"He's the kind of boy who should be studying." "Yes, but six kilometers to get to school and six kilometers back seems like a lot to me." "He's young!" "He has good strong legs!" "Just when we're about to have another baby..." "He could have started helping around the house." "If he doesn't now, he will help you when he gets older." "Meanwhile, leave it to providence." "I grew up without ever seeing the inside of a school." "That's not a good reason, and you know it." "If God has given intelligence to your son, it's a sign He wants more from your son than He does of others." "You're his father and it's your duty to do God's will." "We needed this worry too." "THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS" "Interpreted by peasants and people of the Bergamo countryside." "A peasant's child who goes to school." "What will people say?" "This is how the Lombardy farmstead appeared at the end of last century." "Four or five families of farmers lived in it..." "The house, the stables, the land, the trees, part of the livestock and of the tools belonged to the master, and to him were due two shares of the harvest." "Pull, go there, there." "Pull, blonde!" "Pull back, pull, turn." "Pull up your breeches, Minek." "Pull them up by yourself, come on!" "Go on, pull!" "Let him see as well." "Don't make noise, the foal is frightened." "Come on, wake up, dolt!" "Damn!" "Catch her, catch her!" "He caught her!" " Give here, I'll grab her." "I'm afraid!" " Does she bite?" "No, she doesn't bite." "Olga!" "Come here with that stockpot!" "Try not to mix husks and cobs!" "Cross yourself nicely!" "Make the Sign of the Cross now." "Father, son, holy spirit, Amen." "Come on, get under now." "Entrust yourself to the Guardian Angel to always be close." "So, are you happy to be going to school?" "Hold the sack tight." "No, wait." "Hold the hem well in hand." "Go, pull." "Come on beauty." "Go backward." "Backward!" "Come on, let's go!" " Me too, grandpa!" "I too want to go on the cart, I want to go on the cart." "Stay here you." "Where are you going?" "You're a baby!" "Come on here." "The manager is here!" " What's the matter?" "Today we should weigh the corn." "You take care of it for now." " Okay." "Later you'll show me the accounts." "Alright." "Rosa, please tell my wife to come up here." "Alright." "The next one, there, quickly, come on!" "Come on, come on!" "Get on, get on!" "Go on, you!" "The next one, another one, come on, quickly!" "12.5 quintals...almost 13." "Let's go, blonde!" "Move on forward!" "You there, can't you come a little closer to download?" "Or you want to go back and forth like geese?" "Be careful with those sacks there, should it happen to rip them!" "Listen there." " What is it?" " Be quiet!" "Giopa, Giopa!" " Giopa is coming!" "Giopa is here!" "Run home!" " Giopa's coming!" " Mom, mom!" "Father, Son and Holy Spirit." "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen." "May the Lord always give us work and good health, and never let us lack the necessary." "Here, take this you too, take." "Bye!" "For our dear departed ones in Purgatory, may they ascend to Heaven." "No children, don't laugh." "Poor souls like that who had nothing from life, are closer to the Lord." "Here girls, take these." "Pick them up, pick them up..." "These too." "Tell your mother I need them before Saturday." " Okay." "Let's go." "Stop him!" "Inside, girls, inside!" "The horse of Buschì has fled!" "Take him, take him from there, you!" "Stop him, slowly, hold him tight, don't let him get away, or he flees again." "Holy Mother, Teresina!" "Wait, let me get on." "Alright, but we'll take turns." "You first, then me." "Alright, start counting." "...fifty!" "Oh!" "How nice!" "Now it's your turn." "But you're a lot heavier than me," "I'm only going to count to forty." "Alright." "Be careful, go slowly!" "One, two, three, four..." "Uh, all the clothes on the ground!" "What did you do?" "Of course!" "I couldn't keep going!" "All the clothes on the ground!" "Come on, I'll do it!" "The lady at the hotel said to bring the clothes before Saturday." "How do I do?" "Can't you see I have two full tubs?" "That's what she said." "Look Cecchino!" "Teresina, look at the pretty stones I found." "Girls, pick up the baby, and go see if Grandpa Anselmo needs anything." "Come here, boy, come here." "Tell Pierino to help Grandpa Anselmo to wash the milk pails." "I wanted to know whether I could speak to you." "I'd be pleased to wish you at least the good evening." "If it's only for that, there's nothing wrong." "And you, don't tell me anything?" "Well..." "I too will wish you a good evening." "Me too I want to bathe in the vat." "Forget it, it is hot." "Come on, it's ready." "Is it warm enough?" "He may catch something." "It's fine!" "Nice and warm!" "There you go!" "Sit down inside." "Okay this way?" "First well on the shoulders, after, on the neck, and ears." "Now, close your eyes tight!" "We'll soap them real good." "Madonna, how nice!" "Me too I want to bathe in the vat!" "There you go!" "Out!" "Is this my pen for school?" "No, leave it alone!" "Minek." "Sleep now." "Tomorrow morning, before going to school, say the Our Father and Hail Mary, so God will enlighten your mind." "Move away, hey, move, come on, yes, there." "Move." "Move!" "Come on, come on!" "Back, back." "You need help?" "Can you make it?" "Here, give me the sack." "Why do you pick up the chicken droppings?" "For springtime, when I plant the tomatoes." "Don't tell anyone." "Rascal of a rascal!" " Uh, always yelling!" "I'll show you tonight when you get home!" "Rascal of a loafer of a sluggard!" "Mom!" "Mom!" "What's up?" " They're fighting!" "They're always on, like cats and dogs!" "Every day the same thing!" " Pig, son of a hog!" "Where do I put this?" " Over there." "Aren't you Andrea Runk's son?" " Yes." "The one who just died?" "Yes." "I knew him well, your dad." "He was an honest man!" "He left a widow with six children." "To live on, the poor woman had to do the washerwoman!" "Come on, come on!" "The corn is finished!" "How old are you now?" " Next birthday, I'm fifteen." "I would need a helper." "If you want to come here to work..." "I..." "I would willingly come to work here." "See what your mother says at home." "For me, you can start tomorrow." "Hi." "Hi Gnomi." "Who goes in first?" "You go inside first." "Have you tied the dog?" "Sit!" "Sit there!" "Here!" "It's this stable here." "What should we do?" " Let's go