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the heroes-第23章

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er…flowing streams。  There are twelve towns well  peopled; the homes of an ancient race; the children of  Kekrops the serpent king; the son of Mother Earth; who wear  gold cicalas among the tresses of their golden hair; for like  the cicalas they sprang from the earth; and like the cicalas  they sing all day; rejoicing in the genial sun。  What would  you do; son Theseus; if you were king of such a land?'

Then Theseus stood astonished; as he looked across the broad  bright sea; and saw the fair Attic shore; from Sunium to  Hymettus and Pentelicus; and all the mountain peaks which  girdle Athens round。  But Athens itself he could not see; for  purple AEgina stood before it; midway across the sea。

Then his heart grew great within him; and he said; 'If I were  king of such a land I would rule it wisely and well in wisdom  and in might; that when I died all men might weep over my  tomb; and cry; 〃Alas for the shepherd of his people!〃'

And Aithra smiled; and said; 'Take; then; the sword and the  sandals; and go to AEgeus; king of Athens; who lives on  Pallas' hill; and say to him; 〃The stone is lifted; but whose  is the pledge beneath it?〃  Then show him the sword and the  sandals; and take what the Gods shall send。'

But Theseus wept; 'Shall I leave you; O my mother?'

But she answered; 'Weep not for me。  That which is fated must  be; and grief is easy to those who do nought but grieve。   Full of sorrow was my youth; and full of sorrow my womanhood。   Full of sorrow was my youth for Bellerophon; the slayer of  the Chimaera; whom my father drove away by treason; and full  of sorrow my womanhood; for thy treacherous father and for  thee; and full of sorrow my old age will be (for I see my  fate in dreams); when the sons of the Swan shall carry me  captive to the hollow vale of Eurotas; till I sail across the  seas a slave; the handmaid of the pest of Greece。  Yet shall  I be avenged; when the golden…haired heroes sail against  Troy; and sack the palaces of Ilium; then my son shall set me  free from thraldom; and I shall hear the tale of Theseus'  fame。  Yet beyond that I see new sorrows; but I can bear them  as I have borne the past。'

Then she kissed Theseus; and wept over him; and went into the  temple; and Theseus saw her no more。


PART II … HOW THESEUS SLEW THE DEVOURERS OF MEN


SO Theseus stood there alone; with his mind full of many  hopes。  And first he thought of going down to the harbour and  hiring a swift ship; and sailing across the bay to Athens;  but even that seemed too slow for him; and he longed for  wings to fly across the sea; and find his father。  But after  a while his heart began to fail him; and he sighed; and said  within himself …

'What if my father have other sons about him whom he loves?   What if he will not receive me?  And what have I done that he  should receive me?  He has forgotten me ever since I was  born:  why should he welcome me now?'

Then he thought a long while sadly; and at the last he cried  aloud; 'Yes!  I will make him love me; for I will prove  myself worthy of his love。  I will win honour and renown; and  do such deeds that AEgeus shall be proud of me; though he had  fifty other sons!  Did not Heracles win himself honour;  though he was opprest; and the slave of Eurystheus?  Did he  not kill all robbers and evil beasts; and drain great lakes  and marshes; breaking the hills through with his club?   Therefore it was that all men honoured him; because he rid  them of their miseries; and made life pleasant to them and  their children after them。  Where can I go; to do as Heracles  has done?  Where can I find strange adventures; robbers; and  monsters; and the children of hell; the enemies of men?  I  will go by land; and into the mountains; and round by the way  of the Isthmus。  Perhaps there I may hear of brave  adventures; and do something which shall win my father's  love。'

So he went by land; and away into the mountains; with his  father's sword upon his thigh; till he came to the Spider  mountains; which hang over Epidaurus and the sea; where the  glens run downward from one peak in the midst; as the rays  spread in the spider's web。

And he went up into the gloomy glens; between the furrowed  marble walls; till the lowland grew blue beneath his feet and  the clouds drove damp about his head。

But he went up and up for ever; through the spider's web of  glens; till he could see the narrow gulfs spread below him;  north and south; and east and west; black cracks half…choked  with mists; and above all a dreary down。

