Illustration by Rebecca Green
La leggenda vuole che verso la fine della sua vita, colpito dalla tubercolosi, lo scrittore Franz Kafka [1883-1924] ha avuto un incontro in un parco di Berlino con una ragazzina che piangeva. Da questo incontro è nata una storia che ha toccato il cuore di tante persone in tutto il mondo grazie a qualche libro per bambini e alla diffusione su internet.
Dalle ricerche effettuate sulle origini di questa storia, sembrerebbe essere vera, e se nel tempo sono nate alcune varianti riguardo il finale, l’essenza della storia rimane sempre una: un inno alla compassione, alla solidarietà, e al potere trasformativo di un semplice racconto.
Perché non provi inizialmente ad ascoltare l’audio senza leggere il testo?
[per sapere il significato delle parole evidenziate, passaci sopra con il mouse senza cliccare]
The writer Franz Kafka, who never married and who had no children, was strolling through a park in Berlin one morning when he came across a young girl who was crying uncontrollably. Deeply moved by her tears, Kafka asked her why she was crying and the little girl told him that she had lost her favourite doll and couldn’t find it anywhere. Kafka’s creative instinct came straight to the forefront and he told the little girl that the doll was not lost at all but had simply left to explore the world.
The little girl was not sure whether to believe him or not and asked him how he knew about the doll. Quick as a flash, Kafka told her that the doll had written him a letter explaining everything. Naturally enough, the little girl asked him to show her the letter. Kafka told her that that he didn’t have it with him, but he arranged to meet her the following day, in the park, with the letter.
That afternoon, back at home, Kafka set about writing the letter that he would show the little girl the following day. He dedicated himself to the task, determined to transform his invention into a realistic truth that would placate the young girl’s grief and provide her with a more positive outlet for her emotions.
The next day, sure enough, the little girl was waiting for him at the appointed spot. Kafka sat down on the bench beside her, pulled out the letter, and began to read it out loud. In the letter, the doll declared that although she dearly loved the little girl, she was a little tired of her lifestyle and longed to see the world. She promised that she would write to the little girl every day and tell her all about her adventures.
From that day on, Kafka met the girl every day in the park, and each time they met he would pull out a new letter and read it out loud to the little girl. It was not long at all before the girl had got over her grief completely and was totally wrapped up in her doll’s latest adventures.
Kafka knew, however, that his story must eventually come to an end and so he sought within himself a suitable ending that would not upset the little girl once again.
Eventually, he found the answer and the following day he showed up at the their usual meeting spot with a brand new doll which he had bought specially for the occasion. Naturally enough, the little girl did not recognise the doll, but Kafka pulled out another letter in which the doll explained that although all her recent adventures had changed her considerably, she was still the little girl’s favourite doll. The little girl smiled brightly, hugged the doll tightly to her chest, and went back home with a happy heart.
Epilogue
Many years later, the young girl, now a young woman, found a tiny letter hidden in the doll’s clothes and signed by Kafka. The letter said:
“Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way.”
Your comments are always very welcome.
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