in." "Who has arrived?" " The suitor has arrived." "To go to church, you make her all nice and clean." "Take!" " There's not too many." "Then who shucks them?" " Grandpa." "Under cold water..." " Damn!" " ...all night long." "Take here, I will talk to you later." "Be quiet for a moment." "What is it?" "Children, come outside." "Listen, the pipers are playing." "Yes, yes, it's the bagpipes." "Hear how they sound, hear!" " Maddalena, Maddalena!" "Mom, mom, the pipers are coming!" "Where are they?" "They must be at the master's house." " Yes, they're right there!" "Must be really cold tonight, huh?" "Listen Tonino, how well they sound!" "Oh, we're really on Christmas!" "Grandpa, the moon!" ""Haze around the moon, snow is coming soon"." "If the cold doesn't let up..!" "What does that mean?" " The earth needs the snow." "# Tone, Tone, run to the wolf, Tone, Tone, I am here... #" "Who are you?" "Who are you then?" "It's snowing." "Dad!" "Where are you going at this hour?" "It's only one o'clock." "It snows." "I have to go to the garden to lay the dung of hens." "I must make a try." "The dung of hens?" "!" "Yes, it is for this spring, when I will plant tomatoes, because the dung of hens is stronger than that of cows." "Just a little, and the ground does not freeze." "You have to go just at night to do these jobs?" "To avoid being seen by others." "If this year goes well, I'll bring to the market nice and ripe tomatoes, two or three weeks before the others." "Be careful, you, with your bright ideas, to not catch some illness." "Be quiet, Garibaldi." "It's snowing!" "The wolf has eaten the sheep!" "Bones to the dogs, meat to the butcher, the piss of the lords in the urinal, the straw to make the chairs, the broom is the horse of the witch." "The blackbird pecks the soil, women are silent and men toil, when the snail is on the rose, young men decide to propose." "Bones to the dogs, meat to the butcher, blood to make the pie, and a peg in the ass to say goodbye!" "But what do you say Batistì?" "But how do you invent these stories?" "He has a new one every night!" "This was a nice one!" "Let's say the rosary, children begin to fall asleep." "It's early yet." "After you are tired!" "You say it in some way." "Batistì, tell us again of Tagliana who, when he stuttered, went into the ditch." "He can tell the story of Tagliana another night." "Done it all?" "Good boy!" "Under now..." "That child needs something heavy now, the cold has started." "In the meantime we must get by somehow." "Because soon we'll have to think about the midwife too." "For that matter, we could make do with the women of the courtyard, it wouldn't be the first time." "Let's not say nonsense, with the risk of incurring in some danger." "The tub needs washing, damn it!" "Where shall I put these?" " Give them to me." "The butcher." "So you're here?" "Today it falls wet though!" " But it falls, it falls!" "It's fine." "The pig with the snow is like the wine from the cellar." "Provided the grapes are good." "That's the first thing!" "Is hot enough the water?" "The hotter the better!" "And in abundance." "The fire ever alive." "The manager!" "And Mesagiù has not arrived yet?" "Not here yet for now, will arrive later." "For the weight, how we do?" " There's me, for the weight!" "So, how was this animal grown?" "Come on, come home and drink a glass of wine." "After, if ever." "Men, you're killing him before his time?" "Here, lovely, here, here." "Poor beast!" "The door!" "That door there, leave it open!" "Come on lovely, come on!" "Careful out there!" "Turn him over, that I take his ears." "Come on, come on!" "Hurry up with the pot!" "Now it needs to be moved from here." "Give me the stick!" "Everyone pull this way." "Two more turns and it's done." "Come on, put the stick now!" "In the middle." "Pull away your fingers!" "So, what do you think?" " Really a nice beast." "Are you satisfied, Finard?" " Sure, not bad!" "My respects, Don Carlo!" " My respects Don Carlo." "Praised be Jesus." " Oh, look here Batistì!" "So what?" "I just saw your son going to school." "How's that child doing?" "Well, for now he's doing fine, cannot complain!" "You'll see, you'll be pleased with that boy someday." "Well, if the Lord will give me the grace..." "Where is Widow Runk?" " She is at that door, but now has gone to the brook to wash." "Shall I call her?" " No, it doesn't matter." "I'll go find her." "That's a fine big animal!" " Well!" "I can't complain." "You'll get plenty out of there!" "Only I know how I bred this animal!" "I kept him better than a Christian." "So remember to love the Lord, so that you don't face the same fate." "What have I done wrong?" "I've never killed anyone!" "That's not enough." "That's not enough!" "Hey, boss, how do we do for the weighing?" " You'll settle with Mesagiù." "You want some to eat?" "We'll see, we'll see..." "Go back." "Go back." "Back!" "Go home with the others, I'll stay here with the umbrella." "I'm sorry reverend that you find me in this way, but what can I do?" "Don't worry, and go on with your work." "I've come here because I have something important to tell you." "As I didn't see you in church last Sunday..." " You're right, don Carlo." "Sometimes I don't know which way to turn..." "To keep going with six children..." "I didn't come here to scold you." "Indeed, I tell you you do alright to stay home to care for your children." "That this is a duty that comes even before Mass." "Even the Lord understands certain things." "But it is just of your children that I wanted to talk." "Of my children?" "Yesterday I was with the Superior of the orphanage." "She said that there is no more room." "However, she has in mind your situation." "And so, they'll see to host there the two youngest, to make you breathe a little, whilst the others grow up." "What do you think about it?" "Tonight, when my eldest son comes home from work," "I'll speak to him about it." "Neither I know what to tell you." "That's all that can be done for the meantime." "Children, be careful to not get burned." "It's cold tonight." "There's such a starry night!" "Come on, I've prepared you some hot water." "Leave alone the fire, or tonight we don't have embers to put in the bed." "Come on, start eating your soup before it gets cold." "Come on, bring the soup here so we eat it by the fireplace." "Grandpa, make the sparks fly!" "Sparks are devils who've escaped from Hell" "But why do the devils escape from Hell?" "To go