The story recounts the tale of two boys who live in the city of Verona. The narrator meets them for the first time when they were selling strawberries. In spite of his driver's warning the narrator and his companion purchase the biggest basket from the boys. The next time, the narrator meets them, he finds them shining shoes. On asking what their actual work was, the boys reveal that they did everything that they could manage at their age
A few days later, the narrator finds them sitting on a pavement in the windy and deserted square. It was nearly midnight. Surprised to find them working for such long hours, the narrator w curious to know why they worked so hard at such a tender age. He assumes that they could be saving money to emigrate to America.
This attitude of the boys, and their innocent yet mature demeanour, attracted the narrator who desired to be in constant touch with them, while he was in Verona.
It was about time for the narrator to leave, therefore, he asks the boys if he could do something for them. Little Jacopo requested the narrator to take them to the town of Poleta, about 50 km away, where they go every Sunday. Nicoli disliked taking Livours from anybody. However, the narrator gladly takes them in his car to Poleta.
He is surprised when the boys request him to park the car in front of a beautiful villa. The boys get off, telling the narrator that they would join him within an hour. The narrator quietly follows them and realises that the villa served as a hospital. When the boys went in, the narrator enquires about them from a mine. The boys went there every Sunday to meet their sister Loda who was suffering from tuberculosis. They would also make the requisite payment without an default every Sunday.
The nurse also tell him that they had lost their father, who was a great singer, in the war and that they were orphans. As soon as the Germans were thrown out of Verona, and the war ended, the boys on discovering that their sister was afflicted with tuberculosis of the spine. admitted her to this hospital. They were working hard to pay for her hospital hills.
The nurse asks the narrator if he wished to meet their sister. Cronin did not wish to intrude in the happy family union. With a heavy heart he goes back to the car to wait for the boys. He is impressed to see the devotion of the boys and their indomitable spirit that had not been broken by the horrors of war. He does not reveal to the boys that he had come to know their closely guarded secret. He is filled with respect.
A.J. Cronin (1896-1974) was a doctor by training. He practised medicine in Wales and in London. It was while recovering from a breakdown in health that he wrote his first novel Hatter's Castle. It was a huge success. Cronin gave up practising medicine and took to writing as a career. He wrote a number of novels and short stories. Among his best-known novels are, i The Citadel, The Key of the Kingdom, and The Spanish Gardener. Some of his novels have been made into successful films.
The title of the story is that of one of the early plays of Shakespeare. The story recounts the hard life chosen by two young boys so that they could pay for the treatment of their sister afflicted with tuberculosis. The boys sacrifice, their sincerity and devotion to the cause and the maturity they display in their actions give a new hope for humanity.
