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Show Befana's Legend Lives On in Italy Befana was sweeping her threshold thresh-old when the Wise Men passed on their way to Bethlehem and Befana Be-fana finished her sweeping before she thought about going to Bethlehem. Bethle-hem. Finally she blew out her can- i die, latched her door and, clutching : her basket of treasures, she set out ; to follow the Wise Men. A straw doll and a large seed I these were Befana's treasures. The large seed had been her own baby's i ball and, long ago, chubby hands i had fondled the straw doll whose garment she had made from a piece ; of her wedding dress. Had not the shepherd told her the Little King was a poor child? As she hurried onward, Befana visualized the Lit- ; tie King fondling her meager treas- I ures. Alas! night passed and morning came; then night again, and there I was no one from whom she might ask the way. When the Star dis- ! appeared Befana knew that, having hesitated, she would search forever without finding the Christ Child. i In Italy, La Befana goes from house to house bearing gifts to chil- i dren on Epiphany eve. Her counterpart, counter-part, Russian Babouska, knocks on , each door with her staff and, enter- I ing, holds a candle to the faces of 1 sleeping children. She slips a toy i beneath their pillows and hurries on, always hoping she is bearing gifts : to the Babe of Bethlehem whom she I has never found. Sweepers of Armageddon! let there be toys this Christmas lest the magic mag-ic hour passes, lest both sweepers and broken dreams of childhood join the wanderings of Befana. |