tanglewood tales-第10部分

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s　what　thou　hast　done。〃

Now；　some　low…minded　people；　who　pretend　to　tell　the　story　of　Theseus　and　Ariadne；　have　the　face　to　say　that　this　royal　and　honorable　maiden　did　really　flee　away；　under　cover　of　the　night；　with　the　young　stranger　whose　life　she　had　preserved。　They　say；　too；　that　Prince　Theseus　（who　would　have　died　sooner　than　wrong　the　meanest　creature　in　the　world）　ungratefully　deserted　Ariadne；　on　a　solitary　island；　where　the　vessel　touched　on　its　voyage　to　Athens。　But；　had　the　noble　Theseus　heard　these　falsehoods；　he　would　have　served　their　slanderous　authors　as　he　served　the　Minotaur！　Here　is　what　Ariadne　answered；　when　the　brave　prince　of　Athens　besought　her　to　accompany　him：

〃No；　Theseus；〃　the　maiden　said；　pressing　his　hand；　and　then　drawing　back　a　step　or　two；　〃I　cannot　go　with　you。　My　father　is　old；　and　has　nobody　but　myself　to　love　him。　Hard　as　you　think　his　heart　is；　it　would　break　to　lose　me。　At　first；　King　Minos　will　be　angry；　but　he　will　soon　forgive　his　only　child；　and；　by　and　by；　he　will　rejoice；　I　know；　that　no　more　youths　and　maidens　must　come　from　Athens　to　be　devoured　by　the　Minotaur。　I　have　saved　you；　Theseus；　as　much　for　my　father's　sake　as　for　your　own。　Farewell！　Heaven　bless　you！〃

All　this　was　so　true；　and　so　maiden…like；　and　was　spoken　with　so　sweet　a　dignity；　that　Theseus　would　have　blushed　to　urge　her　any　longer。　Nothing　remained　for　him；　therefore；　but　to　bid　Ariadne　an　affectionate　farewell；　and　to　go　on　board　the　vessel；　and　set　sail。

In　a　few　moments　the　white　foam　was　boiling　up　before　their　prow；　as　Prince　Theseus　and　his　companions　sailed　out　of　the　harbor；　with　a　whistling　breeze　behind　them。　Talus；　the　brazen　giant；　on　his　never…ceasing　sentinel's　march；　happened　to　be　approaching　that　part　of　the　coast；　and　they　saw　him；　by　the　glimmering　of　the　moonbeams　on　his　polished　surface；　while　he　was　yet　a　great　way　off。　As　the　figure　moved　like　clockwork；　however；　and　could　neither　hasten　his　enormous　strides　nor　retard　them；　he　arrived　at　the　port　when　they　were　just　beyond　the　reach　of　his　club。　Nevertheless；　straddling　from　headland　to　headland；　as　his　custom　was；　Talus　attempted　to　strike　a　blow　at　the　vessel；　and；　overreaching　himself；　tumbled　at　full　length　into　the　sea；　which　splashed　high　over　his　gigantic　shape；　as　when　an　iceberg　turns　a　somerset。　There　he　lies　yet；　and　whoever　desires　to　enrich　himself　by　means　of　brass　had　better　go　thither　with　a　diving　bell；　and　fish　up　Talus。

On　the　homeward　voyage；　the　fourteen　youths　and　damsels　were　in　excellent　spirits；　as　you　will　easily　suppose。　They　spent　most　of　their　time　in　dancing；　unless　when　the　sidelong　breeze　made　the　deck　slope　too　much。　In　due　season；　they　came　within　sight　of　the　coast　of　Attica；　which　was　their　native　country。　But　here；　I　am　grieved　to　tell　you；　happened　a　sad　misfortune。

You　will　remember　（what　Theseus　unfortunately　forgot）　that　his　father；　King　Aegeus；　had　enjoined　it　upon　him　to　hoist　sunshiny　sails；　instead　of　black　ones；　in　case　he　should　overcome　the　Minotaur；　and　return　victorious。　In　the　joy　of　their　success；　however；　and　amidst　the　sports；　dancing；　and　other　merriment；　with　which　these　young　folks　wore　away　the　time；　they　never　once　thought　whether　their　sails　were　black；　white；　or　rainbow　colored；　and；　indeed；　left　it　entirely　to　the　mariners　whether　they　had　any　sails　at　all。　Thus　the　vessel　returned；　like　a　raven；　with　the　same　sable　wings　that　had　wafted　her　away。　But　poor　King　Aegeus；　day　after　day；　infirm　as　he　was；　had　clambered　to　the　summit　of　a　cliff　that　overhung　the　sea；　and　there　sat　watching　for　Prince　Theseus；　homeward　bound；　and　no　sooner　did　he　behold　the　fatal　blackness　of　the　sails；　than　he　concluded　that　his　dear　son；　whom　he　loved　so　much；　and　felt　so　proud　of；　had　been　eaten　by　the　Minotaur。　He　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　living　any　longer；　so；　first　flinging　his　crown　and　sceptre　into　the　sea　（useless　baubles　that　they　were　to　him　now）；　King　Aegeus　merely　stooped　forward；　and　fell　headlong　over　the　cliff；　and　was　drowned；　poor　soul；　in　the　waves　that　foamed　at　its　base！

