Many people in Venice knew who Antonio Rossi was.

Like his father, Antonio was a very talented glassblower.

He made many beautiful glass items such as vases and water pitchers.

With his new furnace, Antonio now made his popular glassware faster  than before.

Antonio's daughter Clara liked her father's workshop.

She loved to look at all of the  beautiful and colorful items he created.

One day, she walked into the workshop and her father was  there,

standing beside two delicate glass vases.

"Do you like them, Clara?" he asked proudly.

"I have made them for Mr. Lombardi, the great writer here in Venice."

"They're beautiful, Father,"  Clara said.

"I must go and get Mr. Lombardi," said her father.

Then, he left the workshop.

Clara looked at the vases. Beside them was a note.

Mr. Rossi, Please make two beautiful vases for my wife. S. Lombardi

Clara read the note and smiled.

As she turned, she bumped the vases.

"No!" she gasped.

She tried to catch them, but it was too late.

They fell to the ground and broke into many pieces.

Only the round bases at the bottom were not broken.

Clara reached down and picked up one of the round bases.

"What will I tell Father?" she  thought.

She held the piece in front of her as big wet tears fell down her cheeks.

It was then that she saw Mr. Lombardi's note as she looked through the glass.

The letters were...BIG!

Clara looked at the base.

It was flat on one side and curved on the other.

She picked up the other base and looked through it.

It worked, too!

The words looked bigger!

Clara thought quickly.

She found a length of wire and pounded it flat,

then carefully wrapped it around the two glass pieces.

As Clara finished, she heard footsteps.

Mr. Lombardi and her father walked in.

"Now let me show you the... Clara!"

Clara's father stopped, and stared at the broken vases on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Father," Clara whispered.

Mr. Lombardi looked at the two pieces of glass in a wire frame in Clara's hand.

"What do you have there?" he asked.

"I made it from the broken  pieces," said Clara.

"Look through them." She held up the note for him to see.

Mr. Lombardi's eyes opened wide.

"The words! They're big!"

He looked at Clara's father.

"My wife can't read my books because of her eyes.

This will be my gift to her! It will be the greatest gift ever!

"Clara's father smiled.

"I don't know how you did it, Clara," he said,

"but you made something very useful."

Clara had made something very useful  indeed.

She had invented eyeglasses.