A flower grew next to a stone, on a narrow strip of land between a forest and the sea.
"O Stone," said the Flower, "it is glorious to open my petals in the sun, to feel the heat of summer and the coolness of the air upon my flesh."
"I to am warmed by the sun," said the Simple Stone. "but
my petals are slower to open. A million bright and perfumed flowers
will flourish and die before I put forth my first tentative shoot or
unfurl soft green leaves to a sun that you will never see."
Even
as he spoke, the fullness of Summer pressed heavy beauty upon all the
land, kissing each tiny flowers were turning brown, consumed, consumed
in the intestity of Love. After
glorious Summer had kissed all the beautiful flowers he passed away
over the edge of the world, and Autumn swept the fallen petals away on
her red and golden winds. Winter came and lay upon the Earth. upon
the trees of the forest, and the distant hills and mountains, upon the
narrow stretch of land between the forest and the sea.
Underneath the pure white snow, the stone dreamed its long stone dreams and remembered the flower of summer. Many summers and winters passed. Autumn lost count of all the frail and beautiful petals that she carried away in her red and gold arms. Finally the morning came of a long - awaited Spring and the stone put forth its first tentative shoot into the invigorating air. As
the sun rose slowly into the clear, crisp sky, it began to unfurled its
delicate soft green leaves, turning this way and that as it grew
towards the heat and light. Already it had forgotten the many days and night it had lain as a stone in the womb of the earth, baked by the sun, washed by a million rivers of rain, frozen by a million cold night. Forgotten too were its dreams of conversations with flowers and insects, small animals and passing clouds. Stones have deep great sympathies for things, but no great power of concious memory. But now its time had come and it could wait no longer. With
a joyous shout , it opened the clustered bud of its long hibernation,
exploding into a riot of subtle and glorious colour, a perfumed mandala
full of a million deities that dances upon each petal in divine
celebration of consciousness and life. The full heat of the sun, the
full heat of the season, bent down to kiss the beautiful flower, for
now it was High Summer and the golden sun was at its zenith, so that
not a single shadow was cast over any of the land. A small stone lay in the earth next to the flower. In the bright sunlight it shone like a blaxing star.
DR. DO-DIDDILY AND THE DEE-DOT'S
The Knight of the Almond Branch
One
night, in the far off times when the Moors were still masters of
Toledo, the city was all awake and busy, - lights in the houses,
horsemen riding through the gates and clattering up the narrow streets,
the courtyard full of servants attending and arriving guests, polishing
up armour, and leading away the horses to Toledoe to be fed and
groomed. For on the following morning representatives of the noblest
Moorish tribes or clans, had been summoned to Toledo by one of the most
famous Moorish chieftains, Alzarque, on the occasion of a festival and
tournament given by him to celebrate his betrothal to Celindaja. And no
one had to decline the invitation. They were all there, - the
Abencerrojes, the Portoleses, and the Mazas. It was a splendid sight
when in the bright morning sunshine the chieftains and their escorts of
soldiery, each dressed in distinctive livery, wound in long procession
through the narrow city, on their way to the place of tourney. Here was
a company clad all in scarlet, with white plumes in their caps, and
following, a company in yellow, with blue and white pumes, and then a
company in dark green, with scarlet plumes, and so on - a long line of
varying colour. The air was filled with the sound of music and with the
applauding cries of the Moorish Spain people, who, looking down from
balconies and windows, showered their favourites with flowers. When
they came to the place of tourney, the whole procession passed in
review before Celindaja, who sat on a sort of throne erected at the
head of the lists. Behind her stood one fully as beautiful, a Christian
girl, Isabella, who had been captured by one of the Morish forays at
Aragon, four or five years before, and sold as a slave into the
Celindaja. Tall, slender, golden-haired, and blue eyed, her beauty was
in marked contrast to the dark faces, brown eyes, and black hair of
those around her. Many events had already taken place, in which
Alzarque and his felloweres had invariably been the victors, partly
because of their skill, and partly, because of the courtesy of their
antagonists. Suddenly above the music of the Moorish bands sounded a
long, clear trumpet call, and then another and another. Instantly all
was confusion; for the Moors recognised it as that which they often
heard coming from the camps of the Christians, a Christian bugal call;
and they thought the Christians had taken advantage of the festival to
plan a surprise. But while the Moors were hurridly preparing for
battle, a messenger with a flag of truce rode into the lists and
delivered this message to Alzarque: "Dom Ramiro of Aragon begs to be
allowed to share in the betrothal festivaties of the courteous Alzarque
and the beautiful Celindaja." The warriors rode back to their places,
the spectatores again seated themselves, and Alzarque invited the
Christian knight to enter, and urged the noblest and bravest Moors to
accept his challange to friendly rivalry in the sports of the tourney.
