LITTLE
LORD FAUNTLEROY
DATI EDITORIALI
Titolo: Little lord
Fauntleroy
Autore:
Frances
Hodgson Burnett
Casa
Editrice:
Numero
di pagine: 270
TRAMA
Cedric
Errol is a little boy who lives in America, New York.
His
father, Captain Cedric Errol, is an English nobleman, third son of Earl of
Dorincourt.
The
Captain is an handsome, clever, kind man, the best of his two older brothers,
who will be heirs of all their father immense fortune.
One
day, when the captain is in America, he meets a pretty, young, sweet American
girl, and after a while they merry.
When
the Earl learns that his favourite son merried a vulgar, moneyless American woman,
he falls into a violent rage and writes to the captain that he’s forever chopped
out from his family and that he won’t help him in the future.
Thought
sad, the Captain and his young wife go to New York and buy a small house in a
quiet street.
Here
borns Cedric, their first son.
Since
his born, Cedric is a clever and adorable lad.
One
bad day, Captain Errol suddenly dies, leaving the pretty widow and his little
child alone.
Cedric
is a strong, graceful, sweet child, and always tries to make happy “Dearest”
(his mamma: Captain Errol called his wife with this affectionate nickname, so
Cedric calls her so, too), though he’s only a very little boy.
Growing
up, he’s a lovely little boy.
He’s
pretty, nice, smiling, polite and kind-hearted.
He’s
got a faithful and innocent little soul and a big heart full of kindness and
sweetness.
Like
his father, he’s got the power to make everyone love him, and to be always
gentle with everyone, grown-up or young, poor or rich, man or woman.
He’s
got curly, golden-colored, glossy hair; big, faithful brown eyes and a strong,
graceful little figure.
Cedric’s
best friend is Mr. Hobbs, the cross, gentle, affectionate groceryman who has
his grocery in the corner of the street in which Cedric and his mamma live.
Sat
on the tall footstool in the shop, surronded by sweets, candies, apples,
potatoes, boxed foods and everythings people could needs, Cedric and Mr. Hobbs
talk about the President, America, the Republic Rally, the Fourth of July, George
Washington, the Revolution, the torched-parate and English nobleman like Earls,
Marches and the Queen, which Mr. Hobbs thinks are all cruel tyramns.
Cedric
doesn’t knows that his beloved papa was a nobleman.
In
that shabby, quiet New York street, with his mamma and his others friends
(Bridget, Micheal, Dick, Mary, the old apple-woman), Cedric has a beautiful
life.
One
day, when Cedric is about 7, before their house stops itself a carriage who
carries an old man: he’s Mr. Havisham, Earl of Dorincourt’s lawyer.
He’s
came from England to bring Cedric with him.
Mr.
Havisham says Mrs. Errol that all the Earl’s sons are died and that. because
just Cedric is left, the boy will be the next owner of all the states and the
noble title that now are of the old Earl.
So
Cedric learns all at once that his grandfather is a nobleman, and that his
father was one, too, and that now he has to be one.
This
new development of the matter at first bewildres him, but then he makes used.
Though
Mr. Havisham is a cold, severe, sharp, business-like and wordly old man, with a
hard heart and a tall, bony figure, when he meets little joyful and polite Cedric,
with his pretty manners, his beaming smile and his earnest big brown eyes, he
can’t help thinking he will be a perfect heir.
Mr.
Havisham tells Cedric that his grandfather’s given him some money with which
he’ll can do what he wants.
The
Earl thought that his grandson would spent them in toys, candies, chupa-chupa,
candites fruit and other silly and sugary things that little children always
like, but Cedric is different from all other children: he naturally choses to
spend his money in good things for his needing friends.
So
he gives to Micheal, a poor, ill bringmaker, some money to buy medecines and
noutrishing food; he gives a tent and some money to the old apple-woman with
hurty bones, so that she won’t need to stay out in the rain trying to sell
apples to people; he gives to Dick, a funny blackboot, some new brushes; and
finally Cedric buys a golden watch with inside a poetry and he gives it to Mr.
