Before Babushka closed her eyes for the last time, she gave precise instructions to Philomena, her little granddaughter. Philomena was to pack her clothes in the red shawl with the picture of the village woven into it; to drive to Prague with the innkeeper on market day; and to go straight to the marvellous big house where the policemen of Prague lived. "Just go in and ask them where you can find the house where your aunt lives," Babushka said. "Then, you will go to your aunt's house and politely ask to see her. Tell her who you are, child. Tell her you have come to seek service in Prague, to learn to cook and clean and sew. She will take you in—never fear. If you lose your way or forget what I've just told you, all you will have to do is ask me again. I'll be watching and listening."

But the policemen of Prague did not know Aunt Liska. And Philomena knew nobody in Prague, except the policemen. So she went to the park by the Moldau River, sat down, closed her eyes, and sighed. "Well, Babushka, what shall I do now? You heard what the policeman said—there are thousands of beautiful women called Liska in Prague." And when she opened her eyes, they lit right upon a newspaper with an advertisement for a young, inexperienced country girl, who was willing to learn. That's me! thought Philomena.

That was the first of Babushka's tricks and the beginning of Philomena's career in a succession of households in Prague. With a light heart, faith in Babushka, and a sunny outlook, things couldn't go very wrong. In fact, with every trick of Babushka's, Philomena acquired experience at keeping house, plus a new addition to her growing family, which in time included a canary named Jenny, a dog named Borish, Cat Number One, and, before too long, just what Babushka had wished for her.

From the dust jacket