"of course its a toad. come here," said libereso.

she pointed at it with a trembling finger. "kill it."

he put out his hands, as if to protect it. "i dont want to. its so nice."

"a nice toad ?"

"all toads are nice. they eat the worms."

"oh!" said maria-nunziata, but she did not come any nearer.

she was chewing the edge of her apron and trying to watch from the corner of her eyes.

"look how pretty it is," said libereso and put a hand on it.

maria-nunziata approached, no longer laughing, and looked on open mouthed. "no ! no ! dont touch it !"

with one finger lihereso was stroking the toads grey-green back, which was covered with shiny warts.

"are you mad ? dont you know they burn when you touch them, and make your hand swell up ?"

the boy showed her his big brown hands, the palms covered with a layer of yellow callouses.

"oh, it wont hurt me," he said. "and its so pretty."

now hed taken the toad by file scruff of the neck like a cat and put it in the palm of his band. maria-mmziata, still chewing the edge of her apron, came nearer and crouched down beside him.

"mammamia!" she exclaimed.

they were both crouching down behind the dahlias, and maria-nunziatas rosy knees were grazing the brown, scratched ones of libereso. libereso cupped his other hand over the back of the toad, and caught it every now and again as it tried to slip out.

"you stroke it, maria-nunziata," he said.

the girl hid her hands in her apron.

"no," she said firmly.

"what ?" he said. "you dont want it ?"

maria-nunziata lowered her eyes, glanced at the toad, and lowered them again quickly.

"no," she said.

"but its yours. im giving it to you," said libereso.

maria-nunziatas eyes clouded over. it was sad to refuse a present, no one ever gave her presents, but the toad really did revolt her.

"you can take it home if you like. itll keep you company."

"no," she said.

libereso put the toad back on the ground and it quickly hopped off and squatted under the leaves.