"Do you not believe," said he, looking at the damsels with a smile, "that such a blow would have crushed one of the dragon's hundred heads?"
Then he sat down on the grass, and told them the story of his life, or as much of it as he could remember, from the day when he was first cradled in a warrior's brazen6 shield. While he lay there, two immense serpents came gliding7 over the floor, and opened their hideous8 jaws9 to devour10 him; and he, a baby of a few months old, had griped one of the fierce snakes in each of his little fists, and strangled them to death. When he was but a stripling, he had killed a huge lion, almost as big as the one whose vast and shaggy hide he now wore upon his shoulders. The next thing that he had done was to fight a battle with an ugly sort of monster, called a hydra11, which had no less than nine heads, and exceedingly sharp teeth in every one.
"But the dragon of the Hesperides, you know," observed one of the damsels, "has a hundred heads!"
"Nevertheless," replied the stranger, "I would rather fight two such dragons than a single hydra. For, as fast as I cut off a head, two others grew in its place; and, besides, there was one of the heads that could not possibly be killed, but-114- kept biting as fiercely as ever, long after it was cut off. So I was forced to bury it under a stone, where it is doubtless alive to this very day. But the hydra's body, and its eight other heads, will never do any further mischief12."
The damsels, judging that the story was likely to last a good while, had been preparing a repast of bread and grapes, that the stranger might refresh himself in the intervals13 of his talk. They took pleasure in helping14 him to this simple food; and, now and then, one of them would put a sweet grape between her rosy lips, lest it should make him bashful to eat alone.
The traveler proceeded to tell how he had chased a very swift stag, for a twelvemonth together, without ever stopping to take breath, and had at last caught it by the antlers, and carried it home alive. And he had fought with a very odd race of people, half horses and half men, and had put them all to death, from a sense of duty, in order that their ugly figures might never be seen any more. Besides all this, he took to himself great credit for having cleaned out a stable.
"Do you call that a wonderful exploit?" asked one of the young maidens, with a smile. "Any clown in the country has done as much!"
"Had it been an ordinary stable," replied the stranger, "I should not have mentioned it. But this was so gigantic a task that it would have taken me all my life to perform it, if I had not luckily thought of turning the channel of a river through the stable-door. That did the business in a very short time!"-115-
Seeing how earnestly his fair auditors15 listened, he next told them how he had shot some monstrous16 birds, and had caught a wild bull alive and let him go again, and had tamed a number of very wild horses, and had conquered Hippolyta, the warlike queen of the Amazons. He mentioned, likewise, that he had taken off Hippolyta's enchanted17 girdle, and had given it to the daughter of his cousin, the king.
"Was it the girdle of Venus," inquired the prettiest of the damsels, "which makes women beautiful?"
"No," answered the stranger. "It had formerly18 been the sword-belt of Mars; and it can only make the wearer valiant19 and courageous20."
"An old sword-belt!" cried the damsel, tossing her head. "Then I should not care about having it!"
"You are right," said the stranger.
Going on with his wonderful narrative21, he informed the maidens that as strange an adventure as ever happened was when he fought with Geryon, the six-legged man. This was a very odd and frightful22 sort of figure, as you may well believe. Any person, looking at his tracks in the sand or snow, would suppose that three sociable23 companions had been walking along together. On hearing his footsteps at a little distance, it was no more than reasonable to judge that several people must be coming. But it was only the strange man Geryon clattering24 onward25, with his six legs!
Six legs, and one gigantic body! Certainly, he-116- must have been a very queer monster to look at; and, my stars, what a waste of shoe-leather!
When the stranger had finished the story of his adventures, he looked around at the attentive26 faces of the maidens.
"Perhaps you may have heard of me before," said he, modestly. "My name is Hercules!"
"We had already guessed it," replied the maidens; "for your wonderful deeds are known all over the world. We do not think it strange, any longer, that you should set out in quest of the golden apples of the Hesperides. Come, sisters, let us crown the hero with flowers!"
Then they flung beautiful wreaths over his stately head and mighty shoulders, so that the lion's skin was almost entirely27 covered with roses. They took possession of his ponderous28 club, and so entwined it about with the brightest, softest, and most fragrant29 blossoms, that not a finger's breadth of its oaken substance could be seen. It looked all like a huge bunch of flowers. Lastly, they joined hands, and danced around him, chanting words which became poetry of their own accord, and grew into a choral song, in honor of the illustrious Hercules.
And Hercules was rejoiced, as any other hero would have been, to know that these fair young girls had heard of the valiant deeds which it had cost him so much toil30 and danger to achieve. But, still, he was not satisfied. He could not think that what he had already done was worthy31 of so much honor, while there remained any bold or difficult adventure to be undertaken.-117-
"Dear maidens," said he, when they paused to take breath, "now that you know my name, will you not tell me how I am to reach the garden of the Hesperides?"
