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第17章

tanglewood tales(探戈林故事)-第17章

小说: tanglewood tales(探戈林故事) 字数: 每页4000字

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mother's side; and for ages the faithful ally of our illustrious nation。 We are 

determined to put you to death; and for my own part; I challenge you to 

instant battle; on equal ground。〃 

     Hercules     was   so   tickled  with   the   Pygmy's    big   words    and   warlike 

gestures;    that  he   burst  into   a  great  explosion     of  laughter;   and   almost 

dropped the poor little mite of a creature off the palm of his hand; through 

the ecstasy and convulsion of his merriment。 

     〃Upon my word;〃 cried he; 〃I thought I had seen wonders before to… 

dayhydras   with   nine   heads;   stags   with   golden   horns;   six…legged   men; 

three…headed   dogs;   giants   with   furnaces   in   their   stomachs;   and   nobody 

knows what besides。 But here; on the palm of my hand; stands a wonder 

that outdoes them all! Your body; my little friend; is about the size of an 

ordinary man's finger。 Pray; how big may your soul be?〃 

     〃As big as your own!〃 said the Pygmy。 

     Hercules   was   touched   with   the   little   man's   dauntless   courage;     and 

could not help   acknowledging such a brotherhood with him  as one hero 

feels for another。 

     〃My good little people;〃 said he; making a low obeisance to the grand 

nation; 〃not for all the world would I do an intentional injury to such brave 

fellows as you! Your hearts seem to me so exceedingly great; that; upon 

my   honor;   I   marvel   how   your   small   bodies   can   contain   them。   I   sue   for 

peace; and; as a condition of it; will take five strides; and be out of your 

kingdom at the sixth。 Good…bye。 I shall pick my steps carefully; for fear of 

treading upon some fifty of you; without knowing it。 Ha; ha; ha! Ho; ho; 

ho! For once; Hercules acknowledges himself vanquished。〃 

     Some writers say; that Hercules gathered up the whole race of Pygmies 



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in   his   lion's   skin;   and   carried   them   home   to   Greece;   for   the   children   of 

King Eurystheus to play with。 But this is a mistake。 He left them; one and 

all; within their own territory; where; for aught I can tell; their descendants 

are   alive   to   the   present   day;  building   their   little houses;   cultivating   their 

little fields; spanking their little children; waging their little warfare with 

the   cranes;   doing   their   little   business;   whatever   it   may   be;   and   reading 

their little histories of ancient times。 In those histories; perhaps; it stands 

recorded;   that;   a   great   many   centuries   ago;   the   valiant   Pygmies   avenged 

the death of the Giant Antaeus by scaring away the mighty Hercules。 



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               THE DRAGON'S TEETH。 



     Cadmus; Phoenix; and Cilix; the three sons of King Agenor; and their 

little sister Europa (who was a very beautiful child); were at play together 

near the seashore in their father's kingdom of Phoenicia。 They had rambled 

to some distance from the palace where their parents dwelt; and were now 

in a verdant meadow; on one side of which lay the sea; all sparkling and 

dimpling   in   the   sunshine;   and   murmuring   gently   against   the   beach。   The 

three   boys   were   very   happy;   gathering   flowers;   and   twining   them   into 

garlands; with which they adorned the little Europa。 Seated on the grass; 

the  child   was   almost   hidden under   an   abundance  of   buds   and   blossoms; 

whence her   rosy  face   peeped   merrily  out; and; as   Cadmus   said;   was   the 

prettiest of all the flowers。 

     Just then; there came a splendid butterfly; fluttering along the meadow; 

and Cadmus; Phoenix; and Cilix set off in pursuit of it; crying out that it 

was a flower with wings。 Europa; who was a little wearied with playing all 

day long; did not chase the butterfly with her brothers; but sat still where 

they   had   left   her;   and   closed   her   eyes。   For   a   while;   she   listened   to   the 

pleasant murmur of   the sea;  which was like   a voice saying 〃Hush!〃   and 

bidding her go to sleep。 But the pretty child; if she slept at all; could not 

have slept more than a moment; when she heard something trample on the 

grass; not far from her; and; peeping out from the heap of flowers; beheld 

a snow…white bull。 

     And whence could this bull have com ? Europa and her brothers had 

been a long time playing in the meadow; and had seen no cattle; nor other 

living thing; either there or on the neighboring hills。 

     〃Brother   Cadmus!〃   cried   Europa;  starting   up out   of   the   midst   of   the 

roses   and   lilies。  〃Phoenix!  Cilix! Where   are  you   all?   Help!  Help!   Come 

and drive away this bull!〃 

     But her brothers were too far off to hear; especially as the fright took 

away Europa's voice; and hindered her from calling very loudly。 So there 

she stood; with her pretty mouth wide open; as pale as the white lilies that 

were twisted among the other flowers in her garlands。 

     Nevertheless; it was the suddenness with which she had perceived the 



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bull; rather than anything frightful in his appearance; that caused Europa 

so much alarm。 On looking at him more attentively; she began to see that 

he    was    a  beautiful    animal;    and   even    fancied    a   particularly    amiable 

expression in his face。 As for his breaththe breath of cattle; you know; is 

always sweetit was as fragrant as if he had been grazing on no other food 

than   rosebuds;   or   at   least;   the   most   delicate   of   clover   blossoms。   Never 

before did a bull have such bright and tender eyes; and such smooth horns 

of ivory; as this one。 And the bull ran little races; and capered sportively 

around the child; so that she quite forgot how big and strong he was; and; 

from the gentleness and playfulness of his actions; soon came to consider 

him as innocent a creature as a pet lamb。 

     Thus; frightened as she at   first was;  you   might   by and by have   seen 

Europa stroking the bull's forehead with her small white hand; and taking 

the garlands off her own head to hang them on his neck and ivory horns。 

Then she pulled up some blades of grass; and he ate them out of her hand; 

not   as   if   he   were   hungry;   but   because   he   wanted   to   be   friends   with   the 

child; and took pleasure in eating what she had touched。 Well; my stars! 

was   there   ever such   a gentle;   sweet;   pretty;   and   amiable   creature   as   this 

bull; and ever such a nice playmate for a little girl? 

     When the animal saw (for the bull had so much intelligence that it is 

really   wonderful   to   think   of);   when   he   saw   that   Europa   was   no   longer 

afraid   of   him;   he   grew   overjoyed;   and   could   hardly   contain   himself   for 

delight。    He    frisked   about    the  meadow;      now    here;   now    there;  making 

sprightly leaps; with as little effort as a bird expends in hopping from twig 

to twig。 Indeed; his motion was as light as if he were flying through the air; 

and   his   hoofs   seemed   hardly   to   leave   their   print   in   the   grassy   soil   over 

which he trod。 With his spotless hue; he   resembled a snow drift;  wafted 

along by the wind。 Once he galloped so far away that Europa feared lest 

she   might   never   see   him   again;   so;   setting   up   her   childish   voice;   called 

him back。 

     〃Come       back;   pretty   creature!〃     she   cried。   〃Here    is  a  nice   clover 

blossom。〃 

     And then it was delightful to witness the gratitude of this amiable bull; 

and how he was so 

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