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026 - Chapter 7 Part IV - Mother-myths and Child-myths · Guide to Mythology

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Speaker 1: Chapter seven, Part four of A Guide to Mythology by
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Speaker 1: Helen Clark. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: Chapter seven, Part four, Mother Myths and Child Myths the
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Speaker 1: Infant Heracles Greek. When Heracles Roman Hercules was a very
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Speaker 1: wee child, not more than ten months old, he performed
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Speaker 1: a marvelous feat which was a worthy sample of the
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Speaker 1: vast labors he was to accomplish during his life. His mother, Elkemeni,
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Speaker 1: took him and his younger brother Iphocles, gave them both
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Speaker 1: their bath and their evening feast of milk, and then
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Speaker 1: tucked them safely away in their cradle, which was not
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Speaker 1: an ordinary one by any means, but a magnificent bronze shield,
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Speaker 1: which their father, am Phytrian, had taken from his fallen
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Speaker 1: enemy Tyrrellas. Then the mother stroked her little children's heads
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Speaker 1: and said to them, sleep, my little ones, a light,
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Speaker 1: delicious sleep, sleep, soul of mind, two brothers, babes unharmed.
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Speaker 1: Blessed be your sleep, and blessed may ye come to
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Speaker 1: the dawn. And as she spoke, she rocked the huge
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Speaker 1: shield back and forth, and soon they both fell asleep,
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Speaker 1: But just at midnight, when the constellation of the great Bear,
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Speaker 1: wheeled round toward the constellation of Orion that shows his
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Speaker 1: mighty shoulder. Ra Roman Juno sent forth two horrible monsters,
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Speaker 1: two snapses, with bristling coils of azure. She urged them
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Speaker 1: against the broad threshold of the house door, intending that
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Speaker 1: they should devour the young child Heracles. Then the serpents
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Speaker 1: crawled writhing along the ground, and ever from their eyes
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Speaker 1: shone a belleful fire as they came, and they spat
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Speaker 1: out their deadly venom. But when with their flickering tongues
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Speaker 1: they were drawing near the children, then Alcimen's dear babies
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Speaker 1: wakened by the will of Zeus that knows all things,
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Speaker 1: and there was a bright light in the chamber. Then
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Speaker 1: one of the children, Ephocles, straightway screamed out when he
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Speaker 1: beheld the hideous monsters above the hollow shield, and saw
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Speaker 1: their pitiless fangs, and eager to flee from them, he
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Speaker 1: kicked off the woolen coverlet with his feet. But Heracles
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Speaker 1: set his force against them and grasped them with his hands,
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Speaker 1: holding them as in a bond, having got them by
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Speaker 1: the throat wherein lies the evil venom. Detested even by
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Speaker 1: the gods of baleful snakes. Then the serpents, in their turn,
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Speaker 1: wound their coils about the young child, the child unweaned,
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Speaker 1: who never wept in his nursling days. But again they
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Speaker 1: relaxed their spines on account of the pain, and strove
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Speaker 1: to find some issue from the grasp of iron. Alcaymany
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Speaker 1: awoke first, hearing the cry arise, m Phytrion, for numbing
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Speaker 1: fear lays hold of me, arise, nor stay to put
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Speaker 1: on thy shoes. Dost thou not hear how loud the
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Speaker 1: younger child is wailing. And though it is the depth
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Speaker 1: of night, the walls are all plain to see as
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Speaker 1: in the clear dawn. I know there is some strange
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Speaker 1: thing within the house, my dearest lord. Thus she spoke,
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Speaker 1: and at his wife's bidding, m Phytrion stepped down out
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Speaker 1: of his bed of cedar, making for his richly ornamented sword,
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Speaker 1: which he always kept hanging on a pin above his bed.
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Speaker 1: Just as he was reaching out for his new woven
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Speaker 1: belt and lifting with his other hand the mighty sheath
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Speaker 1: of lotus wood, lo the wide chamber was filled again
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Speaker 1: with night. Then he called aloud to his servants who
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Speaker 1: were sleeping soundly. Lights. Bring lights as quick as may
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Speaker 1: be from the hearth, my servants, and thrust back the
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Speaker 1: strong bolts of the doors. Arise, serving men, stout of heart,
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Speaker 1: your master calls you. Then quickly came the serving men,
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Speaker 1: with burning torches, filling the whole house. When they saw
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Speaker 1: the young child Heracles clutching the two snakes in his
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Speaker 1: tender grasp, they all cried out and smote their hands together.
