30 GIOTTO, THE PAINTER.

 

Dante, the great poet, and most of
the great men living in Italy at that
time.

I will describe to you the beginning
of Giotto’s career as a painter. It
was when he was quite a small boy.
His father, who was a poor man, had
placed the lad with a shepherd, to
take care of a flock of sheep. “ Lit-
tle Giotto must do something for a
living,” said the old man. “I have
no notion of having him grow up in
idleness; and I think I may as well
make a shepherd of him.” Well, the
lad went to live with a shepherd, and