tanglewood tales-第21部分

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at　his　tongue's　end。

〃Have　you　seen　a　beautiful　maiden；　dressed　like　a　king's　daughter；　and　mounted　on　a　snow…white　bull；　that　gallops　as　swiftly　as　the　wind？〃

But；　remembering　what　the　oracle　had　said；　he　only　half　uttered　the　words；　and　then　mumbled　the　rest　indistinctly；　and　from　his　confusion；　people　must　have　imagined　that　this　handsome　young　man　had　lost　his　wits。

I　know　not　how　far　Cadmus　had　gone；　nor　could　he　himself　have　told　you；　when　at　no　great　distance　before　him；　he　beheld　a　brindled　cow。　She　was　lying　down　by　the　wayside；　and　quietly　chewing　her　cud；　nor　did　she　take　any　notice　of　the　young　man　until　he　had　approached　pretty　nigh。　Then；　getting　leisurely　upon　her　feet；　and　giving　her　head　a　gentle　toss；　she　began　to　move　along　at　a　moderate　pace；　often　pausing　just　long　enough　to　crop　a　mouthful　of　grass。　Cadmus　loitered　behind；　whistling　idly　to　himself；　and　scarcely　noticing　the　cow；　until　the　thought　occurred　to　him；　whether　this　could　possibly　be　the　animal　which；　according　to　the　oracle's　response；　was　to　serve　him　for　a　guide。　But　he　smiled　at　himself　for　fancying　such　a　thing。　He　could　not　seriously　think　that　this　was　the　cow；　because　she　went　along　so　quietly；　behaving　just　like　any　other　cow。　Evidently　she　neither　knew　nor　cared　so　much　as　a　wisp　of　hay　about　Cadmus；　and　was　only　thinking　how　to　get　her　living　along　the　wayside；　where　the　herbage　was　green　and　fresh。　Perhaps　she　was　going　home　to　be　milked。

〃Cow；　cow；　cow！〃　cried　Cadmus。　〃Hey；　Brindle；　hey！　Stop；　my　good　cow！〃

He　wanted　to　come　up　with　the　cow；　so　as　to　examine　her；　and　see　if　she　would　appear　to　know　him；　or　whether　there　were　any　peculiarities　to　distinguish　her　from　a　thousand　other　cows；　whose　only　business　is　to　fill　the　milk…pail；　and　sometimes　kick　it　over。　But　still　the　brindled　cow　trudged　on；　whisking　her　tail　to　keep　the　flies　away；　and　taking　as　little　notice　of　Cadmus　as　she　well　could。　If　he　walked　slowly；　so　did　the　cow；　and　seized　the　opportunity　to　graze。　If　he　quickened　his　pace；　the　cow　went　just　so　much　the　faster；　and　once；　when　Cadmus　tried　to　catch　her　by　running；　she　threw　out　her　heels；　stuck　her　tail　straight　on　end；　and　set　off　at　a　gallop；　looking　as　queerly　as　cows　generally　do；　while　putting　themselves　to　their　speed。

When　Cadmus　saw　that　it　was　impossible　to　come　up　with　her；　he　walked　on　moderately；　as　before。　The　cow；　too；　went　leisurely　on；　without　looking　behind。　Wherever　the　grass　was　greenest；　there　she　nibbled　a　mouthful　or　two。　Where　a　brook　glistened　brightly　across　the　path；　there　the　cow　drank；　and　breathed　a　comfortable　sigh；　and　drank　again。　and　trudged　onward　at　the　pace　that　best　suited　herself　and　Cadmus。

〃I　do　believe；〃　thought　Cadmus；　〃that　this　may　be　the　cow　that　was　foretold　me。　If　it　be　the　one；　I　suppose　she　will　lie　down　somewhere　hereabouts。〃

Whether　it　were　the　oracular　cow　or　some　other　one；　it　did　not　seem　reasonable　that　she　should　travel　a　great　way　farther。　So；　whenever　they　reached　a　particularly　pleasant　spot　on　a　breezy　hillside；　or　in　a　sheltered　vale；　or　flowery　meadow；　on　the　shore　of　a　calm　lake；　or　along　the　bank　of　a　clear　stream；　Cadmus　looked　eagerly　around　to　see　if　the　situation　would　suit　him　for　a　home。　But　still；　whether　he　liked　the　place　or　no；　the　brindled　cow　never　offered　to　lie　down。　On　she　went　at　the　quiet　pace　of　a　cow　going　homeward　to　the　barn　yard；　and；　every　moment；　Cadmus　expected　to　see　a　milkmaid　approaching　with　a　pail；　or　a　herdsman　running　to　head　the　stray　animal；　and　turn　her　back　towards　the　pasture。　But　no　milkmaid　came；　no　herdsman　drove　her　back；　and　Cadmus　followed　the　stray　Brindle　till　he　was　almost　ready　to　drop　down　with　fatigue。

