tanglewood tales-第2节

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Eustace　informed　me　that　he　had　told　his　stories　to　the　children　in　various　situationsin　the　woods；　on　the　shore　of　the　lake；　in　the　dell　of　Shadow　Brook；　in　the　playroom；　at　Tanglewood　fireside；　and　in　a　magnificent　palace　of　snow；　with　ice　windows；　which　he　helped　his　little　friends　to　build。　His　auditors　were　even　more　delighted　with　the　contents　of　the　present　volume　than　with　the　specimens　which　have　already　been　given　to　the　world。　The　classically　learned　Mr。　Pringle；　too；　had　listened　to　two　or　three　of　the　tales；　and　censured　them　even　more　bitterly　than　he　did　THE　THREE　GOLDEN　APPLES；　so　that；　what　with　praise；　and　what　with　criticism；　Eustace　Bright　thinks　that　there　is　good　hope　of　at　least　as　much　success　with　the　public　as　in　the　case　of　the　〃WonderBook。〃

I　made　all　sorts　of　inquiries　about　the　children；　not　doubting　that　there　would　be　great　eagerness　to　hear　of　their　welfare；　among　some　good　little　folks　who　have　written　to　me；　to　ask　for　another　volume　of　myths。　They　are　all；　I　am　happy　to　say　（unless　we　except　Clover）；　in　excellent　health　and　spirits。　Primrose　is　now　almost　a　young　lady；　and；　Eustace　tells　me；　is　just　as　saucy　as　ever。　She　pretends　to　consider　herself　quite　beyond　the　age　to　be　interested　by　such　idle　stories　as　these；　but；　for　all　that；　whenever　a　story　is　to　be　told；　Primrose　never　fails　to　be　one　of　the　listeners；　and　to　make　fun　of　it　when　finished。　Periwinkle　is　very　much　grown；　and　is　expected　to　shut　up　her　baby　house　and　throw　away　her　doll　in　a　month　or　two　more。　Sweet　Fern　has　learned　to　read　and　write；　and　has　put　on　a　jacket　and　pair　of　pantaloonsall　of　which　improvements　I　am　sorry　for。　Squash　Blossom；　Blue　Eye；　Plantain；　and　Buttercup　have　had　the　scarlet　fever；　but　came　easily　through　it。　Huckleberry；　Milkweed；　and　Dandelion　were　attacked　with　the　whooping　cough；　but　bore　it　bravely；　and　kept　out　of　doors　whenever　the　sun　shone。　Cowslip；　during　the　autumn；　had　either　the　measles；　or　some　eruption　that　looked　very　much　like　it；　but　was　hardly　sick　a　day。　Poor　Clover　has　been　a　good　deal　troubled　with　her　second　teeth；　which　have　made　her　meagre　in　aspect　and　rather　fractious　in　temper；　nor；　even　when　she　smiles；　is　the　matter　much　mended；　since　it　discloses　a　gap　just　within　her　lips；　almost　as　wide　as　the　barn　door。　But　all　this　will　pass　over；　and　it　is　predicted　that　she　will　turn　out　a　very　pretty　girl。

As　for　Mr。　Bright　himself；　he　is　now　in　his　senior　year　at　Williams　College；　and　has　a　prospect　of　graduating　with　some　degree　of　honorable　distinction　at　the　next　Commencement。　In　his　oration　for　the　bachelor's　degree；　he　gives　me　to　understand；　he　will　treat　of　the　classical　myths；　viewed　in　the　aspect　of　baby　stories；　and　has　a　great　mind　to　discuss　the　expediency　of　using　up　the　whole　of　ancient　history；　for　the　same　purpose。　I　do　not　know　what　he　means　to　do　with　himself　after　leaving　college；　but　trust　that；　by　dabbling　so　early　with　the　dangerous　and　seductive　business　of　authorship；　he　will　not　bc　tempted　to　become　an　author　by　profession。　If　so　I　shall　be　very　sorry　for　the　little　that　I　have　had　to　do　with　the　matter；　in　encouraging　these　first　beginnings。