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Speaker 1: But Heracles displayed the creeping things to his father m Phytrion,
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Speaker 1: and leaped on high in his childish glee, and laughing
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Speaker 1: at his father's feet, he laid them down, the dread
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Speaker 1: monsters fallen on the sleep of death. Then Alcaymany took Iphocles,
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Speaker 1: dry eyed and wan with fear, and laid him in
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Speaker 1: her own bosom. But m Phytrion placed the other child
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Speaker 1: beneath a lamb's wool coverlet, and betook himself again to
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Speaker 1: his rest. The cop had barely sung their third Welcome
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Speaker 1: to the earliest Dawn when al Caymany called forth the
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Speaker 1: seer Tyresius, who cannot lie, and told him of the
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Speaker 1: new portent, and bade him declare what things should come
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Speaker 1: to pass. Nay, even if the gods devise some mischief,
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Speaker 1: do not, in pity conceal it from me. Let me
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Speaker 1: remind thee what thou well knowest, that mortals may not
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Speaker 1: escape the doom that fate speeds from her spindle. Thus
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Speaker 1: the queen spoke, and he answered, be of good cheer,
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Speaker 1: daughter of Perseus, woman that hast borne the noblest of children.
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Speaker 1: For by the sweet light that long hath left mine eyes,
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Speaker 1: I swear that many I key in woman, as they
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Speaker 1: card the soft wool about their knees, shall sing at
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Speaker 1: eventide of al Camena his name, And thou shalt be
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Speaker 1: honorable among the women of Argos. Such a man, even
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Speaker 1: this thy son, shall mount to the starry firmaent, the
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Speaker 1: hero broad of breast, the master of all wild beasts
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Speaker 1: and of all mankind. Twelve labors as he faded to
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Speaker 1: accomplish and thereafter to dwell in the house of Zeus.
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Speaker 1: The story of the Child Hermes Greek. The little child
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Speaker 1: God Hermes was born at the first peep of day
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Speaker 1: in a rocky cavern overshadowed by a beautiful grove of
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Speaker 1: ancient trees. He was so remarkable a child that he
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Speaker 1: began playing on the lear at noon, and the very
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Speaker 1: same evening he stole away the herds of Phoebe Apollo.
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Speaker 1: He sprang from the arms of his mother Maya, nor
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Speaker 1: could she keep him in his sacred cradle, nor from
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Speaker 1: creeping forth to seek the herds of Apollo. Wandering forth
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Speaker 1: from the lofty cavern, he found a tortoise and cried out,
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Speaker 1: what a treasure. Before the portal, the little beast was
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Speaker 1: depasturing the flowery herbage at his leisure, moving his feet
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Speaker 1: in a deliberate measure over the turf. Hermes, eyeing him
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Speaker 1: and laughing, exclaimed, you are a useful godsend, indeed to me,
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Speaker 1: king of the dance, companion of the feast, lovely in
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Speaker 1: all your nature. Welcome you, excellent plaything. Where sweet mountain
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Speaker 1: beast did you get that speckled shell? Thus much I
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Speaker 1: know you. He must come home with me and be
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Speaker 1: my guest. You will give joy to me, and I
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Speaker 1: will do all that is in my power to honor you.
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Speaker 1: Better to be at home than out of doors. So
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Speaker 1: come with me. And though it has been said that
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Speaker 1: when alive you defend from magic power, I know you
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Speaker 1: will sing sweetly when you are dead. Having spoken, this
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Speaker 1: quaint infant lifted the tortoise up from the grass upon
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Speaker 1: which it was feeding, and, grasping it tightly in his
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Speaker 1: delighted hold, carried off his treasured prize into the cavern.
