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Tanglewood Tales-Part13_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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trudge after her, precisely as he did. Cadmus was glad of

somebody to converse with, and therefore talked very freely to



these good people. He told them all his adventures, and how he

had left King Agenor in his palace, and Phoenix at one place,



and Cilix at another, and Thasus at a third, and his dear

mother, Queen Telephassa, under a flowery sod; so that now he



was quite alone, both friendless and homeless. He mentioned,

likewise, that the oracle had bidden him be guided by a cow,



and inquired of the strangers whether they supposed that this

brindled animal could be the one.



"Why, 'tis a very wonderful affair," answered one of his new

companions. "I am pretty well acquainted with the ways of



cattle, and I never knew a cow, of her own accord, to go so far

without stopping. If my legs will let me, I'll never leave



following the beast till she lies down."

"Nor I!" said a second.



"Nor I!" cried a third. "If she goes a hundred miles farther, I

am determined to see the end of it."



The secret of it was, you must know, that the cow was an

enchanted cow, and that, without their being conscious of it,



she threw some of her enchantment over everybody that took so

much as half a dozen steps behind her. They could not possibly



help following her, though all the time they fancied themselves

doing it of their own accord. The cow was by no means very nice



in choosing her path; so that sometimes they had to scramble

over rocks, or wade through mud and mire, and all in a terribly



bedraggled condition, and tired to death, and very hungry, into

the bargain. What a weary business it was!



But still they kept trudging stoutly forward, and talking as

they went. The strangers grew very fond of Cadmus, and resolved



never to leave him, but to help him build a city wherever the

cow might lie down. In the center of it there should be a noble



palace, in which Cadmus might dwell, and be their king, with a

throne, a crown, a sceptre, a purple robe, and everything else



that a king ought to have; for in him there was the royal

blood, and the royal heart, and the head that knew how to rule.



While they were talking of these schemes, and beguiling the

tediousness of the way with laying out the plan of the new



city, one of the company happened to look at the cow.

"Joy! joy!" cried he, clapping his hands. "Brindle is going to



lie down."

They all looked; and, sure enough, the cow had stopped, and was



staring leisurely about her, as other cows do when on the point

of lying down. And slowly, slowly did she recline herself on



the soft grass, first bending her forelegs, and then crouching

her hind ones. When Cadmus and his companions came up with her,



there was the brindled cow taking her ease, chewing her cud,

and looking them quietly in the face; as if this was just the



spot she had been seeking for, and as if it were all a matter

of course.



"This, then," said Cadmus, gazing around him, "this is to be my

home."



It was a fertile and lovely plain, with great trees flinging

their sun-speckled shadows over it, and hills fencing it in



from the rough weather At no great distance, they beheld a

river gleaming in the sunshine. A home feeling stole into the



heart of poor Cadmus. He was very glad to know that here he

might awake in the morning without the necessity of putting on



his dusty sandals to travel farther and farther. The days and

the years would pass over him, and find him still in this



pleasant spot. If he could have had his brothers with him, and

his friend Thasus, and could have seen his dear mother under a



roof of his own, he might here have been happy after all their

disappointments. Some day or other, too, his sister Europa



might have come quietly to the door of his home, and smiled

round upon the familiar faces. But, indeed, since there was no



hope of regaining the friends of his boyhood, or ever seeing

his dear sister again, Cadmus resolved to make himself happy



with these new companions, who had grown so fond of him while

following the cow.



"Yes, my friends," said he to them, "this is to be our home.

Here we will build our habitations. The brindled cow, which has



led us hither, will supply us with milk. We will cultivate the

neighboring soil. and lead an innocent and happy life."



His companions joyfully assented to this plan; and, in the

first place, being very hungry and thirsty, they looked about






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