Today I was preparing tea, when a figure formed on the saucer where I usually place the tea filter. Some tea leaves were left behind, and I don’t know anything about tea leaf reading, so usually I don’t pay attention to these things, but this time I couldn’t help but notice the "stain." I looked at it from different angles, and the first thing I thought I saw was the image of a little elf or gnome, which reminded me of a story.
You need to know that my father (an elderly person, born when farming was still very common in the country) and I, when we can’t find something or something mischievous happens in our home, always say it was El Massariòl. This is a character from the folklore of Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige, described as an old man, or a little creature who can change its appearance at will. My father told me how, when he was young, some people claimed to have seen it. It’s always dressed in red and play tricks on anyone he met on the street. I love these stories, they are part of traditions that show the rural nature of Northern Italy in the post-war period, a world that no longer really exists.
Anyway, we mention El Massariòl a lot because it amuses us… And I like to imagine that he might like our home since we always remember him? Also, we live near a field and a small woods, places that El Massariòl typically favors. I thought about leaving him a little glass of alcohol outside my window, like the tradition of leaving milk for fairies (or at least that’s what I read a long time ago). Specifically, I left him a bit of homemade lemon liquor. At first, I wanted to leave wine (there’s a strong wine culture where I live), but I didn’t have any at home... Who knows, maybe this mischievous little elf wanted to show his presence? Or at least, tonight, some fairy in my area might be a little tipsy. 😂