Under the Moorish banners draped on the entrance to the lists rode Don
Ramiro, - a splendid figure, clad in coplete steel armour that flashed
in the sunlight; his saddle rested on a blanket of crimson velvet
trimmed with gold, and on his shield, in letters of gold, was the motto
"Fidelity." He wore no plume, but in its place was a branch of pink
almond blossom. As he halted his white horse in front of the dais to
salute Celindaja, the queen of the tourney, Isabella's face suddenly
lit up; for the knight's visor was raised for the moment, and she saw
his face, which up to this time had looked weary and listless, in spite
of the Moorish heroes to attract her attention, thought it was due
merely to pleasure in seeing one of her own countrymen; and indeed the
sight of the steel armour, as it flashed across the lists, had brought
her joy. In the contests that followed, although they were stubbornly
and skilfully fought by his rivals, Don Ramiro was the victor. Then the
Moors proposed that he should engage with them in a test of skill
pecuiarly their own, - the picking
up of a bracelet three times on the point of his spear, whilst riding
his horse at full speed. Don Ramiro said he would try it if the
bracelet used was that of Isabella, the Christian slave. At the order
of her mistress, Isabella unclasped the bracelet, and Celindaja gave it
to Don Ramiro. So perfect was his horsemanship that the Moors
themselves acknowledged that he accomplished the feat with a grace and
ease superior to their own, and the spectators generously applauded
him, as with the Moorish warriors he rode up to the lists to receive
the customary recognition which always closed the tournaments, a scarf
from the hands of some lady. Since Isabella was the only Christian
there, her mistress granted her the privege of rewarding Dom Ramiro. As
she handed him the scarf, he returned her bracelet, of hollowed gold,
and in it, when she clasped it on her arm, she saw a note was hidden.
The skies were red with sunset when the multitude returned to the city,
and they kept up the feasting and dancing late into the night. At the
house of Alzarque, Don Ramino royally entertained; for it is a part of
the Moslem faith to be hospitable even to your foe whilst he is with in
your gates. At last however, the sound of the music and the dancing
ceased, the lights went out one by one, and the streets lay quiet in
the moonlight. In and out among the houses, keeping in the shadows as
much as possible, darting quickly and silently across the moonlight
spaces, where their armour flashed for a moment, a knight and his page
reached at last th ecity gates. The sentry was asleep, overcome by the
day's festivities. The boy, for so he seemed, slipped back the bolts,
and they passed through, closing the gates behind them. Outside a
servant waited with three horses. They mounted and rode together
through the moonlit night, away and away across the wide plains, over
the bare mountain heights, and through the dark mountain passes till
they were out of reach of any persuer. At last they came to Saragossa,
the home of Isabella no longer in the disguise of the page, Don Ramiro
plucked a branch of Almond blossom from a nearby tree, and said, "You
remember long ago you gave me an almond blossom and told me it was an
emblem of fidelity; and when you were captured and taken away, I vowed
I would always wear a spray of almond till I found you and rescued
you." " I was a long time waiting," answered Isabella; "and sometimes I
lost heart, and thought my kinsmen had forgotten and abandoned me; but
the old proverb is right, "Fidelity is the peace of life." Not long
after the marriage of Don Ramira and Isabella was celebrated. Alzarque
and Celindaja, so they say, were invited to the wedding, and under safe
conduct came to Saragossa, and returned to Toledo. Such were the
courtesies of generous foes in the old days.
PORTUGAL
"Sorry,
but when will I ever get the chance to write something about a
Portugese Man of War, not often that's for sure. So here I am this is
an Hawaii Portugese Jelly Fish of the Large size.
For the average Hawaii Portuguese Man-of-War Sting :
Pick off any visible tentacles with a gloved hand, stick, or anything handy, being careful to avoid further injury. Rinse the sting thoroughly with salt or fresh water to remove any adhering tentacles. Apply ice for pain control.
Irrigate exposed
eyes with copious amounts of room temperature tap water for at least 15
minutes. If vision blurs, or the eyes continue to tear, hurt, swell, or
are light sensitive after irrigating, see a doctor.
For persistent
itching or skin rash, try 1 percent hydrocortisone ointment four times
a day, and one or two 25 milligram diphenhydramine (Benadryl) tablets
every 6 hours. These drugs are sold without prescription.
Diphenhydramine may cause drowsiness. Don’t drive, swim or surf after
taking this medication.
Although
formerly considered effective, vinegar is no longer recommended for
Portuguese man-of-war stings. In a laboratory experiment, vinegar
dousing caused discharge of nematocysts from the larger (P. physalis)
man-of-war species. The effect of vinegar on the nematocysts of the
smaller species (which has less severe stings) is mixed: vinegar
inhibited some, discharged others.