〃O　brindled　cow；〃　cried　he；　in　a　tone　of　despair；　〃do　you　never　mean　to　stop？〃

He　had　now　grown　too　intent　on　following　her　to　think　of　lagging　behind；　however　long　the　way；　and　whatever　might　be　his　fatigue。　Indeed；　it　seemed　as　if　there　were　something　about　the　animal　that　bewitched　people。　Several　persons　who　happened　to　see　the　brindled　cow；　and　Cadmus　following　behind；　began　to　trudge　after　her；　precisely　as　he　did。　Cadmus　was　glad　of　somebody　to　converse　with；　and　therefore　talked　very　freely　to　these　good　people。　He　told　them　all　his　adventures；　and　how　he　had　left　King　Agenor　in　his　palace；　and　Phoenix　at　one　place；　and　Cilix　at　another；　and　Thasus　at　a　third；　and　his　dear　mother；　Queen　Telephassa；　under　a　flowery　sod；　so　that　now　he　was　quite　alone；　both　friendless　and　homeless。　He　mentioned；　likewise；　that　the　oracle　had　bidden　him　be　guided　by　a　cow；　and　inquired　of　the　strangers　whether　they　supposed　that　this　brindled　animal　could　be　the　one。

〃Why；　'tis　a　very　wonderful　affair；〃　answered　one　of　his　new　companions。　〃I　am　pretty　well　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　cattle；　and　I　never　knew　a　cow；　of　her　own　accord；　to　go　so　far　without　stopping。　If　my　legs　will　let　me；　I'll　never　leave　following　the　beast　till　she　lies　down。〃

〃Nor　I！〃　said　a　second。

〃Nor　I！〃　cried　a　third。　〃If　she　goes　a　hundred　miles　farther；　I　am　determined　to　see　the　end　of　it。〃

The　secret　of　it　was；　you　must　know；　that　the　cow　was　an　enchanted　cow；　and　that；　without　their　being　conscious　of　it；　she　threw　some　of　her　enchantment　over　everybody　that　took　so　much　as　half　a　dozen　steps　behind　her。　They　could　not　possibly　help　following　her；　though　all　the　time　they　fancied　themselves　doing　it　of　their　own　accord。　The　cow　was　by　no　means　very　nice　in　choosing　her　path；　so　that　sometimes　they　had　to　scramble　over　rocks；　or　wade　through　mud　and　mire；　and　all　in　a　terribly　bedraggled　condition；　and　tired　to　death；　and　very　hungry；　into　the　bargain。　What　a　weary　business　it　was！

But　still　they　kept　trudging　stoutly　forward；　and　talking　as　they　went。　The　strangers　grew　very　fond　of　Cadmus；　and　resolved　never　to　leave　him；　but　to　help　him　build　a　city　wherever　the　cow　might　lie　down。　In　the　center　of　it　there　should　be　a　noble　palace；　in　which　Cadmus　might　dwell；　and　be　their　king；　with　a　throne；　a　crown；　a　sceptre；　a　purple　robe；　and　everything　else　that　a　king　ought　to　have；　for　in　him　there　was　the　royal　blood；　and　the　royal　heart；　and　the　head　that　knew　how　to　rule。

While　they　were　talking　of　these　schemes；　and　beguiling　the　tediousness　of　the　way　with　laying　out　the　plan　of　the　new　city；　one　of　the　company　happened　to　look　at　the　cow。

〃Joy！　joy！〃　cried　he；　clapping　his　hands。　〃Brindle　is　going　to　lie　down。〃

They　all　looked；　and；　sure　enough；　the　cow　had　stopped；　and　was　staring　leisurely　about　her；　as　other　cows　do　when　on　the　point　of　lying　down。　And　slowly；　slowly　did　she　recline　herself　on　the　soft　grass；　first　bending　her　forelegs；　and　then　crouching　her　hind　ones。　When　Cadmus　and　his　companions　came　up　with　her；　there　was　the　brindled　cow　taking　her　ease；　chewing　her　cud；　and　looking　them　quietly　in　the　face；　as　if　this　was　just　the　spot　she　had　been　seeking　for；　and　as　if　it　were　all　a　matter　of　course。

〃This；　then；〃　said　Cadmus；　gazing　around　him；　〃this　is　to　be　my　home。〃

It　was　a　fertile　and　lovely　plain；　with　great　trees　flinging　their　sun…speckled　shadows　over　it；　and　hills　fencing　it　in　from　the　rough　weather　At　no　great　distance；　they　beheld　a　river　gleaming　in　the