Shot Down Pilot

• The pilot hurt his ankle after an emergency parachute jump and is sweating.
• He expresses surprise at the lack of people around.
• The pilot turns a corner and sees the sea, which annoys him further.
• He sees an old man in the shade of a fig tree.
• The pilot greets the old man in Greek.
• The old man is wearing a cap and a shirt with holes, and seems to look without seeing.
• The pilot identifies himself as English ("Inglese") and says he was shot down by Germans.
• The old man repeats "Inglesus."
• The pilot asks for someone with a boat to return to the mainland before the Germans arrive.
• The old man says German planes come every day and will come again soon.
• The old man knows a man named Johannis Spirakis who has a boat.
• Johannis used to live in the house nearest the water, but it was destroyed by German planes this morning.
• Johannis now lives with Antonia Angelou in the house with the red windows.
• The old man suggests Johannis may not be home but his wife Anna will be there with Antonia.
• The old man tells the pilot that Anna's daughter, Maria, was in the house when it was bombed.
• The pilot says he is sorry and walks down the hill to the house with the red windows.
• A beautiful young woman with long black hair and green eyes answers the door.

Antonia

• The pilot asks for Johannis Spirakis, the boat owner.
• The woman identifies herself as Antonia and invites him in.
• She leads him to an underground room where an old lady is sitting at a table.

Anna

• The old woman asks who it is in a high voice.
• Antonia says, it's "Inglesus," looking for her husband for his boat.
• Anna greets Inglesus and asks about the Germans.
• Anna says the Germans come every day and bomb, and she asks him how many he has killed.
• The pilot answers "enough," but Anna says it is never enough and to kill them all.
• Anna asks what he wants.
• The pilot says he wants to use Johannis' boat.
• Anna says Johannis is out.
• Anna stands up and leads him towards the front door and into the sunshine.
• She points to the old man sitting on the rock in the shade of the fig tree, saying "That's him.”
• The pilot turns to speak to Anna, but she has disappeared into the house.

Comprehension Questions

• The pilot is from England.
• The pilot is in a Greek village.
• The pilot's plane was shot down, and he had to parachute out.
• Johannis' house was bombed by German planes.
• The old man's name is not mentioned
• Johannis' wife's name is Anna.
• The title of the story means that yesterday was beautiful, but due to the war and bombing the village, that is no longer the case and everything has changed.
• The story is most likely set during World War II.