José Maria Sanchez-Silva Quotes

“The story revolves around Marcelino, an orphan abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in nineteenth-century Spain. ”

“Remarking that the statue looks hungry, Marcelino steals some bread and wine and offers it to the statue, which comes to life, descends from the Cross, and eats and drinks what the boy has brought him.”

“The monks know something is strange when they notice bread and wine disappearing, and arrange to spy on Marcelino. ”

″ One day, the statue notices that Marcelino is pensive and brooding instead of happy, and tells him that he would like to reward his kindness.”

“The new local mayor, a blacksmith whom the monks would not let adopt Marcelino because of his coarse behaviour, uses the incident as an excuse to try to shut down the monastery.”

“The monks raise the child, and Marcelino grows into a rowdy young boy. ”

“He has been warned by the monks not to visit the monastery attic, where a “very big man who will take him away” lives, but he ventures upstairs anyway, sees the man and tears off back down the stairs.”

“Given the silent treatment by the monks, Marcelino gathers up the courage to once again enter the attic, where he sees not a bogeyman, but a beautiful statue of Christ on the Cross.”

“At a festival, Marcelino causes havoc when he accidentally topples a pile of fruit and lets some animals loose.”

“The statue becomes Marcelino’s best friend and confidant and begins to give him religious instruction. For his part, Marcelino realizes that the statue is Christ.