the little dwelling in which we lived was of clay, but the door-posts were columns of fluted marble, found near the spot on which it stood. The roof sloped nearly to the ground. It was at this time dark, brown, and ugly, but had originally been formed of blooming olive and laurel branches, brought from beyond the mountains. The house was situated in a narrow gorge, whose rocky walls rose to a perpendicular height, naked and black, while round their summits clouds often hung, looking like white living figures. Not a singing bird was ever heard there, neither did men dance to the sound of the pipe. The spot was one sacred to olden times; even its name recalled a memory of the days when it was called “Delphi. Then the summits of the dark, sacred mountains were covered with snow, and the highest, mount Parnassus, glowed longest in the red evening light. The brook which rolled from it near our house, was also sacred. How well I can remember every spot in that deep, sacred solitude! A fire had been kindled in the midst of the hut, and while the hot ashes lay there red and glowing, the bread was baked in them. At times the snow would be piled so high around our hut as almost to hide it, and then my mother appeared most cheerful. She would hold my head between her hands, and sing the songs she never sang at other times, for the Turks, our masters, would not allow it. She sang,—
“On the summit of mount Olympus, in a forest of dwarf firs, lay an old stag. His eyes were heavy with tears, and glittering with colors like dewdrops; and there came by a roebuck, and said, 'What ailest thee, that thou weepest blue and red tears?' And the stag answered, 'The Turk has come to our city; he has wild dogs for the chase, a goodly pack.' 'I will drive them away across the islands!' cried the young roebuck; 'I will drive them away across the islands into the deep sea.' But before evening the roebuck was slain, and before night the hunted stag was dead.
And when my mother sang thus, her eyes would become moist; and on the long eyelashes were tears, but she concealed them and watched the black bread baking in the ashes. Then I would clench my fist, and cry, “We will kill these Turks! But she repeated the words of the song, “I will drive them across the islands to the deep sea; but before evening came the roebuck was slain, and before the night the hunted stag was dead.
We had been lonely in our hut for several days and nights when my father came home. I knew he would bring me some shells from the gulf of Lepanto, or perhaps a knife with a shining blade. This time he brought, under his sheep-skin cloak, a little child, a little half-naked girl. She was wrapped in a fur; but when this was taken off, and she lay in my mother's lap, three silver coins were found fastened in her dark hair; they were all her possessions. My father told us that the child's parents had been killed by the Turks, and he talked so much about them that I dreamed of Turks all night. He himself had been wounded, and my mother bound up his arm. It was a deep wound, and the thick sheep-skin cloak was stiff with congealed blood. The little maiden was to be my sister. How pretty and bright she looked: even my mother's eyes were not more gentle than hers. Anastasia, as she was called, was to be my sister, because her father had been united to mine by an old custom, which we still follow. They had sworn brotherhood in their youth, and the most beautiful and virtuous maiden in the neighborhood was chosen to perform the act of consecration upon this bond of friendship. So now this little girl was my sister. She sat in my lap, and I brought her flowers, and feathers from the birds of the mountain. We drank together of the waters of Parnassus, and dwelt for many years beneath the laurel roof of the hut, while, winter after winter, my mother sang her song of the stag who shed red tears. But as yet I did not understand that the sorrows of my own countrymen were mirrored in those tears.
One day there came to our hut Franks, men from a far country, whose dress was different to ours. They had tents and beds with them, carried by horses; and they were accompanied by more than twenty Turks, all armed with swords and muskets. These Franks were friends of the Pacha, and had letters from him, commanding an escort for them. They only came to see our mountain, to ascend Parnassus amid the snow and clouds, and to look at the strange black rocks which raised their steep sides near our hut. They could not find room in the hut, nor endure the smoke that rolled along the ceiling till it found its way out at the low door; so they pitched their tents on a small space outside our dwelling. Roasted lambs and birds were brought forth, and strong, sweet wine, of which the Turks are forbidden to partake.
When they departed, I accompanied them for some distance, carrying my little sister Anastasia, wrapped in a goat-skin, on my back. One of the Frankish gentlemen made me stand in front of a rock, and drew us both as we stood there, so that we looked like one creature. I did not think of it then, but Anastasia and I were really one. She was always sitting on my lap, or riding in the goat-skin on my back; and in my dreams she always appeared to me.
Two nights after this, other men, armed with knives and muskets, came into our tent. They were Albanians, brave men, my mother told me. They only stayed a short time. My sister Anastasia sat on the knee of one of them; and when they were gone, she had not three, but two silver coins in her hair—one had disappeared. They wrapped tobacco in strips of paper, and smoked it; and I remember they were uncertain as to the road they ought to take. But they were obliged to go at last, and my father went with them. Soon after, we heard the sound of firing. The noise continued, and presently soldiers rushed into our hut, and took my mother and myself and Anastasia prisoners. They declared that we had entertained robbers, and that my father had acted as their guide, and therefore we must now go with them. The corpses of the robbers, and my father's corpse, were brought into the hut. I saw my poor dead father, and cried till I fell asleep. When I awoke, I found myself in a prison; but the room was not worse than our own in the hut. They gave me onions and musty wine from a tarred cask; but we were not accustomed to much better fare at home. How long we were kept in prison, I do not know; but many days and nights passed by. We were set free about Easter-time. I carried Anastasia on my back, and we walked very slowly; for my mother was very weak, and it is a long way to the sea, to the Gulf of Lepanto.
2017届高考英语一轮复习课时作业27:Unit 2《Poems》(人教版选修6湖北专用)
2017届高三英语人教版综合能力测试七
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业19:Unit 4《Body language》(新人教版必修4)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业2:Unit2《English around the world》(新人教版必修1)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业27:Unit 2《Poems》(新人教版选修6)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业41:语法专练一之名词
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业4:Unit 4《Earthquakes》(新人教版必修1)
2017届高三英语人教版综合能力测试四
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业8:Unit 3《Computers》(新人教版必修2)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业10:Unit 4《Wildlife protection》(新人教版必修2)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业51:语法专练十一之名词性从句
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业42:语法专练二之冠词
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业47:语法专练七之动词的时态和语态
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业5:Unit5 《Nelson Mandela—a modern hero》(新人教版必修1)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业54:语法专练十四之主谓一致
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业1:Unit 1《Friendship》(新人教版必修1)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业18:Unit 3《A taste of English humour》(新人教版必修4)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业53:语法专练十二之连词和状语从句
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业46:语法专练六之动词及动词短语
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业49:语法专练九之情态动词和虚拟语气
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业11:Unit 1《Festivals around the world》(新人教版必修3)
2017届高考英语一轮复习课时作业26:Unit 1《Art》(人教版选修6湖北专用)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业7:Unit 2《The Olympic Games》(新人教版必修2)
2017届高三英语人教版综合能力测试一
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业24:Unit 4《Making the news》(新人教版必修5)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业23:Unit 3《Life in the future》(新人教版必修5)
2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业48:语法专练八之非谓语动词
2017届高考英语阅读素材:女人的三十二个秘密
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2017届高三英语一轮复习课时作业9:Unit 4《Wildlife protection》(新人教版必修2)