 Part two of the Argonauts from the Heroes. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Heroes, or Greek fairy tales for my children, by Charles Kingsley. Part two of the Argonauts. How Jason lost his sandal in a narrows. In ten years came and went, and Jason was grown to be a mighty man. Some of his fellows were gone, and some were growing up by his side. Asclepius was gone into Peloponnes to work his wondrous cures on men, and some say he used to raise the dead to life. And Heracles was gone to Thebes to fulfill those famous labors which have become a proverb among men. And Peleus had married a cenymph, and his wedding is famous to this day. And Aeneas was gone home to Troy, and many a noble tale you will read of him, and of all the other gallant heroes, the scholars of Chyren the Just. And it happened on a day that Jason stood on the mountain, and looked north and south and east and west, and Chyren stood by him and watched him, for he knew that the time was come. And Jason looked and saw the plains of Thessaly where the Lapithae breathed their horses, and the lake of Boy Bay, and the stream which runs northward to Peneus and Tempe, and he looked north, and saw the mountain wall which guards the magnesium shore, Olympus the seat of the immortals, and Osa and Pellion where he stood. Then he looked east, and saw the bright blue sea which stretched away forever toward the dawn. Then he looked south, and saw a pleasant land with white walled towns and farms nestling along the shore of a landlocked bay, while the smoke rose blue among the trees, and he knew it for the bay of Pagasi and the rich lowlands of Ammonia and Yolcos by the sea. Then he sighed, and asked, Is it true what the heroes tell me that I am the heir of that fair land? And what good would it be to you, Jason, if you were heir of that fair land? I would take it and keep it. A strong man has taken it and kept it long. Are you stronger than Pellius the Terrible? I can try my strength with his, said Jason. But Chiron sighed and said, You have many a danger to go through before you rule in Yolcos by the sea, many a danger and many a woe, and strange troubles and strange lands such as man never saw before. The happier I said, Jason, to see what man never saw before. And Chiron sighed again and said, The eglet must leave the nest when it is fledged. Will you go to Yolcos by the sea? Then promise me two things before you go. Jason promised. And Chiron answered, Speak harshly to no soul whom you may meet, and stand by the word which you shall speak. Jason wondered why Chiron asked this of him, but he knew that the centaur was a prophet and saw things long before they came. So he promised, and leapt down the mountain to take his fortune like a man. He went down through the Arbutus thickets and across the downs of time till he came to the vineyard walls, and the pomegranates and the olives in the glen, and among the olives roared anauros, all foaming with the summer flood. And on the bank of anauros sat a woman, all wrinkled, grey and old. Her head shook, palsied on her breast, and her hands shook, palsied on her knees. And when she saw Jason she spoke whining, Who will carry me across the flood? Jason was bold and hasty, and was just going to leap into the flood, and yet he thought twice before he leapt. So loud roared the torrent down, all brown from the mountain rains, and silver veined with melting snow. While underneath he could hear the boulders rumbling like the tramp of horsemen, or the roll of wheels as they ground along the narrow channel and shook the rocks on which he stood. But the old woman whined all the more. I am weak and old, fair youth. For Hera's sake, carry me over the torrent. And Jason was going to answer her scornfully when Kyren's words came to his mind. So he said, For Hera's sake, the queen of the immortals on Olympus, I will carry you over the torrent, unless we both are drowned midway. Then the old dame leapt upon his back as nimbly as a goat, and Jason staggered in, wondering. And the first step was up to his knees. The first step was up to his knees, and the second step was up to his waist, and the stones rolled about his feet, and his feet slipped about the stones. So he went on, staggering and panting, while the old woman cried from off his back, Fool, you have wet my mantle! Do you make game of poor old souls like me? Jason had half a mind to drop her, and let her get through the torrent by herself. But Kyren's words were in his mind, and he said only, Patience, mother, the best horse may stumble some day. At last he staggered to the shore, and set her down upon the bank. And a strong man he needed to have been, or that wild water he never would have crossed, he lay panting a while upon the bank, and then leapt up to go upon his journey. But he cast one look at the old woman, for he thought, She should thank me once at least. And as he looked, she grew fairer than all women, and taller than all men on earth, and her garments shone like the summer sea, and her jewels like the stars of heaven, and over her forehead was a veil woven of the golden clouds of sunset, and through the veil she looked down on him with great, soft heifer's eyes, with great eyes, mild and awful, which filled all the glen with light. And Jason fell upon his knees, and hid his face between his hands, and she spoke, I am the Queen of Olympus, Hera, the wife of Zeus. As thou hast done to me, so will I do to thee. Fall on me in the hour of need, and try if the immortals can forget. And when Jason looked up, she rose from off the earth like a pillar of tall white cloud, and floated away across the mountain peaks, toward Olympus, the holy hill. Then a great fear fell on Jason. But after a while he grew light of heart, and he blessed old Kyron, and said, Surely the Centaur is a prophet, and guessed what would come to pass when he bade me speak harshly to no soul whom I might meet. Then he went down toward Iolcos, and as he walked he found that he had lost one of his sandals in the flood. And as he went through the streets the people came out to look at him, so tall and fair was he. But some of the elders whispered together, and at last one of them stopped Jason and called to him. Fair lad, who are you, and whence come you, and what is your errand in the town? My name good father is Jason, and I come from Pellion up above, and my errand is to Pellios your king. Tell me, then, where his palace is. But the old man started and grew pale, and said, Do you not know the oracle, my son, that you go so boldly through the town with but one sandal on? I'm a stranger here, and know of no oracle. But what of my one sandal? I lost the other in a narros, while I was struggling with the flood. Then the old man looked back to his companions, and one sighed, and another smiled. At last he said, I will tell you, lest you rush upon your ruin unawares, the oracle in Delphi has said that a man wearing one sandal should take the kingdom from Pellios and keep it for himself. Therefore beware how you go up to his palace, for he is the fiercest and most cunning of all kings. Then Jason laughed a great laugh, like a war horse in his pride. Good news, good father, both for you and me, for that very end I came into the town. And he strode on toward the palace of Pellios, while all the people