Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is one of the most known genius in the history of the World. Even today, 500 years later, his knowledge and practical works are unique. Studying the flight of birds and the structure of their wings, he developed the “ornithopter” – an aircraft with flapping wings. He created a pyramidal parachute and a model of a spiral propeller (a variant of a modern propeller).
He was an expert in botany: he first described the laws of phyllotaxy (laws describing the arrangement of leaves on the stem), heliotropism and geotropism (laws describing the influence of the sun and gravity on plants), he discovered how to determine the age of trees by annual rings.
He was an expert in anatomy: he first described the valve of the right ventricle of the heart; he showed the object in four forms to examine it from all sides, created an image system organs and bodies in cross section (till today his system of drawings help students understand the structure of the human body).
He was a geology expert: he described sedimentary rocks and the marine sediments in the mountains of Italy. He was an expert in optics: most probably, he first used a pin-hole camera (so called Camera Obscura) to sketch landscapes. He designed canals and dams. He made the illustrations for the mathematical book “de Divina Proportione” (on the Divine Proportion) by Luca Pacioli. The list is endless.
Of course, we all know Leonardo da Vinci as one of the greatest artist. His “Mona Lisa”, “Ginevra de Benchi”, “The Last Supper” fresco – all these are the greatest wealth of mankind. In his “A Treatise on Painting”, Leonardo described how to recreate the world around on a canvas with perspective, proportions, anatomy, geometry, mechanics, optics, the interaction of colors in paintings. Leonardo also acted as an architect; however, no one of his projects has been ever implemented. He prepared an own design of the central dome of the Cathedral of Milan. He projected constructing a huge bridge over the Bosphorus. Again, the list is endless.
Leonardo da Vinci has an exclusive place in Italian literature. His fables and legends are a unique event of the Renaissance culture. Despite Leonardo had never considered himself as a writer (moreover, he called himself “ignorant of literature”), his stories brought him no less fame than paintings. The people quickly spread his fables and stories; moreover, these tales are very popular in Italian villages till today (despite many do not imagine that Leonardo was their real author).
Fortunately, some of his fables have been preserved, and we are pleased to present this treasure to our visitors. Today we offer two tales: “Tongue and Teeth” and “Flame”. Enjoy your reading.
The Tongue & the Teeth
Once upon a time there was a boy who had a bad habit of talking more than was necessary.
“What a tongue!” sighed the teeth one day. “It is never still, never quiet!”
“What are you grumbling about?” replied the tongue arrogantly. “You, teeth, are only slaves, and your job is merely to chew whatever I decide. We have nothing in common, and I shall not allow you to meddle in my affairs.”
So the boy went on chattering, very impertinently sometimes, and his tongue was happy, learning new words every day.
But one day, when the boy did some damage, and then allowed his tongue to tell a big lie, the teeth obeyed the heart, sprang together and bit the tongue.
From that day onward the tongue became timid and prudent, and thought twice before speaking.
The Flames
For more than a month the flames had glowed in the glass-blowers furnace, where bottles and glasses were made.
One day they saw a candle supported on a fine shining candlestick coming towards them. At once, with passionate longing, they strove to approach the sweet little candle.
One in particular, leaping from the ember that fed it, turned its back on the furnace, and slipping through a little crack, flung itself upon te candle, devouring it greedily.
But the eager flame soon consumed the poor little candle and, not wishing to die with it, tried to return to the furnace from which it had escaped.
But it could not detach itself from the soft wax, and it called in vain for help from the other flames.
The rebel flame turned into suffocating smoke, leaving all of its brothers resplendent, looking forward to a long and glittering life.