No
studies support applying heat to Portuguese man-of-war stings. Studies
on the effectiveness of meat tenderizer, baking soda, papain, or
commercial sprays (containing aluminum sulfate and detergents) on
nematocyst stings have been contradictory. It’s possible these
substances cause further damage. In one U.S. Portuguese man-of-war
fatality, lifeguards sprayed papain solution immediately on the
victim’s sting. Within minutes, the woman was comatose, and later died. Alcohol
and human urine may be harmful on Portuguese man-of-war stings. An
Australian study reports that both alcohol and urine caused massive
nematocyst discharge in the box jellyfish,
Chironex fleckeri.
Most
Hawaii
Portuguese man-of-war stings disappear by themselves, sometimes
within 15 or 20 minutes. Because of this, even harmful therapies often
appear to work. A key concept in the first aid of any injury is: Do no
harm. Therefore, avoid applying unproven, possibly harmful substances
on stings.
See
a doctor if pain persists, the rash worsens, a feeling of overall
illness develops, a red streak develops between swollen lymph nodes and
the sting, or if either are a becomes red, warm and tender.
(See Staph, Strep and General Wound Care for signs of infection.)
Few
Portuguese man-of-war stings in Hawaii cause life-threatening
reactions, but this is always a possibility. Some people are extremely
sensitive to the venom; a few have allergic reactions. Consider even the slightest breathing difficulty, or altered level of consciousness, a medical emergency. Call for help and use automatic epinephrine injector if available. WONDERF
An old shepherd was playing on his flute one morning as he watched his
sheep on the marshlands outside Rome, and he played so sweetly that a
lovely fairy came and listened to him. "Will you marry me and play to me in my castle under the earth? she asked.
"Yes, yes, lovely lady!" said the shepherd. She quickly put a ring on
his finger and he at once became a handsome youth dressed in princely
robes."But I must first go to Rome and bid farewell to my friends," he
said. The fairy gave him a golden coach and twelve white horses, and as he rode in state to Rome he met the young Queen of Italy, who invited him into her palace. The
shepherd saw that he had won the Queen's heart, and he resolved to
marry her and become King of Italy, and let the fairy go. So when he
and the Queen were alone together he knelt down and took her hand saying; "Marry me, dearest, and I will help you to govern Italy." But as soon as he spoke he turned into an ugly, old and ragged shepherd. "What is this horrible beggar doing here?" she cried. "Whip him out of the palace"
And this was done, the Miserable shepherd went back to the marshlands
to find his fairy; but she never came again, and so he remained a
shepherd forever.
" Poor thing, that will teach him to upset the fairies, won't it?."
ANCIENT ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
JUST CLICK ^ON THE DVD SLOT NEXT TO START ON VIDEO BOX IF THE "ERROR" SLOGAN SHOWS.
ISLAND TALES of SICILY
Sicily is an autonomous region
of Italy.
Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at
25,708 km and currently has just over five million inhabitants. It is
also the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, several
much smaller islands surrounding it are also considered to be part of
Sicily. Along with Sardinia, the island is officially classified as a
region of Insular Italy.
I LOVE THIS STORY, EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE IT,
THE BOY FIDDLER OF SICILY
Pero
was a merry, simple lad, and he lived in a village in the beautiful
island of Sicily. His Parents died when he was young, and when he was
fourteen he set out to make his fortune. On the road he met a beggar
man, who said: "My son, I am starving. Give me something to buy some bread." "You can take my wages," said Pero, "and I will go back and serve three years more." "You are really as kind as you are simple," said the beggar man, and as he spoke he changed into a bright Spirit. "I will give you three wishes." "Well,"
said Pero, "give me please, a violin that will make everybody dance, a
gun that will never miss, and the gift of speech, that nobody can
refuse me anything." The Spirit granted Pero his wishes and
Pero turned back to the farm. Seeing a pheasant fly by, he fired at it
with his magic gun. The bird fell but before he could pick it up the
farmer ran out and seized it. "Well," said Pero, "you can keep that pheasant if you'd like to dance for it." He played on his violin, and the farmer capered around like a mad man. "Stop, Pero!" he cried at last. "And I will give you a thousand crowns."
Pero stopped playing and the farmer gave him the money, but as soon as
his back was turned the farmer denounced him as a robber. There was
little mercy for robbers in Sicily in those days. Pero was
quickly arrested, tried, and condemned. But just as the hangman was
about to put the rope round his neck he asked the magistrate to let him
play just one last tune. "Don't give him the violin!" cried the farmer. But
Pero had the gift of speech, and no one could refuse him anything. The
magistrate gave him the violin, and Pero began to play. The magistrate
and the farmer, the hangman and all the spectators began to dance as he
played. He played on until they were all weary; he played on until the
soles of their boots came off, and still he kept playing. Until the
magistrate at last promised to set him free. Pero then came down
from the scaffold, he took his gun and his violin as well as his
thousand crowns which is really what he should have been paid by the
farmer for all the long years he had worked for him for hardly
anything, and he then returned to his native village. With his
violin and his gift of speech he found himself the prettiest girl in
Sicily as his wife, and they settled down to a very happy life.
