"My name is Plato," he said.
"Plato?" said Jack. That name is familiar.
"You may have heard of me," he said. "I am aphilosopher.""What's that mean?" said Annie.
A lover of wisdom," said Plato.
"Wow," said Annie.
Plato smiled at her.
"It's odd to see a girl walking so bravely throughOlympia," he said. "You must be from far away.""We're Jack and Annie," said Annie. "And we comefrom Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. It's very far away."Plato looked puzzled.
Annie turned to Jack.
"I think we should show him our cards," she said ina low voice. "He's a lover of wisdom."Jack nodded. He reached into his bag and took outthe secret library cards. He showed them to Plato.
The letters M and L that stood for Master Librarianglittered on the cards.
"Amazing!" said Plato. "I've never met such youngMaster Librarians. Why have you come to Olympia?"Jack pulled out the piece of paper with the title ofthe story.
"We're looking for this story," he said.
"Oh, yes," said Plato softly. "This was written by abrilliant poet-a friend of mine, in fact.""Do you know where the poet lives?" asked Jack.
"Very near here," said Plato.
"Will you take us there?" asked Annie.
"Yes, but I must warn you-never tell anyone whothe poet is," said Plato. "It's a secret.""We won't," whispered Annie.
Plato led them away from the outdoor theater.
They started down a dirt road. It was crowded withpeople heading to the games.
Plato stopped at the door of a sand-colored housewith a brick roof.
He opened the door and led Jack and Annie into anempty courtyard.
"Wait here," he said. He disappeared through adoorway.
Jack and Annie looked around.
Rooms opened onto the sunny courtyard.
Everything was quiet.
"The people who live here must have gone to thegames," said Annie.
"I bet you're right," said Jack.
He pulled out the -Greek book and found a pictureof a house. He read aloud:
Men and women lived in separate parts of a Greekhouse. Women spent most of their time spinning andweaving and taking care of the kitchen. Boys weresent away to school when they were seven. Girlswere not allowed to go to school.
"Girls can't go to school?" said Annie. "How do theylearn to read and write?"At that moment Plato returned. With him was ayoung woman dressed in a long tunic with a coloredborder. She was holding a scroll.
Annie smiled a big smile.
"Finally," she said. "Another girl.""Jack and Annie, meet our secret poet," said Plato.