wondered at his bearing. And he stood in the doorway and cried, Come out, come out, Pellios, the valiant, and fight for your kingdom like a man. Pellios came out, wondering. And who are you, bold youth, he cried. I am Jason, the son of Isan, the heir of all this land. Then Pellios lifted up his hands and eyes, and wept, or seemed to weep, and blessed the heavens which had brought his nephew to him, never to leave him more. For, said he, I have but three daughters and no son to be my heir. You shall be my heir, then, and rule the kingdom after me, and marry whichsoever of my daughters you shall choose, though a sad kingdom you will find it, and whosoever rules it a miserable man. But come in, come in and feast. So he drew Jason in, whether he would or not, and spoke to him so lovingly, and feasted him so well, that Jason's anger passed. And after supper his three cousins came into the hall, and Jason thought that he should like well enough to have one of them for his wife. But at last he said to Pellios, Why do you look so sad, my uncle? And what did you mean just now when you said that this was a doleful kingdom, and its ruler a miserable man? And Pellios sighed heavily again and again and again, like a man who had to tell some dreadful story, and was afraid to begin. But at last, for seven long years and more have I never known a quiet night, and no more will he who comes after me till the golden fleece be brought home. Then he told Jason the story of Frexus and of the golden fleece, and told him, too, which was a lie, that Frexus's spirit tormented him, calling to him day and night. And his daughters came and told the same tale, for their father had taught them their parts, and wept, and said, Oh, who will bring home the golden fleece that our uncle's spirit may rest, and that we may have rest also whom he never lets sleep in peace? Jason sat a while, sad and silent. For he had often heard of that golden fleece. But he looked on it as a thing, hopeless and impossible for any mortal man to win it. But when Pellios saw him silent he began to talk of other things, and courted Jason more and more, speaking to him as if he was certain to be his heir, and asking his advice about the kingdom, until Jason, who was young and simple, could not help saying to himself, Surely he is not the dark man whom people call him. Yet why did he drive my father out? And he asked Pellios boldly, Men say that you are terrible and a man of blood, but I find you a kind and hospitable man, and as you are to me so will I be to you. Why did you drive my father out? Pellios smiled and sighed, Men have slanted me in that as in all things. Your father was growing old and weary, and he gave the kingdom up to me of his own will. You shall see him to-morrow and ask him, and he will tell you the same. Jason's heart leapt in him when he heard that he was to see his father, and he believed all that Pellios said, forgetting that his father might not dare to tell the truth. One thing more there is, said Pellios, on which I need your advice, for though you are young, I see in you a wisdom beyond your years. There is one neighbor of mine whom I dread more than all men on earth. I am stronger than he now, and can command him. But I know that if he stay among us he will work my ruin in the end. Can you give me a plan, Jason, by which I can rid myself of that man? After a while, Jason answered, half- laughing, Were I you, I would send him to fetch that same golden fleece, for if he once set forth after it you would never be troubled with him more. That, a bitter smile came across Pellios' lips, and a flash of wicked joy into his eyes, and Jason saw it and started, and over his mind came the warning of the old man, and his own, one sandal, and the oracle, and he saw that he was taken in a trap. But Pellios only answered gently, My son, he shall be sent forthwith. You mean me, cried Jason, starting up, because I came here with one sandal? And he lifted his fist angrily, while Pellios stood up to him like a wolf at bay, and whether or the two was the stronger and the fiercer it would be hard to tell. But after a moment Pellios spoke gently. Why then so rash, my son? You and not I have said what is said. Why blame me for what I have not done? Had you bid me love the man of whom I spoke, and make him my son-in-law and heir, I would have obeyed you. And what if I obey you now, and send the man to win himself immortal fame? I have not harmed you, or him. One thing at least I know, that he will go and that gladly, for he has a hero's heart within him, loving Glory and scorning to break the word which he has given. Jason saw that he was entrapped. But his second promise to Kyren came into his mind, and he thought, What if the Centaur were a prophet in that also, and meant that I should win the fleece? Then he cried aloud, You have well spoken, cunning uncle of mine. I love Glory, and I dare keep to my word. I will go and fetch this golden fleece. Promise me but this in return, and keep your word as I keep mine. Treat my father lovingly while I am gone, for the sake of the all-seeing Zeus, and give me up the kingdom for my own on the day that I bring back the golden fleece. Then Pellius looked at him, and almost loved him in the midst of all his hate, and said, I promise, and I will perform. It will be no shame to give up my kingdom to the man who wins that fleece. Then they swore a great oath between them, and afterwards both went in, and lay down to sleep. But Jason could not sleep, for thinking of his mighty oath, and how he was to fulfill it all alone, and without wealth or friends. So he tossed a long time upon his bed, and thought of this plan, and of that, and sometimes Frixus seemed to call him in a thin voice, faint and low, as if it came from far across the sea. Let me come home to my fathers, and have rest. And sometimes he seemed to see the eyes of Hera, and to hear her words again, call on me in the hour of need, and see if the immortals can forget. And on the morrow he went to Pellius, and said, Give me a victim that I may sacrifice to Hera. So he went up, and offered his sacrifice, and as he stood by the altar Hera sent a thought into his mind. And he went back to Pellius, and said, If you are indeed an earnest, give me two heralds, that they may go round to all the princes of the Minoui, who were pupils of the centaur with me, that we may fit out a ship together, and take what shall befall. At that Pellius praised his wisdom, and hastened to send the heralds out, for he said in his heart, Let all the princes go with him, and like him never return, for so I shall be lord of all the Minoui, and the greatest king in Hellas. Part three of the Argonauts, how they built the ship Argo in Yolcos. So the heralds went out, and cried to all the heroes of the Minoui, Who dare come to the adventure of the Golden Fleece! And Hera stirred the hearts of all the princes, and they came from all their valleys to the yellow sands of Pagasi. At first came Heracles the mighty, with his lion's skin and club, And behind him Hylis his young squire, who bore his arrows and his bow, And Typhus the skillful steersman, and Beauties the fairest of all men, And Caster and Pallidusis the twins, the sons of the magic swan, And Cainius the strongest of mortals, whom the centaurs tried in vain