These were my worries until this morning when I suddenly ran into Lodovico at the port. What a surprise! I had gone down there to try to see if I could go with the fishermen, and there was Lodo (that's what I call Lodovico for short) who had the same idea. But we never went fishing! We were so excited to see each other that we forgot all else.

Then, another friend showed up: Stellina! She is so funny. She chatters and then twirls like a dancer when she begins to think of a new idea. I love to be with her, because she makes me laugh so much. Both Lodo and I were glad to see that she made it safely to Porto Melioria too.

Stellina has made it safely to Porto Melioria

Just as we were talking, we saw a strangely dressed man -- or maybe I should say undressed man. He wore no shirt and had a small, silly little hat on his head. and some horrible markings on his body. I was staring at him until Lodo poked me and hissed: He is a pirate. Don't stare!. We did not ask his name, but he saw us staring, so he called us over to the pier where there were some canon balls stacked up. He told us to try and shoot a canon ball, if we dared.

Lodo looked at Stellina and me, and then went forward. He followed the instructions of the pirate and loaded the canon. The pirate told us to move away and cover our ears - and then he set off a blast.

The pirate set off a canon blast

The noise was horrific. Worse, the whole port shook. I thought that everybody from the town would come running out, but no one did. Only the pirate ran down the pier, and on to a little skiff that took him out to sea.

I never spoke to pirates in Venezia, Lodo said, as we watched the pirate row out to sea, but they were certainly there. Maybe we will get to know some pirates this summer while we are in Melioria.

Oh, that would be very sweet!, exclaimed Stellina, much to our surprise. With that, the girl giggled (as she often does) and skipped and danced away, past the docks and into the village. Lodo looked after her, and then said to me: Pirates or no pirates, I am very glad to be here, Fiorino, and I am glad to see you again.

This was good to hear, and I told him that I thought the summer holiday was becoming very wonderful and that I hoped he would join all the rest of us at breakfast every morning at the Prince's villa. Lodo nodded and said that he would. After all, it is best to meet pirates on a full stomach.

Lodovico and Fiorino look forward to many adventures in Melioria