out looking for souls!" "Why, are there souls in the fireplace?" "No, there are no souls in the fireplace." "They go out the chimney, and go out over the roof to look for the souls of the damned." "But devils are afraid of good souls." "When the devil finds a good man, or a good child, he goes his own way." "Even with the sign of the cross, they flee!" "You always say well the Lord's Prayer?" "I do!" " Me too!" "Then you don't have to be afraid!" "Now I'll stir well the fire, you'll see how far they flee..." "Away, away devils, from this house!" "Away, here they are all good children." "Grandpa, tell us the story about the two old people." "First finish eating your soup." "Otherwise it'll get cold." "I'm almost done." "Today Don Carlo was here." "He came here right for us." "He said there would be the possibility for Annetta and Bettina to be picked by the nuns." "I told him we'd talk about it at home tonight." "There's really need to have them taken away?" "If we really won't be able to keep going..." "This spring Teresina will already be twelve, she can go work at the spinning mill." "Pierino can help a bit at home and a bit in the stable." "I'd rather work day and night, but we keep my brothers here at home with us." "Close the door." "What're you doing, grandpa?" " I put down seeds." "The seeds of what?" "Of tomatoes!" "Now what are you doing?" "I'm hiding them here in the warm, under the hay." "Whilst it is cold, they sprout." "One, two, three, four, five..." "Let's get in the corn stems." "You, Antonio, go there, you go that way and I'll go by here." "Look in the hayloft!" "No, I'll look there!" "Put it in its place!" "No one in the hay!" "Hide, don't let them see you." "Come here under." "Look in the barn, under the straw and behind the doors." "Mom, Grandpa said to go right away to the stable!" "He said to hurry!" "What's wrong with her?" "She's been like this all morning." "She doesn't eat, and can't stand." "God, it won't be foot and mouth disease?" "The only thing to do is call the veterinarian." "Teresina, run to Pierino and tell him to go call the veterinarian." "Pierino, Pierino!" "Mom said to come at once, and to go call the veterinarian!" "They're hiding, playing hide and seek!" "Pierino!" "Behind the cage of rabbits!" "Pierino!" "The veterinarian!" "Annetta, go call Mom, the veterinarian is here." "Hand me the bag!" "My respects, Doctor." "So, Anselmo, what's happened to this poor beast?" "Oh, this time it's really bad!" "Was it nice?" "Pierino, fetch a bucket of water and bring it to the barn now!" "Come on, go into the house." "Whose is this animal?" "Is it your own, or that of the master?" "It is ours, by the grace of the Lord." "Well, this time the Lord just didn't make you the grace." "Blessed Mother, what happened to her?" "Listen lady, if you really want me to tell you the truth," "I wouldn't let her live until noon." "Butcher her while you're still in time." "You'll get at least some money." "Come on, go home you." "Run!" "That's what we needed!" "You too know how we are, here." "We fail to get by." "Listen to me, do as I said while you're still in time." "For now, don't say anything to the kids." "And for your trouble, Doctor?" "Don't you have enough sorrows?" "We'll settle another time." "While you put the water for the polenta, I'll be right." "Come on." "Let's put on the water for the polenta." "O God, come to my assistance." "O Lord, make haste to help me." "Glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit." "O Lord, do not forsake me right now that I have to keep going by myself." "I do what I can, You can see that, but without Your grace, I'll never get to anything." "Hail Mary, full of Grace." "Pray for us..." "Oh Lord, who died on the cross for our sins," "don't look at our merits, but at Your goodness and make so that this holy water, that passes beneath the cross of your Calvary, washes away all the ills of body and soul." "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit," "As it was in the beginning, also now, and always, and to ages of ages." "Amen." "Jesus, forgive all our sins, even those we commit without knowing we commit them, and for the love of Your five wounds, for the sorrows of Your Holy Mother Mary, for all the saints in heaven and all the good souls," "grant me this grace, O Lord!" "You can't refuse it to me!" "Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen." "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." "Amen." "Here, sit and eat some polenta while it's still hot" "Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name." "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." "Amen." "Hello, you're home?" "Come here, come and get yourself warm." "Come!" "It's cold today, huh?" "His feet are all wet!" "Come on, let's take off your clogs and socks, so you warm your feet a little." "It's cold today!" "Be careful, or you'll get chilblains!" "Here, eat." "What did your teacher say?" "He talked about the water." "Huh?" "Of the water?" "He said that, in the water, there are many critters inside." "The fish?" "No, not the fish." "Other tiny little animals." "And in a drop of water there are lots, even in drinking water." "In the drinking water?" "!" "Yes, tiny little animals, so tiny that you can't even see." "If you can't see them, how do they know there's the critters in there?" "They have a special machine with a thing that looks in the water." "A machine for doctors!" " Yes." "Gosh, there are yet things to learn in this world!" "Hi!" "Holy Mary, you scared me!" "Why?" "What are you doing here?" " Well,..." "I wanted to see you." "For that, we see each other every night when you come to the farm." "Huh, but it is not the same thing!" "One thing is to meet us at the farm in the midst of all, and another one is to meet us here alone." "It's still a pretty cold at night." " Oh, no!" "Even the water in the ditches no longer freezes!" "Fifteen days from now we'll be in Our Lady's month." "I wanted to ask you a kiss." "These are things that must bide their time." "I say goodbye." "Then..." "Good evening." "Raise those corn sacks!" "Don't you see you're stepping on them?" "Slacker of a rascal!" "The pail of milk spilt all over, you idiot!" "Then do it yourself, if I'm not capable!" "Get out of here, I'll smash your head!" "Wretch!" "If I catch you I'll kill you, you rascal!" "Slacker!" "If you come near me..." " Mom!" "They're killing each other!" "Goddamn!" "I'll fix you