To kill, and overwhelmed him with trunks of pine trees, But even so he would not die. And Thither came Zetis and Callae, the winged sons of the North Wind, And Pallius the father of Achilles, whose bride was silver-footed Thetis, The goddess of the sea. And Thither came Telemann and Eulius, the fathers of the two Aeontes, Who fought upon the plains of Troy, And Mopsis the wise soothsayer, Who knew the speech of birds, And Idman, to whom Phoebus gave a tongue And to prophesy of things to come, And Anchaos, who could read the stars And knew all the circles of the heavens, And Argus, the famed shipbuilder, And many a hero more in helmets of brass and gold, With tall dyed horsehair crests, And embroidered shirts of linen beneath their coats of mail, And greaves of polished tin to guard their knees in fight. With each man his shield upon his shoulder, Of many a fold of tough bulls hide, And his sword of tempered bronze in his silver-studded belt, And in his right hand a pair of lances Of the heavy white ash-staves. So they came down to Yolcos, And all the city came out to meet them, And were never tired with looking at their height, And their beauty, And their gallant bearing, And the glitter of their inlaid arms. And some said, Never was such a gathering of the heroes Since the Helians conquered the land, But the women sighed over them and whispered, Alas, they are all going to their death. Then they fell the pines on Pellion, And shaped them with the ax, And Argus taught them to build a galley, The first long ship which ever sailed the seas. They pierced her for fifty oars, And oar for each hero of the crew, And pitched her with coal-black pitch, And painted her boughs with vermilion. And they named her Argo after Argus, And worked at her all day long. And at night Pellius feasted them like a king, And they slept in his palace porch. But Jason went away to the Northward and into the land of Thrace, Till he found Orpheus, the Prince of Minstrels, Where he dwelt in his cave under Rhodope, Among the savage Psycon tribes. And he asked him, Will you leave your mountains, Orpheus, My fellow scholar in old times, And cross Strymon once more with me, To sail with the heroes of the Minuei, And bring home the golden fleece, And charm for us all men and all monsters With your magic harp and song? Then Orpheus sighed, Have I not had enough of toil and weary wandering Far and wide since I lived in Kyren's cave Above Iocos by the sea? In vain is the skill and the voice Which my goddess mother gave me. In vain have I sung and labored. In vain I went down to the dead And charmed all the kings of Hades, To win back Eurydice, my bride. For I won her, my beloved, And lost her again the same day, And wandered away in my madness, Even to Egypt and the Libyan sands, In the aisles of all the seas Driven on by the terrible gadfly, While I charmed in vain the hearts of men, And the savage forest beasts, And the trees and the lifeless stones With my magic harp and song, Giving rest but finding none. But at last Calliope, my mother, Delivered me and brought me home in peace, And I dwell here in the cave alone Among the savage Psycon tribes, Offening their wild hearts with music And the gentle laws of Zeus. And now I must go out again To the ends of all the earth, Far away into the misty darkness To the last wave of the eastern sea. But what is doomed must be, And a friend's demand obeyed, For prayers are the daughters of Zeus, And who honors them, honors him. Then Orpheus rose up sighing, And took his harp, and went over Strymon. And he led Jason to the south-west, Up the banks of Haleakban, And over the spurs of Pindus, To Dodona, the town of Zeus, Where it stood by the side of the sacred lake, And the fountain which breathed out fire In the darkness of the ancient oak wood Beneath the mountain of the hundred springs. And he led him to the holy oak, Where the black dove settled in old times, And was changed into the priestess of Zeus, And gave oracles to all nations round. And he bade him cut down a bow, And sacrificed a Hera and to Zeus, And they took the bow, and came to Yolkos, And nailed it to the beakhead of the ship. And at last the ship was finished, And they tried to launch her down the beach, But she was too heavy for them to move her, And her keel sank deep into the sand. Then all the heroes looked at each other, blushing. But Jason spoke, and said, Let us ask the magic bow, Perhaps it can help us in our need. Then a voice came from the bow, And Jason heard the words it said, And bad Orpheus play upon the harp, While the heroes waited round, Holding the pine-trunk rollers, To help her toward the sea. Then Orpheus took his harp, And began his magic song. How sweet it is to ride upon the surges, And to leap from wave to wave, While the wind sings cheerful in the cordage, And the oars flash fast among the foam. How sweet it is to roam across the ocean, And see new towns and wondrous lands, And to come home laden with treasure, And to win on dying fame. And the good ship Argo heard him, And longed to be away and out at sea, Till she stirred in every timber, And heaved from stem to stern, And leapt up from the sand upon the rollers, And plunged onward like a gallant horse, And the heroes fed her path with pine-trunks Till she rushed into the whiskering sea. Then they stored her well with food and water, And pulled the ladder up on board, And settled themselves each man to his oar, And kept time to Orpheus harp. And away across the bay they rode southward, While the people lined the cliffs and the women wept, While the men shouted at the starting of that gallant crew. End of Part 3 of the Argonauts. Part 4 of the Argonauts from the Heroes. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for My Children, by Charles Kingsley. Part 4 of the Argonauts. How the Argonauts Sailed to Kokus. And what happened next, my children, Whether it be true or not, Stands written in ancient songs, Which you shall read for yourselves some day. And grand old songs they are, Written in grand old rolling verse, And they call them the Songs of Orpheus, Or the Orphics to this day. And they tell how the Heroes came to Afatai across the bay, And waited for the southwest wind, And chose themselves a captain from their crew. And how all called for Heracles, Because he was the strongest and the most huge. But Heracles refused, And called for Jason, Because he was the wisest of them all. So Jason was chosen captain, And Orpheus heaped a pile of wood And slew a bull And offered it to Hera, And called all the Heroes to stand round, Each man's head crowned with olive, And to strike their swords into the bull. Then he filled a golden goblet With the bull's blood, And with wheat and flour, And honey and wine, And the bittersalt sea water, And bad the Heroes' taste. So each tasted the goblet, And passed it round, And vowed an awful vow, And they vowed before the sun, And the night, And the blue-haired sea, Who shakes the land, To stand by Jason faithfully In the adventure of the Golden Fleece, And whosoever shrank back, Or disobeyed, Or turned traitor to his vow, Then justice should minister against him, And the Erinduese who tracked guilty men. Then Jason lighted the pile, And burnt the carcass of the bull, And they went to their ship, And sailed eastward, Like men who have a