Let's sleep."

Again he nestled his head between his arms.

Simone Lampo poked his head out from under the covers to put out the candle, but at that instant, he held his breath. The idea of staying in the dark with that lunatic bothered him a little.

"Tell me, Nazzaro, would you like to stay with me forever?"

"One shouldn't say forever. As long as you wish. Why not?"

"And will you be friendly to me?"

"Why not? But you can't be the master, nor I the servant. Together. I've been watching you for quite a while, you know? Knowing that you talk to your donkey and even to yourself, I said to myself: 'He's almost ready...' But I didn't want to approach you, because you kept birds imprisoned in your house. Now that you've told me that you want to save your soul, I'll stay with you as long as you wish. In the meantime, I've taken you on your word, and the first step has been taken. Good night."

"How about the rosary? Don't you say it? You talk so much about God!"

"I've already said it. My rosary is in the sky. A Hail Mary for each star."

"Ah, is that why you count them?"

"Yes, that's why. Good night."

Simone Lampo, reassured by these words, put out the candle. A little later both of them were sleeping.

At daybreak the first chirps of the imprisoned birds immediately woke up the vagabond, who had left the chair and thrown himself down on the floor to sleep. Simone Lampo, who was already used to that chirping, was still snoring.

Nazzaro went over to awaken him.

"Don Simo', the birds are calling us."

"Ah, yes," said Simone Lampo, waking with a start and opening his eyes wide at the sight of Nazzaro.

He no longer remembered anything. He led his companion into the other little room and, after lifting the trapdoor over the floor-boards, they both climbed down the wooden ladder under the opening and reached the ground floor. The musty enclosure reeked from the droppings of all those little birds cooped up in there for so long.

The birds, frightened by their entrance, began to screech all at the same time, and, flapping their wings furiously, flew upwards toward the ceiling.

"Oh, how many, how many there are!" exclaimed Nazzaro compassionately, with tears in his eyes. "Poor creatures of God!"

"There were even more!" exclaimed Simone Lampo, shaking his head.

"You deserve to be hanged, Don Simo'!" the other shouted at him, showing him his fists. "I don't know whether the atonement I've had you make will suffice! Come on, let's go! We have to first make them all go into one room."

"That's not necessary. Look!" said Simone Lampo, grasping a bunch of small ropes that by means of an extremely complicated mechanism kept the screens flush against the openings of the large and small windows.

He hung on them and yanked downwards. At that moment all the screens came crashing down together, making a devilish racket.

"Now let's chase them out! Let's chase them out! Freedom! Freedom! Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!"

Since the birds had been cooped up in there for several months, they at first didn't know how to take wing in that sudden commotion. Dismayed, they hung suspended, fluttering their wings. It took several of the more spirited of them to hurl themselves out like so many arrows, with a screech of jubilation and fear at the same time. The others then followed suit, flocks and flocks of them having been chased out in great disorder. At first they scattered themselves as if to recover a bit from their confusion. They flew throughout the neighborhood, onto the ridges of roofs, onto small chimneys, onto windowsills, onto the railings of balconies. They stirred up a great clamor of amazement in the street below. In response, Nazzaro wept from great emotion, and together with Simone Lampo continued to shout throughout the now empty rooms:

"Shoo! Shoo! Freedom! Freedom!"

Then, they too, went to look out the windows in order to enjoy a view of the street invaded by all those little birds set free in the early light of dawn. But already some windows were opening. A boy and a woman laughingly attempted to catch this or that little bird. Then Nazzaro, infuriated, stretched out his arms and began yelling like a madman:

"Leave them alone! Don't be rash! Oh, you rascal! Oh, you sacrilegious thief! Let them go!"

Simone Lampo tried to calm him down.

"Come on, don't worry! They won't let anyone catch them any more ..."

They returned to the upper floor, relieved and happy.