`Take me with thee,' he cried, `do not leave me
behind all alone.'

`I cannot take thee now, little one,' said
Leonardo gently. `Thou art still too small, but later
on thou shalt come to me and be my pupil. This I
promise thee.'

It was but a weary wandering life that awaited
Leonardo after he was forced to leave his home
in Milan. It seemed as if it was his fate to begin
many things but to finish nothing. For a while
he lived in Rome, but he did little real work there.

For several years he lived in Florence and began
to paint a huge battle-picture. There too he painted
the famous portrait of Mona Lisa, which is now in
Paris. Of all portraits that have ever been painted
this is counted the most wonderful and perfect
piece of work, although Leonardo himself called it
unfinished.

By this time the master had fallen on evil days.
All his pupils were gone, and his friends seemed to
have forgotten him. He was sitting before the
fire one stormy night, lonely and sad, when the
door opened and a tall handsome lad came in.

`Master!' he cried, and kneeling down he kissed