The Cave Library

The author's cousin, Theresa, and her husband, Bill, recently returned from a visit to their ancestral village of San Demetrio Corone, Provincia di Cosenza, regione di Calabria, Italia. She told him a very strange story. High in the mountains above the village, a shepherd boy discovered a cave while he was searching for one of his sheep. He noticed that water was seeping from the ground. He found the opening when he traced the stream to the source. Inside the cave, which was lighted, he saw row upon row of books, manuscripts, scrolls, papyruses, clay tablets and other forms of material to hold writings. The Italian government quickly kept the knowledge of the cave quiet until it could send scholars to study the contents. It seems librarians from different eras had kept the library in great condition. One of those authorized to study the contents of the Library was another cousin of the author's. He gave several of the stories to Theresa. She secretly brought them to the United States and gave them to the author. He had them translated, added a few stories of his own and wrote this book.