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Tanglewood Tales-Part18_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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tempestuous surges. I will either bring them back with me, or

perish."



Had his followers dared, they would have detained him by force.

But King Ulysses frowned sternly on them, and shook his spear,



and bade them stop him at their peril. Seeing him so

determined, they let him go, and sat down on the sand, as



disconsolate a set of people as could be, waiting and praying

for his return.



It happened to Ulysses, just as before, that, when he had gone

a few steps from the edge of the cliff, the purple bird came



fluttering towards him, crying, "Peep, peep, pe--weep!" and

using all the art it could to persuade him to go no farther.



"What mean you, little bird?" cried Ulysses. "You are arrayed

like a king in purple and gold, and wear a golden crown upon



your head. Is it because I too am a king, that you desire so

earnestly to speak with me? If you can talk in human language,



say what you would have me do."

"Peep!" answered the purple bird, very dolorously. "Peep, peep,



pe--we--e!"

Certainly there lay some heavy anguish at the little bird's



heart; and it was a sorrowful predicament that he could not, at

least, have the consolation of telling what it was. But Ulysses



had no time to waste in trying to get at the mystery. He

therefore quickened his pace, and had gone a good way along the



pleasant wood path, when there met him a young man of very

brisk and intelligentaspect, and clad in a rather singular



garb. He wore a short cloak and a sort of cap that seemed to be

furnished with a pair of wings; and from the lightness of his



step, you would have supposed that there might likewise be

wings on his feet. To enable him to walk still better (for he



was always on one journey or another) he carried a winged

staff, around which two serpents were wriggling and twisting.



In short, I have said enough to make you guess that it was

Quicksilver; and Ulysses (who knew him of old, and had learned



a great deal of his wisdom from him) recognized him in a

moment.



"Whither are you going in such a hurry, wise Ulysses?" asked

Quicksilver. "Do you not know that this island is enchanted?



The wicked enchantress (whose name is Circe, the sister of King

Aetes) dwells in the marble palace which you see yonder among



the trees. By her magic arts she changes every human being into

the brute, beast, or fowl whom he happens most to resemble."



"That little bird, which met me at the edge of the cliff,"

exclaimed Ulysses; "was he a human being once?"



"Yes," answered Quicksilver. "He was once a king, named Picus,

and a pretty good sort of a king, too, only rather too proud of



his purple robe, and his crown, and the golden chain about his

neck; so he was forced to take the shape of a gaudy-feathered



bird. The lions, and wolves, and tigers, who will come running

to meet you, in front of the palace, were formerlyfierce and



cruel men, resembling in their disposition the wild beasts

whose forms they now rightfully wear."



"And my poor companions," said Ulysses. "Have they undergone a

similar change, through the arts of this wicked Circe?"



"You well know what gormandizers they were," replied

Quicksilver; and rogue that he was, he could not help laughing



at the joke. "So you will not be surprised to hear that they

have all taken the shapes of swine! If Circe had never done



anything worse, I really should not think her so very much to

blame."



"But can I do nothing to help them?" inquired Ulysses.

"It will require all your wisdom," said Quicksilver, "and a



little of my own into the bargain, to keep your royal and

sagacious self from being transformed into a fox. But do as I



bid you; and the matter may end better than it has begun."

While he was speaking, Quicksilver seemed to be in search of



something; he went stooping along the ground, and soon laid his

hand on a little plant with a snow-white flower, which he



plucked and smelt of. Ulysses had been looking at that very

spot only just before; and it appeared to him that the plant



had burst into full flower the instant when Quicksilver touched

it with his fingers.



"Take this flower, King Ulysses," said he. "Guard it as you do

your eyesight; for I can assure you it is exceedingly rare and



precious, and you might seek the whole earth over without ever




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