once and for all, slacker of a slacker!" "The Finards are fighting!" "Holy Mother!" "They're killing each other!" "Stop them!" "Run upstairs, you are the despair of our house!" "Part them!" "Finard, aren't you ashamed?" "Always like cats and dogs!" "Never a moment of peace, never!" "I curse him!" " Never a moment of peace, never!" "Laying hands on his father!" "I curse him!" "Holy Virgin, don't say so!" " I curse him!" "Laying hands on your father!" "I curse you!" "I curse you!" "No, no, Finard, don't send curses, because curses don't fall on the ground!" "Here, children, stay here." "Mom, mom, the cow stood up!" "Holy Mother!" "Go call Grandpa!" "Tell him to come right away!" "Grandpa!" "Grandpa!" "Mom said to go to the barn, the cow got to her feet!" "O Lord, I thank You." "Thank you, Lord!" "The Frikì, the Frikì!" "Women, here is the Friki!" "Look what beautiful fabric, first quality!" "Inexpensive, women, look!" "What beautiful things, look what beautiful skirts!" "Admire!" "Best merchandise!" " Here again, Friki, to cheat us like last time?" "Mind you that Friki has never cheated anyone!" "Friki has respect for women as for monkeys!" "You're good at fooling in your favor!" "Come here, women!" "This year you'll make peace with your husbands!" "Look what stuff, fine stuff, first class stuff!" "Colorful strings of all colors, buttons, thread, look!" "Even this year I make you happy!" "Look!" "And what's in here?" " Tape and thread." " This is just right for you!" "Too light for me!" " Too light?" "Take the dark one!" "Look at that pretty skirt!" "One like this." " I make you happy, this time, okay?" "Look at this fine apron!" "Did you hear that?" "It said hello!" "Don't you have another one like this?" " Let's go see there." "Women, wtach what stuff, first quality stuff, to make a blouse or skirt for the Feast of Our Lady" "If there were a good bargain..." " But these are all bargains!" "Not even stealing you'd find them for less!" "But don't you know these are all clippings that come from Paris?" "From abroad?" "Top quality stuff?" "And pay heed to Friki, women!" "He was in Africa and knows the monkeys, who have more sense that man!" "Look, feel and buy something!" "Yeah... with the story of the monkeys he baffles us, and fools us as he wants!" "Say, how much for this one?" "Oh, the sly!" "You picked the most beautiful, huh?" "Make a good price, because she must marry." "Must get married?" "You can ask all the wives in the farms around if I've satisfied them all!" "Hush, hush, rascal of a Frikì!" "# Come to me, my sweet brunette!" "#" "# Yeah, brunette, brunette...#" " You know how to lie, you!" "Look what a stuff, women!" "# Come, my sweet brunette...#" "# Come to the countryside...#" "One day, a handful of young and mindless people, had come up with the idea of throwing stones at the French soldiers who were passing by here." "Their leader, then, General Lutrec, to get back at the whole town, had decided to burn and raze everything." "So all the people, in desperation, ran into the church, to pray to Mary, just as children do when they are in danger: they call Mom." "So the Madonna, our heavenly Mother, Mother of us all, performed a miracle!" "The Madonna and Child frescoed on the wall began to cry." "Immediately they sent a messenger to warn the General Lutrec." "At first he didn't believe it, since he was a man of church, was thinking of a lie to deceive him!" "He came here." "But when he saw the Madonna on the wall, weeping, he knelt, and laid at her feet the helmet and the sword, as a sign of devotion." "Now, from that day, more than three hundred and fifty years have passed, but that helmet and that sword are still there to remind us of all the dangers of the world that can always fall upon us." "And we gather here each year to remember that miracle, that great miracle, and not only that, but all the other miracles that happen everyday, in every corner on earth, in the lives of men and of all creation." "Because, my dear people, without miracles, we wouldn't be here." "Miracles are the strength that man doesn't have, they are the strength of God's love." "This love is as necessary to us as the air we breathe, as the land which feeds us, and the water and the light which give us life." "The only way we can deserve God's love is by loving our neighbor." "Praised be Jesus Christ." "Crunchy, crunchy, candy, licorice, sugar balls." "Come children, today is a feast!" "Crunchy, crunchy!" "Check out your sight!" "Find your lenses!" "There are for everyone!" "Try these." "Move the postcard back and forth." "Wait, I too want to try." "With little money you bring home an entertainment for the whole day." "You'll satisfy the children, the elderly, and the wife when she is angry!" "Come children, today is a feast!" "Come kids, don't keep on drooling!" "And now, gentlemen, I want, among you audience, a volunteer!" "One who comes up here!" "Because I want to give a demonstration of this animal!" "Of what this beast can indeed do!" "Come on, come, come, come, place yourself here!" "Stand up!" "Not your hat, but your jacket you must take off!" "Because I want to make the public see the miracles that does this fat!" "This fat here, which really does heal everyone!" "Come, give me your hand here, you feel pain?" "If you have here, here, here, here..." "See the hand!" "?" "This way..." "In this manner, you have to smear it in that manner, in this way here!" "Always we must smear this way!" "Never from the bottom, always from the bottom upwards." "See that water comes out?" "Arthritis, sir." "You have arthritis!" "Yes sir, yes, say so, all of you, yes!" "Yes!" " He has arthritis!" "Mom, dad ..." " Dad, what?" "He's gone upstairs without a word." "Look at him, he can't even climb the stairs!" "What have you done, Brena?" "Nothing, they got me drunk!" " Is that the way to come home?" "It was my friends!" "What can I do?" "Come on, come." " They got me drunk!" "Look at the state you come home in!" " What state?" "So, I got drunk..." "Now quit it, Crista!" "The bed, where is the bed?" "Damn it!" "Watch out!" "Hello Buldù." "Are you already going home?" "You have to stick out your tummy and keep your mouth open!" "So that's how you go to Vespers, you disgraceful liar!" "You said you'd go to church and you're here dancing!" "Go ahead, laugh, you're all on the brink of hell!" "When you'll be in the midst of the flames you will stop laughing!" "Dishonest people!" "Without