


Giovannino is a little peasant boy who discovers a fancy garden one day. Giovanninoappears in Riviera Stories, The Enchanted Garden He tries to cheer up a lady who is crying. Zeffirino is a little boy who loves swimming and fishing. Zeffirinoappears in Riviera Stories, Big Fish, Little Fish He is tired and terrified, but he keeps going, to try to save lives. Bintaappears in Wartime Stories, Fear on the Footpathīinta is the fastest courier available to send military messages because he knows the countryside so well. Old Bisma is a very old, deaf man, who volunteers to take his ancient mule to get bread for his town during a dangerous battle. Old Bismaappears in Wartime Stories, Hunger at Bevera He is an anarchist who wears his hair like a girl. He loves showing different animals to his new friend. Libereso, whose name means "Liberty," is the new garden boy at the estate. Liberesoappears in Riviera Stories, Adam, One Afternoon

As a result of Maria-nunziata shirking her dish-washing to play in the garden, her dishes are all dirty again, and she has to dispose of a small zoo. In this allegory of Adam and Eve, Maria-nunziata is Eve, who learns that such pleasant forays into the unknown can have unexpected, messy consequences.

When new things make her uncomfortable, she tends to giggle a lot. She is too grossed out to accept any of his animal gifts, and she is strangely discomfited and confused by the sight of mating frogs, which represents this new knowledge of the outside world and sex. Maria-nunziata is puzzled and amused at meeting Libereso, a non-Catholic, vegetarian anarchist, but she is curious about the unknown world he seems to open to her. She fantasizes about the day when she can wear lipstick, but she does not seem to understand all that this implies. She is still skinny from childhood, but she is filling out with puberty, and she accentuates this by wearing high heels, even though they hurt her feet. She is a poor peasant, one of fifteen children, and she works as a kitchen maid at an estate, washing dishes and serving food. Her name refers to the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, which symbolizes her innocence, since Maria-nunziata has had a strict Catholic upbringing and is not really aware of life outside the Catholic Church. Maria-nunziata is a thirteen-year-old girl on the verge of womanhood. Maria-nunziataappears in Riviera Stories, Adam, One Afternoon He and his friends show how people had to make the best of their situation during World War II. Giua is a good example of the way that many people show unexpected reserves of valor and strength in times of war, making unlikely heroes. He shows his resourcefulness in building a tower out of stones to help steady his aim, though he does not end up shooting the German, his target.Īfter the German has died from his own confusion, Giua is known as a hero to the town and a great hunter, even though he still cannot shoot anything. Giua shows that he is also compassionate when he holds back from shooting any of the animals in the woods, because he does not want to destroy the property of the other townspeople. Giua's only valuable possession is his cow, Cochineal, and when Giua sees a German soldier steal his cow, he sneaks along following them, although he is terrified. Giua is a short, humble man with a round face and brightly colored, motley clothing, well-known as the worst shot in the village. Giua Dei Fichi is a caricature of a comical Italian peasant, like a character out of an old fairy tale. Giua Dei Fichiappears in Wartime Stories, Animal Woods
