"If there is a priest anywhere who feels offended by my treatment of Don Camillo..."


Here's an English version of what we posted in Italian some days back! :)

From: Giovanni Guareschi's The Little World of Don Camillo, Mondo Piccolo / Don Camillo.

"And one final word of explanation before I begin my story.

"If there is a priest anywhere who feels offended by my treatment of Don Camillo, he is welcome to break the biggest candle available over my head.

"And if there is a Communist who feels offended by Peppone, he is welcome to break a hammer and sickle on my back.

"But if there is anyone who is offended by the conversations of Christ, I can't help it; for the one who speaks in this story is not Christ but my Christ -- that is, the voice of my conscience..."

Unhappily the translator in this 1950 edition, one Una Vincenzo Troubridge -- for whatever reason! -- left out the last four or five lines following the above...:(