Hobbs like a keepmemory.
Mr.
Havisham is surprised that Lord Fauntleroy (Cedric’s name isn’t Cedric Errol
anymore, but from today in forth it’ll be Lord Fautleroy) doesn’t buy anything
for himself but only gifts for his friends.
The
day comes, and Cedric has to leave New York and his old friends, sailing toward
a new life in the unknown and far England.
During
the journey on the ship, Cedric makes friends with all the people on it, in
particulary with an old sailor who has been everywhere in the world and tells
him fantastic and excinting stories about pirates, cannibals, Indios, Chinese
people, Turks, sweet princesses and brave princes, beautiful marmaids with
gorgeus, magic voices and terrible, horrid, bloody monsters.
On
the ship, Cedric learns a sad and bad thing that he cant understand: his mamma
won’t live in the Castel with him, but in a near small house.
Cedric
doesn’t know that Dearest won’t stay with him because his grandfather, the
Earl, has always disliked America and Americans and especially hates Dearest
because he thinks she’s married his favourite son only because he was an Earl.
When
they arrive in England, the Castel of Dorincuort is an enormous, stately,
gray-stone ancient castel, surrounded by board, beautiful, green fealds, with
arching, tall, splendid trees.
In
the grass are lying brown, sweet-eyes and still deers and soft, nice rabbits,
and there are a lot of bluebells and pretty, colorful flowers.
His
mamma stops herself into the lodge, where she’ll live, but Cedric arrives in
the Castel.
That
very evening, the child meets his granfather, alone in the big, gloomy library.
The
Earl of Dorincourt is an old, tall man of about seventy; with great, gray
mustache; shining, black, intense and deep eyes, and a still, handsome, eagle
face.
The
old Earl is a hard-hearted, brusque, sarcastic, proud man, who has always cared
only about himself and his pleasures, and who has never though about other people.
He
has always been a very proud man, proud of his title and his wealth, and he has
never thought that people might not be all like him, but that someone might be
needing his help.
The
Earl has always allowed himself to do everything he liked to do, not caring
about other’s feelings or thoughts or pains, because if the pain didn’t touch
him himself, then it didn’t matter.
Neither
a good thought has touched his mind or a kind word has touched his lips,
because he’s always cared only about himself, always and just about himself and
his ancient lineage and his magnificent properties.
He
has often fallen in a violent rage, and he has always been angry and with a bad
humor.
While
he was young and strong and with all his life behind, he has been without any
though about people and has liked to argue with people, thinking that they’d
return, but they didn’t.
Now
he’s very old and he’s nature is growing worse and worse, and he hasn’t any
real friend in the all England, bacause his pride and his hardness have made
that now all the people hate him, and talk of him like an old, cruel man
without any heart.
Because
his deep hate of America and Americans, the old Earl fears that his grandson
will be a bad-bred, foolish, insolent american lad, without ony drop of English
blood in his veins and not beautiful at all.
So,
when he sees handsome, pretty, polite, quaint, earnest, faithful, graceful little Cedric, he’s very surprised and, in
spite of himself, rather curios.
When
they talk, the Earl find out that his grandson is a nice, polite, respectful,
honest little creature, with a great courage and very kind and enchanting,
exactly like his papa.
From
that day forth, the Earl and his grandson became more intimate averyday that
Cedric passes in the Castle.
His
grandfather makes him a lot of splendid gifts, like new toys and a still pony,
with big eyes and a gloss, brown, short fur.
During
that time, Cedric doesn’t forget his mama, and almost everyday the meet, and
every night she puts a candle at her window, and through an open space between
the trees Cedric can see it twinkling.
The
Earl is very surprised to see that his grandson thinks he’s the most kind,
generous, affectionate and beloved person in the world, without any enemy and
that never wrongs.