Dr. Do-diddily and the dee-dot's
Custom Search
Myths and Legends
On the Island of Malta you can find fossil shark teeth.
They were
historically called ‘tongue stones’ because people thought they were
the tongues of snakes.
In about 60 AD St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta on his way to Rome.
He came ashore unharmed but was bitten by a poisonous snake that leapt from a fire. Amazingly he was not poisoned.
People made a connection between this and the tongue stones (fossil
shark teeth). They believed the tongue stone possessed supernatural
powers.
This belief developed further through time.
In the Middle-Ages, people thought that tongue stones could neutralise
any poison when dunked into a drink before drinking it.
Do you think it worked?
Today, some people still wear a shark tooth pendant to bring good luck or health.
In Malta, the shipwreck of St. Paul is marked by a public holiday - 10th of February
Fossil shark teeth - once
believed to neutralise poison www.juniorgeo.co.uk/
Ano Kaisariani
The area was once used for farmland and forests dominated its reach.
The area was of mixed farming including pastures, vegetables, and
groves.
The Kaisariani Monastery
can be found to the southeast in the Hymettus mountain, while the
eastern bypass of Athens lies in the east.
It was not always a pleasant place to be, during the war the history books show unhappy times.
The town was founded in 1922 as a refugee camp for refugees driven
from Asia Minor. Most of whom coming from Smyrna. The municipality was
created in 1934, out of a former subdivision of the city of Athens.
Today's afternoon appears to be stuck like an old car on a steep hill every afternoon in our old place behind the kitchen of Deli-Voria and everything appears like heaven and homemade bread and everything is sky and sweet, sweet bread
As if your pale eyes jealously see the full night as a sweet morning which comes as the dawn rises in your deep eyes, some weekend in Kesariani and everything becomes a thunderous, salty sea and everything becomes a bitter, bitter bread
A sad little song I think, I do enjoy the music though , very beautiful.
Christian
girl, Isabella, who had been captured by one of the Morish forays at
Aragon, four or five years before, and sold as a slave into the
Celindaja. Tall, slender, golden-haired, and blue eyed, her beauty was
in marked contrast to the dark faces, brown eyes, and black hair of
those around her. Many events had already taken place, in which
Alzarque and his felloweres had invariably been the victors, partly
because of their skill, and partly, because of the courtesy of their
antagonists. Suddenly above the music of the Moorish bands sounded a
long, clear trumpet call, and then another and another. Instantly all
was confusion; for the Moors recognised it as that which they often
heard coming from the camps of the Christians, a Christian bugal call;
and they thought the Christians had taken advantage of the festival to
plan a surprise. But while the Moors were hurridly preparing for
battle, a messenger with a flag of truce rode into the lists and
delivered this message to Alzarque: "Dom Ramiro of Aragon begs to be
allowed to share in the betrothal festivaties of the courteous Alzarque
and the beautiful Celindaja." The warriors rode back to their places,
the spectatores again seated themselves, and Alzarque invited the
Christian knight to enter, and urged the noblest and bravest Moors to
accept his challange to friendly rivalry in the sports of the tourney.
Under the Moorish banners draped on the entrance to the lists rode Don
Ramiro, - a splendid figure, clad in coplete steel armour that flashed
in the sunlight; his saddle rested on a blanket of crimson velvet
trimmed with gold, and on his shield, in letters of gold, was the motto
"Fidelity." He wore no plume, but in its place was a branch of pink
almond blossom. As he halted his white horse in front of the dais to
salute Celindaja, the queen of the tourney, Isabella's face suddenly
lit up; for the knight's visor was raised for the moment, and she saw
his face, which up to this time had looked weary and listless, in spite
of the Moorish heroes to attract her attention, thought it was due
merely to pleasure in seeing one of her own countrymen; and indeed the
sight of the steel armour, as it flashed across the lists, had brought
her joy. In the contests that followed, although they were stubbornly
and skilfully fought by his rivals, Don Ramiro was the victor. Then the
Moors proposed that he should engage with them in a test of skill
pecuiarly their own, - the picking
up of a bracelet three times on the point of his spear, whilst riding
his horse at full speed. Don Ramiro said he would try it if the
bracelet used was that of Isabella, the Christian slave. At the order
of her mistress, Isabella unclasped the bracelet, and Celindaja gave it
to Don Ramiro. 
WONDERF
An old shepherd was playing on his flute one morning as he watched his
sheep on the marshlands outside Rome, and he played so sweetly that a
lovely fairy came and listened to him.
knelt down and took her hand saying;
He played on his violin, and the farmer capered around like a mad man. 