work to do, And the place from which they went Was called Aphatai, The selling place, From that day forth. Three thousand years and more they sailed away Into the unknown eastern seas, And great nations have come and gone since then, And many a storm has swept the earth, And many a mighty armament, To which Argo would be but one small boat. English and French, Turkish and Russian, Have sailed those waters since, Yet the fame of that small Argo lives forever, And her name has become a proverb among men. So they sailed past the Isle of Siathos, With a cape of sepias on their left, And turned to the northward toward Pellion, Up the long magnesium shore. On their right hand was the open sea, And on their left old Pellion rose, While the clouds crawled round his dark pine forests, And his caps of summer snow. And their hearts yearned for the dear old mountain, As they thought of pleasant days gone by, And of the sports of their boyhood and their hunting, And their schooling in the cave beneath the cliff. And at last Pellion spoke. Let us land here, friends, And climb the dear old hill once more. We are going on a fearful journey. Who knows if we shall see Pellion again? Let us go up to Kyron our master, And ask his blessing ere we start. And I have a boy too with him, Whom he trains as he trained me once. The son whom Thetis brought me, The silver-footed lady of the sea, Whom I caught in the cave, And tamed her, Though she changed her shape seven times. For she changed as I held her into water, And to vapor, And to burning flame, And to a rock, And to a black-maned lion, And to a tall and stately tree. But I held her and held her ever, Till she took her own shape again, And led her to my father's house, And won her for my bride. And all the rulers of Olympus came to our wedding, And the heavens and the earth rejoiced together, When an immortal wedded mortal man. And now let me see my son, For it is not often I shall see him upon earth. Famous he will be, but short lived, And die in the flower of youth. So Typhus the helmsman Steered them to the shore under the crags of Pellion, And they went up through the dark pine forests Toward the centaur's cave. And they came into the misty hall Beneath the snow-crowned crag, And saw the great centaur lying With his huge limbs spread upon the rock, And beside him stood Achilles, The child whom no steel could wound, And played upon his harp right sweetly, While Kyren watched and smiled. Then Kyren leapt up and welcomed them, And kissed them every one, And set a feast before them Of swine's flesh and venison and good wine, And young Achilles served them, And carried the gold and goblet round. And after supper all the heroes Claped their hands, And called on Orpheus to sing, But he refused, and said, How can I, who am the younger, Sing before our ancient host? So they called on Kyren to sing, And Achilles brought him his harp. And he began a wondrous song, A famous story of old time, Of the fight between the centaur's and the lapithae, Which you may still see Carved in stone. He sang how his brothers Came to ruin by their folly When they were mad with wine, And how they and the heroes fought With fists and teeth and the goblets From which they drank, And how they tore up the pine trees in their fury, And hurled great crags of stone, While the mountains thundered with the battle, And the land was wasted far and wide, Till the lapithae drove them from their home In the rich the salient plains To the lonely glens of Pindus, Leaving Kyren all alone. And the heroes praised his song right heartily, For some of them had helped in that great fight. Then Orpheus took the lyre, And sang of cows, And the making of the wondrous world, And how all things sprang from love, Who could not live alone in the abyss. And as he sang, his voice rose From the cave above the crags, And threw the treetops, And the glens of oak and pine, And the trees bowed their heads When they heard it, And the gray rocks cracked and rang, And the forest beasts, Crept near to listen, And the birds forsook their nests, And hovered round. And old Kyren clapped his hands together, And beat his hoofs upon the ground For wonder at that magic song. Then Peleus kissed his boy, And wept over him, And they went down to the ship. And Kyren came down with them, Weeping, and kissed them one by one, And blessed them, And promised to them great renown. And the heroes wept, And the heroes wept when they left him, Till their great hearts could weep no more, For he was kind and just and pious, And wiser than all beasts and men. Then he went up to a cliff, And prayed for them that they might Come home safe and well, While the heroes rode away, And watched him standing on his cliff above the sea, With his great hands raised toward heaven, And his white locks waving in the wind, And they strained their eyes to watch him to the last, For they felt that they should look on him no more. So they rode on over the long swell of the sea, Passed Olympus the seat of the immortals, And passed the wooded bays of Athos, And Samothrace the sacred isle, And they came past Lemnos to the helispont, And threw the narrow strait of Abidos, And so on into the propontus, Which we call Marmara now. And there they met with Cisacus, Ruling in Asia over the Doleons, Who the song say, Was the son of Aeneas, Of whom you will hear many a tale some day. For Homer tells us how he fought at Troy, And Virgil, how he sailed away and founded Rome, And men believed until late years That from him sprang our old British kings. Now, Cisacus the song say, Welcome the heroes, For his father had been one of Kyron scholars, So he welcomed them, and feasted them, And stored their ship with corn and wine, And cloaks and rugs the song say, And shirts of which no doubt they stood in need. But at night, while they lay sleeping, Came down on them terrible men, Who lived with the bears in the mountains, Like titans or giants in shape, For each of them had six arms, And they fought with young furs and pines. But Heracles killed them all before Morn With his deadly poisoned arrows. But among them, in the darkness, He slew Cisacus the kindly prince. Then they got to their ship and to their oars, And Typhus bad them cast off the hausers and go to sea. But as he spoke, a whirlwind came and spun the argo round, And twisted the hausers together so that no man could loose them. Then Typhus dropped the rudder from his hand and cried, This comes from the gods above! But Jason went forward and asked counsel of the magic bow. Then the magic bow spoke and answered, This is because you have slain Cisacus, your friend. You must appease his soul, or you will never leave this shore. Jason went back, sadly, and told the heroes what he had heard. And they leapt on shore and searched till dawn. In a dawn they found the body, all rolled in dust and blood Among the corpses of those monstrous beasts. And they wept over their kind host and laid him on a fair bed, And heaped a huge mound over him and offered black sheep at his tomb. And Orpheus sang a magic song to him that his spirit might have rest. And then they held games at the tomb, after the custom of those times, And Jason gave prizes to each winner. To Ancius he gave a golden cup, for he wrestled best of all. And to Heracles a silver one, for he was the strongest of