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the heroes-第25章

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But at last Kerkuon grew angry; and caught Theseus round the  neck; and shook him as a mastiff shakes a rat; but he could  not shake him off his feet。

But Theseus was quick and wary; and clasped Kerkuon round the  waist; and slipped his loin quickly underneath him; while he  caught him by the wrist; and then he hove a mighty heave; a  heave which would have stirred an oak; and lifted Kerkuon;  and pitched him right over his shoulder on the ground。

Then he leapt on him; and called; 'Yield; or I kill thee!'  but Kerkuon said no word; for his heart was burst within him  with the fall; and the meat; and the wine。

Then Theseus opened the gates; and called in all the people;  and they cried; 'You have slain our evil king; be you now our  king; and rule us well。'

'I will be your king in Eleusis; and I will rule you right  and well; for this cause I have slain all evil…doers … Sinis;  and Sciron; and this man last of all。'

Then an aged man stepped forth; and said; 'Young hero; hast  thou slain Sinis?  Beware then of AEgeus; king of Athens; to  whom thou goest; for he is near of kin to Sinis。'

'Then I have slain my own kinsman;' said Theseus; 'though  well he deserved to die。  Who will purge me from his death;  for rightfully I slew him; unrighteous and accursed as he  was?'

And the old man answered …

'That will the heroes do; the sons of Phytalus; who dwell  beneath the elm…tree in Aphidnai; by the bank of silver  Cephisus; for they know the mysteries of the Gods。  Thither  you shall go and be purified; and after you shall be our  king。'

So he took an oath of the people of Eleusis; that they would  serve him as their king; and went away next morning across  the Thriasian plain; and over the hills toward Aphidnai; that  he might find the sons of Phytalus。

And as he was skirting the Vale of Cephisus; along the foot  of lofty Parnes; a very tall and strong man came down to meet  him; dressed in rich garments。  On his arms were golden  bracelets; and round his neck a collar of jewels; and he came  forward; bowing courteously; and held out both his hands; and  spoke …

'Welcome; fair youth; to these mountains; happy am I to have  met you!  For what greater pleasure to a good man; than to  entertain strangers?  But I see that you are weary。  Come up  to my castle; and rest yourself awhile。'

'I give you thanks;' said Theseus:  'but I am in haste to go  up the valley; and to reach Aphidnai in the Vale of  Cephisus。'

'Alas! you have wandered far from the right way; and you  cannot reach Aphidnai to…night; for there are many miles of  mountain between you and it; and steep passes; and cliffs  dangerous after nightfall。  It is well for you that I met  you; for my whole joy is to find strangers; and to feast them  at my castle; and hear tales from them of foreign lands。   Come up with me; and eat the best of venison; and drink the  rich red wine; and sleep upon my famous bed; of which all  travellers say that they never saw the like。  For whatsoever  the stature of my guest; however tall or short; that bed fits  him to a hair; and he sleeps on it as he never slept before。'   And he laid hold on Theseus' hands; and would not let him go。

Theseus wished to go forwards:  but he was ashamed to seem  churlish to so hospitable a man; and he was curious to see  that wondrous bed; and beside; he was hungry and weary:  yet  he shrank from the man; he knew not why; for; though his  voice was gentle and fawning; it was dry and husky like a  toad's; and though his eyes were gentle; they were dull and  cold like stones。  But he consented; and went with the man up  a glen which led from the road toward the peaks of Parnes;  under the dark shadow of the cliffs。

And as they went up; the glen grew narrower; and the cliffs  higher and darker; and beneath them a torrent roared; half  seen between bare limestone crags。  And around there was  neither tree nor bush; while from the white peaks of Parnes  the snow…blasts swept down the glen; cutting and chilling  till a horror fell on Theseus as he looked round at that  doleful place。  And he asked at last; 'Your castle stands; it  seems; in a dreary region。'

'Yes; but once within it; hospitality makes all things  cheerful。  But who are these?' and he looked back; and  Theseus also; and far below; along the road which they had  left; came a string of laden asses; and merchants walking by  them; watching their ware。

'Ah; poor souls!' said the stranger。  'Well for them that I  looked back and saw them!  And well for me too; for I shall  have the more guests at my feast。  Wait awhile till I go down  and call them; and we will eat and drink together the  livelong night。  Happy am I; to whom Heaven sends so many  guests at once!'

