Nicholas Vafio

The Language of the Frogs: a Traditional Greek Fairy Tale in English and Greek Nicholas Vafio

Publisher Marketing: A really long time ago, Thessalos, the renowned son of legendary Hercules, while seeking his luck, came to our places! The moment he crossed the mesmerizing Valley of Tempi, where Apollo, the God of Light lived with his beloved Daphne, in amazement saw a huge fully green valley ahead. Walking along the Pinios River's, which is rumored to be the son of Uranus and Tithia, he could never imagine he had reached his destination. This is - on the banks of Pinios - where 4000 years ago legendary Larissos built the town of Larissa, where our story takes place. On its right, Mount Olympus, the residence of the twelve Gods, reached the clouds, while on its left, Ossa - Kissavos did. On its cone, like a pyramid peak Mount Pilio was once put by the Giants, Ottos and Efialtis, who the only thing they wanted was to reach Olympus and dethrone Zeus- Dias, the king of the twelve Gods. Deeply in the horizon, even more mountains raised and then got lost again into the clouds! It was Pindos one of them which gave birth to Pinios through her tears when Gods decided to take her away from her husband, Liggos, because they were jealous of their happiness. - I will stay here! he thought. - I will call the magical land Thessalia! * * * ... Whichever stone you pick up, you'll hear a story. Whichever twig the sweet wind moves, it will tells you a story. Such a story did we listen to from our grandpa when we were kids. A youngster, who could be any of us, while trying his luck, wants to learn, because he likes it, how to speak an unusual language! He wants to learn the language of the frogs. I keep wondering ... will it be useful to him or totally useless? Who knows!