Stories from Dara
In this section you will read stories that took place in our village and stories in which the stars are people from Dara . Some of these stories are funny , some of them are tragicomical but all these stories are examples of the cleverness , the intelligence and , maybe , the carefreeness that characterize all the Daraious . Most of them took place the period 1090 - 1950 and one of them is the story of the " Nation of Dara " phrase . The stories in this page are from the books " Dara Arkadias " of Kostas Papadoniou and " Salted " of Vasilis Papakostas .
2)" The pigs and the townsmen "
There are two stories about how Dara got the characterization as " Nation of Dara " . The first one refers to the period after the revolution of 1821 . Then the wealthy and privileged people of the area gave Dara the name " Nation of Dara " because of the courage and the tame less character of the villagers during the revolution .
The second story is more humoristic . During the period 1834 - 1914 , Dara was also known as public of Nasoi . That time , the teacher of the village , Epaminodas Biniaris from Kandila , and the Chairman of the county had personal problems with the chairman of Dara , Dimo Labropoulo . When the chairman of the county was about to visit Dara , the chairman of Dara wrote a speech and gave it to the teacher to read it . The target of the speech was to insult the chairman of the county throught the teacher and to sack the teacher from his position . The speech started like this :
" Dear Chairman , our small nation of Dara welcomes uou and names you as the one who can solve our problems . The government's choice to put you as a Chairman of the county , Mr Tabakopoulo as Congressman and me as a teacher was the best .... "
At this point of the speech , the angry chairman of the county asked Dimo Labropoulo where this teacher came from . Then , the chairman of Dara answered : " Your political party sent him and he is under your judgement "
One night of the winter , cause of the bad weather , Mitroulias was forced to stay in Tripoli for the night . A popular congressman , who was Mitroulias' friend and who had spent many nights at Mitroulias' house at Dara , offered his hospitality to Mitroulia . It was snowing during the night . The next morning Tripoli was full of snow . While taking their coffee , the congressman , looking through the window , told his friend :
" My dear Mr Mattheopoule , I think that the people today will be late to their offices and jobs because these pigs have not come to Tripoli yet to clean the roads from the snow so that we can walk freely . "
Mitroulias insulted with the words of his friend because he was a pig too as a villager , without expressing his trouble , answered :
" You can expect nothing from the hungry pigs unless the townsmen first clean the roads . "
Mitroulias was the nickname of Dimitrios Matthaiopoulos , an elder of Dara who lived before and after the revolution of 1821 and who was also known about his intelligence and his etymology .
In 1850 there was a congressman candidate whose name was Gioulaferis . He was a handsome , young man but he was quite fat . During his visit at Dara , Gioulaferis stayed at Mitroulias' house . Mitroulias understood from the first look that the candidate was only words and theories . The next day the candidate and Mitroulias went a tour to the area . Mitoulias was popular for his poems so the candidate ask him to make one for him . Then Mitroulias said :
" Γκιουλαφέρη , Γκιουλαφέρη πότε γίνηκες χερχέρι
και μεγάλωσες ευθής , για να γίνεις βουλευτής .
Γκιουλαφέρη , Γκιουλαφέρη νά χης κι έναν άλλον ταίρι ,
να σας έζεχνα που λες , να ξεκώλωνα βουρλιές .......... "
The brothers Dimitris and Gregory were students at the high school of Dara . Their father was Fotis who was known for his etymology and intelligence . One year both children didn't manage to proceed to the next class . When Fotis was asked from an old villager about his children's progress at school he answered :
" Excellent . Gregory was rejected and Dimitris was not promoted "
The old man , uneducated , thought that the children were doing well and said :
" Congratulations Fotis , Excellent . You have blessed children "
Old - Agrafas was prisoner at the court of Kalavrita for some damages of the fields which were made by his animals . The witnesses were giving evidence for a long time because there were lots of damages . Finally the president of the court asked old - Agrafas to say his opinion about the facts . So the old man , waving his hands with meaning , said :
" Hearing the stories of the witnesses and hearing your opinion Mr President , I am ready to believe that I am guilty . "
" Innocent " said the president of the court .
George was old and single . One day he went to the inn of Mantis to eat . He asked the waitress to tell him the menu and finally he ordered chicken . Then the newlywed waitress asked him :
- What do you prefer sir ? Breast or leg ?
And George answered :
- Whatever you like my child . I have shortage of both of them
Periklis visited old - Dimos and asked him if he could give him a 500 dr loan . Old - Dimos told him that he could take money from the fireplace . This happened many times . Periklis was taking the money from the fireplace and he was returning them after a while . On day he forgot to return the loan so the next time he went to borrow some money he said :
- Old - Dimo i want to borrow 500 dr .
- The money are on the fireplace my child .
- There is nothing on the fireplace .
- Did you returned them the previous time in order to be there now ?
Xristos Karadasis had lives in America for many years . During one of his trips back in Dara , he met at the coffee-shop of Tsekos two old and single villagers , George and Vaggelis .
- I saw your children today said Karadasis to George and George answered :
- You are wrong . They were not my children , they were Vaggelis' .
Agrafogiannis lived with his daughter Maria . Every Wednesday , Friday and during the Lent all the old villagers were fasting . During a fasting period , Maria was eating cheese from the family barrel but all the other , including her father , were fasting . Then her father told her :
- Why do you eat the cheese ? Don't you know that it is the Lent ?
- I do not care father . I want to eat cheese . It is my soul ... you can do whatever you want .
- I agree that the soul is yours and that you can do whatever you want but the barrel with the cheese belongs to me too.
Karadasis and Kahiouteas were friends , neighbours and hunters . One day they decided to go hunting . After hunting for hours they ate and Kahiouteas fell asleep . Karadasis continued the hunting . Suddenly he saw a rabbit . He shot one , nothing ..... he shot again , nothing ....again ...again and again but he could not kill the rabbit . Kahiouteas woke up from the gunfire . Then he took his gun and he killed the rabbit with one shot . Then Karadasis said .
- Which was the reason of your delay ? I was firing to wake you up .... you were not hearing ?