At the age of 38, Leonardo "adopted" a beautiful but roguish ten-year-old boy, nicknamed Salai, "Little Devil." His presence in Leonardo's home has perplexed scholars for centuries, since Salai was neither exactly a servant nor an apprentice, and since Leonardo himself described the boy (always with a certain exasperated affection) as a "thieving, lying, obstinate" glutton. In his journals, Leonardo kept an exact running tally of everything the boy stole: money from friends, money from Leonardo's wallet, boots, silver. The boy grew into a handsome and charming young

man; but still a thief and a liar. He had a taste for beautiful clothes, especially shoes. According to one of Leonardo's biographers, Salai owned "quite a fantastic number of pairs of shoes."

Leonardo and the boy remained inseparable companions for nearly twenty-six years.