tanglewood tales-第35节

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aring　eyes；　that　never　wink　at　the　dash　of　the　spray。　But　（what　was　very　strange）　the　carver　found　that　his　hand　was　guided　by　some　unseen　power；　and　by　a　skill　beyond　his　own；　and　that　his　tools　shaped　out　an　image　which　he　had　never　dreamed　of。　When　the　work　was　finished；　it　turned　out　to　be　the　figure　of　a　beautiful　woman；　with　a　helmet　on　her　head；　from　beneath　which　the　long　ringlets　fell　down　upon　her　shoulders。　On　the　left　arm　was　a　shield；　and　in　its　center　appeared　a　lifelike　representation　of　the　head　of　Medusa　with　the　snaky　locks。　The　right　arm　was　extended；　as　if　pointing　onward。　The　face　of　this　wonderful　statue；　though　not　angry　or　forbidding；　was　so　grave　and　majestic；　that　perhaps　you　might　call　it　severe；　and　as　for　the　mouth；　it　seemed　just　ready　to　unclose　its　lips；　and　utter　words　of　the　deepest　wisdom。

Jason　was　delighted　with　the　oaken　image；　and　gave　the　carver　no　rest　until　it　was　completed；　and　set　up　where　a　figure…head　has　always　stood；　from　that　time　to　this；　in　the　vessel's　prow。

〃And　now；〃　cried　he；　as　he　stood　gazing　at　the　calm；　majestic　face　of　the　statue；　〃I　must　go　to　the　Talking　Oak　and　inquire　what　next　to　do。〃

〃There　is　no　need　of　that；　Jason；〃　said　a　voice　which；　though　it　was　far　lower；　reminded　him　of　the　mighty　tones　of　the　great　oak。　〃When　you　desire　good　advice；　you　can　seek　it　of　me。〃

Jason　had　been　looking　straight　into　the　face　of　the　image　when　these　words　were　spoken。　But　he　could　hardly　believe　either　his　ears　or　his　eyes。　The　truth　was；　however；　that　the　oaken　lips　had　moved；　and；　to　all　appearance；　the　voice　had　proceeded　from　the　statue's　mouth。　Recovering　a　little　from　his　surprise；　Jason　bethought　himself　that　the　image　had　been　carved　out　of　the　wood　of　the　Talking　Oak；　and　that；　therefore；　it　was　really　no　great　wonder；　but　on　the　contrary；　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world；　that　it　should　possess　the　faculty　of　speech。　It　would　have　been　very　odd；　indeed；　if　it　had　not。　But　certainly　it　was　a　great　piece　of　good　fortune　that　he　should　be　able　to　carry　so　wise　a　block　of　wood　along　with　him　in　his　perilous　voyage。

〃Tell　me；　wondrous　image；〃　exclaimed　Jason；　〃since　you　inherit　the　wisdom　of　the　Speaking　Oak　of　Dodona；　whose　daughter　you　are；tell　me；　where　shall　I　find　fifty　bold　youths；　who　will　take　each　of　them　an　oar　of　my　galley？　They　must　have　sturdy　arms　to　row；　and　brave　hearts　to　encounter　perils；　or　we　shall　never　win　the　Golden　Fleece。〃

〃Go；〃　replied　the　oaken　image；　〃go；　summon　all　the　heroes　of　Greece。〃

And；　in　fact；　considering　what　a　great　deed　was　to　be　done；　could　any　advice　be　wiser　than　this　which　Jason　received　from　the　figure…head　of　his　vessel？　He　lost　no　time　in　sending　messengers　to　all　the　cities；　and　making　known　to　the　whole　people　of　Greece；　that　Prince　Jason；　the　son　of　King　Jason；　was　going　in　quest　of　the　Fleece　of　Gold；　and　that　he　desired　the　help　of　forty…nine　of　the　bravest　and　strongest　young　men　alive；　to　row　his　vessel　and　share　his　dangers。　And　Jason　himself　would　be　the　fiftieth。

