(MUSIC)Our story today is called "Rappaccini’s Daughter." It was written byNathaniel Hawthorne. We will tell the story in two parts. Here is KayGallant with the first part of our story.
(MUSIC)Storyteller: Many years ago, a young man named Giovanni Guasconti lefthis home in Naples to study in northern Italy. He rented a small roomon the top floor of a dark and ancient palace. Long ago, the buildinghad belonged to a noble family. Now, an old woman, Signora Lisabetta,rented its rooms to students at the University of Padua.
Giovanni’s room had a small window. From it he could see a largegarden that had many plants and flowers. “Does the garden belong toyou?” he asked Signora Lisabetta one day.
“Oh no!” she said quickly. “That garden belongs to the famousdoctor, Giacomo Rappaccini. People say he uses those plants to makestrange kinds of medicine. He lives in that small brown house in thegarden with his daughter, Beatrice.”
Giovanni often sat by his window to look at the garden. He had neverseen so many different kinds of plants. They all had enormous greenleaves and magnificent flowers in every color of the rainbow.
Giovanni’s favorite plant was in a white marble vase near the house.
It was covered with big purple flowers.
One day, while Giovani was looking out his window, he saw an old manin a black cape walking in the garden. The old man was tall and thin.
His face was an unhealthy yellow color. His black eyes were very cold.
The old man wore thick gloves on his hands and a mask over his mouthand nose. He walked carefully among the plants, as if he were walkingamong wild animals or poisonous snakes. Although he looked at theflowers very closely, he did not touch or smell any of them.
When the old man arrived at the plant with the big purple flowers, hestopped. He took off his mask and called loudly, “Beatrice! Come helpme!”
“I am coming, Father. What do you want?” answered a warm young voicefrom inside the house. A young woman came into the garden. Her thick,dark hair fell around her shoulders in curls. Her cheeks were pink andher eyes were large and black.
She seemed full of life, health and energy as she walked among theplants. Giovanni thought she was as beautiful as the purple flowers inthe marble vase. The old man said something to her. She nodded herhead as she touched and smelled the flowers that her father had beenso careful to avoid.
Several weeks later, Giovanni went to visit Pietro Baglioni, a friendof his father’s. Professor Baglioni taught medicine at theuniversity. During the visit, Giovanni asked about Doctor Rappaccini.
“He is a great scientist,” Professor Baglioni replied. “But he isalso a dangerous man.”
“Why?” asked Giovanni.
The older man shook his head slowly. “Because Rappaccini cares moreabout science than he does about people. He has created many terriblepoisons from the plants in his garden. He thinks he can cure sicknesswith these poisons.
It is true that several times he has cured a very sick person thateveryone thought would die. But Rappaccini’s medicine has also killedmany people. I think he would sacrifice any life, even his own, forone of his experiments.”
“But what about his daughter?” Giovanni said. “I’m sure he lovesher.”
The old professor smiled at the young man. “So,” he said, “You haveheard about Beatrice Rappaccini. People say she is very beautiful. Butfew men in Padua have ever seen her. She never leaves here father’sgarden.”
Giovanni left professor Baglione’s house as the sun was setting. Onhis way home, he stopped at a flower shop where he bought some freshflowers. He returned to his room and sat by the window.
Very little sunlight was left. The garden was quiet. The purpleflowers on Giovanni’s favorite plant seemed to glow in the evening’sfading light.
Then someone came out of the doorway of the little brown house. It wasBeatrice. She entered the garden and walked among the plants. She bentto touch the leaves of a plant or to smell a flower. Rappaccini’sdaughter seemed to grow more beautiful with each step.
When she reached the purple plant, she buried her face in its flowers.
Giovanni heard her say “Give me your breath, my sister. The ordinaryair makes me weak. And give me one of your beautiful flowers.”
Beatrice gently broke off one of the largest flowers. As she lifted itto put it in her dark hair, a few drops of liquid from the flower fellto the ground.
One of the drops landed on the head of a tiny lizard crawling near thefeet of Beatrice. For a moment the small animal twisted violently.
Then it moved no more. Beatrice did not seem surprised. She sighed andplaced the flower in her hair.
Giovanni leaned out of the window so he could see her better. At thismoment, a beautiful butterfly flew over the garden wall. It seemed tobe attracted by Beatrice and flew once around her head. Then, theinsect’s bright wings stopped and it fell to the ground dead.
Beatrice shook her head sadly.
Suddenly, she looked up at Giovanni’s window. She saw the young manlooking at her. Giovanni picked up the flowers he had bought and threwthem down to her. “Young lady,” he said, “Wear these flowers as agift from Giovanni Guasconti.”
“Thank you,” Beatrice answered. She picked up the flowers from theground and quickly ran to the house. She stopped at the door for amoment to wave shyly to Giovanni. It seemed to him that his flowerswere beginning to turn brown in her hands.
For many days, the young man stayed away from the window that lookedout on Rappaccini’s garden. He wished he had not talked to Beatricebecause now he felt under the power of her beauty.
He was a little afraid of her, too. He could not forget how the littlelizard and the butterfly had died.
One day, while he was returning home from his classes, he metProfessor Baglioni on the street.
“Well, Giovanni,” the old man said, “have you forgotten me?” Thenhe looked closely at the young man. “What is wrong, my friend? Yourappearance has changed since the last time we met.” It was true.
Giovanni had become very thin. His face was white, and his eyes seemedto burn with fever.
As they stood talking, a man dressed in a long black cape came downthe street. He moved slowly, like a person in poor health. His facewas yellow, but his eyes were sharp and black. It was the man Giovannihad seen in the garden. As he passed them, the old man nodded coldlyto Professor Baglioni. But he looked at Giovanni with a great deal ofinterest.
“It’s Doctor Rappaccini!” Professor Baglioni whispered after theold man had passed them. “Has he ever seen your face before?”
Giovanni shook his head. “No,” he answered, “I don’t think so.”
Professor Baglioni looked worried. “I think he has seen you before. Iknow that cold look of his! He looks the same way when he examines ananimal he has killed in one of his experiments. Giovanni, I will betmy life on it. You are the subject of one of Rappaccini’sexperiments!”
Giovanni stepped away from the old man. “You are joking,” he said.
“No, I am serious.” The professor took Giovanni’s arm. “Becareful, my young friend. You are in great danger.”
Giovanni pulled his arm away. “I must be going,” he said, “Goodnight.”
As Giovanni hurried to his room, he felt confused and a littlefrightened.
Signora Lisabetta was waiting for him outside his door. She knew hewas interested in Beatrice. “I have good news for you,” she said. “I know where there is a secret entrance into Rappaccini’s garden.”
Giovanni could not believe his ears. “Where is it?” he asked. “Showme the way.”
(MUSIC)Announcer: You have just heard part one of the story called"Rappaccini’s Daughter." It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne andadapted for Special English by Dona de Sanctis. Your storyteller wasKay Gallant. Listen next week for the final part of our story. This isShep O’Neal.
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