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Tanglewood Tales-Part28_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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the children, whose name was Helle, fell into the sea and was



drowned. But the other (a little boy, named Phrixus) was

brought safe ashore by the faithful ram, who, however, was so



exhausted that he immediately lay down and died. In memory of

this good deed, and as a token of his true heart, the fleece of



the poor dead ram was miraculously changed to gold, and became

one of the most beautiful objects ever seen on earth. It was



hung upon a tree in a sacred grove, where it had now been kept

I know not how many years, and was the envy of mighty kings,



who had nothing so magnificent in any of their palaces.

If I were to tell you all the adventures of the Argonauts, it



would take me till nightfall, and perhaps a great deal longer.

There was no lack of wonderful events, as you may judge from



what you have already heard. At a certain island, they were

hospitably received by King Cyzicus, its sovereign, who made a



feast for them, and treated them like brothers. But the

Argonauts saw that this good king looked downcast and very much



troubled, and they therefore inquired of him what was the

matter. King Cyzicus hereupon informed them that he and his



subjects were greatly abused and incommoded by the inhabitants

of a neighboring mountain, who made war upon them, and killed



many people, and ravaged the country. And while they were

talking about it, Cyzicus pointed to the mountain, and asked



Jason and his companions what they saw there.

"I see some very tall objects," answered Jason; "but they are



at such a distance that I cannot distinctly make out what they

are. To tell your majesty the truth, they look so very



strangely that I am inclined to think them clouds, which have

chanced to take something like human shapes."



"I see them very plainly," remarked Lynceus, whose eyes, you

know, were as far-sighted as a telescope. "They are a band of



enormous giants, all of whom have six arms apiece, and a club,

a sword, or some other weapon in each of their hands."



"You have excellent eyes," said King Cyzicus. "Yes; they are

six-armed giants, as you say, and these are the enemies whom I



and my subjects have to contend with."

The next day, when the Argonauts were about setting sail, down



came these terrible giants, stepping a hundred yards at a

stride, brandishing their six arms apiece, and looking



formidable, so far aloft in the air. Each of these monsters was

able to carry on a whole war by himself, for with one arm he



could fling immense stones, and wield a club with another, and

a sword with a third, while the fourth was poking a long spear



at the enemy, and the fifth and sixth were shooting him with a

bow and arrow. But, luckily, though the giants were so huge,



and had so many arms, they had each but one heart, and that no

bigger nor braver than the heart of an ordinary man. Besides,



if they had been like the hundred-armed Briareus, the brave

Argonauts would have given them their hands full of fight.



Jason and his friends went boldly to meet them, slew a great

many, and made the rest take to their heels, so that if the



giants had had six legs apiece instead of six arms, it would

have served them better to run away with.



Another strange adventure happened when the voyagers came to

Thrace, where they found a poor blind king, named Phineus,



deserted by his subjects, and living in a very sorrowful way,

all by himself: On Jason's inquiring whether they could do him



any service, the king answered that he was terribly tormented

by three great winged creatures, called Harpies, which had the



faces of women, and the wings, bodies, and claws of vultures.

These ugly wretches were in the habit of snatching away his



dinner, and allowed him no peace of his life. Upon hearing

this, the Argonauts spread a plentiful feast on the sea-shore,



well knowing, from what the blind king said of their

greediness, that the Harpies would snuff up the scent of the



victuals, and quickly come to steal them away. And so it turned

out; for, hardly was the table set, before the three hideous



vulture women came flapping their wings, seized the food in

their talons, and flew off as fast as they could. But the two



sons of the North Wind drew their swords, spread their pinions,

and set off through the air in pursuit of the thieves, whom



they at last overtook among some islands, after a chase of

hundreds of miles. The two winged youths blustered terribly at



the Harpies (for they had the rough temper of their father),




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