At　this　news；　the　adventurous　youths；　all　over　the　country；　began　to　bestir　themselves。　Some　of　them　had　already　fought　with　giants；　and　slain　dragons；　and　the　younger　ones；　who　had　not　yet　met　with　such　good　fortune；　thought　it　a　shame　to　have　lived　so　long　without　getting　astride　of　a　flying　serpent；　or　sticking　their　spears　into　a　Chimaera；　or；　at　least；　thrusting　their　right　arms　down　a　monstrous　lion's　throat。　There　was　a　fair　prospect　that　they　would　meet　with　plenty　of　such　adventures　before　finding　the　Golden　Fleece。　As　soon　as　they　could　furbish　up　their　helmets　and　shields；　therefore；　and　gird　on　their　trusty　swords；　they　came　thronging　to　Iolchos；　and　clambered　on　board　the　new　galley。　Shaking　hands　with　Jason；　they　assured　him　that　they　did　not　care　a　pin　for　their　lives；　but　would　help　row　the　vessel　to　the　remotest　edge　of　the　world；　and　as　much　farther　as　he　might　think　it　best　to　go。

Many　of　these　brave　fellows　had　been　educated　by　Chiron；　the　four…footed　pedagogue；　and　were　therefore　old　schoolmates　of　Jason；　and　knew　him　to　be　a　lad　of　spirit。　The　mighty　Hercules；　whose　shoulders　afterwards　upheld　the　sky；　was　one　of　them。　And　there　were　Castor　and　Pollux；　the　twin　brothers；　who　were　never　accused　of　being　chicken…hearted；　although　they　had　been　hatched　out　of　an　egg；　and　Theseus；　who　was　so　renowned　for　killing　the　Minotaur；　and　Lynceus；　with　his　wonderfully　sharp　eyes；　which　could　see　through　a　millstone；　or　look　right　down　into　the　depths　of　the　earth；　and　discover　the　treasures　that　were　there；　and　Orpheus；　the　very　best　of　harpers；　who　sang　and　played　upon　his　lyre　so　sweetly；　that　the　brute　beasts　stood　upon　their　hind　legs；　and　capered　merrily　to　the　music。　Yes；　and　at　some　of　his　more　moving　tunes；　the　rocks　bestirred　their　moss…grown　bulk　out　of　the　ground；　and　a　grove　of　forest　trees　uprooted　themselves；　and；　nodding　their　tops　to　one　another；　performed　a　country　dance。

One　of　the　rowers　was　a　beautiful　young　woman；　named　Atalanta。　who　had　been　nursed　among　the　mountains　by　a　bear。　So　light　of　foot　was　this　fair　damsel；　that　she　could　step　from　one　foamy　crest　of　a　wave　to　the　foamy　crest　of　another；　without　wetting　more　than　the　sole　of　her　sandal。　She　had　grown　up　in　a　very　wild　way；　and　talked　much　about　the　rights　of　women；　and　loved　hunting　and　war　far　better　than　her　needle。　But　in　my　opinion；　the　most　remarkable　of　this　famous　company　were　two　sons　of　the　North　Wind　（airy　youngsters；　and　of　rather　a　blustering　disposition）　who　had　wings　on　their　shoulders；　and；　in　case　of　a　calm；　could　puff　out　their　cheeks；　and　blow　almost　as　fresh　a　breeze　as　their　father。　I　ought　not　to　forget　the　prophets　and　conjurors；　of　whom　there　were　several　in　the　crew；　and　who　could　foretell　what　would　happen　to…morrow　or　the　next　day；　or　a　hundred　years　hence；　but　were　generally　quite　unconscious　of　what　was　passing　at　the　moment。

