0:00:04 > 0:00:05Here they come.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09My two intrepid explorers.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Charlotte and Lokesh.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I'm their Great Aunt Lizzie, you see,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and I wonder which one is coming to see me today.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Ah, so it's Lokesh.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26- Hello, Great Aunt Lizzie. - Hello, Lokesh!
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Once upon a time, I travelled the world discovering treasures
0:00:38 > 0:00:43from long ago and far away and no end of stories to remind me.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But my most precious possession of all
0:00:48 > 0:00:53is my extraordinary collection of teacups.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Here we are.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10No time to count the clouds.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Let's have a nice cup of tea and a story.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15But first we need the teacup.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But which one?
0:01:31 > 0:01:32That one.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Ah, the astragali.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39- Astragali?- We call them jacks.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44The Ancient Greeks made them out of old bones and called them astragali.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Do you roll them like dice?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Well, let me see, I think I have some here.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54No. Only these.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58But why don't I tell you the story of Lokesh
0:01:58 > 0:02:02- and the adventure of the astragali instead?- Yes, please.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It all began long ago in a world of thinkers and scholars,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11where even thousands of years ago, they had libraries and schools
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and some of the first theatres the world had ever seen.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39It was spring in the greatest Greek city of all - Athens.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46The city was barely awake when Lokesh happened upon
0:02:46 > 0:02:48a man called Jason, the pie maker.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51All ready to make a mountain of pies.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Ah, pies, pies.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Who needs theatre?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Except the flies had found him first.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04What is the best thing the Greeks ever gave to the world?
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Philosophy? No!
0:03:08 > 0:03:14Democracy? Who needs the government? No.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19I vote for the best Greek invention of all time - pies.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Pies, pies, pies. Pies for everybody!
0:03:23 > 0:03:24Mm-mm!
0:03:24 > 0:03:28And while he looked like the happiest pie maker in all of Greece,
0:03:28 > 0:03:34Lokesh thought he'd be even happier if he had some help with the flies.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Out, fly!
0:03:36 > 0:03:39My pies are meat pies, not fly pies!
0:03:39 > 0:03:41JASON SPITS
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Excuse me, I could waft them away from you and let you
0:03:45 > 0:03:47concentrate on making the pies if you like.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Well, if that is an offer, then I accept.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Jason filled the pies by the dozen...
0:03:58 > 0:04:02..until there was neither a scrap of meat nor pastry left.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Nothing, in fact, but a mighty pile of bones.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07What will you do with all of these?
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Oh, the rag and bone woman will come and take them
0:04:11 > 0:04:15- before they start to smell.- The rag and bone woman?- Yes, Penelope.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18She takes all the stuff that people don't want.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Worn out old clothes, old bones, that sort of thing.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25She takes them to her workshop in Piraeus first thing in the morning,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29it keeps the city smelling beautiful. Lovely lady. Very nice.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31But why would she want bones?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Well, old bones make good handles, but not many people know this,
0:04:35 > 0:04:40the rag and bone lady of Athens is also the games maker of Piraeus.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42She makes games? From bones?
0:04:42 > 0:04:48Yes, she polishes these bones into astragali or jacks.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I've never really played that game.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52The best of what's Greek, right here.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Food, fun and friendship, all in this little bone.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00But, I must get these fellows into the oven before she gets here.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Now, come back in an hour and a half and I'll give you some pies.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08And so, thinking about all the new things he'd discovered,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Lokesh strode off deeper into the wakening city of Athens.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20And in the vast open space of an empty theatre, he stumbled across
0:05:20 > 0:05:23a sister and brother called Ila and Cadmus.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25When do we get the tickets?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Cadmus, how long?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Three days? - We're three days early?
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- I thought the tickets might sell out.- They're not even on sale yet.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Why am I cursed with such an annoying little brother?
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Oh, I don't know if I can last three days sitting here with just
0:05:43 > 0:05:46you for company and I'm starving. Where's the bread?
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- I didn't bring any. - So I'm going to be bored and hungry?
0:05:50 > 0:05:54No fun, no friendship and no food either?
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Excuse me, I know where you can get fresh pies. He's not far that way,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and when I left him, he was just putting some in the oven.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09They'll be ready soon. If you tell him I sent you, he'll give you some.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Will you go? At least that will stop you being bored for a while.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It's not going to take me three days to buy a pie.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Which was when Lokesh remembered about the little astragali bones.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Maybe if you played a game.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Games are good when you're bored and there's a game maker in Piraeus.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28BOTH: Games? THEY LAUGH
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I really think we've grown out of all that.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Right, you stay right here, I'm going to get pies. Do not move.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- I'm not going anywhere. - What was Lokesh to do?