all. And to Caster, who rode best, a golden crest. And Polly Ducey, as the boxer, had a rich carpet. And to Orpheus, for his song, a sandal with golden wings. But Jason himself was the best of all the archers, And the Minotai crowned him with an olive crown. And so the song say, the soul of good Cisacus was appeased, And the heroes went on their way in peace. But when Cisacus' wife heard that he was dead, She died likewise of grief, And her tears became a fountain of clear water, Which flows the whole year round. Then they rode away, the song say, along the Mycian shore, And passed the mouth of Rindicus, Till they found a pleasant bay sheltered by the long ridges of Arganthus, And by high walls of basalt rock. And there they ran the ship ashore upon the yellow sand, And furled the sail, and took the mast down, And lashed it in its crutch. And next they let down the ladder, And went ashore to sport and rest. And there Heracles went away into the woods, Bow in hand to hunt wild deer. And Hylas, the fair boy, slipped away after him, And followed him by stealth until he lost himself among the glens, And sat down weary to rest himself by the side of a lake. And there the water-nymphs came up to look at him, And loved him, and carried him down under the lake To be their play-fellow for ever happy and young. And Heracles sought for him in vain, Shouting his name till all the mountains rang. But Hylas never heard him far down under the sparkling lake. So while Heracles wandered searching for him, A fair breeze sprang up, and Heracles was nowhere to be found, And the Argos held away, and Heracles was left behind, And never saw the noble Phasian stream. Then the Minueye came to a doleful land, Where Amicus the Giant ruled, And cared nothing for the laws of Zeus, But challenged all strangers to box with him, And those whom he conquered he slew. But Polyduces the Boxer struck him a harder blow Than he ever felt before, and slew him. And the Minueye went on up the Bosporus Till they came to the city of Phineas, The fierce Bithynian king, For Zittis and Calais paid Jason land there, Because they had a work to do. And they went up from the shore toward the city Through forests white with snow, And Phineas came out to meet them With a lean and woeful face, and said, Welcome, gallant heroes, to the land of bitter blasts, The land of cold and misery, Yet I will feast you as best I can. And he led them in, and set meat before them. But before they could put their hands to their mouths, Down came two fearful monsters, The like of whom man never saw, For they had the faces and the hair of fair maidens, Put the wings and claws of hawks, And they snatched the meat from off the table, And flew shrieking out above the roofs. Then Phineas beat his breast and cried, These are the harpies whose names are the whirlwind and the swift, The daughters of wonder and of the amber nymph, And they rob us night and day. They carried off the daughters of Pandarius, Whom all the gods had blessed, For Aphrodite fed them on Olympus With honey and milk and wine, And Hera gave them beauty and wisdom, And Athenae, skill in all the arts. But when they came to their wedding, The harpies snatched them both away And gave them to be slaves to the Erinuys, And live in horror all their days. And now they haunt me and my people in the Bosporus With fearful storms, And sweep away our food from off our tables, So that we starve in spite of all our wealth. Then up rose Zitties and Kalaes, The winged sons of the north wind, And said, Do you not know us, Phineas, And these wings which grow upon our backs? And Phineas hid his face in terror, But he answered, Not a word. Because you have been a traitor, Phineas, The harpies haunt you night and day. Where is Cleopatra, our sister, Your wife, whom you keep in prison? And where are her two children, Whom you blinded in your rage at the bidding of an evil woman, And cast them out upon the rocks? Swear to us that you will write our sister And cast out that wicked woman, And then we will free you from your plague And drive the whirlwind maidens to the south. But if not, we will put out your eyes As you put out the eyes of your own sons. Then Phineas swore an oath to them And drove out the wicked woman, And Jason took those two poor children And cured their eyes with magic herbs. But Zetes and Calais rose up sadly and said, Farewell now, heroes all, Farewell, our dear companions, With whom we played on Pellion in old times, For a fate is laid upon us, And our day is come at last, In which we must hunt the whirlwinds Over land and sea forever. And if we catch them, they die, And if not, we die ourselves. At that all the heroes wept, But the two young men sprang up And aloft into the air after the harpies And the battle of the winds began. The heroes trembled in silence As they heard the shrieking of the blasts While the palace rocked and all the city And great stones were torn from the crags And the forest pines were hurled earthward North and south and east and west And the bosporus boiled white with foam And the clouds were dashed against the cliffs. But at last the battle ended, And the harpies fled screaming toward the south And the suns of the north wind rushed after them And brought clear sunshine where they passed. For many a league they followed them Over all the aisles of the Cyclades And away to the southwest across Helus Till they came to the Ionian Sea And there they fell upon the Akinides At the mouth of the Acollois And those aisles were called the whirlwind aisles For many a hundred years. But what became of Zetes and Colias I know not For the heroes never saw them again And some say that Heracles met them And quarreled with them and slew them with his arrows And some say that they fell down From weariness and the heat of the summer sun And that the sun god buried them Among the Cyclades in the Pleasant Isle of Tenos And for many a hundred years their grave was shown there And over it a pillar which turned to every wind But those dark storms and whirlwinds Haunt the Bosporus until this day But the Argonauts went eastward And out into the open sea Which we now call the Black Sea But it was called the Elxin then No Helen had ever crossed it And all feared that dreadful sea And its rocks and shoals and fogs And bitter freezing storms And they told strange stories of it Some false and some half true How it stretched northward to the ends of the earth And the sluggish putrid sea And the everlasting night and the regions of the dead So the heroes trembled for all their courage As they came into that wild Black Sea And saw it stretching out before them Without a shore as far as I could see And first Orpheus spoke and warned them We shall come now to the wandering blue rocks My mother warned me of them Calliope, the immortal muse And soon they saw the blue rocks shining Like spires and castles of gray glass While an ice-cold wind blew from them And chilled all the heroes' hearts And as they neared they could see them heaving As they rolled upon the long sea waves Crashing and grinding together Till the roar went up to heaven The seas sprang up in spouts between them And swept round them in white sheets of foam But their heads swung nodding high in air While the wind whistled shrill among the crags The heroes' hearts sank within them