The women of the neighborhood no sooner heard the lively singing than they came over to join us, and at the end they asked us to sing it through again. Francisco, however came up to me and said: “Let’s not sing that song any more. Our Lord certainly does not want us to sing songs like that now.” We therefore slipped away among the other children, and ran off to our favorite well. To tell the truth, now that I have just finished writing out the song under obedience, I cover my face with shame. But Your Excellency, at the request of Rev. Dr. Galamba, has seen fit to order me to write down the popular songs that we knew. Here they are then! I do not know why they are wanted, but for me it is enough to know that I am thus fulfilling God’s will.
Meanwhile, it was getting near Carnival time in 1918. The boys and girls met once again that year to prepare the usual festive meals and fun of those days. Each one brought something from home such as olive oil, flour, meat, and so on, to one of the houses, and the girls then did the cooking for a sumptuous banquet. All those three days, feasting and dancing went on well into the night, above all on the last day of the carnival. The children under fourteen had their own celebration in another house. Several of the girls came to ask me to help them organize our festa. At first, I refused. But finally I gave in like a coward, especially after hearing the pleading of José Carreira’s sons and daughter, for it was he who had placed his home in Casa Velha at our disposal. He and his wife insistently asked me to go there.
I yielded then, and went with a crowd of youngsters to see the place. There was a fine large room, almost as big as a hall, which was well suited for the amusements, and a spacious yard for the supper! Everything was arranged, and I came home, outwardly in most festive mood, but inwardly with my conscience protesting loudly. As soon as I met Jacinta and Francisco I told them what had happened. “Are you going back again to those parties and games?” Francisco asked me sternly. “Have you forgotten that we promised never to do that anymore?” “I didn’t want to go at all. But you can see how they never stopped begging me to go: and now I don’t know what to do!”
There was indeed no end to the entreaties, nor to the number of girls who came insisting that I play with them. Some even came from far distant villages–from Moita came Rosa, Ana Caetano and Ana Brogueira; from Fatima, the two daughters of Manuel Caracol; from Boleiros, the two daughters of Manuel da Ramira, and two of Joaquim Chapeleta as well from Amoreira, the two Silva girls; from Currais, Laura Gato, Josefa Valinho, and several others whose names I have forgotten; besides those who came from Boleiros and Lomba da Pederneira, and so on; and this quite apart from all those who came from Eira da Pedra, Casa Velha, and Aljustrel. How could I so suddenly let down all those girls, who seemed not to know how to enjoy themselves without my company, and make them understand that I had to stop going to these gatherings once and for all? God inspired Francisco with the answer. “Do you know how you could do it? Everybody knows that Our Lady has appeared to you. Therefore you can say that you have promised her not to dance any more, and for this reason you are not going! Then, on such days, we can run away and hide in the cave on the Cabeco. Up there nobody will find us!”
I accepted his proposal, and once I had made my decision, nobody else thought of organizing any such gathering. God’s blessing was with us. Those friends of mine who until then sought me out to have me join in their amusements, now followed my example, and came to my home on Sunday afternoons to ask me to go with them to pray the Rosary in the Cova da Iria.