"Ah, dear ladies, I am a poor, orphan boy!" he moaned in Italian. Then he burst into English: "No mudder! No fadder!" he wailed.
The ladies looked at him pityingly. But just then the hotel manager came out.
"Go along!" he commanded Tony. "You are not allowed here. Run!"
He shooed Tony as if he had been stray chickens. Tony scampered a few feet away. When the hotel manager had gone, he again began to make mournful signs to the strange ladies.
But now they only laughed and shook their heads, for they knew what a scamp he was. So Tony laughed, too, and began to sing good-naturedly. A Naples street boy is like that.
The ladies drove off in a carriage and as they passed they threw money to the rascal. You see, nobody ever took the trouble to explain things to Tony. Foreigners enjoyed his pretty acting, which only spoiled him.
For several hours Tony stayed around the hotels, dodging hotel managers, and crying his way into the hearts of strangers. Then, he started toward the place he called home, walking along the broad drive that faces the Bay of Naples.
Naples is built like a giant theatre stage. The shore is where the plays take place. The shining Bay is the vast blue audience.
Out, facing the shore, is the famous Castle of the Egg. Many stories are told about this historical building.
It was once the home of Lucullus, a Roman general who was very fond of eating.