Cedric
is very fond of his grandfather, and cant’ see anything but kindness and
goodness in him.
This
faithful in him at first bewildres the Earl, who then choses to try to be
better only because he doesn’t want his grandson finds out that he hasn’t been
a good person in all his past life.
The
Earl is growing very fond of the little heir,
and sometimes forgots his pains and his gout in his childish games, laughing
and feeling himself very happy indeed.
In
a short time his health is better, his humor is better, all his life is better,
an the old man is very surprised to see how happy he is to see his grandson, to
talk with him, to hear his joyful little voice in the enormous, gloomy rooms of
the old Castel, which has always been a very miserable and mournful place,
without any life or any smile or any merry voice between its walls.
Following
Cedric’s example, the Earl became more generous and kind that before, and for
the first time in all his alone life, he descovers how sweet and gentle a
bright, frank-eyes, apple-cheeks little childish face might be.
Cedric
is his granfather’s life light, with his joy, his hightest spirit, his absolute
faith in all the world and especially in his grandpa, he gives to him a new
interest in life.
The
Earl loves Cedric, in spite of himself, more than any other person in the
world, and for the first time he likes someone and someone likes him without
ony doubt about his goodness and his kindness, without thinking about his past
life.
In
this manner, the Earl wishes that his all life has been a better and more
industrios one, so that he mighn’t disappoint his grandoson, if a day he’d
descover the truth about his past cruelness.
The
truth is that he, who has never really loved anyone, now wishes that his little
heir loves him and thinks only good about him, so that he doesn’t risk to lost
his tenderly love.
Everyone
needs love and the Earl, who has passed all the life in bitterness, sadness and
disgust for any other person who wasn’t rich and noble exacly like him, now
needs love and sweetness, too, and only a little child with a big, faithful,
honest heart can give it to him and kneal his stubborn, hardned, ill soul.
All
the people love Cedric: Mrs. Lorrileil, the Earl’s sister, a pretty,
white-curled, peach-colored cheeks old lady adores him, too.
The
old Earl’s bitterned heart open itself to love for the first time in his long
life, and he gives a dinner party in the ancient Castel.
When,
finally, the Earl is really happy, a terrible news arrives.
Mr.
Havisham gives it to the Earl at the end of the dinner, alone in a big,
fire-gleaming room, where little Cedric is sleeping, as lovely as a
golden-curled angel.
That
day a woman had came to Mr. Havisham, telling him that she was the eldest
Earl’s son, Bevis, wife.
She
had told that before he died they’ve had a son, Tom, and that now, because
Bevis was the eldest son and should be the heir if he wasn’t died, her son has
to be Lord Fauntleroy, and not Cedric.
The
Earl becomes white.
His
Cedric, his little boy, that faithful child that has never been afraid of him,
that child that has always though that his grandfather is the best man in the
world, that child that always helps him and makes him laughand loves him
totally, without any doubt or any fear, that boy sleeping quietly on tha sofa,
that child won’t be his heir? Won’t he be his little boy forever? Won’t he stay
near himyou till he lives? Wont’ he fill the place of Earl?
That’s
impossible, thinks the old Earls frightned and angry and disparate by this
news.
But
that woman and that new boy, if they really were Bevis’ family, should got every
right to put Tom on the place of next Earl of Dorincuort.
The
Earl’s heart is broken, he falls into a terrible rage and then he sits near
Cedric on the sofa e touch softly his golden hair, taking care that he doesn’t
awake himself, so sad and mournful and disparate and tired of his life, if this
news was true, that it isn’t possible to say how.
While
these things happen, miles and miles fare away from the castle, in New York,
another man is very sad: he’s Mr. Hobbs, that since his youg friend is gone is
dreadfully unhappy.
He
doesn’t like his newspaper anymore, because now he can’t speak about the news
with his small companion.
