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Tanglewood Tales-Part30_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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had come into this beautiful world, and into the peaceful



moonlight, full of rage and stormy passions, and ready to take

the life of every human brother, in recompense of the boon of



their own existence.

There have been many other armies in the world that seemed to



possess the same fierce nature with the one which had now

sprouted from the dragon's teeth; but these, in the moonlit



field, were the more excusable, because they never had women

for their mothers. And how it would have rejoiced any great



captain, who was bent on conquering the world, like Alexander

or Napoleon, to raise a crop of armed soldiers as easily as



Jason did! For a while, the warriors stood flourishing their

weapons, clashing their swords against their shields, and



boiling over with the red-hot thirst for battle. Then they

began to shout--"Show us the enemy! Lead us to the charge!



Death or victory!" "Come on, brave comrades! Conquer or die!"

and a hundred other outcries, such as men always bellow forth



on a battle field, and which these dragon people seemed to have

at their tongues' ends. At last, the front rank caught sight of



Jason, who, beholding the flash of so many weapons in the

moonlight, had thought it best to draw his sword. In a moment



all the sons of the dragon's teeth appeared to take Jason for

an enemy; and crying with one voice, "Guard the Golden Fleece!"



they ran at him with uplifted swords and protruded spears.

Jason knew that it would be impossible to withstand this



blood-thirsty battalion with his single arm, but determined,

since there was nothing better to be done, to die as valiantly



as if he himself had sprung from a dragon's tooth.

Medea, however, bade him snatch up a stone from the ground.



"Throw it among them quickly!" cried she. "It is the only way

to save yourself."



The armed men were now so nigh that Jason could discern the

fire flashing out of their enraged eyes, when he let fly the



stone, and saw it strike the helmet of a tall warrior, who was

rushing upon him with his blade aloft. The stone glanced from



this man's helmet to the shield of his nearest comrade, and

thence flew right into the angry face of another, hitting him



smartly between the eyes. Each of the three who had been struck

by the stone took it for granted that his next neighbor had



given him a blow; and instead of running any farther towards

Jason, they began to fight among themselves. The confusion



spread through the host, so that it seemed scarcely a moment

before they were all hacking, hewing, and stabbing at one



another, lopping off arms, heads, and legs and doing such

memorable deeds that Jason was filled with immense admiration;



although, at the same time, he could not help laughing to

behold these mighty men punishing each other for an offense



which he himself had committed. In an incredibly short space of

time (almost as short, indeed, as it had taken them to grow



up), all but one of the heroes of the dragon's teeth were

stretched lifeless on the field. The last survivor, the bravest



and strongest of the whole, had just force enough to wave his

crimson sword over his head and give a shout of exultation,



crying, "Victory! Victory! Immortal fame!" when he himself fell

down, and lay quietly among his slain brethren.



And there was the end of the army that had sprouted from the

dragon's teeth. That fierce and feverish fight was the only



enjoyment which they had tasted on this beautiful earth.

"Let them sleep in the bed of honor," said the Princess Medea,



with a sly smile at Jason. "The world will always have

simpletons enough, just like them, fighting and dying for they



know not what, and fancying that posterity will take the

trouble to put laurel wreaths on their rusty and battered



helmets. Could you help smiling, Prince Jason, to see the

self-conceit of that last fellow, just as he tumbled down?"



"It made me very sad," answered Jason, gravely. "And, to tell

you the truth, princess" target="_blank" title="n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人">princess, the Golden Fleece does not appear so



well worth the winning, after what I have here beheld!"

"You will think differently in the morning," said Medea. "True,



the Golden Fleece may not be so valuable as you have thought

it; but then there is nothing better in the world; and one must



needs have an object, you know. Come! Your night's work has

been well performed; and to-morrow you can inform King Aetes



that the first part of your allotted task is fulfilled."




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