And they lay upon their oars in fear But Orpheus called to typhus the helmsman Between them we must pass So look ahead for an opening and be brave For Hera is with us But typhus the cunning helmsman Stood silent, clenching his teeth, till he saw a heron Come flying mass-tie toward the rocks And hover a while before them As if looking for a passage through Then he cried, Hera has sent us a pilot Let us follow the cunning bird Then the heron flapped to and fro a moment Till he saw a hidden gap And into it he rushed like an arrow While the heroes watched what would befall And the blue rocks clashed together As the bird fled swiftly through But they struck but a feather from his tail And then rebounded apart at the shock Then typhus cheered the heroes And they shouted, and the oars bent like wights Beneath their strokes as they rushed Between those toppling ice crags And the cold blue lips of death And ere the rocks could meet again They had passed them and were safe Out in the open sea And after that they sailed on Wearily along the asian coast By the black cape and thinneas Where the hot stream of thimbris falls into the sea And sangarius whose waters float on the oxen Till they came to wolf the river And to wolf the kindly king And there died two brave heroes Idman and typhus the wise helmsman One died of an evil sickness And won a wild boar slew So the heroes heaped a mound above them And set upon it an oar on high And left them there to sleep together On the far off Lycean shore But I just killed the boar and avenged typhus And Ankayos took the rudder and was helmsman And steered them on toward the east And they went on past Sinope And many a mighty river's mouth And passed many a barbarous tribe In the cities of the amazons The war-like women of the east Till all night they heard the clank of anvils And the roar of furnace blasts And the forge fires shone like sparks Through the darkness in the mountain glens aloft For they were come to the shores of the chalobies The smiths who never tire But serve Aries the cruel War-god forging weapons day and night And at day dawn they looked eastward And midway between the sea and the sky They saw white snow peaks hanging Glittering sharp and bright above the clouds And they knew that they were come to Caucasus At the end of all the earth Caucasus, the highest of all mountains The father of the rivers of the east On his peak Lyce chained the titan While a vulture tears his heart And at his feet are piled dark forests Round the magic Kokian land And they rode three days to the eastward While Caucasus rose higher hour by hour Till they saw the dark stream of faces Rushing headlong to the sea And shining above the treetops The golden roofs of King Aedes The child of the sun Then outspoke on Kyos the helmsman We are come to our goal at last For there are the roofs of Aedes And the woods where all poisons grow But who can tell us where among them Is hid the golden fleece Many a toil must we bear ere we find it and bring it home to Greece But Jason cheered the heroes For his heart was high and bold and he said I will go alone up to Aedes Though he be the child of the sun And win him with soft words Better so than to go all together And to come to blows at once But the Minouai would not stay behind So they rode boldly up the stream And a dream came to Aedes And filled his heart with fear He thought he saw a shining star Which fell into his daughter's lap And that Medea his daughter took it gladly And carried it to the riverside and cast it in And there the whirling river bore it down And out into the Eoxene Sea Then he leapt up in fear And bade his servants bring his chariot That he might go down to the riverside And appease the nymphs and the heroes Whose spirits haunt the bank So he went down in his golden chariot And his daughters by his side Medea the fair witch maiden And Chalciopy who had been fixless wife And behind him a crowd of servants and soldiers For he was a rich and mighty prince And as he drove down by the Reedy River He saw Argos sliding up beneath the bank And many a hero in her Like immortals for beauty and for strength As their weapons glittered round them In the level morning sunlight Through the white mist of the stream But Jason was the noblest of all For Hera who loved him gave him beauty And tallness and terrible manhood And when they came near together And looked into each other's eyes The heroes were odd before 80s As he shone in his chariot Like his father the glorious son For his robes were a rich gold tissue And the rays of his diadem flashed fire And in his hand he bore a jeweled scepter Which glittered like the stars And sternly he looked at them under his brows And sternly he spoke and loud Who are you and what want you here That you come to the shore of Kutaya? Do you take no account of my rules Nor of my people the Kolkians who serve me Who never tired yet in the battle And know well how to face an invader? And the heroes sat silent a while Before the face of that ancient king But Hera the awful goddess put courage Into Jason's heart and he rose And shouted loudly an answer We are no pirates nor lawless men We come not to plunder and to ravage Or carry away slaves from your land But my uncle the son of Poseidon Peleus the Minoan king He it is who has set me on a quest To bring home the golden fleece And these two my bold comrades They are no nameless men For some are the sons of immortals And some of heroes far renowned And we too never tire in battle And know well how to give blows and to take Yet we wish to be guests at your table It will be better so for both Then Aiti's race rushed up like a whirlwind And his eyes flashed fire as he heard But he crushed his anger down in his breast And smoked mildly a cunning speech If you will fight for the fleece with my Kokians Then many a man must die But do you indeed expect to win from me The fleece and fight? So few are you that if you be worsted I can load your ship with corpses But if you will be ruled by me You will find it better far to choose The best man among you And let him fulfill the labors which I demand Then I will give him the golden fleece For a prize and a glory to you all So saying he turned his horses And drove back in silence to the town And the Minowai sat silent with sorrow And longed for Heracles and his strength For there was no facing the thousands of the Kokians And the fearful chants of war But Chalciopy, Frixus Widow, went weeping to the town For she remembered him a new in husband And all the pleasures of her youth While she watched the fair faces of his kinsmen And their long locks of gold and hair And she whispered to Medea, her sister Why should all these brave men die? Why does not my father give them up the fleece That my husband's spirit may have rest? And Medea's heart pitted the heroes And Jason, most of all, and she answered Our father is stern and terrible And who can win the golden fleece? But Chalciopy said These men are not like our men There is nothing which they cannot dare nor do And Medea thought of Jason and his brave countenance And said If there was one among them who knew no fear I could show him how to win the fleece So in the dusk of evening They went down to the riverside Chalciopy and Medea the witch maiden And Argus, Frixus' son And Argus the boy crept