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Speaker 1: He then scooped out all the inside of the tortoise,
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Speaker 1: leaving only the shell. Then through the shell he bored
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Speaker 1: small holes at proper distances, and fastened within the cut
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Speaker 1: stems of reeds, and a bridge over which he stretched
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Speaker 1: the strea. When he had made this lovely instrument, he
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Speaker 1: tried the chords and brought forth beautiful music. He hit
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Speaker 1: the strings with a little instrument called the plectrum, and
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Speaker 1: lo up from beneath his hand there went a tumult
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Speaker 1: suite of mighty sounds. And from his lips he sent
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Speaker 1: a strain of unpremeditated wit, joyous and wild and wanton,
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Speaker 1: such as you may hear among revelers. On a holiday
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Speaker 1: he sang a lovely song in honor of his mother Maya.
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Speaker 1: But while he was singing, he was suddenly seized with
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Speaker 1: a new fancy. So he deposited in his sacred crib
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Speaker 1: the hollow leer, and from the sweet cavern rushed with
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Speaker 1: great leaps up to the mountain's head, revolving in his
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Speaker 1: mind some subtle feet of thievish craft, such as a
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Speaker 1: swindler might have vies in the lone season of dim night,
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Speaker 1: the great Sun had driven his steeds and chariot under
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Speaker 1: the ocean's bed. Meanwhile, the child strode over the Piirian mountains,
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Speaker 1: clothed in shadows, where the immortal oxen of the God
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Speaker 1: are pastured in the flowering, unmown meadows, and safely stalled
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Speaker 1: in a remote abode. Elate and proud, he drove fifty
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Speaker 1: from the herd, Lowing aloud. He drove them wandering over
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Speaker 1: the sandy way, but being of a crafty disposition, he
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Speaker 1: drove them backward and forward astray, so that the tracks
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Speaker 1: which seemed before were aft. Then he threw his sandals
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Speaker 1: into the ocean's spray, and for each foot he wrought
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Speaker 1: a kind of raft of tamarisk and tamarisk like sprigs,
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Speaker 1: and bound them in a lump with withy twigs. And
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Speaker 1: on his feet he tied these sandals light, so that
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Speaker 1: the trail of the wide leaves might confuse his tracks.
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Speaker 1: And then a self sufficing white like a man hastening
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Speaker 1: on some distant way. He from Piia's mountain bent his flight,
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Speaker 1: But an old man perceived the infant passed down green
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Speaker 1: on chestus heaped like beds with grass. The old man stood,
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Speaker 1: dressing his sunny vine. Halloo, old fellow with a crooked shoulder,
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Speaker 1: You grub those stumps before they will bear wine. Methinks
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Speaker 1: even you must grow a little older. Attend. I pray
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Speaker 1: to this advice of mine, if you would escape something
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Speaker 1: which might appall a bolder man, seeing see not and
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Speaker 1: hearing hear not, And if you have understanding, understand so
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Speaker 1: saying Hermes roused the oxen vast over shadowy mountain and
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Speaker 1: resounding dell and flower paven plains. Great Hermes passed till
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Speaker 1: the black night divine, which favoring fell around his steps,
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Speaker 1: grew gray, and morning fast wakened the world to work,
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Speaker 1: and from her sea strewn cell, the sublime Morn had
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Speaker 1: just begun to climb into her watch tower. Now to Alphaeus,
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Speaker 1: he drove all the broad foreheaded oxen of the sun.
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Speaker 1: They came unwearied to the lofty stall and to the
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Speaker 1: water troughs which ever run through the fresh fields. And
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Speaker 1: when everyone had been pastured with rush grass, tall lotus,
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Speaker 1: and all sweet herbage. The great God drove them into
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Speaker 1: the stall. Hermes then heaped a mighty pile of wood,
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Speaker 1: and then bethought him how to produce fire. He took
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Speaker 1: two smooth laurel branches, stripped off the bark, and rubbed
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Speaker 1: them in his palms. Suddenly, the burning vapor leaped forth
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Speaker 1: on high, which the divine child saw with delight, and
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Speaker 1: fine dry logs and numerous roots. He gathered in a
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Speaker 1: delve upon the ground and kindled them, and instantaneously the
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Speaker 1: strength of the fierce flames was breathed around. And while
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Speaker 1: the might of the glorious fire thus wrapped the great
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Speaker 1: pile with glare and roaring sound, Hermes dragged forth two heifers,
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Speaker 1: lowing loud, close to the fire. Such might was in
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Speaker 1: the God. He threw them on their backs upon the earth,
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Speaker 1: and rolled them over and over and bored their lives out.
