tanglewood tales-第17部分

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What　should　it　be　but　the　most　magnificent　palace　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　the　world。　It　was　built　of　marble　and　other　beautiful　kinds　of　stone；　and　rose　high　into　the　air；　with　a　splendid　dome　and　a　portico　along　the　front；　and　carved　pillars；　and　everything　else　that　befitted　the　habitation　of　a　mighty　king。　It　had　grown　up　out　of　the　earth　in　almost　as　short　a　time　as　it　had　taken　the　armed　host　to　spring　from　the　dragon's　teeth；　and　what　made　the　matter　more　strange；　no　seed　of　this　stately　edifice　ever　had　been　planted。

When　the　five　workmen　beheld　the　dome；　with　the　morning　sunshine　making　it　look　golden　and　glorious；　they　gave　a　great　shout。

〃Long　live　King　Cadmus；〃　they　cried；　〃in　his　beautiful　palace。〃

And　the　new　king；　with　his　five　faithful　followers　at　his　heels；　shouldering　their　pickaxes　and　marching　in　a　rank　（for　they　still　had　a　soldier…like　sort　of　behavior；　as　their　nature　was）；　ascended　the　palace　steps。　Halting　at　the　entrance；　they　gazed　through　a　long　vista　of　lofty　pillars；　that　were　ranged　from　end　to　end　of　a　great　hall。　At　the　farther　extremity　of　this　hall；　approaching　slowly　towards　him；　Cadmus　beheld　a　female　figure；　wonderfully　beautiful；　and　adorned　with　a　royal　robe；　and　a　crown　of　diamonds　over　her　golden　ringlets；　and　the　richest　necklace　that　ever　a　queen　wore。　His　heart　thrilled　with　delight。　He　fancied　it　his　long…lost　sister　Europa；　now　grown　to　womanhood；　coming　to　make　him　happy；　and　to　repay　him　with　her　sweet　sisterly　affection；　for　all　those　weary　wonderings　in　quest　of　her　since　he　left　King　Agenor's　palacefor　the　tears　that　he　had　shed；　on　parting　with　Phoenix；　and　Cilix；　and　Thasusfor　the　heart…breakings　that　had　made　the　whole　world　seem　dismal　to　him　over　his　dear　mother's　grave。

But；　as　Cadmus　advanced　to　meet　the　beautiful　stranger；　he　saw　that　her　features　were　unknown　to　him；　although；　in　the　little　time　that　it　required　to　tread　along　the　hall；　he　had　already　felt　a　sympathy　betwixt　himself　and　her。

〃No；　Cadmus；〃　said　the　same　voice　that　had　spoken　to　him　in　the　field　of　the　armed　men；　〃this　is　not　that　dear　sister　Europa　whom　you　have　sought　so　faithfully　all　over　the　wide　world。　This　is　Harmonia；　a　daughter　of　the　sky；　who　is　given　you　instead　of　sister；　and　brothers；　and　friend；　and　mother。　You　will　find　all　those　dear　ones　in　her　alone。〃

So　King　Cadmus　dwelt　in　the　palace；　with　his　new　friend　Harmonia；　and　found　a　great　deal　of　comfort　in　his　magnificent　abode；　but　would　doubtless　have　found　as　much；　if　not　more；　in　the　humblest　cottage　by　the　wayside。　Before　many　years　went　by；　there　was　a　group　of　rosy　little　children　（but　how　they　came　thither　has　always　been　a　mystery　to　me）　sporting　in　the　great　hall；　and　on　the　marble　steps　of　the　palace；　and　running　joyfully　to　meet　King　Cadmus　when　affairs　of　state　left　him　at　leisure　to　play　with　them。　They　called　him　father；　and　Queen　Harmonia　mother。　The　five　old　soldiers　of　the　dragon's　teeth　grew　very　fond　of　these　small　urchins；　and　were　never　weary　of　showing　them　how　to　shoulder　sticks；　flourish　wooden　swords；　and　march　in　military　order；　blowing　a　penny　trumpet；　or　beating　an　abominable　rub…a…dub　upon　a　little　drum。

But　King　Cadmus；　lest　there　should　be　too　much　of　the　dragon's　tooth　in　his　children's　disposition；　used　to　find　time　from　his　kingly　duties　to　teach　them　their　A　B　Cwhich　he　invented　for　their　benefit；　and　for　which　many　little　people；　I　am　afraid；　are　not　half　so　grateful　to　him　as　they　ought　to　be。



