In our boyhood, once upon a time, when backbreaking work was considered noble, and we were happy to receive nothing more than morsels of food, the sight of a toad springing out of the soil was a rare source of unalloyed joy.
It meant taking a deserved break from the tedium of rhythmically striding earth usinga hoe, swirling dust that covered your head, yet still maintaining pace to catch up with the older boys.