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Speaker 1: Then he cut up the fat and flesh and placed
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Speaker 1: the two on spits of wood before the fire, toasting
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Speaker 1: their flesh and ribs. And while this was being done,
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Speaker 1: he stretched their hides over a craggy stone. This was
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Speaker 1: a burnt offering to the gods. But the savor of
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Speaker 1: the roasted meat tempted him sorely, though immortal, But he
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Speaker 1: repressed the desire to taste it, and put not a
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Speaker 1: single morsel into his mouth. Then he removed every trace
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Speaker 1: of the fresh butchery and cooking, so that it seemed
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Speaker 1: all to have vanished through the sky. He burned the
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Speaker 1: hoofs and horns, and head and hair. The insane, satiate
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Speaker 1: fire devoured them hungrily, And when he saw that everything
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Speaker 1: was clear, he quenched the coals and trampled the black dust,
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Speaker 1: and tossed into the stream his bloody sandals. All night
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Speaker 1: he worked in the serene moonshine. But when the light
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Speaker 1: of day was spread abroad, he sought his natal mountain peaks.
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Speaker 1: On his long wandering neither man nor God had met
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Speaker 1: him since he killed Apollo's kind, nor had a single
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Speaker 1: house dog barked at him on his road. Now he
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Speaker 1: passed obliquely through the keyhole, like a thin mist or
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Speaker 1: an autumnal blast, right through the temple of the spacious cave.
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Speaker 1: He went with soft, light feet, as if his tread
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Speaker 1: fell not on earth. Then he crept quickly to his
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Speaker 1: cradle and spread the swaddling clothes about him, and the
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Speaker 1: knave lay playing with the covering of the bed, with
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Speaker 1: his left hand about his knees, and the right hand
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Speaker 1: holding his beloved tortoise leer tight. There he lay innocent
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Speaker 1: as a new born child, as gossips say. But though
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Speaker 1: he was a god, the goddess his fair mother was
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Speaker 1: not deceived, and knew all that he had been doing
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Speaker 1: while away. So she said to him, whence come you,
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Speaker 1: and what wild adventures have you had, you cunning rogue,
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Speaker 1: Where have you been all night long? Clothed in your impudence?
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Speaker 1: What have you done since you departed? Hence, Apollo will
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Speaker 1: soon pass within this gate and bind your tender body
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Speaker 1: in a chain inextricably tight and fast as fate, unless
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Speaker 1: you can delude the god again a prey torment? Are
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Speaker 1: you for gods and men? Dear mother? The sly Hermes replied,
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Speaker 1: why scold and bother, as if I were like other
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Speaker 1: babies of my age and understood nothing. I have hatched
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Speaker 1: a scheme in my subtle brain, which, while the sacred
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Speaker 1: stars round heaven are rolled, will profit you and me.
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Speaker 1: Nor shall our lot be as you counsel without gifts
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Speaker 1: or food to spend our lives in this obscure abode.
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Speaker 1: We will leave this shadow peopled cave and live among
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Speaker 1: the gods, and pass each day in high communion, sharing
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Speaker 1: their great wealth. And from the portion which Jove gave
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Speaker 1: to Phoebus, I will snatch my share away, And if
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Speaker 1: he should find me out, I'll countermine him by a
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Speaker 1: deeper plan, pierce the Pythian temple walls though stout, and
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Speaker 1: sack the fane of everything I can, cauldrons and tripods,
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Speaker 1: each golden cup and every brazen pan, all the wrought tapestries,
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Speaker 1: and the gay garments. So they talked together. Meanwhile, the
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Speaker 1: day Ethereal born arose out of the flood of flowing ocean,
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Speaker 1: bearing light to men. Apollo passed toward the sacred Wood,
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Speaker 1: which from the inmost depths of its green glen echoes
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Speaker 1: the voice of Neptune. And there stood on the same
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Speaker 1: spot in the green on chestis that same old man,
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Speaker 1: the vine dresser, who was employed hedging his vineyard. There
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Speaker 1: Latona's glorious sun began. Pray, tell me, ancient hedger of
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Speaker 1: onchestis go green? Whether a drove of kine has passed
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Speaker 1: this way? All heifers with crooked horns, for they have
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Speaker 1: been stolen from the herd in high Pieria, where a
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Speaker 1: black bull was fed apart between two woody mountains and
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Speaker 1: a neighboring glen, though four fierce dogs guarded them. And
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Speaker 1: what is strange, the author of this theft has stolen
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Speaker 1: all the fatted heifers, but the four dogs and the
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Speaker 1: black bull are left. They were stolen last night at
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Speaker 1: set of sun, of their soft beds and their sweet
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Speaker 1: food bereft. Now tell me, old man, born before the
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Speaker 1: world began, Have you seen any one pass with the cows?
