ROSALIA'S WILD RIDE

Almost one hundred years ago, in a small mountain village named Soriano, Italy, there were no cars, no buses, not even trains. The only way to travel was by walking or horse drawn cart. Now, in this village, there lived a little girl named Rosalia. She had big blue eyes and long black hair tied in two braids. Rosalia was always full of life and curious about everything. She was not like other little girls who were usually seen but not heard. As Rosalia accompanied her mother about the village for errands, she would hear all the local merchants and people as they talked about the latest news. Later in the evening, as her family sat by their fireplace, she would learn even more. On one particular occasion, a local merchant bought a beautiful horse. The horse was kept in a small fenced in area not far from the village blacksmith. The horse would not allow anyone to go near him. The people soon learned to stay away because they became scared. They just admired him from a distance. The merchant was at his wits’ end. Rosalia’s blue eyes grew big with wonder as she listened to the stories. Her curiosity was getting the better of her.