forward Among the beds of reeds till he came Where the heroes were sleeping On the thwarts of the ship beneath the bank While Jason kept Ward on shore And lent upon his lands full of thought And the boy came to Jason and said I am the son of Frixus your cousin And Chalciopy my mother waits for you To talk about the golden fleece Then Jason went boldly with the boy And found the two princesses standing And when Chalciopy saw him She wept and took his hands and cried Oh cousin of my beloved Go home before you die It would be base to go home now, fair princess And to have sailed all these seas in vain Then both the princesses besought him But Jason said It is too late But you know not, said Medea, what he must do Who would win the fleece He must tame two brazen footed bulls Who breathed devouring flame And with them he must plow air nightfall Four acres in the field of Aries And he must sew them with serpent's teeth Of which each tooth springs up into an armed man Then he must fight with all those warriors And little will it profit him to conquer them For the fleece is guarded by a serpent More huge than any mountain pine And over his body you must step If you would reach the golden fleece Then Jason laughed bitterly Unjustly is that fleece kept here And by an unjust and lawless king And unjustly shall I die in my youth For I will attempt it ere another son be set Then Medea trembled and said No mortal man can reach that fleece Unless I guide him through For round it beyond the river Is a wall full nine L's high With lofty towers and buttresses And mighty gates of threefold brass And over the gates the wall is arched With golden battlements above And over the gateway sits Bremo The wild witch-huntress of the woods Brandishing a pine torch in her hands While her mad hounds howl around No man dare meet her or look on her But only I her priestess And she watches far and wide Lest any stranger should come near No wall so high but it may be climbed at last And no wood so thick but it may be crawled through No serpent so wary but he may be charmed Or which queen so fierce but spells may soothe her And I may yet win the golden fleece If a wise maiden help bold men And he looked at Medea cunningly And held her with his glittering eye Till she blushed and trembled and said Who can face the fire of the bull's breath And fight ten thousand armed men? He whom you help, said Jason, flattering her, For your fame is spread over all the earth Are you not the queen of all enchantresses? Wiser even than your sister Circe In her fairy island in the west? Wood that I wore with my sister Circe In her fairy island in the west Far away from sore temptation And thoughts which tear the heart But if it must be so, for why should you die? I have an ointment here. I made it from the magic ice flower Which sprang from Prometheus wound Above the clouds on Caucasus In the dreary fields of snow Annoint yourself with that And you shall have in you seven men's strength And anoint your shield with it And neither fire nor sword can harm you But what you begin You must end before sunset For its virtue lasts only one day And anoint your helmet with it Before you sew the serpent's teeth And when the suns of earth spring up Cast your helmet among their ranks And the deadly crop of the war god's field Will mow itself and perish Then Jason fell on his knees before her And thanked her and kissed her hands And she gave him the vase of ointment And fled trembling through the reeds And Jason told his comrades what had happened And showed them the box of ointment And all rejoiced but Idus And he grew mad with envy And at sunrise Jason went and bathed And anointed himself from head to foot And his shield and his helmet and his weapons And bade his comrades try the spell So they tried to bend his lance But it stood like an iron bar And Idus in spite hewed at it with his sword But the blade flew to splinters in his face Then they hurled their lances at his shield But the spear points turned like lead And Cayeneus tried to throw him But he never stirred afoot And Polly Ducey struck him with his fist A blow which would have killed an ox But Jason only smiled And the heroes danced about him with the light And he leapt and ran And shouted in the joy of that enormous strength Till the sun rose and it was time to go And to claim Aedes' promise So he sent up Telemann and Ithallides To tell Aedes that he was ready for the fight And they went up among the marble walls And beneath the roofs of gold And stood in Aedes' hall While he grew pale with rage Fulfill your promise to us, child of the blazing sun Give us the serpent's teeth and let loose the fiery bulls For we have found a champion among us Who can win the golden fleece And Aedes bit his lips For he fancied that they had fled away by night But he could not go back from his promise So he gave them the serpent's teeth Then he called for his chariot and his horses And sent heralds through all the town And all the people went out with him To the dreadful war god's field And there Aedes sat upon his throne With his warriors on each hand Thousands and tens of thousands Clothed from head to foot in steel chain mail And the people and the women crowded to every window And bank and wall while the minuae stood together A mere handful in the midst of that great host And Chalciope was there And Argus trembling And Medea wrapped closely in her veil But Aedes did not know That she was muttering cunning spells between her lips Then Jason cried Fulfill your promise And let your fiery bulls come forth Then Aedes' bad opened the gates And the magic bulls leapt out Their brazen hoofs rang upon the ground And their nostrils sent out sheets of flame As they rushed with lowered heads upon Jason But he never flinched a step The flame of their breath swept round him But it singed not a hair of his head And the bull stopped short and trembled When Medea began her spell Then Jason sprang upon the nearest And seized him by the horn And up and down they wrestled Till the bull fell groveling on his knees For the heart of the brute died within him And his mighty limbs were loosed Beneath the steadfast eye of that dark witch maiden And the magic whisper of her lips So both the bulls were tamed and yoked And Jason bound them to the plow And goaded them onward with his lance Till he had plowed the sacred field And all the Minuae shouted But Aedes bit his lips with rage For the half of Jason's work was over And the sun was yet high in heaven Then he took the serpent's teeth and sewed them And waited what would befall But Medea looked at him and at his helmet Lest he should forget the lesson she had taught And every furrow heaved and bubbled And out of every clod arose a man Out of the earth they rose by thousands Each clad from head to foot in steel And drew their swords and rushed on Jason Where he stood in the midst alone Then the Minuae grew pale with fear for him But Aedes laughed a bitter laugh See, if I had not warriors enough already around me I could call them out of the bosom of the earth But Jason snatched off his helmet And hurled it into the thickest of the throng And blind madness came upon them Suspicion, hate, and fear And one cried to his fellow, Thou did strike me, and another Thou art Jason, Thou shall die So fury seized those earth-borne phantoms