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Speaker 1: The old man replied, my friend, it would require no
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Speaker 1: common skill justly to speak of everything I see. On
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Speaker 1: various purposes of good or ill. Many pass by my vineyard,
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Speaker 1: and for me it is difficult to know the invisible
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Speaker 1: thoughts which may be in all those many minds. Thus
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Speaker 1: much alone, I can certainly say I tilled these vines
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Speaker 1: until the decline of day, and then I thought I saw,
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Speaker 1: But dare not speak with certainty of such a wondrous thing.
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Speaker 1: A child who could scarcely have been born a week
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Speaker 1: closely following those fair horned cattle, and in his hand
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Speaker 1: he held a polished stick, and as on purpose, he walked,
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Speaker 1: wavering from one side to the other of the road,
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Speaker 1: and with his face turned in the opposite direction from
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Speaker 1: his steps. Apollo, hearing this, passed quickly on. No winged
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Speaker 1: omen could have shown more clearly who it was. So
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Speaker 1: Apollo wrapped a purple atmosphere around his shoulders, and like
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Speaker 1: fire went to famous pylos, seeking his kind. There he
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Speaker 1: found their tracks, yet hardly cold, and cried, what wonder
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Speaker 1: do my eyes behold? Here are the footsteps of the
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Speaker 1: horned herd turned back toward their fields of Asphodel. But
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Speaker 1: these are not the tracts of beast or bird, gray wolf,
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Speaker 1: or bear, or lion of the dell or manned centaur.
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Speaker 1: Sand was never stirred by man or woman. Thus inexplicable,
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Speaker 1: who with unwearied feet ever could impress the sand with
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Speaker 1: such enormous vestiges. Having spoken thus, Phoebus impetuously sought high
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Speaker 1: Selene's forest, cinctured hill, and the deep cavern, where dark
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Speaker 1: shadows lie the home of Hermes. A delightful odor from
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Speaker 1: the dew was all about, and Phoebus stooped under the
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Speaker 1: craggy roof arched over the dark cavern. Maya's child perceived
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Speaker 1: from Afar that he came angry about the cows that
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Speaker 1: had been stolen. Then Hermes piled over him his fine
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Speaker 1: and fragrant swaddling clothes. There he lay like a burning spark,
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Speaker 1: covered beneath the ashes, cold and dark, an infant who
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Speaker 1: had sucked his fill, and now was newly washed and
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Speaker 1: put to bed, awake, but courting sleep with weary will,
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Speaker 1: and gathered in a lump, hands, feet, and head he lay,
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Speaker 1: and his beloved tortoise still he grasped and held under
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Speaker 1: his shoulder blade. Phoebus knew the lovely mountain goddess, not
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Speaker 1: less her subtle swindling baby, who lay swathed in his
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Speaker 1: sly wiles. He looked sharp round every crook of the
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Speaker 1: ample cavern for his kind, and when he saw them not,
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Speaker 1: he took the glittering key and opened three hollow recesses
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Speaker 1: in the rock, where many a nook was filled with
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Speaker 1: sweet food. Immortals swallow and mighty. Heaps of silver and
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Speaker 1: of gold were piled within a wonder to behold, and
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Speaker 1: white and silver robes all overwrought with cunning workmanship, except
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Speaker 1: among the gods, there can be naught in the wide
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Speaker 1: world to be compared with it. Latona's offspring, after having
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Speaker 1: sought his herds in every corner, thus greeted Great Hermes,
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Speaker 1: little cradled rogue, Tell me about my illustrious heifers. Where
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Speaker 1: are they? Speak quickly, or a quarrel between us must rise,
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Speaker 1: and the event will be that I shall haul you
