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Os nosos amigos de Novi Ligure, de Italia, mándannos unha historia sobre unha personaxe típica do seu país, Befana, relacionada coa feste dos Reis Magos.
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The BEFANA story
Once a year, on the Feast of the Three Kings, during the night between the 5th and the 6th of January, the Befana, an old woman, visits all the children who live in Italy and takes sweets and gifts but also “onions and coal to bad children”. She is searching for the Christ Child. There are many stories about Old Befana. This is one of them.
In a small house, in a small village in Italy the Befana lives. She lives alone and she isn’t very friendly. She has no time for visiting. She always sweeps.
Every day, every morning and afternoon the Befana sweeps with her broom. She sweeps her little house and all the way down the road.
Sometimes she bakes cakes and sweets. They are delicious.
One evening the Befana blows out the lamp, closes the windows, goes to bed and sleeps.
In the middle of the night Old Befana wakes up. The room is bright, Old Befana gets up and opens a window. In the eastern sky she can see a brilliant star. She can’t sleep any more. Next morning while the Befana is sweeping all the way down
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to the road she hears bells ringing.
Suddenly, over the hill, a procession comes. Camels, horses, elephants and people: a splendid sight!
The Three Kings get down.
One of the them says in a royal voice: “Please, is this the way to Bethlehem?”
The Befana answers: “I don’t know”.
The second King asks: “ We are searching for the Child. Do you know him?”
The old woman replies: “There are many children. I know nothing about royal matters”.
The third King says: “Our books have told that when a bright new star appears, the Child will be born in Bethlehem”.
The Befana says: “The star...I have seen it. It kept me awake all night. But now if you excuse me, I have work to do”.
A boy arrives: “Old woman, you should come with us. This Child, this Baby King, comes to change the world. He comes for the poor. We are bringing Him gifts.
The old woman sweeps, sweeps, sweeps and says: “A Child King...Bethlehem...Coming to change the world...coming for the poor...The Befana is poor...gifts....Only a Child.
The Befana goes
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back into her house. She puts down her broom. She gets some butter, sugar and flour and bakes all day. She fills a basket with all the cakes and candies. Old Befana takes her basket and her broom and says: “I’ll sweep the Baby King’s room. His mother will be tired”.
She locks her door and runs. She runs, runs until her breath comes short and at last she sits beside the road and says: “Where is Bethlehem? I’ll never find the Baby King”. Suddenly the sky is filled with light, and angels sing:”Glory to all men. The new King is born. Tonight is the night of miracles”.
The Befana says: “Tell me, tell me where He is. I bring gifts to the Child. Show me the way to Bethlehem”.
She runs, runs and runs and suddenly she is running in the sky. But Old Befana doesn’t find the Child in Bethlehem. She is searching still, to this day.
Every year on the Feast of the Three Kings, January the sixth, the Befana runs across the sky. She visits all children in Italy. While they sleep she leaves them gifts from the basket.
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10/27/06 - sexto
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