The House by the Medlar-Tree

off without many tears; they were used to it by this time. This time, also, ‘Ntoni accompanied his brother, with his cap over his ear, so that it seemed as if it w

he stood at the door watching the rain come down on the medlar-tree, with his little bun-dle under h

although he wouldn’t have to wear them any more when he got his soldier-clothes. “This one won’t write home fof money when he is clown there,” thought the old man; “ and if God grants him life he will bring up once more the house by the medlar-tree.” B

ilent, on the landing, looking like Our Lady of Sorrows, “when I come back

been present at the festa that was made when the Provvi-denza was launched anew, while all the place was there, and Barbara Zuppidda came o

e a queen,” replied ‘Ntoni. “ In all Trezz

ovvidenza, we shall not see you

es, this is the short

carubbe, who always goes to

e for Rocco Spatu. I have

your mind those pretty girls

re, too, Cousin Bar-bara,

all

my s

do you

for me, because there are certain dandies wh

shed boots are only fit to devour the dowry and everything else; and some fine day I shall go

at seriously, C

indeed

me right well,

the beach on Monday, whe

chance to breathe, now that the

o start her with his boys and all the neighbors; and the Prov-videnza, when she was goi

nd struggled to push her back on the ways as she rocked over on the stones. “ Let me do it,

hose arms of his,” said some one; or else,

ers,” they exclaimed. “ Look how he has put her

San Francesco, with his beard that seemed to have been made of tow, so much so that even La Longa had made peace with the Provvidenza, whom s

dy, in the hope that now Padron ‘Ntoni would hire him by the day, instead of his brother Menico. Mena stood on the la

,” said Alfio Mosca to her from his window opposi

you sell y

r I wouldn’t sell him, poor beast! If I had enough to keep anot

w what to say,

s put to sea again, you’ll b

as said noth

oads I shall drive my cart? I have been told that in the plain, at the other side of the town, there is work for everybo

brows together, as sail-ors do when they want to see clearly in the sun-shine; for it was a fine winter’s day, and the fields were green and the sea shining and the deep blue sky had no end. So return the sunshine and the sweet winter mornings for the eyes that have wept, to whom

he had fixed in the wall with his own hands. Everything in the house was full of him, from his water-proof cape in the corner to his boots under the bed, that were almost new. Mena, setting up the warp, had a sad heart, too, for she was thin

at her daughter was still pensive, “your grandfather has begun to go with Master C

as nothing to do, and stays all

, we shall get out of this tangle; and if the souls in Purgatory will help us to get rid of the debt for the lupins, we shall be able to think of oth

untain, and you couldn’t see his face. “ IVe been to get them out of the bark,” he

net, while the old man turned round in the middle of the court, like a winder, to unwin

he has to work all the week, and it is hot even

utside there; there is that poor Locca; her son is in the piazza, with nothing to do, and they have nothing to eat.” Ma

we live till sum-mer, with the

the medlar-tree looking at his nets

, if it is true it is to be raised. Cousin Zuppiddu must be paid with the first m

is Mena’s linen, which is wor

have had a warning in the affair of the lupins; but he will give

rucifix’s money brings ill luck. Just this

the court, with her tail in the air and her crest on one side, as if the who

here is a basketful of eggs, and on Mon-day, if Cousi

Pa-dron ‘Ntoni; “but you can eat an egg yo

n the market by Cousin Alfio; and now we will put duck’s eggs under the setting hen. The duck

al Malavogli

f in a corner.; under the green boughs in the garden, along the wall, there was more linen bleaching, with a stone lying on it to keep it from blow

d and Saint Francis for a plentiful

Padron Cipolla, “ they must have sown the ch

salt, and how, if they did that, the anchovies might be quiet, and fear no longer the whe

pitch was of no importance had nothing to say, but Zuppiddu went on shouting that he should shut up shop, and

rom the hole they had made in the hill, smoking and fuming as if the devil was in them. “There!” cried Padron Fortu-nat

s was some new villany of Don Silvestro, who wanted to bring the whole place to ruin, because they (the Zup-piddus) wouldn’t have him for a husband for their daughter; they would

on substances entering a tow

is face. The men, too, one by one, allowed themselves to be worked up by their womankind, and began hunting each other up, to try and rouse each other to fury, losing the whole day standing about in the piazza, with arms akimbo and open mouths, listening to the apothecary, who went on speechifying, but under his breath, for fear of his wife up-stairs, how they ought to make a revolution if they weren’t fools, and not to mi

x had not yet been raised on the wine), and such as had much shook their

his razor in his pocket, calling out bad names from a distance, and spitting at those who wen

inside of him) was never seen in the piazza now, leaning against the wall of the bell-tower, but kept inside his house, reciting Pater-nosters and Ave Marias to keep d

