the golden fleece(金羊毛)-第33部分
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Peleus； Nereus； the ancient one of the sea； went under the waves。
II
With his hero's heart beating more than ever it had beaten yet； Peleus
went into the cave。 Kneeling beside her he looked down upon the goddess。
The dress she wore was like green and silver mail。 Her face and limbs
were pearly； but through them came the radiance that belongs to the
immortals。
He touched the hair of the goddess of the sea； the yellow hair that was
so long that it might cover her all over。 As he touched her hair she started
up； wakening suddenly out of her sleep。 His hands touched her hands and
held them。 Now he knew that if he should loose his hold upon her she
would escape from him into the depths of the sea； and that thereafter no
command from the immortals would bring her to him。
She changed into a white bird that strove to bear itself away。 Peleus
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held to its wings and struggled with the bird。 She changed and became a
tree。 Around the trunk of the tree Peleus clung。 She changed once more；
and this time her form became terrible： a spotted leopard she was now；
with burning eyes； but Peleus held to the neck of the fierce…appearing
leopard and was not affrighted by the burning eyes。 Then she changed and
became as he had seen her firsta lovely maiden； with the brow of a
goddess； and with long yellow hair。
But now there was no radiance in her face or in her limbs。 She looked
past Peleus； who held her； and out to the wide sea。 〃Who is he；〃 she cried；
〃who has been given this mastery over me？ 〃
Then said the hero： 〃I am Peleus； and Zeus has given me the mastery
over thee。 Wilt thou come with me； Thetis？ Thou art my bride； given me
by him who is highest amongst the gods； and if thou wilt come with me；
thou wilt always be loved and reverenced by me。〃
〃Unwillingly I leave the sea；〃 she cried； 〃unwillingly I go with thee；
Peleus。〃
But life in the sea was not for her any more now that she was mastered。
She went to Peleus's ship and she went to Phthia； his country。 And when
the hero and the sea goddess were wedded the immortal gods and
goddesses came to their hall and brought the bride and the bridegroom
wondrous gifts。 The three sisters who are called the Fates came also。
These wise and ancient women said that the son born of the marriage of
Peleus and Thetis would be a man greater than Peleus himself。
III
Now although a son was born to her； and although this son had
something of the radiance of the immortals about him； Thetis remained
forlorn and estranged。 Nothing that her husband did was pleasing to her。
Prince Peleus was in fear that the wildness of the sea would break out in
her； and that some great harm would be wrought in his house。
One night he wakened suddenly。 He saw the fire upon his hearth and
he saw a figure standing by the fire。 It was Thetis； his wife。 The fire was
blazing around something that she held in her hands。 And while she stood
there she was singing to herself a strange…sounding song。
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And then he saw what Thetis held in her hands and what the fire was
blazing around； it was the child； Achilles。
Prince Peleus sprang from the bed and caught Thetis around the waist
and lifted her and the child away from the blazing fire。 He put them both
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
