The House by the Medlar-Tree by Giovanni Verga

Once the Malavoglia were as numerous as the stones on the old road to Trezza; there were some even at Ognino and at Aci Castello, and good and brave seafaring folk, quite the opposite of what they might appear to be from their nickname of the Ill-wills, as is but right. In fact, in the parish books they were called Toscani; but that meant nothing, because, since the world was a world, at Ognino, at Trezza, and at Aci Castello they had been known as Malavoglia, from father to son, who had always had boats on the water and tiles in the sun. Now at Trezza there remained only Padron 'Ntoni and his family, who owned the _Provvidenza_, which was anchored in the sand below the washing-tank by the side of Uncle Cola's _Concetta_ and Padron Fortunato Cipolla's bark.

The tempests, which had scattered all the other Malavoglia to the four winds, had passed over the house by the medlar-tree and the boat anchored under the tank without doing any great damage; and Padron 'Ntoni, to explain the miracle, used to say, showing his closed fist, a fist which looked as if it were made of walnut wood, "To pull a good oar the five fingers must help one another. " He also said, "Men are like the fingers of the hand -- the thumb must be the thumb, and the little finger the little finger."