fear of God!" "I'll tell your husband!" "This is a bit younger, still dances..." "Thank you, thank you, gentlemen, thank you, thank you, kind gentlemen, thank you, kindest ladies," "a coin of happiness removes the sadness." "Thanks Grandpa, thank you, good luck, good luck to all and good night, thank you and good night." "The social order, unfortunately, is always lagging behind the new demands of life." "Only when become of common possession the achievements of knowledge and of progress, then we can finally talk about new achievements of civilization." "When a better justice and respect for every right of the citizen become daily norm, institution, rule of life accepted and practiced by all, when no one will be able to enjoy privileges that are denied to others," "then only we can say that we have built a democratic society." "Unfortunately, social progress walks slowly, hampered by those who fear it, but also, above all, not supported with sufficient courage and sacrifice by those who call on it instead as a human right!" "And so, the most people remain passively in the rear guard, waiting for events to mature in their favor, while a tiny band of rebels, of innovators, is courageously in the vanguard." "All the great advances in history have in fact begun with the bold and generous work of a small enlightened minority, which has an eye to the future and for this seems dreamy." "But it is not an idle dreamer, but rather strives with all its strength to dislodge and renovate the past, and all that's outdated in the human spirit!" "But luckily these minorities, rich in intellect and nobility of spirit, move forward more and more, and more and more are the converts." "And those concepts that previously seemed daring, utopian, or even paradoxical, now little by little are accepted and defended by all." "That's how society begins to perk up." "The sciences, the arts, the industries and even the political custom, are transformed." "Well then, fellow citizens, a way of life is over, and another looms on the horizon." "Shut up!" "Sit!" "Lay down there, scoundrel!" "Be good!" "Quiet, Irma." "Give me that hoof." "Have you had breakfast?" "Goodbye." " Bye." "Mom!" "Mom!" "Coming!" "Look if I must have a son who pees in bed every morning!" "A boy of fifteen!" "It's not my fault!" " Bed-wetter!" " It's an illness!" "They'll teach you when you're a soldier!" "When you'll get married, you'll still be wearing a diaper!" "Run!" "Be quick!" "Yes!" "Batisti!" "Batisti!" "Batisti!" "Come home, the baby's being born!" "Come on." "Let's go." "Come on, go." "The wolf and the fox went in through the keyhole, and once inside, there were buckets of milk." "And so lap, lap, lap..." "The fox, which is cunning, went to see if it could still pass through the keyhole." "The wolf didn't, and lapped, lapped, lapped..." "The fox, when it saw that could still pass, stopped drinking." "Before the wool bonnet, put him the cotton one." "Where is it?" " It's there on the dresser." "Put him here, next to his mom." "Did you put him a diaper?" "Keep that band higher." "What about this stuff?" " I'll take care of it." " These too?" "Another boy." "You'll be happy about that!" "Come on now." "Let's leave them alone for awhile." "I recommend you, Batisti." "During the quarantine, it would be better that she eats some white bread." "That yes, would be a good thing." "Yes, yes, I'll take care of it." "Thank you, women." "I don't even know how to thank you." "What for?" "If we don't help among us!" "Hear, hear how he screams!" "Is good for him, his lungs expand." "Eh, children need to cry." "However you took a big risk, to do all on your own, without calling the midwife." "Babies come into the world by themselves, without needing anyone." "Do you feel well, at least?" "Thanking the Lord..." "Well, another mouth to feed." "No, you shouldn't worry." "Don't you remember what your poor mother used to say?" ""When a baby comes into the world," "Providence gives him his bundle"" "Cinin!" "Cinin!" "Take out that bucket of water, the polenta gets burnt!" "Hard headed, huh?" "He's not here yet." "Might something have happened to our Minek?" "No, Dido, stand back." "Leave me alone." "Go back." "No, Dido." "Leave me alone," "Well?" "What have you done?" "Minek,.." "are you home?" "Yes, he's home" "How come so late?" "Maybe he stopped somewhere!" "Children are not aware that it gets late." "Come on, come here." "Come here, and I'll put you by the fire, while the ash is still pretty hot..." "There you go." "Warm your feet now, they're all frozen." "Come on, let me see." "How come you broke your clogs?" "Minek..." "Come upstairs and see." "Another little brother has arrived." "He's come home with his feet wet." "Don't tell her your clog is broken." "Hush, huh?" "Come close." "Can you see him?" "So, Minek, are you happy you have a little brother?" "Here." "It's white bread." "Celebrate you too." "Hi Maddalena." " Hi." "Batisti's wife had a boy." " Oh, yes?" "They named him Giuseppe." " Good." "Bye." " Bye." "Be good!" "Be good, children, I have to go away for a moment." "Don't forget, huh?" "Be good!" "Grandpa, tell us again the nursery rhyme." ""Here's a rhyme from Zambel" "With no bones or any shell"" ""Up the stairs she will creep" "At the children for to peep"" ""If she sees one who won't sleep she'll jump out ready to scold!"" ""Cuddle up, before you're cold!"" "How was that, grandpa?" " "Cuddle up, before you're cold!"" "Quiet now, you'll wake the baby." "Before you sleep, children, let's say the rosary, to thank the Blessed Mother" "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." "O God, come to my assistance." " O Lord, make haste to help me." "Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." "As it was in the beginning, and now, and always." "Amen." "Hallowed be Thy name." " Christ, Joseph, and Mary." "In the first mystery we contemplate Jesus' prayer in the orchard." "While you say the rosary, I'll go finish my work." "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses." "Amen." "Hail Mary, full of grace, mother of God." "Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death." "Amen." "Let's be quick." "We'd better not let anyone see." "This is something that only your Grandpa does." "The soil is so tough above because in winter it makes a skin." "Why it makes a skin?" "To defend against the cold." "and not let escape the heat that's underneath." "Underneath, the soil is