So they talked and asked questions as they sailed on over the clear, blue water, until the sun dropped suddenly behind the rim of the humpbacked island. Then beautiful rainbow colors were poured out over the sky and the sea and the island. But soon the rose and golden tints changed to silver and violet, and the rocky old island looked like a great purple camel with a double hump on its back, kneeling in a sea of shimmering blue and lavender.
Between the humps nestled the pretty village of old Capri, surrounded by lemon groves and vineyards. High up on one of the humps clung the little village of Anacapri, and close down by the water's edge snuggled a few pink and white and blue houses waiting to welcome travelers who might come to their shore.
It would be hard to tell all that Molly and May did and all that they saw during four happy days on the island. The people of Capri seem to live out of doors, for the warm sunshine and fresh breezes make summer and winter much alike there.
Some of the streets of the little old town are no wider than American sidewalks, and most of those that lead uphill have steps in them. Long ago, when these streets were built, there were no horses and carriages on the island. People carried their heavy loads on their heads, or on the backs of faithful donkeys.
Donkeys can climb stairs almost as well as men, so they are still used a great deal on this mountainous little island, for there are only two or three roads that horses and carriages can go over.
"Would the little girls like to ride on our donkeys?"
As the Sunbonnet Babies took their first walk through the narrow streets, they met a boy and girl coming down the hill on two small donkeys. The boy sprang quickly to the ground. He lifted his cap and said in polite Italian, with much motioning of his hands, "Buon giorno, signore. Would the little girls like to ride on our donkeys?"
"Oh, thank you! Of course we should like to ride," answered Molly very quickly.