The Land of Keep-Still

Once upon a time, a Little Girl lived in the Land of Keep-Still, where no one ever moves. But she did not want to keep still and this made her very unhappy. Fortunately she had a friend, the Fisherman, a foreigner who came from the sea and who could make a sail and a pair of shoes out of his magic threads. With these, the Little Girl was able to put to sea, finally able to travel around the world--until she felt the need to come home to the Land of Keep-Still. Growing up, the Little Girl realizes that fate, powerful and inexorable like the wind, has remarkable strengths, and she decides to harness those strengths using an enchanted violin given to her by her friend from the sea. An impulsive tale, born of a chance encounter between two special women--artist Marisa Merz and author Paola Mastrocola--The Land of Keep-Still is the latest addition to the Favola dell'Arte series, dedicated to introducing children to contemporary art. Inspired by Merz's powerful artwork, Mastrocola has written a poetic tale that presents a parable about the difficulty and joy of living.