warm?" "Of course, so the seeds won't die." "Come on, go get the dibble on the wheelbarrow." "Peppino!" "He's going to work!" "When you pull out the seedlings, t's better to leave some of their own soil around the roots." "There you go!" "That's one." "But why put all close to the wall?" "Because the wall retains the heat:" "that of the stable, inside, and that of the sun, outside, and the tomatoes do need the heat." "So, if it doesn't come down the frost, this year we'll go to the square to sell our tomatoes a couple of weeks before the others." "And the others, what will they say?" "The others will remain there, with mouth open and nose in the air." "And now, let's plant another row here" "Olga!" "Olga!" "Go home!" "Close the windows of the kitchen!" "While I gather the laundry." "Yes, yes, send them into the stable, it's coming a storm!" "Mom!" "Mom!" "It's raining!" "At midnight, when there isn't around not even a living soul, then that man came out, and went near the tomb of the bejeweled dead woman, and took a big pickaxe, and very slowly he moved the marble tombstone" "and sat on the edge of the grave, and then, slam!" "he jumped down inside." "Move over, don't keep pushing!" "The coffin was shiny as a chest of drawers, and with the tip of the pickaxe he tried to pry open the cover." "But the wood creaked and creaked." "It seemed not to want to open up." "So he leaned on both his feet and gave it one blow: crack!" "And broke it all apart." "The dead woman was there with the veil on her face, and with her arms crossed." "First thing, he took from her a tiara that she wore on her head, and then, in order to take the pearls she wore around her neck, he put his hand beneath her neck and lifted her head" "The rings she wore on this hand, he took them off quickly, but those on this hand, which were bigger and more precious, he pulled and tugged, and he couldn't pull them off!" "So, he took out a knife, and zap!" ", he chopped off her hand with all the rings!" "Later, of the man, nothing more was heard." "But one night, he went to a feast in a villa, near his village." "And as he was returning home, reached a crossroads, his horse balked and wouldn't go any further." "He saw, near the chapel with the Virgin, a woman, dressed in black." ""Do you need anything, ma'am?"" "Then, the lady asked him if he could take her home." "So he helped her to sit beside him on the buggy and started whipping the horse." "But the horse, instead of going into town, once there, it turned towards the path to the cemetery, and took her there, right outside of the gates of the graveyard." "He kept whipping the horse, but the horse wouldn't move." ""I'm home", said the lady, "help me get off, please"." "He didn't know what was going on, but, what could he do?" "He got off the buggy and went around it to help the lady, and said:" ""Give me your hand, ma'am"." "Then the lady stood up and said to him:" ""My hand... you have it!"" "Holy Virgin, Batisti, you scared the soul out of me!" "You got any more to recount?" " You made jump my heart in throat!" "What have you done?" "Holy Mother, he fell in the shit!" "It's cow shit, or did you shit yourself?" "Go to hell you all!" "Grandpa, okay this stick?" "Yes, yes, okay, okay." "And then what do we do?" " Then we sing" ""Hit it hard, hit it soft, and we'll drive the winter off "" ""March is slowly on the way, spring is almost here to stay!"" "You too, now, all together!" "All together in the sunshine!" "Wait, me too!" "Where are you going, you pest?" "Leave that thing, you'll dent it!" "All on the grass, to catch some sun!" "Be good, huh?" "You filthy thieving pig!" "I'll kill you now!" "Now you've done it!" "You've gone too far!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Holy Virgin, the horse has gone mad!" "Catch him, catch him!" " Stop!" "Stop!" "Get back, get back!" "Get out of here, you ugly beast!" "Stop him!" "Stop him!" "Oh my Lord!" "Stop him!" "Stop him!" "You filthy animal!" "You've done it to me!" "You lost my gold coin!" "You filthy animal, you've done it to me!" "You lost my gold coin, filthy thief !" "What ever happened, for the love of God?" "It stole my gold coin!" "What happened?" "Ugly slut of a thief, nasty slut." "Wicked beast, this time you've done it to me!" "Do not say that, Finard!" " Thief!" "Thief!" "Blessed Mother, he's lost his mind!" "There is the woman of the sign." "What did you do?" "He took a fright." " You took a fright?" "It's anger!" "Other than fright!" "Meanwhile start saying some litanies." "For your five wounds, My Jesus, mercy." "Gloria Patri et Filii et Spiritu Santi." "Put some water in that glass there." "Pray you too though!" "Holy souls, purging souls, pray to God for us that we will pray for you." "Give me that glass." "Worms!" "They're worms." "For the fright that you took, they came out of the mass, and went strolling around in your belly." "You must know that we all have worms, and until we let them be, they're quiet." "But if they leave their place, they wander in your belly, then they crawl up your throat and suffocate you." "Then what should I do?" "Now I'll tell you what to do." "Take a garlic and thread it through 5 or 7 times." "Go out in the fields and find some of those big "furry" leaves and grind them." "Get two or three worms with some soil, blend everything and make a nice mix." "Then, before going to bed, put them on your belly." "Tomorrow morning you're healed already!" "Watch out, it's coming down!" "Come on, put down the potatoes!" "Big potatoes!" "This doesn't look like an "E" to me." "I've been ready for a while." "What are they doing up there?" "They're women, must let them do." "Mama, the groom is here!" "Hey, come have a drink." "No, he's taking Communion." "To think he needs a drink more than us." "And you, lady, want a drink?" "No thanks, it's too hard to get off the cart!" "Eh, she's no longer twenty." "Once yes!" "Back, beauty, back!" "Has he come, the groom?" "Teresina, go tell the women that we're here waiting for them." "Let them be, there's still time." "These women never cease to set themselves up!" "Brena said to tell you they're waiting." "Go down and tell them to go on ahead, the bride arrives last." "They must await her in church." "You don't know what happened to me!" "On my wedding day, I had to walk to the church, because my father needed the cart to carry the corn!" "He made wait everyone for half an hour, bride, priest and witnesses!" "As