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金属猪

　　It was morning; the Metal Pig stood in its old place on the Porta Rosa， and the boy found he had slipped nearly off its back. Fear and trembling came upon him as he thought of his mother; she had sent him out the day before to get some money， he had not done so， and now he was hungry and thirsty. Once more he clasped the neck of his metal horse， kissed its nose， and nodded farewell to it. Then he wandered away into one of the narrowest streets， where there was scarcely room for a loaded donkey to pass. A GREat iron-bound door stood ajar; he passed through， and climbed up a brick staircase， with dirty walls and a rope for a balustrade， till he came to an open gallery hung with rags. From here a flight of steps led down to a court， where from a well water was drawn up by iron rollers to the different stories of the house， and where the water-buckets hung side by side. Sometimes the roller and the bucket danced in the air， splashing the water all over the court. Another broken-down staircase led from the gallery， and two Russian sailors running down it almost upset the poor boy. They were coming from their nightly carousal. A woman not very young， with an unpleasant face and a quantity of black hair， followed them. “What have you brought home? she asked. when she saw the boy.

　　“Don't be angry， he pleaded; “I received nothing， I have nothing at all; and he seized his mother's dress and would have kissed it. Then they went into a little room. I need not describe it， but only say that there stood in it an earthen pot with handles， made for holding fire， which in Italy is called a marito. This pot she took in her lap， warmed her fingers， and pushed the boy with her elbow.