“‘My name is Giotto and I am the shepherd-boy to a rich man who lives near here,’ replied the boy.
“‘Would you like to know how to paint pictures of other things as well as of trees and sheep?’
“Giotto’s joy was answer enough, so the man called upon the owner of the sheep and told him what a great painter he thought the lad would make. Then he also went to the humble home of the shepherd-boy and asked the father to let him take his son to be educated.
“The stranger turned out to be Cimabue, the greatest painter of his day, and Giotto accompanied him to Florence where he was taught to paint wonderful pictures. In fact, Giotto became even a greater painter than his master, and the simple shepherd-lad was the friend of many great men at that time.”
Nelly expressed her satisfaction at the story, and the other Little Citizens who liked to draw, also clapped their hands. Then Miss Martin stood up and the children sighed for they did not want her to end her stories so soon.
“Ah, tell us somethin’ ’bout our own American people, Miss Marting!” begged one of the boys.
“Yeh, Miss Martin! Tell us about Thomas Edison, and Mister Colonel Roosevelt, and McKinley, and other famous men of now!” added many voices.
Miss Martin laughed, as she replied: “Why you children know as much about our present-day heroes and great men as I do, but perhaps you do not know about Robert Fulton, or the poets and painters of recent years in America.”
“No, no—tell us!” quickly demanded a chorus of voices.
“Well, Robert Fulton was a little country boy who loved to fish and swim and paddle about the creeks just like any other little boy does in summer-time.