The Moonspinners Trivia Quiz

Answer: Naiads of Greek legends

Legends has it that three naiads stroll through the land at night, spinning the light of the moon onto their spindles to make the nights safe for the hunted creatures. When all of the moonlight is on the spindles, the naiads wash it in the sea and the light unravels. Over the following weeks the light returns to the moon and then the naiads start their spinning again.

Nicola, the heroine of the book, saw an egret at the start of the story.

Answer: She saw a man's face reflected in a mountain stream

Nicola was going for a walk and decided to stop by a stream to have her lunch. She was bending over to rinse her hands when she saw a face other than her own in the water. After she saw the nearby shepherd's hut, she thought it was just a shepherd boy, but the next thing she knew was that a Greek with a knife was standing in front of her.

Answer: An American couple gave her a lift

Nicola had originally timed her arrival to take advantage of the very infrequent bus service. The American couple were doing a tour of the island and dropped her off at the bus stop, a day early. Her cousin had been delayed and had arranged to arrive there separately.

The vegetables were delivered by boat as there was no road to the village, only an earthen path.

Answer: Ariadne

Nicola had hidden her suitcase under a bridge so that she could go for her walk unencumbered. The children were playing on the bridge when she returned the following day. She was able to question the children on the walk to the village and learn all about the visitors and foreigners who had been there.

Answer: Tony the barman

Tony Gamble was an Englishman who had come to the island with Stratos. He had a way of keeping out of trouble, moving with the grace of a ballet dancer, always being within hearing distance and not physically exerting himself.

"Little Lord Fauntleroy" is a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett about the grandson of an English aristocrat who started life in poverty in America.

"The Moonspinners" was written in a non-PC age, when men were men and women did as they were told.

Answer: A nightingale singing

Nicola did hear a nightingale when she went for her moonlight walk, but it was not the real reason. Nicola wanted to investigate a little when nobody was around.

Answer: Blood on the wall

The first time Nicola was outside, there was a sound from the shed and she was convinced that it was Mark come to look for his missing brother. As she and Stratos went to investigate, a stray cat came out and they did not go any further.

The second time Nicola was alone and she went into the shed. She found nobody there, but a wet patch on the wall that proved to be blood convinced her that Mark had been hiding in there. This suspicion was confirmed later by Mark.

Answer: No

The shoe prints had been made by Colin, Mark's fifteen year old brother. His feet were smaller than his brother's, but his foot had slipped in the mud, making the prints appear bigger.

Colin had been freed by Maria and he wanted to go find his brother, but he was very tired. After crossing the stream he climbed the hill and went to sleep under the sheepskin cloak, which made Nicola think that he was a trapped sheep. Frances had returned to the hotel with a story of Nicola wanting to visit the ruined church to explain her staying out till later.

Answer: A knife in her jacket pocket

Nicola and Colin went together to look for Mark and Lambis. When they saw Lambis stop to speak to a man in Cretan dress just after they had found a shallow grave containing a man dressed in Mark's clothes, they jumped to the wrong conclusion. Nicola took the knife from Lambis and put it in her pocket.

Later her jacket was picked up by Maria, who recognised the knife as belonging to her husband and took it to her brother Stratos and Tony. The knife was then returned to the pocket, but during its brief absence, Nicola had returned to the room to collect something for Frances.

Answer: She swam to their boat in her underwear

On the way to the night-time rendezvous with the boat, the torch was broken so the signal could not be made. Nicola stripped to her underwear and set off to swim to the boat.

After a series of thrilling fights, Nicola is reunited with Frances, Mark, Colin and Lambis. Tony had escaped and his last words were that he approved of Nicola's new trousers.