the golden fleece(金羊毛)-第37节
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upon the bed； and he took from her the child that she held by the heel。 His
heart was wild within him； for the thought that wildness had come over his
wife； and that she was bent upon destroying their child。 But Thetis
looked on him from under those goddess brows of hers and she said to him：
〃By the divine power that I still possess I would have made the child
invulnerable； but the heel by which I held him has not been endued by the
fire and in that place some day he may be stricken。 All that the fire
covered is invulnerable； and no weapon that strikes there can destroy his
life。 His heel I cannot now make invulnerable； for now the divine power is
gone out of me。〃
When she said this Thetis looked full upon her husband； and never had
she seemed so unforgiving as she was then。 All the divine radiance that
had remained with her was gone from her now； and she seemed a white…
faced and bitter…thinking woman。 And when Peleus saw that such a great
bitterness faced him he fled from his house。
He traveled far from his own land； and first he went to the help of
Heracles； who was then in the midst of his mighty labors。 Heracles was
building a wall around a city。 Peleus labored； helping him to raise the wall
for King Laomedon。 Then； one night； as he walked by the wall he had
helped to build； he heard voices speaking out of the earth。 And one voice
said： 〃Why has Peleus striven so hard to raise a wall that his son shall fight
hard to overthrow？〃 No voice replied。 The wall was built； and Peleus
departed。 The city around which the wall was built was the great city of
Troy。
In whatever place he went Peleus was followed by the hatred of the
people of the sea； and above all by the hatred of the nymph who is called
Psamathe。 Far； far from his own country he went； and at last he came to a
country of bright valleys that was ruled over by a kindly kingby Ceyx；
who was called the Son of the Morning Star。
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Bright of face and kindly and peaceable in all his ways was this king；
and kindly and peaceable was the land that he ruled over。 And when Prince
Peleus went to him to beg for his protection； and to beg for unfurrowed
fields where he might graze his cattle； Ceyx raised him up from where he
knelt。 〃Peaceable and plentiful is the land；〃 he said； 〃and all who come
here may have peace and a chance to earn their food。 Live where you will；
O stranger； and take the unfurrowed fields by the seashore for pasture for
your cattle。〃
Peace came into Peleus's heart as he looked into the untroubled face of
Ceyx； and as he looked over the bright valleys of the land he had come
into。 He brought his cattle to the unfurrowed fields by the seashore and he
left herdsmen there to tend them。 And as he walked along these bright
valleys he thought upon his wife and upon his son Achilles； and there were
gentle feelings in his breast。 But then he thought upon the enmity of
Psamathe； the woman of the sea； and great trouble came over him again。
He felt he could not stay in the palace of the kindly king。 He went where
his herdsmen camped and he lived with them。 But the sea was very near
and its sound tormented him； and as the days went by； Peleus； wild
looking and shaggy； became more and more unlike the hero whom once
the gods themselves had honored。
One day as he was standing near the palace having speech with the
king； a herdsman ran to him and cried out： 〃Peleus； Peleus； a dread thing
has happened in the unfurrowed fields。〃 And when he had got his breath
the herdsman told of the thing that had happened。
They had brought the herd down to the sea。 Suddenly； from the
marshes where the sea and land came together； a monstrous beast rushed
out upon the herd； like a wolf this beast was； but with mouth and jaws that
were more terrible than a wolf's even。 The beast seized upon the cattle。 Yet
it was not hunger that made it fierce； for the beasts that it killed it tore； but
did not devour。 Tit rushed on and on； killing and tearing more and more of
the herd。 〃Soon；〃 said the herdsman； 〃it will have destroyed all in the herd；
and then it will not spare to destroy the other flocks and herds that are in
the land。〃
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Peleus was stricken to hear that his herd was being destroyed； but
more stricken to know that the land of a friendly king would be ravaged；
and ravaged on his account。 For he knew that the terrible beast that had
come from where the sea and the land joined had been sent by Psamathe。
He went up on the tower that stood near the king's palace。 He was able to
look out on the sea and able to look over all the land。 And looking across
the bright valleys he saw the dread beast。 He saw it rush through his own
mangled cattle and fall upon the herds of the kindly king。 He looked
toward the sea and he prayed to Psamathe to spare the land that he had
come to。 But； even as he prayed； he knew that Psamathe would not harken
to him。 Then he made a prayer to Thetis； to his wife who had seemed so
unforgiving。 He prayed her to deal with Psamathe so that the land of Ceyx
would not be altogether destroyed。
As he looked from the tower he saw the king come forth with arms in
his hands for the slaying of the terrible beast。 Peleus felt fear for the life of
the kindly king。 Down from the tower he came； and taking up his spear he
went with Ceyx。
Soon； in one of the brightest of the valleys； they came upon the beast；
they came between it and a herd of silken…coated cattle。 Seeing the men it
rushed toward them with blood and foam upon its jaws。 Then Peleus knew
that the spears they carried would be of little use against the raging beast。
His only thought was to struggle with it so that the king might be able to
save himself。
Again he lifted up his hands and prayed to Thetis to draw away
Psamathe's enmity。 The beast rushed toward them； but suddenly it stopped。
The bristles upon its body seemed to stiffen。 The gaping jaws became
fixed。 The hounds that were with them dashed upon the beast； but then fell
back with yelps of disappointment。 And when Peleus and Ceyx came to
where it stood they found that the monstrous beast had been turned into
stone。
And a stone it remains in that bright valley； a wonder to all the men of
Ceyx's land。 The country was spared the ravages of the beast。 And the
heart of Peleus was uplifted to think that Thetis had harkened to his prayer
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and had prevailed upon Psamathe to forego her enmity。 Not altogether
unforgiving was his wife to him。
That day he went from the land of the bright valleys； from the land
ruled over by the kindly Ceyx； and he came back to rugged Phthia； his
own country。 When he came near his hall he saw two at the doorway
awaiting him。 Thetis stood there； and the child Achilles was by her side。
The radiance of the immortals was in her face no longer； but there was a
glow there； a glow of welcome for the hero Peleus。 And thus Peleus； long
tormented by the enmity of the sea…born ones； came back to the wife he
had won from the sea。
III。 THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR
I
Thereafter Theseus made up his mind to go in search of his father； the
unknown king； and Medea； the wise woman； counseled him to go to
Athens。 After the hunt in Calydon he set forth。 On his way he fought with
and slew two robbers who harassed countries and treated people unjustly。
The first was Sinnias。 He was a robber who slew men cruelly by tying
them to strong branches of trees and letting the branches fly apart。 On him
Theseus had no mercy。 The second was a robber also； Procrustes ： he had a
great iron bed on which he made his captives lie； if they were too long for
that bed he chopped pieces off them； and if they were too short he
stretched out their bodies with terrible racks。 On him； likewise； Theseus