0:06:38 > 0:06:43He was sure playing games would be better then being bored and arguing.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48It wasn't even past breakfast, so how had it got so complicated?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Bad luck, I win.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53LOKESH SIGHS
0:06:53 > 0:06:54- Another game?- Mm-hmm.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I hope I don't stop playing when I grow up.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I doubt that'll happen, Lokesh.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04You're too good. You love playing.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Only when you let me win.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Lokesh!- Just saying.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14What kind of game would it be if I let you win?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18SHE LAUGHS
0:07:18 > 0:07:22You don't think you're too old to play games.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Well, nobody's ever too old.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Perhaps Ila and Cadmus have just forgotten how much fun it is.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- But they'll never remember until they play again.- Exactly.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36You couldn't go back without seeing the games maker first, could you?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Off went Lokesh in his hat, bag and boots...
0:07:50 > 0:07:54..through poppies and almond groves...
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and up to the pine-covered crags.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Until, when he was almost out of breath...
0:08:07 > 0:08:09..the path ran out!
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Lokesh took a deep breath.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Set against the shining Aegean Sea
0:08:49 > 0:08:52was the old port of Piraeus.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58But as dazzling as it was, Lokesh had to find Penelope,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01the games maker.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05In a dark, narrow alley, where the sun split the shadows,
0:09:05 > 0:09:12there was a cart stacked with rags, and a wrinkly pile of bones.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13LOKESH GASPS
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Excuse me.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19My name is Lokesh, and I'm looking for Penelope,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22the games maker.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Well, you've found her.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28What can I do for you, young man?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Well, I was helping Jason, the pie maker,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and he said you made astragali out of bones.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37The fly wafter.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40He told me about you this morning.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Come on in, Mr Lokesh.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The back of the shop was dark as night,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51except for a single ray that cut through the hole
0:09:51 > 0:09:56in the ceiling and lit the table so bright it was like a fire.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Well, pick them up. Let's see what you can do.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I'm not sure I remember quite how.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Well, let's see. Twosies. See if you can do twosies.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13I throw one in the air, pick two up, and catch the first before it lands.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Like that.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The little piece of bone was so much lighter than he expected.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Playing astragali was going to be tricky.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Throw one in the air, pick two up, and catch it before it lands.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Yes!
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Did he say anything about me, by any chance?
0:10:38 > 0:10:42- Mr Jason, the pie maker?- He said you make the city smell beautiful,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- and you're a lovely lady. - He did, did he?
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Mmm.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51I'll tell you what, if you can do foursies first time off,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I'll give you all of these free of charge.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- Bone from the pies you made this morning.- Oh!
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Lokesh picked one up and concentrated hard.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Yes! I don't think I could do that again!
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Beginner's luck, eh?
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- It has been a pleasure to meet you, Mr Lokesh.- And me you.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- You made my day.- Thank you. Bye!
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Back came Lokesh,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34in his hat, bag and boots...
0:11:44 > 0:11:49..to the theatre, where Ila and Cadmus had just finished dinner.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Look what I've got!
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Oh, astragali?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Lokesh never expected them to be grateful,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59but he had gone an awfully long way.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01He pressed on.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Oh!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Did you always hate playing games? - Of course not.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13- We used to love playing games. - It's just, we're grown-up now.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- We go to the theatre for entertainment, these days.- Ohh!
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Let me.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- Yes!- Oh, twosies - is that the best you can do?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Honestly. You're supposed to be showing our friend how to play.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- Give them to me.- Uh-uh. Best out of three.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Oh!- Ohh! Unlucky. My shot, my shot.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Whoa!- Oh!- Yes!
0:12:45 > 0:12:49And so it turned out that Cadmus and Isla had never really
0:12:49 > 0:12:52grown out of playing games, after all.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54May I?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01And that was that. Game, set and match to Lokesh and the astragali.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05I thought if Lokesh couldn't play well, it wouldn't convince them.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08That wasn't important, it was just for the fun of it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Winning doesn't matter?
0:13:10 > 0:13:14If you want to know how good you are, you have to play to win.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19If it wasn't so late, we could play another game. Come on.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Time to get you going.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Now, how did those get there?
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Home time now, Lokesh.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- Thanks, Great Aunt Lizzie! - Cheery-bye, Lokesh!- Bye!