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Tanglewood Tales-Part6_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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All this was so true, and so maiden-like, and was spoken with



so sweet a dignity, that Theseus would have blushed to urge her

any longer. Nothing remained for him, therefore, but to bid



Ariadne an affectionatefarewell, and to go on board the

vessel, and set sail.



In a few moments the white foam was boiling up before their

prow, as Prince Theseus and his companions sailed out of the



harbor, with a whistling breeze behind them. Talus, the brazen

giant, on his never-ceasing sentinel's march, happened to be



approaching that part of the coast; and they saw him, by the

glimmering of the moonbeams on his polished surface, while he



was yet a great way off. As the figure moved like clockwork,

however, and could neither hasten his enormous strides nor



retard them, he arrived at the port when they were just beyond

the reach of his club. Nevertheless, straddling from headland



to headland, as his custom was, Talus attempted to strike a

blow at the vessel, and, overreaching himself, tumbled at full



length into the sea, which splashed high over his gigantic

shape, as when an iceberg turns a somerset. There he lies yet;



and whoever desires to enrich himself by means of brass had

better go thither with a diving bell, and fish up Talus.



On the homewardvoyage, the fourteen youths and damsels were in

excellent spirits, as you will easily suppose. They spent most



of their time in dancing, unless when the sidelong breeze made

the deck slope too much. In due season, they came within sight



of the coast of Attica, which was their native country. But

here, I am grieved to tell you, happened a sad misfortune.



You will remember (what Theseus unfortunately forgot) that his

father, King Aegeus, had enjoined it upon him to hoist sunshiny



sails, instead of black ones, in case he should overcome the

Minotaur, and return victorious. In the joy of their success,



however, and amidst the sports, dancing, and other merriment,

with which these young folks wore away the time, they never



once thought whether their sails were black, white, or rainbow

colored, and, indeed, left it entirely to the mariners whether



they had any sails at all. Thus the vessel returned, like a

raven, with the same sable wings that had wafted her away. But



poor King Aegeus, day after day, infirm as he was, had

clambered to the summit of a cliff that overhung the sea, and



there sat watching for Prince Theseus, homeward bound; and no

sooner did he behold the fatal blackness of the sails, than he



concluded that his dear son, whom he loved so much, and felt so

proud of, had been eaten by the Minotaur. He could not bear the



thought of living any longer; so, first flinging his crown and

sceptre into the sea (useless baubles that they were to him



now), King Aegeus merely stooped forward, and fell headlong

over the cliff, and was drowned, poor soul, in the waves that



foamed at its base!

This was melancholy news for Prince Theseus, who, when he



stepped ashore, found himself king of all the country, whether

he would or no; and such a turn of fortune was enough to make



any young man feel very much out of spirits. However, he sent

for his dear mother to Athens, and, by taking her advice in



matters of state, became a very excellent monarch, and was

greatly beloved by his people.



THE PYGMIES.

A great while ago, when the world was full of wonders, there



lived an earth-born Giant, named Antaeus, and a million or more

of curious little earth-born people, who were called Pygmies.



This Giant and these Pygmies being children of the same mother

(that is to say, our good old Grandmother Earth), were all



brethren, and dwelt together in a very friendly and

affectionate manner, far, far off, in the middle of hot Africa.



The Pygmies were so small, and there were so many sandy deserts

and such high mountains between them and the rest of mankind,



that nobody could get a peep at them oftener than once in a

hundred years. As for the Giant, being of a very lofty stature,



it was easy enough to see him, but safest to keep out of his

sight.



Among the Pygmies, I suppose, if one of them grew to the height

of six or eight inches, he was reckoned a prodigiously tall



man. It must have been very pretty to behold their little

cities, with streets two or three feet wide, paved with the



smallest pebbles, and bordered by habitations about as big as a




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