I　wish　there　were　any　likelihood　of　my　soon　seeing　Primrose；　Periwinkle；　Dandelion；　Sweet　Fern；　Clover　Plantain；　Huckleberry；　Milkweed；　Cowslip；　Buttercup；　Blue　Eye；　and　Squash　Blossom　again。　But　as　I　do　not　know　when　I　shall　re…visit　Tanglewood；　and　as　Eustace　Bright　probably　will　not　ask　me　to　edit　a　third　〃WonderBook；〃　the　public　of　little　folks　must　not　expect　to　hear　any　more　about　those　dear　children　from　me。　Heaven　bless　them；　and　everybody　else；　whether　grown　people　or　children！



THE　MINOTAUR。

In　the　old　city　of　Troezene；　at　the　foot　of　a　lofty　mountain；　there　lived；　a　very　long　time　ago；　a　little　boy　named　Theseus。　His　grandfather；　King　Pittheus；　was　the　sovereign　of　that　country；　and　was　reckoned　a　very　wise　man；　so　that　Theseus；　being　brought　up　in　the　royal　palace；　and　being　naturally　a　bright　lad；　could　hardly　fail　of　profiting　by　the　old　king's　instructions。　His　mother's　name　was　Aethra。　As　for　his　father；　the　boy　had　never　seen　him。　But；　from　his　earliest　remembrance；　Aethra　used　to　go　with　little　Theseus　into　a　wood；　and　sit　down　upon　a　moss…grown　rock；　which　was　deeply　sunken　into　the　earth。　Here　she　often　talked　with　her　son　about　his　father；　and　said　that　he　was　called　Aegeus；　and　that　he　was　a　great　king；　and　ruled　over　Attica；　and　dwelt　at　Athens；　which　was　as　famous　a　city　as　any　in　the　world。　Theseus　was　very　fond　of　hearing　about　King　Aegeus；　and　often　asked　his　good　mother　Aethra　why　he　did　not　come　and　live　with　them　at　Troezene。

〃Ah；　my　dear　son；〃　answered　Aethra；　with　a　sigh；　〃a　monarch　has　his　people　to　take　care　of。　The　men　and　women　over　whom　he　rules　are　in　the　place　of　children　to　him；　and　he　can　seldom　spare　time　to　love　his　own　children　as　other　parents　do。　Your　father　will　never　be　able　to　leave　his　kingdom　for　the　sake　of　seeing　his　little　boy。〃

〃Well；　but；　dear　mother；〃　asked　the　boy；　〃why　cannot　I　go　to　this　famous　city　of　Athens；　and　tell　King　Aegeus　that　I　am　his　son？〃

〃That　may　happen　by　and　by；〃　said　Aethra。　〃Be　patient；　and　we　shall　see。　You　are　not　yet　big　and　strong　enough　to　set　out　on　such　an　errand。〃

〃And　how　soon　shall　I　be　strong　enough？〃　Theseus　persisted　in　inquiring。

〃You　are　but　a　tiny　boy　as　yet；〃　replied　his　mother。　〃See　if　you　can　lift　this　rock　on　which　we　are　sitting？〃

The　little　fellow　had　a　great　opinion　of　his　own　strength。　So；　grasping　the　rough　protuberances　of　the　rock；　he　tugged　and　toiled　amain；　and　got　himself　quite　out　of　breath；　without　being　able　to　stir　the　heavy　stone。　It　seemed　to　be　rooted　into　the　ground。　No　wonder　he　could　not　move　it；　for　it　would　have　taken　all　the　force　of　a　very　strong　man　to　lift　it　out　of　its　earthy　bed。

His　mother　stood　looking　on；　with　a　sad　kind　of　a　smile　on　her　lips　and　in　her　eyes；　to　see　the　zealous　and　yet　puny　efforts　of　her　little　boy。　She　could　not　help　being　sorrowful　at　finding　him　already　so　impatient　to　begin　his　adventures　in　the　world。