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Speaker 1: into dismal Tartarus in fiery gloom, to dwell eternally. Nor
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Speaker 1: shall your father nor your mother loose the bars of
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Speaker 1: that black dungeon utterly you shall be cast out from
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Speaker 1: the light of day, unblest, as they to rule the
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Speaker 1: ghosts of men. Hermes slyly answered, son of Great Latona,
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Speaker 1: what a speech is this? Why come you here to
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Speaker 1: ask me what has been done with the wild oxen,
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Speaker 1: which it seems you miss. I have not seen them,
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Speaker 1: nor from any one have I heard a word of
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Speaker 1: the whole business. If you should promise an immense reward,
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Speaker 1: I could not tell you more. A stealer of oxen
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Speaker 1: should be both tall and strong, and I am but
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Speaker 1: a little new born thing, who yet at least can
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Speaker 1: think of nothing wrong. My business is to suck and
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Speaker 1: sleep and fling the cradle clothes about me all day long,
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Speaker 1: or half asleep. Here my sweet mothers sing, and to
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Speaker 1: be washed in water, clean and warm, and hushed and kissed,
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Speaker 1: and kept secure from harm. Oh, let not this quarrel
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Speaker 1: ever be heard of, for the astounded gods will laugh
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Speaker 1: at you for telling a story so absurd as that
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Speaker 1: a new born infant could fare forth out of his
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Speaker 1: home after a savage herd. I was born yesterday. My
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Speaker 1: small feet are too tender for the roads so hard
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Speaker 1: and rough. And if you think that this is not enough,
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Speaker 1: I swear a great oath that I stole not your cows,
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Speaker 1: and that I know of no one else who might,
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Speaker 1: or could or did. Whatever things cows are, I do
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Speaker 1: not know, for I have only heard the name. This said.
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Speaker 1: He winked as fast as could be, and his brow
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Speaker 1: was all wrinkled, and he gave a loud whistle, like
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Speaker 1: one who hears some strange absurdity. Apollo gently smiled and said, aye, ay,
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Speaker 1: you cunning little rascal. You will bore many a rich
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Speaker 1: man's house, and your array of thieves will lay their
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Speaker 1: siege before his door, silent as night in night, and
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Speaker 1: many a day, and the wild glens rough shepherds will
27:56
Speaker 1: deplore that you or yours having an apple tight met
28:01
Speaker 1: with their cattle. And this among the gods shall be
28:05
Speaker 1: your gift, to be the lord of those who steal
28:09
Speaker 1: and swindle. Apollo seized him. Then what do you mean
28:15
Speaker 1: to do to me, you unkind god? Said Hermes. Is
28:19
Speaker 1: it about these cows you tease me? So? I wish
28:23
Speaker 1: the race of cows were perished. I did not steal
28:26
Speaker 1: your cows. I don't even know what things cows are alas,
28:32
Speaker 1: I well may sigh that since I came into this
28:35
Speaker 1: world of woe, I should ever have heard of one.
28:39
Speaker 1: Thus Phoebus and the vagrant Hermes talked without coming to
28:44
Speaker 1: an explanation. Hermes continued to try and cheat Apollo with
28:50
Speaker 1: lies and roguery, but when no evasion served, he proposed
28:55
Speaker 1: to appeal to Jove to judge between them. Hermi paced
29:00
Speaker 1: first over the sandy ground, and he of the silver
29:04
Speaker 1: bow followed, And from Jove's equal balance they did require
29:10
Speaker 1: a judgment in the cause. Wherein they strove. As they
29:14
Speaker 1: came over odorous Olympus and its snows, a murmuring tumult arose,
29:22
Speaker 1: and from the folded depths of the great hill. While
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Speaker 1: Hermes and Apollo reverent stood before Jove's throne, the indestructible
29:32
Speaker 1: immortals rushed in mighty multitude, and while their seats in
29:37
Speaker 1: order due, they filled the lofty thunderer in a careless
29:42
Speaker 1: mood to Phoebus, said, whence drive you this sweet prey,
29:47
Speaker 1: this herald baby born but yesterday a most important subject, Trifler,
29:54
Speaker 1: this to lay before the gods. Nay, Father, nay, when
29:59
Speaker 1: you understood the business, say not that I alone am
30:04
Speaker 1: fond of prey. I found this little boy in a
30:08
Speaker 1: recess in Seline's mountains, far away, a manifest and most
30:14
Speaker 1: apparent thief, a scandalmonger beyond all belief. I never saw
30:21
Speaker 1: his like either in heaven or earth. For knavery or craft.
