Tales from the Isles of Greece

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ... AUNT YANNOULA It is now many yean since the old serving woman whom you see came into this house from a village on the opposite shore. She must have seen much and suffered much in her day. Look at her great bright eyes, like two withered pansies, brows thick and black as a leech, a firm and decided mouth, pale face which not even the bright reflection of the fire can redden. She looks a real witch with that kerchief over her head and the yellow apron. She cuts up the meat with a look of bitterness on her face; you could easily imagine her to be concocting a poison. Very different is the young girl slicing quinces beside her. She is the darling of her father, because she is supposed to be like him. She has his gray eyes and rounded chin; but her father has not the same beauty, I imagine. When he tucks up his sleeves, and his darling daughter pours water for him to wash, you do not see a fine pair of white arms twinkling over the silver bowl. The girl has her mother's beauty, they say. Such pure beauty is the only true ornament of a girl's face. She is very fond of the old servant Aunt Yannoula. When the others are playing or singing, off she runs to the kitchen and helps Yannoula. And Yannoula lets the girl do it, in order that the master may hear of it afterwards, and be glad that his dear daughter has made the quince marmalade again. Now they have put on the pot, and the dinner is boiling. The old dame sits down on her cushion, and takes up her distaff; the girl is beside her. The old woman has something to say; let us hear what it is. This is not the first time, nor the second, that you have plagued me to tell my story. You are only a little girl, and why should I pain you? But you will insist upon hearing it. Well, you shall hear it, only be...