Darkness descends on the Tuscan landscape as weary farmers make their way home, ever mindful of dangers both real and imaginary. Ahead, the light from a farmhouse window pierces the dark, a beacon promising warmth, rejuvenation, safety. Inside, young women rekindle the fire while their mother oversees the evening meal. After supper, the fire now blazing, a few guests arrive—an eager suitor, a widowed uncle, perhaps a neighboring farmer—as grandparents, parents and children gather close. After some playful prompting, someone begins to tell a story: ‘Once upon a time…’
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