He
spends the days watching at the tall footstool which Cedric was used to sat on,
and all the nights smoking his pipe and stalking mournfully to and forth in his
store, dreaming Cedric is still with him.
During
the day he hoped he’ll see a small figure with golden curls and a brigh smile
on the threshold, but it doesn’t happens and he’s sadder and sadder.
He
knows Dick and together they talk about the old times, when their little friend
was still with them.
Dick,
during ther acquitance, tells him his story, his mamma and dad were died when
he was very small indeed, and his eldest brother Ben had taken care of him.
One
day Ben had fallen in love of a woman named Minna, and they married.
They
had had a child, Tom.
Minna
was a cruel, heart-less, mad woman, and she had hurt Tom, leaving him a long
scar on his chin.
Minna,
one day, had chosen to go away and she had brough Tom with her, leaving Ben
alone, who had gone to California, in a ranch.
One
day a letter comes: it’s came from England, Dorincourt.
It’s
a letter from Cedric!
In
the letter, with his childish, round, trembling hand he’s written that another
child will be Earl of Dorincourt and he won’t be.
Mr.
Hobbs, who is deeply fond of Cedric, thinks that all this is only a complot to
ruin him because he’s American and that British nobilty hate Americans since
the Revolution, and for this reason now they want to ruin his Cedric just
because he’s Republican.
Meanwhile,
in England, the Earl is totally unhappy and Cedric, too, but only because he
thinks that now that he won’t be the Earl his grandpa won’t be fond of you
anymore, and his little boy will be Tom.
The
old, grim, sardonic Earl, that now isn’t so cruel and so without any heart anymore, says him that he’ll be his little boy till
he’ll live, and that he loves him.
Then,
the the old arms and the young ones put themselves around each other neck.
A
few days after, the Earl choses to go to see Mrs. Errol for the first time.
When
he sees how pretty, silver-bell voice, sweet, kind a creature she is, he tells
her how fond of Cedric he is now, and how they love each other, and he begs her
pardon for all the bitter, bad he’s said about her.
Then
they pardon one each other and finally, after years and years of bitternesses,
they become rather good friends, without any rivality.
In
America, meanwhile, Mr. Hobbs and Dick are reading every newspaper they find
about the Cedric’s story, that has arrived in New York, too.
In
one of these newspapers, Dick see an astonishing thing: a paint of the woman
who says she’s the heir’s mother.
She’s
got long black hair and brown, cruel eyes.
She’s
Minna!
Dick
should know her everywhere!
He
runs to Mr. Hobbs and together they go to a young lawyer, and they write two
letters: one to the Earl of Dorincuort, and the other to Ben, telling him the
story.
When
the letter arrive to England, Mr. Havisham and the Earl chose to believe them.
Mr.
Hobbs and Dick go to England and Ben arrives, too.
Together
they went where Minna stays with the supposed heir.
There,
Minna knows they and betrays herself injuring they and losing totally every
control over herself.
In
this way, the Earl knows that she isn’t his son Bevis’ wife at all, and that
her son isn’t his heir, but Cedric is.
Minna
goes away and none sees her anymore.
Ben
brings Tom with him ad together they return to the ranch in California.
The
old Earl, unbelieavable happy that his beloved grandson is his heir, goes to
the Lodge when Cedric and his mama stay now and he says her that he hopes
she’ll go to live with him and Cedric in the big Castle.
Mr.
Hobbs and Dick, meanwhile, are still in England, and for them all it’s new.
The
Earl choses to give Dick a solid education, and so the boy stay there.
Mr.
Hobbs is too happy to stay near his small old companion, Cedric, for returning
in America.
Cedric,
merry to have all his friends all around him – his Dearest, his beloved
grandfather, his dearest old friends Mr. Hobbs and Dick – now is absolutally
happy.
Now
the old Earl knows that Cedric will be a perfect Earl of Dorincourt.
always such good books!
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