Natural Inclinations

What Francisco enjoyed most, when we were out on the mountains together, was to perch on the top of the highest rock and sing or play his flute. If his little sister came down to run races with me, he stayed up there entertaining himself with his music and song. The song he sang most often went like this:

CHORUS

I love God in Heaven,

I love Him, too, on Earth,

I love the flowers of the fields,

I love the sheep on the mountains.

I am a poor shepherd girl,

I always pray to Mary;

In the midst of my flock

I am like the sun at noon.

Together with my lambkins

I learn to skip and jump;

I am the joy of the serra

And the lily of the vale.

He always took part in our games when we invited him, but he seldom waxed enthusiastic, remarking: “I’ll go, but I know I’ll be the loser.” These were the games we knew and found most entertaining: Pebbles, Forfeits, Pass the Ring, Buttons, Hit the Mark, Quoits, and card games such as the Bisca Game, Turning up the Kings, Queens and Knaves, and so on. We had two packs of cards: I had one and they had the other. Francisco liked best to play cards, and the Bisca was his favorite game.