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Η ΕΚΛΟΓΗ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘΗΓΗΤΟΥ  Χατζόπουλος Δημήτριος - Εθνικό Κέντρο Βιβλίου / Από το 18ο ...Πῶς τὰ ἔμπλεξε καὶ μὲ τὰς δύο καί αὐτὸς δὲν ἤξευρεν. Οὔτε φιλήδονος ἦτο οὔτε, γυναικοθήρας, ἀλλ' ἁπλούστατα εἷς ἀγαθὸς καθηγητὴς. Εἶχεν ἐνοικιάσῃ ἕν δωμάτιον εἰς μίαν οἰκογένειαν ἀποτελουμένην ἀπὸ γραῖαν οἰκοδέσποιναν, τὸν ἄγριον κουτσαβάκην υἱόν της καὶ τὰς δύο θυγατέρας της. Ἡ μία μελαγχροινὴ νόστιμη τριακονταέτις χήρα, καὶ ἡ ἄλλη δεκαοκταέτις ξανθοῦλα γαλανόφθαλμος, μὲ προκλητικὸν αὔθαδες στῆθος, οὗ προεπάθει πάντοτε νὰ διαβλέπηται κἄπως τὸ ῥόδινόν του, ἰδιαιτέρως δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ δωματίου του ἔξοδον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καθηγητοῦ. Πῶς τὰ ἔμπλεξεν ἤδη μὲ ἀμφοτέρας ἦτο ἄγνωστον. Γνωστὸν ὅμως ἦτο πλέον, ὅτι ἐντὸς ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν ἐπρόκειτο νὰ γίνῃ διπλοῦς πατὴρ ἐν τῇ οἰκίῃ, ἧς εἶχεν ἐνοικιάσῃ ἕν μόνον δωμάτιον. Ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκαλύψει ταύτῃ ἡ οἰκοδέσποινα γραῖα καὶ ὁ ἄγριος κουτσαβάκης υἱὸς προέβησαν εἰς πολύωρον συμβούλιον, οὗ ἀποτέλεσμα ἦτο νὰ εὕρῃ ἐγκαθιδρυμένους ἀμφοτέρους ὁ καθηγητὴς εἰς τὸ δωμάτιόν του ἐπιστρέψας τὴν νύκτα. Ἡ γραῖα ὕψωσεν ἀπειλητικὸν τὸν γρόνθον της, ὁ κουτσαβάκης ἀπειλητικωτέραν τὴν πιστόλαν του − Τελείονε! δάσκαλε, μιὰ ἀπ' τὶς δυὸ, ἔλα παίρνε την! εἶπεν ὁ κουτσαβάκης. Ὁ καθηγητὴς ἐρρίγγησε καταληφθεὶς ὑπὸ σκοτοδίνης. − Κύριε καθηγητά, κύριε καθηγητὰ, κακὸ ποῦ μᾶς ἔκαμες!.. Ποιὰ θὰ πάρῃς τώρα ἀπ' τὶς δύο; προσέθηκεν ἡ γραῖα. Καὶ ὁ ἀτυχὴς καθηγητὴς σκεφθεὶς ἐπ' ὀλίγον, ἐνέδωκε μὲ τρέμουσαν φωνήν. − Δυοῖν κακοῖν προκειμένοιν ἡ μὴ χήρα βέλτιστος!* δυοῖν κακοῖν προκειμένοιν τὸ μὴ χεῖρον βέλτιστον....
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THE TEACHER’S OPTION
By Dimitrios Chatzopoulos (1868-1920)
Rendered by Vassilis C. Militsis
How he became entangled with both of them, he could not even realize. He was neither lustful nor promiscuous; he was a naïve, kind teacher. He had rented a room in the house of a family, consisting of an aged landlady, her bully, rowdy son and her two daughters. One was thirty years old, a brunette and attractive widow; the other was eighteen, blonde and blue eyed, with a saucy, rosy bosom, which she always strove to flaunt, especially when the kindly teacher was exiting his room. It was really a wonder how he had landed with both of them. But it was already known that he was going to be a double father in the home where he was a tenant of only one room. Upon discovering this, the old landlady and the wild hector of her son consulted for long hours, the result of which was for the teacher to find them both sitting in his room when he returned for the night. The old hag raised a threatening fist, and her bully of a son produced his more threatening pistol.
- All right, teacher, make up your mind; which of the two? Come on and take her! Said the bully.
The teacher shuddered and went giddy.
- Teacher, sir, look at what you’ve you done to us. Which will you take now? Added the old crone.
After pondering for a while, the hapless teacher yielded.
- The lesser of the two evils is the better, and that isn’t the widow.
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