The story

The olives land on the net with little tapping sounds. On this visit, the adults use tools suited to the branches. Neri explains that other groves may use different machines. ‘The choice depends on the trees and the ground. It is important to limit damage to the olives and the tree.’ Leo imagines a giant comb, then goes back to watching the real one from a distance. The adults gather the fruit and check it. ‘Harvesting and moving the olives cost money too,’ Curiosone explains. ‘We need people, nets, crates and vehicles.’ Sami looks at the crates. All that work comes before the bottle. Ada sees that the tree is not stripped of its leaves. Its green stays in the landscape. Rumo carries a crate with another adult. Sami counts only the journeys he can actually see.