for that, he came even too soon!" "Better if he hadn't come at all!" "So the Lord sentenced me!" "Hear, hear the women laughing!" "They said the groom has to go first." "Sure, the groom goes first, with parents and witnesses." "The bride comes after, with her father, when they're all in church." "Then we'd better get going." "Then who should I carry?" " The bride and her mother." "Another thing:" "the groom mustn't look at the bride until both are at the altar." "It's bad luck." "Bullshit!" " No, it's no nonsense!" " Well, we're off." "Yes, get going." " And the bride's witness?" "Where is Batistì?" " He's coming!" "Look how he made himself handsome!" "It seems him, the groom!" "Of course!" "It seems just yesterday that I got married!" "Eh, what a boldness!" "You got three children now!" "That's because I'm good!" " You're sly, Batistì, huh?" "Let's see if he can do as well." "So, we'll wait for you in church." " I'll come behind you." "Go back, beauty, back." "Here is the bride." " How she's pretty!" "Be well, and congratulations!" "May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob be with you, and may He fulfill in you His blessing, so that you may see your children's children to the third and fourth generation," "and afterward possess everlasting and boundless life." "Through the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, who live and reign in heaven forever and ever." "Now, I too want to congratulate the happy couple, and say a few words to them and to all of you gathered here." "I want to say, firstly, that there is nothing to wonder or badmouth about, if these two youth celebrated their wedding early in the morning, and not, as customary, in the sunlight." "They have no bad reason, nor anything to hide." "The reason is another." "It's that now they have to do a long journey, and full of dangers." "Because they have to go up to Milan, where they will go visit their Reverend aunt," "Sister Maria, Mother Superior of Saint Catherine's." "And you, remember to be cautious while going around, and to always be on the alert, because nowadays people have odd ideas in mind." "And pray to God and the Madonna to always keep a hand on your heads." "Above all, try to always love each other, because no money in the world can buy the love between two people." "To the Lord you must not ask worldly riches, but the wealth of Heaven." "And Heaven, remember, starts from the love that we are able to share here on earth." "Are you comfy, ladies?" " Yes, yes." "So then we're off." "Thanks for everything!" " But of what?" "OK, then we'll have a drink." " Even two, when we meet!" "Goodbye and thanks." "Goodbye ladies!" "And congratulations to you, bride!" "Where are they going?" " To Milan. " " To Milan?" "Eh, by boat, an hour, an hour and a half, and they're there." "Hey, newlyweds!" "Congratulations!" "So, newlyweds, you're happy, huh?" " Yes, they sure are happy!" "We got there, jump down." "Wait ladies, I'll help you." "Come here, come with me, I know where to go." "Please, to take the boat?" "A bit further you'll find the stair to the dock." "And for paying?" " Later, on the boat." " Thank you." "It should already be here, by now." "It's down there." "I'm familiar, I've been here once." "Let's hurry then." "No, there's no need to rush." "And for paying?" "Here?" "You pay later." " Here it comes!" "It's coming?" " Yes, it has come!" " Thanks." "Beware of not falling in!" "Here it is!" "It's coming." "It's here!" "Come on, let's go." "Go forward." "You have a neckerchief?" "Take one more." "You never know." "Come on, it's coming!" "Take down the chain!" "It's calm this morning!" "Excuse me, excuse me!" "Let's hope the weather won't change." "Hey, be careful, okay?" "Anything to unload?" " No." "Here, grab!" "Good!" "Please ladies, let us through, stand back, we must first place the gangplank." "Excuse us, we have to load." "Please, please!" "Come on!" "Come one, step forward." "Luckily today we are a bit less." "No, it's a quiet hour." "Luckily it's going to be a fine day." "Hey!" "We still have two barrels of olive oil to load." "Careful how you handle them." "Please, go ahead." "Go ahead." "Let's sit there." "Please ma'am, give it to me your suitcase." " Oh, thanks, very kind!" "Come on kids." "Thank you." "Thanks a lot." " And for what?" "Come here, let's sit here." "Have you checked first where they sat?" "Watch your fingers!" "Watch your head!" "How's things by the bank?" " It's fine, all right." "Look how it goes now." "It races!" "How are you?" "Would you like some, Father?" "Thank you very much" "We're folksy people here." "Here, Guglielmo, and don't crumble all over!" "Would you like some red wine, Father?" "Thank you!" "The orange." "The crumbs go to the fish, so they too can get by." "I bet you're a fisherman." " Why?" "Is it obvious?" "Only fishermen share their food with the fish." " Sure, to our advantage." "If you're sly, with a little bread you catch a load of fish." "Yeah, but you must be really sly, for to me they seem fish more those with a fishing rod, than those in the water!" "Mom, look!" "There's smoke over there!" " Where?" " There!" "Yes, it seems a fire!" " Oh, Lord!" "No, they'll be burning something." "Instead it's a fire." " Must be a bonfire of dry stuff." "Eh, no, no!" "Because with all that smoke, it may be the roof of a barn that's burning." "Unless, it isn't another battle between soldiers and demonstrators." "Possible?" " Oh, yes." "The other day, at Porta Vicentina, they made such a battle between them, that they even burned a farmstead." "Holy God, what terrible things!" "Poor people!" "There's no more religion, nor respect for others." "Well!" "Guglielmo, be careful!" "Well?" "What do you say?" " For me, we should almost be there." "And what do I do?" " You hold the bag and be careful." "Luckily the weather remained good." " Go for it with that pole!" "Yes, I'm doing it!" "Pull!" "Good!" "Let go some more!" "Enough!" "It's okay like that!" "Watch out, stand back!" " One at a time, I recommend you!" "Go on!" "Nice lemonade!" "Dad!" "Dad?" "Here!" " Here are the baked pears, Miss," "As sweet as liqueur." "Come on young man, make a good impression on the young lady!" "Come on, baked pears!" "Make sure to put these inside." "Nice and fresh mushrooms, women!" "You can't go through, it's blocked!" " Oh good Lord!" "No, by here you don't pass, it's blocked by soldiers." "You need to go around." "Buddy, look at that!" " Holy