"Ah! must you go so soon?" they exclaimed. "You—that have performed so many wonders, and spent such a toilsome life—cannot you content yourself to repose32 a little while on the margin33 of this peaceful river?"
Hercules shook his head.
"I must depart now," said he.
"We will then give you the best directions we can," replied the damsels. "You must go to the sea-shore, and find out the Old One, and compel him to inform you where the golden apples are to be found."
"The Old One!" repeated Hercules, laughing at this odd name. "And, pray, who may the Old One be?"
"Why, the Old Man of the Sea, to be sure!" answered one of the damsels. "He has fifty daughters, whom some people call very beautiful; but we do not think it proper to be acquainted with them, because they have sea-green hair, and taper34 away like fishes. You must talk with this Old Man of the Sea. He is a sea-faring person, and knows all about the garden of the Hesperides; for it is situated35 in an island which he is often in the habit of visiting."
Hercules then asked whereabouts the Old One was most likely to be met with. When the damsels had informed him, he thanked them for all their kindness,—for the bread and grapes with-118- which they had fed him, the lovely flowers with which they had crowned him, and the songs and dances wherewith they had done him honor,—and he thanked them, most of all, for telling him the right way,—and immediately set forth36 upon his journey.
But, before he was out of hearing, one of the maidens called after him.
"Keep fast hold of the Old One, when you catch him!" cried she, smiling, and lifting her finger to make the caution more impressive. "Do not be astonished at anything that may happen. Only hold him fast, and he will tell you what you wish to know."
Hercules again thanked her, and pursued his way, while the maidens resumed their pleasant labor37 of making flower-wreaths. They talked about the hero, long after he was gone.
"We will crown him with the loveliest of our garlands," said they, "when he returns hither with the three golden apples, after slaying38 the dragon with a hundred heads."
Meanwhile, Hercules traveled constantly onward, over hill and dale, and through the solitary39 woods. Sometimes he swung his club aloft, and splintered a mighty oak with a downright blow. His mind was so full of the giants and monsters with whom it was the business of his life to fight, that perhaps he mistook the great tree for a giant or a monster. And so eager was Hercules to achieve what he had undertaken, that he almost regretted to have spent so much time with the damsels, wasting idle breath upon the story of his-119- adventures. But thus it always is with persons who are destined40 to perform great things. What they have already done seems less than nothing. What they have taken in hand to do seems worth toil, danger, and life itself.
Persons who happened to be passing through the forest must have been affrighted to see him smite41 the trees with his great club. With but a single blow, the trunk was riven as by the stroke of lightning, and the broad boughs42 came rustling43 and crashing down.
Hastening forward, without ever pausing or looking behind, he by and by heard the sea roaring at a distance. At this sound, he increased his speed, and soon came to a beach, where the great surf-waves tumbled themselves upon the hard sand, in a long line of snowy foam44. At one end of the beach, however, there was a pleasant spot, where some green shrubbery clambered up a cliff, making its rocky face look soft and beautiful. A carpet of verdant45 grass, largely intermixed with sweet-smelling clover, covered the narrow space between the bottom of the cliff and the sea. And what should Hercules espy46 there, but an old man, fast asleep!
But was it really and truly an old man? Certainly, at first sight, it looked very like one; but, on closer inspection47, it rather seemed to be some kind of a creature that lived in the sea. For, on his legs and arms there were scales, such as fishes have; he was web-footed and web-fingered, after the fashion of a duck; and his long beard, being of a greenish tinge48, had more the appear-120-ance of a tuft of sea-weed than of an ordinary beard. Have you never seen a stick of timber, that has been long tossed about by the waves, and has got all overgrown with barnacles, and, at last drifting ashore49, seems to have been thrown up from the very deepest bottom of the sea? Well, the old man would have put you in mind of just such a wave-tost spar! But Hercules, the instant he set eyes on this strange figure, was convinced that it could be no other than the Old One, who was to direct him on his way.
Yes, it was the selfsame Old Man of the Sea whom the hospitable50 maidens had talked to him about. Thanking his stars for the lucky accident of finding the old fellow asleep, Hercules stole on tiptoe towards him, and caught him by the arm and leg.
"Tell me," cried he, before the Old One was well awake, "which is the way to the garden of the Hesperides?"
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1
remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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11
hydra
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| n.水螅；难于根除的祸患 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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31
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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taper
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| n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小 | |
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35
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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38
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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39
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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40
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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41
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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42
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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43
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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44
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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45
verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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46
espy
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| v.（从远处等）突然看到 | |
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47
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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48
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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49
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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50
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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