CIRCE'S　PALACE。

Some　of　you　have　heard；　no　doubt；　of　the　wise　King　Ulysses；　and　how　he　went　to　the　siege　of　Troy；　and　how；　after　that　famous　city　was　taken　and　burned；　he　spent　ten　long　years　in　trying　to　get　back　again　to　his　own　little　kingdom　of　Ithaca。　At　one　time　in　the　course　of　this　weary　voyage；　he　arrived　at　an　island　that　looked　very　green　and　pleasant；　but　the　name　of　which　was　unknown　to　him。　For；　only　a　little　while　before　he　came　thither；　he　had　met　with　a　terrible　hurricane；　or　rather　a　great　many　hurricanes　at　once；　which　drove　his　fleet　of　vessels　into　a　strange　part　of　the　sea；　where　neither　himself　nor　any　of　his　mariners　had　ever　sailed。　This　misfortune　was　entirely　owing　to　the　foolish　curiosity　of　his　shipmates；　who；　while　Ulysses　lay　asleep；　had　untied　some　very　bulky　leathern　bags；　in　which　they　supposed　a　valuable　treasure　to　be　concealed。　But　in　each　of　these　stout　bags；　King　Aeolus；　the　ruler　of　the　winds；　had　tied　up　a　tempest；　and　had　given　it　to　Ulysses　to　keep　in　order　that　he　might　be　sure　of　a　favorable　passage　homeward　to　Ithaca；　and　when　the　strings　were　loosened；　forth　rushed　the　whistling　blasts；　like　air　out　of　a　blown　bladder；　whitening　the　sea　with　foam；　and　scattering　the　vessels　nobody　could　tell　whither。

Immediately　after　escaping　from　this　peril；　a　still　greater　one　had　befallen　him。　Scudding　before　the　hurricane；　he　reached　a　place；　which；　as　he　afterwards　found；　was　called　Laestrygonia；　where　some　monstrous　giants　had　eaten　up　many　of　his　companions；　and　had　sunk　every　one　of　his　vessels；　except　that　in　which　he　himself　sailed；　by　flinging　great　masses　of　rock　at　them；　from　the　cliffs　along　the　shore。　After　going　through　such　troubles　as　these；　you　cannot　wonder　that　King　Ulysses　was　glad　to　moor　his　tempest…beaten　bark　in　a　quiet　cove　of　the　green　island；　which　I　began　with　telling　you　about。　But　he　had　encountered　so　many　dangers　from　giants；　and　one…eyed　Cyclops；　and　monsters　of　the　sea　and　land；　that　he　could　not　help　dreading　some　mischief；　even　in　this　pleasant　and　seemingly　solitary　spot。　For　two　days；　therefore；　the　poor　weather…worn　voyagers　kept　quiet；　and　either　staid　on　board　of　their　vessel；　or　merely　crept　along　under　the　cliffs　that　bordered　the　shore；　and　to　keep　themselves　alive；　they　dug　shellfish　out　of　the　sand；　and　sought　for　any　little　rill　of　fresh　water　that　might　be　running　towards　the　sea。

Before　the　two　days　were　spent；　they　grew　very　weary　of　this　kind　of　life；　for　the　followers　of　King　Ulysses；　as　you　will　find　it　important　to　remember；　were　terrible　gormandizers；　and　pretty　sure　to　grumble　if　they　missed　their　regulars　meals；　and　their　irregular　ones　besides。　Their　stock　of　provisions　was　quite　exhausted；　and　even　the　shellfish　began　to　get　scarce；　so　that　they　had　now　to　choose　between　starving　to　death　or　venturing　into　the　interior　of　the　island；　where　perhaps　some　huge　three…headed　dragon；　or　other　horrible　monster；　had　his　den。　Such　misshapen　creatures　were　very　numerous　in　those　days；　and　nobody　ever　expected　to　make　a　voyage；　or　take　a　journey；　without　running　more　or　less　risk　of　being　devoured　by　them。