Virgin!" " Want to see they shoot?" " My God!" "Hey, come here, come here now!" " Inside the doorways, get inside!" "There must have been some riot." "The bells of Saint Carl!" "It seems to be over." "Come on." "Every day there is some mayhem!" "If it's not here, we're close." "It will be there, where is the bell." "Yes?" "Respects." "I am the niece of Sister Maria." "Sister Mary is the sister of my mother." "Come in, then." "Come in, come in." "Wait here, I'm going to call Sister Maria." "It was a bad day today." "Times are hard!" "Is it you, Maddalena?" "I'm Sister Maria, your aunt." "How are you?" "And this is your groom?" "Well done." "I'm very pleased." "But you're surely tired." "Come on." "And you are certainly hungry after all this travel." "How are they at home?" "And my dear sister?" "How I long to see her!" "It's been years since I've seen her." "When did you get married?" "Early this morning." "Just this morning?" "How good of you to come and visit me right away!" "Then we'll celebrate tonight, with the other sisters." "And with all the children we have in our house!" "We have here many children, you know." "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen." "Bless us Lord, and the food you have given us." "Amen." "They're all angels from heaven." "Here inside with them, the world is much more beautiful." "There!" "We have prepared as best we could." "We never happened to host newlyweds." "We're very happy for your holy union." "Marriage... is a Holy Sacrament." "Be always worthy of God's blessing, which has united you." "All those houses!" "Good morning!" "His name is Giovanni Battista." "He just turned twelve months the other day... and is fit as a fiddle!" "Isn't that right, Giovanni Battista?" "You know what he lacks to be really happy?" "Actual parents." "A true mom and a true dad." "And he, even so tiny, can already be of help to his family, for he has an endowment:" "a reasonable dowry of belongings, and even some money, that our Pious House will hand twice a year, on St. Cross and on St. Charles." "And, for a family of poor people, sometimes, this could be a true gift of Providence." "We must help each other in this world." "He will be useful to you, and you, you can be of much help to him." "He just learned to take the first small steps." "Try opening your arms, and you will see that he will come towards you." "This here, is the booklet that goes with the baby." "Listen to what it says." "On the adoption of adult foundlings, commonly called "bread-feeded"." "In addition to unweaned children, the Pious Place also distributes those children named bread-feeded." "And, in addition to the charity of the people taking care of such foundlings, is granted what is prescribed in the table." "At the time of entrusting the child will be given this booklet and a viaticum of twelve cents per mile, and, subsequently, the outfit of linen and clothes, and in addition, a sum of money corresponding to the age of the child." "The Pious Place will continue the donations shown in the table in measure of the age of the child, up to fifteen years inclusively, beyond which time may each one well retain the persons, but no longer dependent on the Pious Place." "Fine features he has!" "Maybe he's the son of a lord!" "From now on he will be just the son of a farmer." "The first thing is loving him, and he'll be happy all the same." "Come Bettina, let's go see our tomatoes." "Yes, yes, one, two, three, four,.." "Look how beautiful they are!" "There, there." "Pick those there." "Look also there." "When we'll go to the square, they will all look at our tomatoes, and will say:" ""God, what beautiful tomatoes they have!"" "Look, two more there." "Look how nice and big those ones!" "And this one too." "See how beautiful they are?" "This one too?" "Yes, look how nice it is!" "Look, you missed a beautiful one." "And this one?" "Yes, also that one is ripe!" "There, that one!" "God, how many there are!" "Tomorrow we go to the square..." "Remember when we planted the seedlings, how tiny they were?" "Look at them now!" "Look at the nice tomatoes." "Hey, you!" "What are you doing there?" "Cutting some grass for the rabbits." "And is not that, with the grass, you've cut some plants?" "Who cut that tree there?" " But..." "I don't know anything!" "Someone must have cut it!" "Huh?" "So then?" "What's in there?" "Not tomatoes, by chance?" " Sure they're not cherries!" "It's not tomato season now!" "My veggies are ahead of others!" "Where do you keep them?" "Under my bed!" "You see, Bettina, how they look at our tomatoes?" "Hello Giustino!" " Hi Bice!" "Well, Anselmo?" "Son of a gun!" "What tomatoes!" "And they're well ripe, even!" "Oh, really, how nice!" " Really!" "Never seen tomatoes in this season!" " It can't be, tomatoes!" "Look how beautiful!" " It's local produce?" "Our own, our local!" "Every year he comes with his basket, and I'm here awaiting." "Come on, let's go inside, so we weigh some pounds." "Old Anselmo!" "He's always the first one to show up with tomatoes!" "I'd like some myself." "Or are they all taken?" "Oh, no!" "There's enough for all!" "I always take care, because with all those who arrive in the square, the tomatoes disappear." "What happened?" "Some misfortune?" "The landlord is evicting Batistì." "Within tomorrow morning he must vacate his rooms." "He sent away him, his wife and the children." "Can it be?" "They said that Batistì cut down a tree by the ditch, to make a pair of clogs for his son, Minek." "It means take away the bread, to these poor people!" "Ah, it's really a nasty punishment!" "And to think they still have a newborn baby!" "The manager is here." "Backwards!" "Go backwards." "Go backwards, rascal!" "He's here to take the master's livestock." "The cow and the calf." "Poor people!" "They have nothing left now." "Come on." "Come on!" "Come on, scoundrel!" "I put away the spoons." "Wait now." "Come on." "Let's say a rosary for those poor people" "O God, come to my assistance." " O Lord, make haste to help me." "Glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." " As it was in the beginning..." "In the first mystery we contemplate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ." "Pull yourself back from there, for it isn't good to look out." "Go on." "English subs by edam17@KG January 2013" "Based on dialog and on the original Italian subs," "and on English translations previously available, whose authors I thank."