scared, I had a sudden doubt: what if that present wasn’t for me but for one of my brothers instead or, what if Father Christmas had even left it there by mistake and it was for another child? And I had broken it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Preoccupata lo rimisi nella scatola e lo riavvolsi nella carta alla bene meglio, poi con l’aria da santarellina andai in tinello facendo finta di essermi appena svegliata. L\u00ec c’era mia mamma che beveva il caff\u00e8 in compagnia di zio Alberto. Mi fecero le feste e poi mi chiesero se avevo gi\u00e0 aperto i regali. Io tutta innocente risposi di no. Mia mamma mi disse di andare a aprirli. Io indicai subito la scatola incriminata e con il cuore in gola chiesi se potevo aprire quello l\u00ec. Con mio grande sollievo la mamma disse di s\u00ec, che era per me. Un peso enorme si sollev\u00f2 dal mio petto! <\/b>
\nWorried, I put it back in its box and wrapped it in the paper as best as I could, then with the air of a little angel I went into the dining room<\/span> pretending I’d just woken up. My mother was in there drinking coffee with uncle Alberto. They gave me a warm welcome and then they asked if I had already opened my presents. Looking all innocent I replied that I hadn’t. My mother told me to go and open them. I immediately pointed to the offending box and with my heart pounding asked if I could open that one. To my great relief mum said yes, that it was for me. An enormous weight lifted off my chest!<\/span><\/p>\n

Mi fu spiegato che quello strano uccello era un pellicano, e che se lo tiravo con la corda cominciava a camminare, a muovere le ali, aprire il becco e fare dei versi. Beh, il povero pellicano era molto robusto, non solo resistette ai mie piedi e mi segu\u00ec per lungo tempo legato dietro al mio triciclo, ma pass\u00f2 persino in eredit\u00e0 a mio fratello Francesco.<\/b>
\nI was told that the strange bird was a <\/span>pelican<\/span>, and if I pulled it along with the rope it would begin to walk, move its wings, open its <\/span>beak<\/span> and produce sounds. <\/span>Well<\/span>, the poor <\/span>pelican<\/span> was very sturdy, not only did it survive my feet and follow me around for a long time tied to the rear of my <\/span>tricycle<\/span>, but it was even inherited by my brother Francesco.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Some Christmas presents are more memorable than others. My first memorable one was given to me when I was about four years old. La mattina di Natale mi svegliai e non trovai nessuno nelle camere da letto, n\u00e9 i miei fratelli n\u00e9 i miei genitori. Allora andai in sala dove c’era l’albero di Natale e…<\/p>\n

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