stomachs; and they breathe such hot fire out of their mouths

and nostrils, that nobody has hitherto gone nigh them without



being instantly burned to a small, black cinder. What do you

think of this, my brave Jason?"



"I must encounter the peril," answered Jason, composedly,

"since it stands in the way of my purpose."



"After taming the fiery bulls," continued King Aetes, who was

determined to scare Jason if possible, "you must yoke them to a



plow, and must plow the sacred earth in the Grove of Mars, and

sow some of the same dragon's teeth from which Cadmus raised a



crop of armed men. They are an unruly set of reprobates, those

sons of the dragon's teeth; and unless you treat them suitably,



they will fall upon you sword in hand. You and your nine and

forty Argonauts, my bold Jason, are hardly numerous or strong



enough to fight with such a host as will spring up."

"My master Chiron," replied Jason, "taught me, long ago, the



story of Cadmus. Perhaps I can manage the quarrelsome sons of

the dragon's teeth as well as Cadmus did."



"I wish the dragon had him," muttered King Aetes to himself,

"and the four-footed pedant, his schoolmaster, into the



bargain. Why, what a foolhardy, self-conceited coxcomb he is!

We'll see what my fire-breathing bulls will do for him. Well,



Prince Jason," he continued, aloud, and as complaisantly as he

could, "make yourself comfortable for to-day, and to-morrow



morning, since you insist upon it, you shall try your skill at

the plow."



While the king talked with Jason, a beautiful young woman was

standing behind the throne. She fixed her eyes earnestly upon



the youthful stranger, and listened attentively to every word

that was spoken; and when Jason withdrew from the king's



presence, this young woman followed him out of the room.

"I am the king's daughter," she said to him, "and my name is



Medea. I know a great deal of which other young princesses are

ignorant, and can do many things which they would be afraid so



much as to dream of. If you will trust to me, I can instruct

you how to tame the fiery bulls, and sow the dragon's teeth,



and get the Golden Fleece."

"Indeed, beautiful princess," answered Jason, "if you will do



me this service, I promise to be grateful to you my whole life

long."' Gazing at Medea, he beheld a wonderful intelligence in



her face. She was one of those persons whose eyes are full of

mystery; so that, while looking into them, you seem to see a



very great way, as into a deep well, yet can never be certain

whether you see into the farthest depths, or whether there be



not something else hidden at the bottom. If Jason had been

capable of fearing anything, he would have been afraid of



making this young princess his enemy; for, beautiful as she now

looked, she might, the very next instant, become as terrible as



the dragon that kept watch over the Golden Fleece.

"Princess," he exclaimed, "you seem indeed very wise and very



powerful. But how can you help me to do the things of which you

speak? Are you an enchantress?"



"Yes, Prince Jason," answered Medea, with a smile, "you have

hit upon the truth. I am an enchantress. Circe, my father's



sister, taught me to be one, and I could tell you, if I

pleased, who was the old woman with the peacock, the



pomegranate, and the cuckoo staff, whom you carried over the

river; and, likewise, who it is that speaks through the lips of



the oaken image, that stands in the prow of your galley. I am

acquainted with some of your secrets, you perceive. It is well



for you that I am favorably inclined; for, otherwise, you would

hardly escape being snapped up by the dragon."



"I should not so much care for the dragon," replied Jason, "if

I only knew how to manage the brazen-footed and fiery-lunged



bulls."

"If you are as brave as I think you, and as you have need to



be," said Medea, "your own bold heart will teach you that there

is but one way of dealing with a mad bull. What it is I leave



you to find out in the moment of peril. As for the fiery breath

of these animals, I have a charmed ointment here, which will



prevent you from being burned up, and cure you if you chance to

be a little scorched."

• shower [´ʃauə] n.展出者；阵雨；淋浴 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• upward [´ʌpwəd] a.&ad.向上(的)；以上 (初中英语单词)


• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)


• resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)


• celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)


• victory [´viktəri] n.胜利，战胜 (初中英语单词)


• greece [gri:s] n.希腊 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)


• venture [´ventʃə] n.投机 v.冒险；敢于 (初中英语单词)


• grieve [gri:v] v.&n.(使)悲痛；哀悼 (初中英语单词)


• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• polite [pə´lait] a.有礼貌的；温和的 (初中英语单词)


• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)


• execute [´eksikju:t] vt.执行；表演；演奏 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• furnace [´fə:nis] n.熔炉；火炉 (初中英语单词)


• encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇；冲突 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• youthful [´ju:θfəl] a.年轻的；青年的 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)


• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


• onward [´ɔnwəd] ad.&a.向前(的) (高中英语单词)


• archer [´ɑ:tʃə] n.射手，弓箭手 (高中英语单词)


• heroic [hi´rəuik] a.英雄的，英勇的 (高中英语单词)


• clatter [´klætə] n.&v.喧嚷；骚动 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• forthwith [fɔ:θ´wið] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)


• heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)


• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)


• devour [di´vauə] vt.吞食；毁坏 (高中英语单词)


• throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• whoever [hu:´evə] pron.任何人，无论谁 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• peacock [´pi:kɔk] n.(雄)孔雀 vi.炫耀 (高中英语单词)


• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)


• setting [´setiŋ] n.安装；排字；布景 (英语四级单词)


• fleece [fli:s] n.羊毛；羊毛状物 (英语四级单词)


• galley [´gæli] n.单层甲板大帆船 (英语四级单词)


• brazen [´breizən] a.黄铜制的；无耻的 (英语四级单词)


• mouthful [´mauθful] n.一口；少量 (英语四级单词)


• guidance [´gaidəns] n.向导，指导，领导 (英语四级单词)


• hospitable [´hɔspitəbəl] a.好客的；招待周到的 (英语四级单词)


• meditate [´mediteit] v.考虑；策划；反省 (英语四级单词)


• solicit [sə´lisit] v.恳求，请求 (英语四级单词)


• good-natured [´gud-´neitʃəd] a.脾气好的，温厚的 (英语四级单词)


• cinder [´sində] n.炉渣；灰烬 (英语四级单词)


• schoolmaster [´sku:l,mɑ:stə] n.教练；(男)教师 (英语四级单词)


• farthest [´fɑ:ðist] ad.&a.最远(的) (英语四级单词)


• cuckoo [´kuku:] n.杜鹃，布谷鸟 (英语四级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• outskirts [´autskə:ts] n.外边；郊区 (英语六级单词)


• gloriously [´glɔ:riəsli] ad.光荣地，辉煌地 (英语六级单词)


• potentate [´pəutənteit] n.统治者；君主 (英语六级单词)


• propriety [prə´praiəti] n.正当；合适；礼貌 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• unruly [ʌn´ru:li] a.不守规则的 (英语六级单词)


• ointment [´ɔintmənt] n.软膏；药膏；油膏 (英语六级单词)