tales of troy-第13章

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plan。

There　was　a　story　that　Anius；　the　King　of　the　Isle　of　Delos；　had
three　daughters；　named　OEno；　Spermo；　and　Elais；　and　that　OEno　could
turn　water　into　wine；　while　Spermo　could　turn　stones　into　bread；
and　Elais　could　change　mud　into　olive　oil。　　Those　fairy　gifts；
people　said；　were　given　to　the　maidens　by　the　Wine　God；　Dionysus；
and　by　the　Goddess　of　Corn；　Demeter。　　Now　corn；　and　wine；　and　oil
were　sorely　needed　by　the　Greeks；　who　were　tired　of　paying　much
gold　and　bronze　to　the　Phoenician　merchants　for　their　supplies。
Ulysses　therefore　went　to　Agamemnon　one　day；　and　asked　leave　to
take　his　ship　and　voyage　to　Delos；　to　bring；　if　he　could；　the　three
maidens　to　the　camp；　if　indeed　they　could　do　these　miracles。　　As　no
fighting　was　going　on；　Agamemnon　gave　Ulysses　leave　to　depart；　so
he　went　on　board　his　ship；　with　a　crew　of　fifty　men　of　Ithaca；　and
away　they　sailed；　promising　to　return　in　a　month。

Two　or　three　days　after　that；　a　dirty　old　beggar　man　began　to　be
seen　in　the　Greek　camp。　　He　had　crawled　in　late　one　evening；
dressed　in　a　dirty　smock　and　a　very　dirty　old　cloak；　full　of　holes；
and　stained　with　smoke。　　Over　everything　he　wore　the　skin　of　a
stag；　with　half　the　hair　worn　off；　and　he　carried　a　staff；　and　a
filthy　tattered　wallet；　to　put　food　in；　which　swung　from　his　neck
by　a　cord。　　He　came　crouching　and　smiling　up　to　the　door　of　the　hut
of　Diomede；　and　sat　down　just　within　the　doorway；　where　beggars
still　sit　in　the　East。　　Diomede　saw　him；　and　sent　him　a　loaf　and
two　handfuls　of　flesh；　which　the　beggar　laid　on　his　wallet；　between
his　feet；　and　he　made　his　supper　greedily；　gnawing　a　bone　like　a
dog。

After　supper　Diomede　asked　him　who　he　was　and　whence　he　came；　and
he　told　a　long　story　about　how　he　had　been　a　Cretan　pirate；　and　had
been　taken　prisoner　by　the　Egyptians　when　he　was　robbing　there；　and
how　he　had　worked　for　many　years　in　their　stone　quarries；　where　the
sun　had　burned　him　brown；　and　had　escaped　by　hiding　among　the　great
stones；　carried　down　the　Nile　in　a　raft；　for　building　a　temple　on
the　seashore。　　The　raft　arrived　at　night；　and　the　beggar　said　that
he　stole　out　from　it　in　the　dark　and　found　a　Phoenician　ship　in　the
harbour；　and　the　Phoenicians　took　him　on　board；　meaning　to　sell　him
somewhere　as　a　slave。　　But　a　tempest　came　on　and　wrecked　the　ship
off　the　Isle　of　Tenedos；　which　is　near　Troy；　and　the　beggar　alone
escaped　to　the　island　on　a　plank　of　the　ship。　　From　Tenedos　he　had
come　to　Troy　in　a　fisher's　boat；　hoping　to　make　himself　useful　in
the　camp；　and　earn　enough　to　keep　body　and　soul　together　till　he
could　find　a　ship　sailing　to　Crete。