But　King　Ulysses　was　a　bold　man　as　well　as　a　prudent　one；　and　on　the　third　morning　he　determined　to　discover　what　sort　of　a　place　the　island　was；　and　whether　it　were　possible　to　obtain　a　supply　of　food　for　the　hungry　mouths　of　his　companions。　So；　taking　a　spear　in　his　hand；　he　clambered　to　the　summit　of　a　cliff；　and　gazed　round　about　him。　At　a　distance；　towards　the　center　of　the　island；　he　beheld　the　stately　towers　of　what　seemed　to　be　a　palace；　built　of　snow…white　marble；　and　rising　in　the　midst　of　a　grove　of　lofty　trees。　The　thick　branches　of　these　trees　stretched　across　the　front　of　the　edifice；　and　more　than　half　concealed　it；　although；　from　the　portion　which　he　saw；　Ulysses　judged　it　to　be　spacious　and　exceedingly　beautiful；　and　probably　the　residence　of　some　great　nobleman　or　prince。　A　blue　smoke　went　curling　up　from　the　chimney；　and　was　almost　the　pleasantest　part　of　the　spectacle　to　Ulysses。　For；　from　the　abundance　of　this　smoke；　it　was　reasonable　to　conclude　that　there　was　a　good　fire　in　the　kitchen；　and　that；　at　dinner…time；　a　plentiful　banquet　would　be　served　up　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　palace；　and　to　whatever　guests　might　happen　to　drop　in。

With　so　agreeable　a　prospect　before　him；　Ulysses　fancied　that　he　could　not　do　better　than　go　straight　to　the　palace　gate；　and　tell　the　master　of　it　that　there　was　a　crew　of　poor　shipwrecked　mariners；　not　far　off；　who　had　eaten　nothing　for　a　day　or　two；　save　a　few　clams　and　oysters；　and　would　therefore　be　thankful　for　a　little　food。　And　the　prince　or　nobleman　must　be　a　very　stingy　curmudgeon；　to　be　sure；　if；　at　least；　when　his　own　dinner　was　over；　he　would　not　bid　them　welcome　to　the　broken　victuals　from　the　table。

Pleasing　himself　with　this　idea；　King　Ulysses　had　made　a　few　steps　in　the　direction　of　the　palace；　when　there　was　a　great　twittering　and　chirping　from　the　branch　of　a　neighboring　tree。　A　moment　afterwards；　a　bird　came　flying　towards　him；　and　hovered　in　the　air；　so　as　almost　to　brush　his　face　with　its　wings。　It　was　a　very　pretty　little　bird；　with　purple　wings　and　body；　and　yellow　legs；　and　a　circle　of　golden　feathers　round　its　neck；　and　on　its　head　a　golden　tuft；　which　looked　like　a　king's　crown　in　miniature。　Ulysses　tried　to　catch　the　bird。　But　it　fluttered　nimbly　out　of　his　reach；　still　chirping　in　a　piteous　tone；　as　if　it　could　have　told　a　lamentable　story；　had　it　only　been　gifted　with　human　language。　And　when　he　attempted　to　drive　it　away；　the　bird　flew　no　farther　than　the　bough　of　the　next　tree；　and　again　came　fluttering　about　his　head；　with　its　doleful　chirp；　as　soon　as　he　showed　a　purpose　of　going　forward。

〃Have　you　anything　to　tell　me；　little　bird？〃　asked　Ulysses。

And　he　was　ready　to　listen　attentively　to　whatever　the　bird　might　communicate；　for；　at　the　siege　of　Troy；　and　elsewhere；　he　had　known　such　odd　things　to　happen；　that　he　would　not　have　considered　it　much　out　of　the　common　run　had　this　little　feathered　creature　talked　as　plainly　as　himself。

〃Peep！〃　said　the　bird；　〃peep；　peep；　peweep！〃　And　nothing　else　would　it　say；　but　only；　〃Peep；　peep；　peweep！〃　in　a　melancholy　cadence；　and　over　and　over　and　over　again。　As　often　as　Ulysses　moved　forward；　however；　the　bird　showed　the　greatest　alarm；　and　did　its　best　to　drive　him　back；　with　the　anxious　flutter　of　its　purple　wings。　Its　unaccountable　behavior　made　him　conclude；　at　last；　that　the　bird　knew　of　some　danger　that　awaited　him；　and　which　must　needs　be　very　terrible；　beyond　all　question；　since　it　moved　even　a　little　fowl　to　feel　compassion　for　a　human　being。　So　he　resolved；　for　the　present；　to　return　to　the　vessel；　and　tell　his　companions　what　he　had　seen。

This　appear