Tales from Crete | 56

There is sometimes something that hits someone's heart like this little story did to me when I read it yesterday in the Greek Newsview. I will try to retell it to you readers, as close to the original little story, but for purely linguistic reasons, have changed it a bit.

It was the little Greek girl who one day decided to take her little piggy bank down from the shelf where it stood and empty it of money. In order not to make a mistake, she counted the coins three times and there was exactly 1 Euro and 11 cents. She took the money in her hand and went down the stairs towards the town to the town pharmacy. The apothecary was sitting at his large desk talking to a very well-dressed gentleman when the girl came, and she was evidently somewhat impatient, and was tripping with her little feet on the smooth floor.

"What do you want", asked the pharmacist slightly annoyed "can't you see I'm busy. I'm just sitting here talking to my good friend whom I haven't seen in years”.

"Excuse me" said the girl and placed the coins on the polished desk, "but I just really want to talk to you" she continued. "Well I don't have time and why are you actually putting your money on my table?"" he replied. "Because I want to buy a miracle," she said. "Well, sweet girl, we don't sell miracles here," answered the slightly shaking pharmacist.

But the little girl was not the type to get rid of, so she continued undeterred "But I just have to buy a miracle for my brother and I have exactly 1 Euro and 11 cents to buy it for, so I have to have it . My brother is very sick. He has something in his head that just grows and grows and my father says that only a miracle can save him. That's why I emptied my piggy bank and here is the money" she said and pointed to the coins on the table.

The pharmacist's well-dressed friend had followed the conversation with interest and suddenly asked the little girl what miracle she needed. "I don't know, but I know he needs an operation and my father has no money, but I do and I want to use it to buy the miracle my father says is needed to save my brother" said the girl with teary eyes.

The pharmacist's friend stood up and took the little girl by the hand. "Do you know how much such a miracle costs" he asked. "No, I don't know, but I have 1 Euro and 11 cents and if it gets more expensive I have to find some more coins" she replied. "Come, let's go to your family's house and look after your brother" said the friend and went up the many stairs to the family. When he had looked at the brother, who was obviously not feeling well, he told the family that he was a neurosurgeon and could, purely by chance, perform such an operation as the brother was to have. The mother was naturally happy, but repeated what the father had said to the little girl earlier, that they had no money. But the neurosurgeon simply smiled at the little girl and said: "That operation only costs 1 Euro and 11 cents and you have already paid for that." 

Then he took the boy with him to the hospital and carried out the operation that he had to have and after a short time the boy was back with the family in a good recovery and without the "thing" growing in his head. The neurosurgeon turned out to be one of the most respected in Greece, but he never let it be known. And the piggy bank, yes it is still on the little girl's shelf containing 1 Euro and 11 cents.

The age of miracles is not over.

Good weekend