Jason　appointed　Tiphys　to　be　helmsman　because　he　was　a　star…gazer；　and　knew　the　points　of　the　compass。　Lynceus；　on　account　of　his　sharp　sight；　was　stationed　as　a　look…out　in　the　prow；　where　he　saw　a　whole　day's　sail　ahead；　but　was　rather　apt　to　overlook　things　that　lay　directly　under　his　nose。　If　the　sea　only　happened　to　be　deep　enough；　however；　Lynceus　could　tell　you　exactly　what　kind　of　rocks　or　sands　were　at　the　bottom　of　it；　and　he　often　cried　out　to　his　companions；　that　they　were　sailing　over　heaps　of　sunken　treasure；　which　yet　he　was　none　the　richer　for　beholding。　To　confess　the　truth；　few　people　believed　him　when　he　said　it。

Well！　But　when　the　Argonauts；　as　these　fifty　brave　adventurers　were　called；　had　prepared　everything　for　the　voyage；　an　unforeseen　difficulty　threatened　to　end　it　before　it　was　begun。　The　vessel；　you　must　understand；　was　so　long；　and　broad；　and　ponderous；　that　the　united　force　of　all　the　fifty　was　insufficient　to　shove　her　into　the　water。　Hercules；　I　suppose；　had　not　grown　to　his　full　strength；　else　he　might　have　set　her　afloat　as　easily　as　a　little　boy　launches　his　boat　upon　a　puddle。　But　here　were　these　fifty　heroes；　pushing；　and　straining；　and　growing　red　in　the　face；　without　making　the　Argo　start　an　inch。　At　last；　quite　wearied　out；　they　sat　themselves　down　on　the　shore　exceedingly　disconsolate；　and　thinking　that　the　vessel　must　be　left　to　rot　and　fall　in　pieces；　and　that　they　must　either　swim　across　the　sea　or　lose　the　Golden　Fleece。

All　at　once；　Jason　bethought　himself　of　the　galley's　miraculous　figure…head。

〃O；　daughter　of　the　Talking　Oak；〃　cried　he；　〃how　shall　we　set　to　work　to　get　our　vessel　into　the　water？〃

〃Seat　yourselves；〃　answered　the　image　（for　it　had　known　what　had　ought　to　be　done　from　the　very　first；　and　was　only　waiting　for　the　question　to　be　put）；〃　seat　yourselves；　and　handle　your　oars；　and　let　Orpheus　play　upon　his　harp。〃

Immediately　the　fifty　heroes　got　on　board；　and　seizing　their　oars；　held　them　perpendicularly　in　the　air；　while　Orpheus　（who　liked　such　a　task　far　better　than　rowing）　swept　his　fingers　across　the　harp。　At　the　first　ringing　note　of　the　music；　they　felt　the　vessel　stir。　Orpheus　thrummed　away　briskly；　and　the　galley　slid　at　once　into　the　sea；　dipping　her　prow　so　deeply　that　the　figure…head　drank　the　wave　with　its　marvelous　lips；　and　rising　again　as　buoyant　as　a　swan。　The　rowers　plied　their　fifty　oars；　the　white　foam　boiled　up　before　the　prow；　the　water　gurgled　and　bubbled　in　their　wake；　while　Orpheus　continued　to　play　so　lively　a　strain　of　music；　that　the　vessel　seemed　to　dance　over　the　billows　by　way　of　keeping　time　to　it。　Thus　triumphantly　did　the　Argo　sail　out　of　the　harbor；　amidst　the　huzzas　and　good　wishes　of　everybody　except　the　wicked　old　Pelias；　who　stood　on　a　promontory；　scowling　at　her；　and　wishing　that　he　could　blow　out　of　his　lungs　the　tempest　of　wrath　that　was　in　his　heart；　and　so　sink　the　galley　with　all　on　board。　When　they　had　sailed　above　fifty　miles　over　the　sea；　Lynceus　happened　to　cast　his　sharp　eyes　behind；　and　said　that　there　was　this　bad…hearted　king；　still　perched　upon　the　promontory；　and　scowling　so　gloomily　that　it　looked　like　a　black　thunder…cloud　in　that　quarter　of　the　horizon。

In　order　to　make　the　time　pass　away　more　pleasantly　during　the　voyage；　the　heroes　talked　about　the　Golden　Fleece。