And each turned his hand against the rest And they fought and were never weary Till they all lay dead upon the ground Then the magic furrows opened And the kind earth took them home into her breast And the grass grew up all green again above them And Jason's work was done Then the Minuae rose and shouted Till Prometheus heard them from his crag And Jason cried, Lead me to the fleece this moment Before the sun goes down But Aedes thought, He has conquered the bulls And sown and reaped the deadly crop Who is this who is proof against all magic? He may kill the serpent yet So he delayed And sat taking counsel with his princes Till the sun went down and all was dark Then he bade a herald cry Every man to his home for tonight Tomorrow we will meet these heroes And speak about the golden fleece Then he turned and looked at Medea This is your doing, false witch-maid You have helped these yellow-haired strangers And brought shame upon your father and yourself Medea shrank and trembled And her face grew pale with fear And Aedes knew that she was guilty and whispered If they win the fleece, you die But the Minuae marched toward their ship Growling like lions cheated of their prey For they saw that Aedes meant to mock them And to cheat them out of all their toil And Eulia said, Let us go to the grove together And take the fleece by force And Aedes the rash cried, Let us draw lots Who shall go in first For while the dragon is devouring one The rest can slay him And carry off the fleece in peace But Jason held them back Though he praised them For he was the one who was the one Though he praised them For he hoped for Medea's help And after a while Medea came trembling And wept a long while before she spoke And at last My end is come And I must die For my father has found out that I have helped you You he would kill if he dared But he will not harm you Because you have been his guests Go then, go And remember poor Medea Far away across the sea But all the heroes cried If you die We die with you For without you we cannot win the fleece And home we will not go Without it But fall here fighting to the last man You need not die, said Jason Flee home with us Across the sea Show us first how to win the fleece For you can do it Why else are you the priestess of the grove Show us but how to win the fleece And come with us And you shall be my queen And rule over the rich princes of the Minui In Yolkos by the sea And all the heroes pressed round And vowed to her That she should be their queen Medea wept And shuddered and hit her face in her hands For her heart yearned after her sisters And her playfellows And the home where she was brought up as a child But at last She looked up at Jason And spoke between her sobs Must I leave my home and my people To wander with strangers Across the sea The lot is cast and I must endure it I will show you How to win the golden fleece Bring up your ship to the wood side And moor her there against the bank And let Jason come up at midnight And one brave comrade with him And meet me beneath the wall Then all the heroes cried together I will go and I and I And I just the rash grew mad With envy for he longed to be Foremost in all things But Medea calmed them and said Orpheus shall go with Jason And bring his magic harp For I hear of him that he is The king of all minstrels And can charm all things on earth And Orpheus laughed for joy And clapped his hands And said, Joy and clapped his hands Because the choice had fallen on him For in those days poets And singers were as bold warriors As the best. So at midnight they went up the bank And found Medea And beside came absurdus her young Brother leading a yearling lamb Then Medea brought them To a thicket beside the war god's gate And there she bade Jason Dig a ditch and kill the lamb And leave it there And drew on it magic herbs And honey from the honeycomb Then sprang up through the earth With the red fire flashing before Her brimo the wild witch huntress While her mad hounds howled around She had one head like a horses And another like a ravining hounds And another like a hissing snakes And a sword in either hand And she leapt into the ditch With her hounds and they ate and drank Their fill while Jason And Orpheus trembled And Medea hid her eyes. And at last the witch queen vanished And fled with her hounds into the woods And the bars of the gates fell down And the brazen doors flew wide And Medea and the heroes ran forward And hurried through the poison wood Among the dark stems of the mighty beaches Guided by the gleam of the golden fleece Until they sought Hanging on one vast tree In the midst. And Jason would have sprung to seize it But Medea and Orpheus Sprung to seize it But Medea held him back And pointed shuttering to the tree foot Where the mighty serpent lay Coiled in and out among the roots With a body like a mountain pine His coils stretched Many a fathom spangled with bronze And gold And half of him they could see But no more for the rest Lay in the darkness far beyond And when he saw them coming He lifted up his head And watched them with his small bright eyes And flashed his forked tongue And roared like the fire among the woodlands Till the forest tossed And groaned. For his cries shook the trees From leaf to root And swept over the long reaches of the river And over Aedes Hall And woke the sleepers in the city Till mothers clasped their children In their fear. But Medea called gently to him And he stretched out His long spotted neck And licked her hand And looked up in her face As if to ask for food. Then she made a sign to Orpheus And he began his magic song. And as he sung The forest grew calm again And the leaves on every tree hung still And the serpent's head Sanked down And his brazen coils grew limp And his glittering eyes closed lazily Till he breathed as gently As a child While Orpheus called to pleasant slumber Who gives peace to men And beasts And waves. Then Jason leapt forward Warily and stepped across that mighty snake And tore the fleece from off the tree trunk And the fore rushed down the garden To the bank where the Argo lay. There were silence for a moment While Jason held the golden fleece On high. Then he cried, Argo swift and steady If ever you would see Peleon more. And she went As the heroes drove her Grim and silent all With muffled oars Till the pine wood bent Like willow in their hands And stout Argo groaned Beneath their strokes. On and on beneath the dewy darkness They fled swiftly down the swirling stream Underneath black walls and temples And the castles of the princes of the east Two smouths and fragrant gardens And roves of all strange fruits Past marshes where fat kindly sleeping And long beds of whispering reeds Till they heard the merry music Of the surge upon the bar As it tumbled in the moonlight All alone. Into the surge they rushed And Argo leapt the breakers like a horse For she knew the time was come To show her metal and win honour For the heroes and herself. Into the surge they rushed And Argo leapt the breakers like a horse Till the heroes stopped all panting Each man upon his oar As she slid into the still Broad sea. Then Orpheus took his harp And sang a peon Till the heroes' hearts rose high again And they rode on Stoutly and steadfastly Away Into the darkness of the west End of part four Of the Argonauts