But over that down he must go; for there was no road right or  left; so he toiled on through bog and brake; till he came to  a pile of stones。

And on the stones a man was sitting; wrapt in a bearskin  cloak。  The head of the bear served him for a cap; and its  teeth grinned white around his brows; and the feet were tied  about his throat; and their claws shone white upon his chest。   And when he saw Theseus he rose; and laughed till the glens  rattled。

'And who art thou; fair fly; who hast walked into the  spider's web?'  But Theseus walked on steadily; and made no  answer; but he thought; 'Is this some robber? and has an  adventure come already to me?'  But the strange man laughed  louder than ever; and said …

'Bold fly; know you not that these glens are the web from  which no fly ever finds his way out again; and this down the  spider's house; and I the spider who sucks the flies?  Come  hither; and let me feast upon you; for it is of no use to run  away; so cunning a web has my father Hephaistos spread for me  when he made these clefts in the mountains; through which no  man finds his way home。'

But Theseus came on steadily; and asked …

'And what is your name among men; bold spider? and where are  your spider's fangs?'

Then the strange man laughed again …

'My name is Periphetes; the son of Hephaistos and Anticleia  the mountain nymph。  But men call me Corynetes the club… bearer; and here is my spider's fang。'

And he lifted from off the stones at his side a mighty club  of bronze。

'This my father gave me; and forged it himself in the roots  of the mountain; and with it I pound all proud flies till  they give out their fatness and their sweetness。  So give me  up that gay sword of yours; and your mantle; and your golden  sandals; lest I pound you; and by ill…luck you die。'

But Theseus wrapt his mantle round his left arm quickly; in  hard folds; from his shoulder to his hand; and drew his  sword; and rushed upon the club…bearer; and the club…bearer  rushed on him。

Thrice he struck at Theseus; and made him bend under the  blows like a sapling; but Theseus guarded his head with his  left arm; and the mantle which was wrapt around it。

And thrice Theseus sprang upright after the blow; like a  sapling when the storm is past; and he stabbed at the club… bearer with his sword; but the loose folds of the bearskin  saved him。

Then Theseus grew mad; and closed with him; and caught him by  the throat; and they fell and rolled over together; but when  Theseus rose up from the ground the club…bearer lay still at  his feet。

Then Theseus took his club and his bearskin; and left him to  the kites and crows; and went upon his journey down the glens  on the farther slope; till he came to a broad green valley;  and saw flocks and herds sleeping beneath the trees。

And by the side of a pleasant fountain; under the shade of  rocks and trees; were nymphs and shepherds dancing; but no  one piped to them while they danced。

And when they saw Theseus they shrieked; and the shepherds  ran off; and drove away their flocks; while the nymphs dived  into the fountain like coots; and vanished。

Theseus wondered and laughed:  'What strange fancies have  folks here who run away from strangers; and have no music  when they dance!'  But he was tired; and dusty; and thirsty;  so he thought no more of them; but drank and bathed in the  clear pool; and then lay down in the shade under a plane… tree; while the water sang him to sleep; as it tinkled down  from stone to stone。

And when he woke he heard a whispering; and saw the nymphs  peeping at him across the fountain from the dark mouth of a  cave; where they sat on green cushions of moss。  And one  said; 'Surely he is not Periphetes;' and another; 'He looks  like no robber; but a fair and gentle youth。'

Then Theseus smiled; and called them; 'Fair nymphs; I am not  Periphetes。  He sleeps among the kites and crows; but I have  brought away his bearskin and his club。'

Then they leapt across the pool; and came to him; and called  the shepherds back。  And he told them how he had slain the  club…bearer:  and the shepherds kissed his feet and sang;  'Now we shall feed our flocks in peace; and not be afraid to  have music when we dance; for the cruel club…bearer has met  his match; and he will listen for our pipes no more。'  Then  they brought him kid's flesh and wine; and the nymphs brought  him honey from the rocks; and he ate; and drank; and slept  again; while the nymphs and shepherds danced and sang。  And  when he woke; they begged him to stay; but he would not。  'I  have a great work to do;' he said; 'I must be away toward the  Isthmus; that I may go to Athens。'

But the shepherds
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