And he ran back down the hill; waving his hand and shouting;  to the merchants; while Theseus went slowly up the steep  pass。

But as he went up he met an aged man; who had been gathering  driftwood in the torrent…bed。  He had laid down his faggot in  the road; and was trying to lift it again to his shoulder。   And when he saw Theseus; he called to him; and said …

'O fair youth; help me up with my burden; for my limbs are  stiff and weak with years。'

Then Theseus lifted the burden on his back。  And the old man  blest him; and then looked earnestly upon him; and said …

'Who are you; fair youth; and wherefore travel you this  doleful road?'

'Who I am my parents know; but I travel this doleful road  because I have been invited by a hospitable man; who promises  to feast me; and to make me sleep upon I know not what  wondrous bed。'

Then the old man clapped his hands together and cried …

'O house of Hades; man…devouring! will thy maw never be full?   Know; fair youth; that you are going to torment and to death;  for he who met you (I will requite your kindness by another)  is a robber and a murderer of men。  Whatsoever stranger he  meets he entices him hither to death; and as for this bed of  which he speaks; truly it fits all comers; yet none ever rose  alive off it save me。'

'Why?' asked Theseus; astonished。

'Because; if a man be too tall for it; he lops his limbs till  they be short enough; and if he be too short; he stretches  his limbs till they be long enough:  but me only he spared;  seven weary years agone; for I alone of all fitted his bed  exactly; so he spared me; and made me his slave。  And once I  was a wealthy merchant; and dwelt in brazen…gated Thebes; but  now I hew wood and draw water for him; the torment of all  mortal men。'

Then Theseus said nothing; but he ground his teeth together。

'Escape; then;' said the old man; 'for he will have no pity  on thy youth。  But yesterday he brought up hither a young man  and a maiden; and fitted them upon his bed; and the young  man's hands and feet he cut off; but the maiden's limbs he  stretched until she died; and so both perished miserably …  but I am tired of weeping over the slain。  And therefore he  is called Procrustes the stretcher; though his father called  him Damastes。  Flee from him:  yet whither will you flee?   The cliffs are steep; and who can climb them? and there is no  other road。'

But Theseus laid his hand upon the old man's month; and said;  'There is no need to flee;' and he turned to go down the  pass。

'Do not tell him that I have warned you; or he will kill me  by some evil death;' and the old man screamed after him down  the glen; but Theseus strode on in his wrath。

And he said to himself; 'This is an ill…ruled land; when  shall I have done ridding it of monsters?'  And as he spoke;  Procrustes came up the hill; and all the merchants with him;  smiling and talking gaily。  And when he saw Theseus; he  cried; 'Ah; fair young guest; have I kept you too long  waiting?'

But Theseus answered; 'The man who stretches his guests upon  a bed and hews off their hands and feet; what shall be done  to him; when right is done throughout the land?'

Then Procrustes' countenance changed; and his cheeks grew as  green as a lizard; and he felt for his sword in haste; but  Theseus leapt on him; and cried …

'Is this true; my host; or is it false?' and he clasped  Procrustes round waist and elbow; so that he could not draw  his sword。

'Is this true; my host; or is it false?'  But Procrustes  answered never a word。

Then Theseus flung him from him; and lifted up his dreadful  club; and before Procrustes could strike him he had struck;  and felled him to the ground。

And once again he struck him; and his evil soul fled forth;  and went down to Hades squeaking; like a bat into the  darkness of a cave。

Then Theseus stript him of his gold ornaments; and went up to  his house; and found there great wealth and treasure; which  he had stolen from the passers…by。  And he called the people  of the country; whom Procrustes had spoiled a long time; and  parted the spoil among them; and went down the mountains; and  away。

And he went down the glens of Parnes; through mist; and  cloud; and rain; down the slopes of oak; and lentisk; and  arbutus; and fragrant bay; till he came to the Vale of  Cephisus; and the pleasant town of Aphidnai; and the home of  the Phytalid heroes; where they dwelt beneath a mighty elm。

And there they built an altar; and bade him b
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