I've been playing this on my dulcimer. I think I mentioned this somewhere already, but it's a good tune. The E minors in the refrain are meltingly delicious.

It makes me sad to hear of people changing this song (English version) from an innocent tale of puppy love to another tiresome tale of female badness. Some say she jilted him. How could she jilt a man she had never had a date with? Others would have it that she ungratefully took the gift of shoes then danced away. Pfui.


Yes, I know, it's just a song and she's only imaginary. But yesterday I read a true story in the paper of a 16-year-old who posted online that he wanted to rape an 11-year-old. He posted her picture so everybody could see. Several other people went online to encourage him and tell him how. Fortunately the cops caught up with him after 'indecent liberties with a child' but before an actual rape.

Sigh. Baseless hostility against young females - it never seems to stop. From jokes, to songs, to movies, to crimes, it never stops.

But back to ths Shoemaker: there's another verse, ya know. It's not well known.

He accepted her card,
turned it over, staring hard.
Barely raised his head
as he glumly said -

"Shoes - they cost ten thousand lire, lire
with the discount, let me say.
Shoes - they cost ten thousand lire, lire
Thanks for stopping have a nice day."

You need some sixteenth notes to do that last line.

Naturally she fails to detect the flame of love in that, and that's a good thing, because most young females find instant ardor frightening. (They fear it's that baseless hostility in disguise.)

Fortunately for mankind, ballet shoes wear out fast. She'll be back, and by that time Cupid will have whispered in the shoemaker's ear those beautiful words that reach every entertainer's heart:

When's your show?

and

How much are the tickets?