〃You　see　how　it　is；　my　dear　Theseus；〃　said　she。　〃You　must　possess　far　more　strength　than　now　before　I　can　trust　you　to　go　to　Athens；　and　tell　King　Aegeus　that　you　are　his　son。　But　when　you　can　lift　this　rock；　and　show　me　what　is　hidden　beneath　it；　I　promise　you　my　permission　to　depart。〃

Often　and　often；　after　this；　did　Theseus　ask　his　mother　whether　it　was　yet　time　for　him　to　go　to　Athens；　and　still　his　mother　pointed　to　the　rock；　and　told　him　that；　for　years　to　come；　he　could　not　be　strong　enough　to　move　it。　And　again　and　again　the　rosy…checked　and　curly…headed　boy　would　tug　and　strain　at　the　huge　mass　of　stone；　striving；　child　as　he　was；　to　do　what　a　giant　could　hardly　have　done　without　taking　both　of　his　great　hands　to　the　task。　Meanwhile　the　rock　seemed　to　be　sinking　farther　and　farther　into　the　ground。　The　moss　grew　over　it　thicker　and　thicker；　until　at　last　it　looked　almost　like　a　soft　green　seat；　with　only　a　few　gray　knobs　of　granite　peeping　out。　The　overhanging　trees；　also；　shed　their　brown　leaves　upon　It；　as　often　as　the　autumn　came；　and　at　its　base　grew　ferns　and　wild　flowers；　some　of　which　crept　quite　over　its　surface。　To　all　appearance；　the　rock　was　as　firmly　fastened　as　any　other　portion　of　the　earth's　substance。

But；　difficult　as　the　matter　looked；　Theseus　was　now　growing　up　to　be　such　a　vigorous　youth；　that；　in　his　own　opinion；　the　time　would　quickly　come　when　he　might　hope　to　get　the　upper　hand　of　this　ponderous　lump　of　stone。

〃Mother；　I　do　believe　it　has　started！〃　cried　he；　after　one　of　his　attempts。　〃The　earth　around　it　is　certainly　a　little　cracked！〃

〃No；　no；　child！〃　his　mother　hastily　answered。　〃It　is　not　possible　you　can　have　moved　it；　such　a　boy　as　you　still　are！〃

Nor　would　she　be　convinced；　although　Theseus　showed　her　the　place　where　he　fancied　that　the　stem　of　a　flower　had　been　partly　uprooted　by　the　movement　of　the　rock。　But　Aethra　sighed；　and　looked　disquieted；　for；　no　doubt；　she　began　to　be　conscious　that　her　son　was　no　longer　a　child；　and　that；　in　a　little　while　hence；　she　must　send　him　forth　among　the　perils　and　troubles　of　the　world。

It　was　not　more　than　a　year　afterwards　when　they　were　again　sitting　on　the　moss…covered　stone。　Aethra　had　once　more　told　him　the　oft…repeated　story　of　his　father；　and　how　gladly　he　would　receive　Theseus　at　his　stately　palace；　and　how　he　would　present　him　to　his　courtiers　and　the　people；　and　tell　them　that　here　was　the　heir　of　his　dominions。　The　eyes　of　Theseus　glowed　with　enthusiasm；　and　he　would　hardly　sit　still　to　hear　his　mother　speak。

〃Dear　mother　Aethra；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　never　felt　half　so　strong　as　now！　I　am　no　longer　a　child；　nor　a　boy；　nor　a　mere　youth！　I　feel　myself　a　man！　It　is　now　time　to　make　one　earnest　trial　to　remove　the　stone。〃

〃Ah；　my　dearest　Theseus；〃　replied　his　mother　〃not　yet！　not　yet！〃

〃Yes；　mother；〃　said　he；　resolutely；　〃the　time　has　come！〃

Then　Theseus　bent　himself　in　good　earnest　to　the　task；　and　strained　every　sinew；　with　manly　strength　and　resolution。　He　put　his　whole　brave　heart　into　the　effort。　He　wrestled　with　the　big　and　sluggish　stone；　as　if　it　had　been　a　living　enemy。　He　heaved；　he　lifted；　he　resolved　now　to　succee