Once she answered, "To pick chestnuts." Another time, "Into the country." Another, "You will see." Anania danced, ran, stumbled, rolled. Now and then he felt his chest for the charm. The fog was lifting. High up the sky appeared, a watery blue, furrowed, as it were, by long streaks of white lead. The mountains showed livid through the mist. At last a ray of pale sunshine illuminated the little church of Gonare, which on the top of a pyramidal mountain stood up against a background of leaden cloud. "Is that where we're going?" asked Anania, pointing to a wood of chestnut trees. Drops hung from the leaves and from the bursting thorny fruit. A little bird cried in the silence of the hour and the place. "Further on," said Olì. Anania resumed his delightful running. Never in any excursion had he pushed so far. The continued descent, the changed nature, the grass slopes, the moss-grown walls, the spinnies of hazel, the red berries on the thorn trees, the little chirruping birds, all seemed to him new and glorious. The fog vanished. A triumphant sun cleared the mountains. The clouds over Monte Gonare had become a beautiful golden pink. The little church was so distinct against them that it seemed near. "But where the devil is this place?" asked little Anania, opening his hands with a gesture of great contempt. "We are getting near. Are you tired?" "I? Tired?" he said, starting to run again. He began, however, to feel a little pain in his knees. He did not run so fast. He walked by Olì's side and chattered. But the woman, the bundle on her head, her face white, circles round her eyes, hardly heeded him and made absent answers. "Shall we come back to-night? Why didn't you let me tell Zuanne? Is the wood far off? Is it at Mamojada?" "Yes, at Mamojada." "When is the _festa_ at Mamojada? Is it true that Zuanne has been at Nuoro? This is the road to Nuoro, I know that. And it takes ten hours to walk to Nuoro. Have you been to Nuoro? When is the _festa_ at Nuoro?" "It's over. It was the other day. Would you like to go to Nuoro?" asked Olì, rousing herself. "Of course, I should. And then--then----" "You know your father is at Nuoro?" said Olì, guessing his thought. "Would you like to be with him?" Anania considered. Then he wrinkled his brows, and answered, "Yes." What was he thinking when he said that? His mother did not ask. She only said-- "Shall I take you to him?" "Yes," said the child. Towards noon they halted beside a garden. A woman, with her petticoats sewn between her legs like pantaloons, was hoeing vigorously. A white cat sometimes followed the woman, sometimes darted after a green lizard which now appeared now vanished among the stones of the wall. Ever afterwards Anania remembered these details. The day had become warm, the sky blue. The mountains were grey as if dried by the sun; the dark woods flecked with light. The sun had warmed the grass and waked sparkles in the streamlets.