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Speaker 1: Out of the field, yester, even by the low shore
30:30
Speaker 1: on which the loud sea laughed, he had driven my
30:34
Speaker 1: cattle right down to the river Ford. The cattle's track
30:38
Speaker 1: on the black dust is fully evident, as if they
30:42
Speaker 1: went toward the place from which they came, that Asphodel Meadow,
30:47
Speaker 1: in which I feed my many herds. The child's steps
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Speaker 1: were most incomprehensible. I know not how I can describe
30:57
Speaker 1: in words those tracks. He could not have gone, either
31:01
Speaker 1: upon his feet or his hands. He must have had
31:05
Speaker 1: some strange mode of moving on those immense vestiges. As
31:11
Speaker 1: I traced them on the sandy road, seemed like the
31:15
Speaker 1: trail of oak toppings, But thence the hard ground gave
31:20
Speaker 1: no mark or track denoting where they trod. But working
31:25
Speaker 1: at his fence, an old man saw him as he
31:28
Speaker 1: passed to Pylos with the cows, and fiery haste, I
31:33
Speaker 1: found that in the dark he had quietly sacrificed some cows,
31:38
Speaker 1: and before light had thrown the ashes all dispersedly about
31:43
Speaker 1: the road. Then, still as gloomy night, he crept into
31:49
Speaker 1: his cradle, rubbing either eye and cogitating some new trick.
31:54
Speaker 1: No eagle could have seen him as he lay hid
31:58
Speaker 1: in his cavern. I taxed him with the fact when
32:02
Speaker 1: he declared most solemnly that he had neither seen, nor
32:06
Speaker 1: in any manner heard of my lost cows. Whatever things
32:10
Speaker 1: cows be, nor could he tell, though offered a reward
32:15
Speaker 1: of any one who could tell me about them. Then
32:19
Speaker 1: Phoebus sat down, and Hermes addressed the supreme Lord of
32:23
Speaker 1: gods and men, Great father, you know well beforehand that
32:30
Speaker 1: all I shall say is truth, for I am totally
32:34
Speaker 1: unacquainted with untruth. At sunrise, Phoebus came, but with no
32:40
Speaker 1: band of gods to bear him witness, in great wrath
32:44
Speaker 1: to my abode, seeking his heifers there, and declaring that
32:49
Speaker 1: I must show him where they are, or he would
32:51
Speaker 1: hurl me down the dark abyss. I know that every
32:56
Speaker 1: limb of Apollo is clothed with speed and might and manliness,
33:01
Speaker 1: as a green bank with flowers. But unlike him, I
33:06
Speaker 1: was born yesterday. And you may guess he knew this
33:10
Speaker 1: well when he indulged the whim of bullying a poor
33:14
Speaker 1: little new born thing that slept and never thought of
33:17
Speaker 1: cow driving. Am I like a strong fellow who steals kind.
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Speaker 1: This driving of herds is none of mine. I have
33:27
Speaker 1: never wandered across my threshold. I reverence the divine Sun
33:33
Speaker 1: and the gods and you, and care even for this
33:36
Speaker 1: hard accuser, who must know I am as innocent as
33:40
Speaker 1: they or you. I swear by these most gloriously wrought
33:45
Speaker 1: portals through which the multitude of the immortals pass and
33:50
Speaker 1: repass forever day and night, devising schemes for the affairs
33:56
Speaker 1: of mortals, that I am guiltless. And Hermes winked as
34:01
Speaker 1: if now his adversary was silenced. And Jove, according to
34:06
Speaker 1: his wont laughed heartily to hear the subtle, witted infant
34:12
Speaker 1: give such a plausible account. But he remitted judgment for
34:16
Speaker 1: the time, and sent them forth to seek the stolen cows.
34:22
Speaker 1: Hermes was truthfully to lead the way and show where
34:26
Speaker 1: he had hidden the mighty heifers. Then they hastened to
34:31
Speaker 1: pylos and the wide pastures and lofty stalls by the
34:36
Speaker 1: Alphie and ford, where wealth in the mute night is
34:40
Speaker 1: multiplied with silent growth. While Hermes drove the herd out
34:46
Speaker 1: of the stony cavern, Phoebus spied the hides of those
34:51
Speaker 1: the little babe had slain, stretched high upon the precipice.
