Zacharias Papantoniou

“ Do you know the strength of a tree? With its roots it holds firmly to the ground and the stones so that the rains cannot carry away everything in the torrent.
“The tree is not alone in having this force, there are also the small bushes, the brambles, the holm oak, the strawberry trees and even thyme.
“That's why places covered with vegetation protect men against floods.
“If, on the other hand, we burn and uproot the trees; then the ground and stones are swept away from the exposed hillsides towards the torrent. ”

“ Five children stayed behind to guard the cabins and all the others set out with him towards the place where there was a hydraulic sawmill.
To get there they crossed over denuded and arid areas. At each step they made the stones hurtle down. The wind was cold and it roared. The sun wasn't burning hot. ”