Cipolla got a rousing cuff from his father, who found him at the door of the: court, staring into the piazza like a great stupid codfish. The big fish stayed under water while

ps. “ Now that they have got you into a scrape, they turn their backs on you, and leave you alone wallowi

,” shouted the Silk-worm. “ It is I

t, with that red face of his, and Rocco Spatu and Cinghialenta, when they saw him, went into the tavern for fear of a mess, and Vanni Pizzuti swore loudly, tapping

lms for the souls in Purgatory, and they go saying they mean to kill your syndic and the secretary; Vanni Piz-zuti said it, and Rocco Spatu and Master Cinghia-lenta. Vanni Pizzuti

be friendly with all and faithful to none, for that each one has his own soul for himself, and each must look out for his own interests, and not make rash speeches

s, and passed tranquilly through the piazza with his cart

ax?” asked Mena when she saw him come back with

e tax the cart must go, or they’ll ta

told us to keep the door shut, and not to open it u

a load of lime for

? Don’t you know he’s the syn

trengthen the wall of Don Filippo’s vineyard; and if they won’t h

ver had so much as an old broken board at sea. It is all the fault of Don Silvestro,” she went on screeching to everybody all over the place, “ and of that meddling scamp Goose-foot, who have no boat, either of them, and live on their neighbors, and hold out the hat

things he left to sink into it. He knew his own business, and when Betta met him with his mouth open worse than a mad dog, and Master Croce Calta let slip his usual expression, that it didn’t matter to him, he replied, “ What’ll you bet I don’t just go off and leave you?” And went no more to the syn-dic’s house; but on the Sunday appointed for the meeting of the council Don Silve

ome to him. It was in vain that his daughter Betta took him by the shoulders, and pushed him out of the door, saying to him that they who had cooked the broth ought to eat it, and that he ought to let the others do as they liked, that he might remain syndic. This time M

to come to an end this time!” Master Croce let himself be led away by Don Sil-vestro, and placed before the pine council —table, with the glass inkstand in front o

blood of the poor, worse than so many leeches, because they live upon their neighbors, and hold th

you!” shouted Goosefoot, beginning to

to grief!” muttered

he piazza,” called out Don Silvestro. “What will you bet I don

led with Don Silvestro, who pulled her by the hair, and at last ended by

e to have their boats mended. Listen to me: your husband is an ass to make all this row and to quarrel with the town-council, now when the

tant. “ I never mix myself up in my husband’s affairs. I know he’s biting his h

e heavens above, I tell you! Are we hon

edrim and try if the fish would bite, there were still wanting Padron Fortunato Cipolla and Master Filippo, the market-gardener, who stayed away so long that the crowd began to get bored so much so t

aughter Betta said,” gro

ed Don Silvestro. Silk-worm said not an-other word

Silvestro, “yo

take their daughter Barbara, bu

some this way, some that, talking as they went of the dreadful things that Goosefoot and La Zuppidda had been saying. In the evening Padron ‘Ntoni’s ‘Ntoni heard of this bad lan-guage, and, “ Sacrament!” if he wouldn’t show Goosefoot that he had been for a soldier! He met him, just as he was coming from t

ve come from foreign parts

weasand for you if you

imself on the ground all in a heap with ‘Ntoni Mala-voglia, who thus lost all the advantage which his good legs might have given him, and they rolled over and over in the mud, beating and bitin

the door in the faces of her neighbors “you’ll see whether I mean to

ed as a turkey, with her heart bea

ter slowly over ‘Ntoni’s head; “ bites worse than a dog, does Uncle Tino

the world. “ If your daughter doesn’t take me, I’ll nev

; but if your grandfather has no objection, I wouldn’t

ed ‘Ntoni a towel to dry himself with; so that ‘Ntoni

t at any moment expect the officer to turn them out-of-doors; for Goosefoot lived close by, and of th

ut where there’s a marriageable girl!” said

o marry her,”

tell me first. Your grand-mother was then alive, and they came and spoke to us in the garden under the fig-tree. Now these things are no longer the custom, and

l day! Never going to the tavern! Never a soldo in one’s pocket! Now that I’ve

he racking pain in his back. “Go to bed and to sleep that’s the best thing

soldier, is better off than I am,” g