This　was　melancholy　news　for　Prince　Theseus；　who；　when　he　stepped　ashore；　found　himself　king　of　all　the　country；　whether　he　would　or　no；　and　such　a　turn　of　fortune　was　enough　to　make　any　young　man　feel　very　much　out　of　spirits。　However；　he　sent　for　his　dear　mother　to　Athens；　and；　by　taking　her　advice　in　matters　of　state；　became　a　very　excellent　monarch；　and　was　greatly　beloved　by　his　people。



THE　PYGMIES。

A　great　while　ago；　when　the　world　was　full　of　wonders；　there　lived　an　earth…born　Giant；　named　Antaeus；　and　a　million　or　more　of　curious　little　earth…born　people；　who　were　called　Pygmies。　This　Giant　and　these　Pygmies　being　children　of　the　same　mother　（that　is　to　say；　our　good　old　Grandmother　Earth）；　were　all　brethren；　and　dwelt　together　in　a　very　friendly　and　affectionate　manner；　far；　far　off；　in　the　middle　of　hot　Africa。　The　Pygmies　were　so　small；　and　there　were　so　many　sandy　deserts　and　such　high　mountains　between　them　and　the　rest　of　mankind；　that　nobody　could　get　a　peep　at　them　oftener　than　once　in　a　hundred　years。　As　for　the　Giant；　being　of　a　very　lofty　stature；　it　was　easy　enough　to　see　him；　but　safest　to　keep　out　of　his　sight。

Among　the　Pygmies；　I　suppose；　if　one　of　them　grew　to　the　height　of　six　or　eight　inches；　he　was　reckoned　a　prodigiously　tall　man。　It　must　have　been　very　pretty　to　behold　their　little　cities；　with　streets　two　or　three　feet　wide；　paved　with　the　smallest　pebbles；　and　bordered　by　habitations　about　as　big　as　a　squirrel's　cage。　The　king's　palace　attained　to　the　stupendous　magnitude　of　Periwinkle's　baby　house；　and　stood　in　the　center　of　a　spacious　square；　which　could　hardly　have　been　covered　by　our　hearth…　rug。　Their　principal　temple；　or　cathedral；　was　as　lofty　as　yonder　bureau；　and　was　looked　upon　as　a　wonderfully　sublime　and　magnificent　edifice。　All　these　structures　were　built　neither　of　stone　nor　wood。　They　were　neatly　plastered　together　by　the　Pygmy　workmen；　pretty　much　like　birds'　nests；　out　of　straw；　feathers；　egg　shells；　and　other　small　bits　of　stuff；　with　stiff　clay　instead　of　mortar；　and　when　the　hot　sun　had　dried　them；　they　were　just　as　snug　and　comfortable　as　a　Pygmy　could　desire。

The　country　round　about　was　conveniently　laid　out　in　fields；　the　largest　of　which　was　nearly　of　the　same　extent　as　one　of　Sweet　Fern's　flower　beds。　Here　the　Pygmies　used　to　plant　wheat　and　other　kinds　of　grain；　which；　when　it　grew　up　and　ripened；　overshadowed　these　tiny　people　as　the　pines；　and　the　oaks；　and　the　walnut　and　chestnut　trees　overshadow　you　and　me；　when　we　walk　in　our　own　tracts　of　woodland。　At　harvest　time；　they　were　forced　to　go　with　their　little　axes　and　cut　down　the　grain；　exactly　as　a　woodcutter　makes　a　clearing　in　the　forest；　and　when　a　stalk　of　wheat；　with　its　overburdened　top；　chanced　to　come　crashing　down　upon　an　unfortunate　Pygmy；　it　was　apt　to　be　a　very　sad　affair。　If　it　did　not　smash　him　all　to　pieces；　at　least；　I　am　sure；　it　must　have　made　the　poor　little　fellow's　head　ache。　And　O；　my　stars！　if　the　fathers　and　mothers　were　so　small；　what　must　the　children　and　babies　have　been？　A　whole　family　of　them　might　have　been　put　to　bed　in　a　shoe；　or　have