34:56
Speaker 1: How was it possible, then, Phoebus asked that you, a
35:01
Speaker 1: little child born yesterday, a thing on mother's milk and
35:06
Speaker 1: kisses fed, could have slain these two prodigious heifers. Ever,
35:12
Speaker 1: I may well dread hereafter your prowess when you grow
35:16
Speaker 1: strong and tall. He spoke and bound stiff wipy bands
35:22
Speaker 1: around the infant's wrists, he might as well have bound
35:26
Speaker 1: the wild oxen the withy bands, though starkly internet fell
35:32
Speaker 1: at the feet of the immortal child. Loosened by some
35:36
Speaker 1: device of his quick wit. Phoebus was again deceived and stared,
35:43
Speaker 1: while Hermes sought some hole, looking askance and winking fast,
35:48
Speaker 1: as though where he might hide himself. But suddenly he
35:52
Speaker 1: changed his plans, and with a strange skill, subdued Apollo
35:58
Speaker 1: by the might of winning music. His left hand held
36:02
Speaker 1: the leer, and in his right the plectrum struck the
36:06
Speaker 1: chords unconquerable up from beneath his hands, encircling flight, The
36:13
Speaker 1: gathering music rose and sweet as love. The penetrating notes
36:18
Speaker 1: did live and move within the heart of great Apollo.
36:23
Speaker 1: He listened with all his soul and laughed for pleasure.
36:28
Speaker 1: The unabashed boy stood close to his side, harping fearlessly.
36:33
Speaker 1: And to the measure of this sweet leer, there followed,
36:37
Speaker 1: loud and free his joyous voice, for he unlocked the
36:41
Speaker 1: treasure of his deep song, illustrating the birth of the
36:46
Speaker 1: bright gods and the dark desert Earth, and how to
36:50
Speaker 1: the immortals every one a portion was a signed of
36:54
Speaker 1: all that is. But Chief did clothe Maya's son Emosini
37:01
Speaker 1: in the light of his loud melodies, And as each
37:05
Speaker 1: god was born or had begun, he, in their order
37:09
Speaker 1: due and fit degrees, sang of his birth and being,
37:14
Speaker 1: and did move Apollo to unutterable love these words he
37:19
Speaker 1: spoke you, halfer stealing schemer, Well do you deserve that
37:25
Speaker 1: fifty oxen should requite such minstrels? Sees, as I have heard,
37:30
Speaker 1: even now, comrade of feasts, little contriving wight, one of
37:37
Speaker 1: your secrets. I would gladly know whether the glorious power
37:42
Speaker 1: you now show forth was folded up within you at
37:46
Speaker 1: your birth, or whether mortal taught or God inspired your
37:51
Speaker 1: skill in song? And Hermes replied, wisely, hast thou inquired
37:57
Speaker 1: of my skill Jove has given to THEE. Also divinest
38:02
Speaker 1: gifts by THEE. The depths of his far voice are
38:06
Speaker 1: understood by THEE. The mystery of all oracular fates. Even I,
38:13
Speaker 1: a child, perceive thy might and majesty. Thou canst seek
38:19
Speaker 1: out and compass all that wit can find or teach. Yet,
38:25
Speaker 1: if you wilt come, take the leer, be mine the glory,
38:29
Speaker 1: giving it, Strike the sweet chords and sing aloud, and
38:34
Speaker 1: wake thy joyous pleasure out of many a fit of
38:38
Speaker 1: tranced sound. The shell he proffered, Apollo took and gave
38:43
Speaker 1: him in return the glittering lash, installing him as herdsman.
38:50
Speaker 1: Hermes flashed a joyous look at him, and then Apollo,
38:54
Speaker 1: with the plectrum, struck the chords, and from beneath his
38:58
Speaker 1: hands a crash of mighty sounds rushed up, whose music
39:03
Speaker 1: shook the soul with sweetness, and with the lear his
39:07
Speaker 1: sweeter voice, a just accordance kept. End of Chapter seven
39:17
Speaker 1: read by Phyllis Vincelli. End of A Guide to Mythology
39:24
Speaker 1: by Helen Clark