Chapter 45

Hyacinthus

 

Hyacinthus was a beautiful Greek boy who was greatlyloved by Apollo，Apollo often laid aside his golden lyreand his arrows，and came down from Mount Olympus to Join Hyacinthus in his boyish games．The two were often busy all day long，following the huntingdogs over the mountains or setting fish nets in the river or playing at various games．

Their favourite exercise was the throwing of the discus ．The discus was a heavy metal plate about a foot across， whichwas thrown somewhat as the round ring is thrown．One dayApollo threw the discus first，and sent it whirling high up amongthe clouds for the god had great strength．It came down in afine，strong curve，and Hyacinthus ran to pick it up．Then as it fell on the hard earth，the discus bounded up again and struck the boy a cruel blow on his white forehead．

Apollo turned as pale as Hyacinthus，but he could not undo  what had been done．He could only hold his friend in hisarms，and see his head bend down like a lily on a broken stem ，while the purple blood from his wound was dropping down to the earth．

There was still one way by which Apollo could make Hyacinthus live，and this was to change him into a flower．So，quickly，before it was too late，he whispered over him certainwords the gods knew，and Hyacinthus became a purple flower，a flower of the colour of the blood that had flowed from his forehead．As the flower unfolded，it showed a strange mark on itspetals ，which looked like the Greek words meaning woe！woe！

Apollo never forgot his boy friend；but sang about him to the accompaniment of his wonderful lyre till the name of Hyacinthus was known and loved all over Greece．

45 海先得斯

 

海先得斯是阿波罗所深爱的一个希腊男孩。阿波罗时常放下金七弦琴和弓箭从奥林波斯山下来跟海先得斯玩孩童的游戏。他们两个经常跟着猎狗翻山越岭，到河里捕鱼或者玩各式各样的游戏，天天忙得团团转。

他们最喜欢的运动是掷铁饼。铁饼是一种直径大约一英尺，用重金属做的圆盘，用来像抛铁环一样的掷出去。一天，阿波罗先掷，因为神都有很大的力气，所以阿波罗一掷就掷到高耸的云雾中去了。它循着一种美妙有力的曲线掉下来，海先得斯就跑去捡。可是它碰到坚硬的土地时，铁饼弹了起来毫不仁慈地打在孩子雪白的额头上。

阿波罗的脸色像海先得斯一样苍白，可是他没有办法挽回这已经发生的事情了。他只有把他的朋友抱在手臂里，看着他的头像一朵断茎的百合花垂了下去而紫红的血从伤口流出，也染污了土地。

还有一个阿波罗能使海先得斯活着的办法就是把他变成一朵花。于是在还来得及的时候，阿波罗立刻口里念着神熟悉的一种咒语，海先得斯变成了颜色像他前额流出的血一样的一朵花。这种花开花时，花瓣上显示一种奇特的记号，看起来好像是希腊文，意思是“伤心啊！”

阿波罗无法忘记这位小男孩朋友，就用他神奇的七弦琴伴奏歌颂海先得斯，直到他的名字为全希腊所熟知喜爱。