We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small Italian town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.

“Look down, Elsa,” Father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the centre of the village. And I saw the crisscross of twisting, turning streets leading to the square.

“See, my dear, ” Father said gently. “There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”

Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.

When I turned to Father for help, he would not interfere. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.

At school the next day, I secretly poured my luncheon soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I talked the cook into serving it to Mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered, “The cook must have gone mad!” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!

In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson Father taught me. I knew where I wanted to go in life. I wanted to be a fashion designer. And on the way to my first small success I found the road blocked.

I was busy getting ready to show my winter fashions. Then just 13days before the presentation the sewing girls were called out on strike. I found myself left with one tailor and woman who was in charge of the sewing room! I was as gloomy as my models and salesgirls. “We’ll never make it,” one of them cried.

Here, I thought, is the test of all tests for Father’s advice. Where is the way out this time? I wondered and worried. I was certain we would have to call off the presentation or else show the clothes unfinished. Then it dawned on me. Why not show the clothes unfinished?

We worked hurriedly. And, exactly 13 days later, right on time, the Schiaparelli showing took place.

What a showing it was! Some coats had no sleeves; others had only one. Many of our clothes were still in an early stage. They were only patterns made of heavy cotton cloth. But on these we pinned sketches and pieces of material. In this way we were able to show that what colors and textures the clothes would have when they were finished.

All in all, the showing was different. It was so different that it was a great success. Our unusual showing caught the attention of the public, and orders for the clothes poured in.

Father’s wise words had guided me once again. There is more than one way to the square always.

通往广场的路不止一条

当时我们正站在一个教堂塔楼的顶上，是父亲把我从罗马的家里带到这个离家不远的意大利小镇楼顶上来的，我不明白他要做什么。

“向下看，埃尔莎，”父亲对我说。我鼓足勇气向下看去，看到了村子中央的广场，还看到蜿蜒曲折的街道交错着通向这个广场。

爸爸语气温和地对我说：“明白了吧，亲爱的，通向广场的路不止一条，生活也是如此，如果一条路走不到想去的地方，就试着走另一条。”

现在我明白我为什么会到这儿来了。那天早些时候我请求妈妈为学校提供的难吃的午餐想点办法，但她拒绝了我的要求，她不相信学校的午餐会像我说的那样糟。

我转向爸爸求援，他不想干预此事，却把我带到这个高塔上，给我上了一课。到家时，我已经有了主意。

第二天在学校吃午餐时，我偷偷地把我的那份午餐汤倒进一个瓶子，把它带回了家，然后说服厨师，让她在晚餐时把汤端给妈妈。我的计划进行得很成功。妈妈喝了一勺汤，就吐了出来，说：“厨师一定发疯了！”我马上告诉妈妈这是我安排的，妈妈斩钉截铁地表示第二天就去学校就午餐问题提出交涉。

随后的这些年里，我时常记起爸爸给我上的这一课。我知道我的人生目标：我想当时装设计师！就在我走向第一个小小的成功之路时，却遇到了阻碍。

我正忙着准备展览冬季时装，就在时装表演开始前13天，缝纫女工们被叫去参加罢工，我发现只剩下我自己、一个裁缝和一个缝纫车间的女主管！我像我的模特和女售货员一样沮丧，有一个女售货员哭道：“我们绝对赶不上了！”

我想，此时是对父亲的忠告最严峻的考验。这次的出路在哪儿呢？我满腹狐疑，心急如焚。我确信只有两条路可走：要么取消时装表演，要么展出没有完工的时装。就在这时，我茅塞顿开：为什么不把没有做完的衣服拿出来展览呢？

我们紧张匆忙地工作着。正好13天以后，斯基亚帕雷利的时装展览准时开幕了。

这是一次什么样的展览呀！有些上衣没有袖子，有的只有一只袖子，许多衣服还在初缝阶段。它们只是一些用厚棉布做成的衣服试样，但在这些试样上我们别上了衣服的草图和衣料，这样我们就能告诉人们这些衣服做成之后的颜色和质地。

总而言之，这次服装展别开生面，它太不同凡响了，竟取得了巨大的成功。不寻常的展览吸引了公众的注意，订单源源不断。

父亲很有见地的那番话再次指引我度过了难关。通往广场的路的确不止一条。