He　made　his　story　rather　amusing；　describing　the　strange　ways　of
the　Egyptians；　how　they　worshipped　cats　and　bulls；　and　did
everything　in　just　the　opposite　of　the　Greek　way　of　doing　things。
So　Diomede　let　him　have　a　rug　and　blankets　to　sleep　on　in　the
portico　of　the　hut；　and　next　day　the　old　wretch　went　begging　about
the　camp　and　talking　with　the　soldiers。　　Now　he　was　a　most　impudent
and　annoying　old　vagabond；　and　was　always　in　quarrels。　　If　there
was　a　disagreeable　story　about　the　father　or　grandfather　of　any　of
the　princes；　he　knew　it　and　told　it；　so　that　he　got　a　blow　from　the
baton　of　Agamemnon；　and　Aias　gave　him　a　kick；　and　Idomeneus　drubbed
him　with　the　butt　of　his　spear　for　a　tale　about　his　grandmother；
and　everybody　hated　him　and　called　him　a　nuisance。　　He　was　for　ever
jeering　at　Ulysses；　who　was　far　away；　and　telling　tales　about
Autolycus；　and　at　last　he　stole　a　gold　cup；　a　very　large　cup；　with
two　handles；　and　a　dove　sitting　on　each　handle；　from　the　hut　of
Nestor。　　The　old　chief　was　fond　of　this　cup；　which　he　had　brought
from　home；　and；　when　it　was　found　in　the　beggar's　dirty　wallet；
everybody　cried　that　he　must　be　driven　out　of　the　camp　and　well
whipped。　　So　Nestor's　son；　young　Thrasymedes；　with　other　young　men；
laughing　and　shouting；　pushed　and　dragged　the　beggar　close　up　to
the　Scaean　gate　of　Troy；　where　Thrasymedes　called　with　a　loud
voice；　〃O　Trojans；　we　are　sick　of　this　shameless　beggar。　　First　we
shall　whip　him　well；　and　if　he　comes　back　we　shall　put　out　his　eyes
and　cut　off　his　hands　and　feet；　and　give　him　to　the　dogs　to　eat。
He　may　go　to　you；　if　he　likes；　if　not；　he　must　wander　till　he　dies
of　hunger。〃

The　young　men　of　Troy　heard　this　and　laughed；　and　a　crowd　gathered
on　the　wall　to　see　the　beggar　punished。　　So　Thrasymedes　whipped　him
with　his　bowstring　till　he　was　tired；　and　they　did　not　leave　off
beating　the　beggar　till　he　ceased　howling　and　fell；　all　bleeding；
and　lay　still。　　Then　Thrasymedes　gave　him　a　parting　kick；　and　went
away　with　his　friends。　　The　beggar　lay　quiet　for　some　time；　then　he
began　to　stir；　and　sat　up；　wiping　the　tears　from　his　eyes；　and
shouting　curses　and　bad　words　after　the　Greeks；　praying　that　they
might　be　speared　in　the　back；　and　eaten　by　dogs。

At　last　he　tried　to　stand　up；　but　fell　down　again；　and　began　to
crawl　on　hands　and　knees　towards　the　Scaean　gate。　　There　he　sat
down；　within　the　two　side　walls　of　the　gate；　where　he　cried　and
lamented。　　Now　Helen　of　the　fair　hands　came　down　from　the　gate
tower；　being　sorry　to　see　any　man　treated　so　much　worse　than　a
beast；　and　she　spoke　to　the　beggar　and　asked　him　why　he　had　been
used　in　this　cruel　way？

At　first　he　only　moaned；　and　rubbed　his　sore　sides；　but　at　last　he
said　that　he　was　an　unhappy　man；　who　had　been　shipwrecked；　and　was
begging　his　way　home；　and　that　the　Greeks　suspected　him　of　being　a
spy　sent　out　by　the　Trojans。　　But　he　had　been　in　Lacedaemon；　her
own　country；　he　said；　and　could　tell　her　about　her　father；　if　she
were；　as　he　supposed；　the　beautiful　Helen；　and　about　her　brothers；
Castor　and　Polydeuces；　and　her　little　daughter；　Hermione。

〃But　perhaps；〃　he　said；　〃you　are　no　mortal　woman；　but　some　goddess
who　favours　the　Trojans；　and　if　indeed　you　are　a　goddess　then　I
liken　you　to　Aphrodite；　for　beauty；　and　stature；　and　shapeliness。〃
Then　Helen　wept；　for　many　a　year　had　passed　since　she　had　heard　any
word　of　her　father；　and　daughter；　and　her　brothers；　who　were　dead；
though　she　knew　it　not。　　So　she　stretched　out　her　white　hand；　and
raised　the　beggar；　who　was　kneeling　at　her　feet；　and　bade　him
follow　her　to　her　own　house；　within　the　palace　garden　of　King
Priam。

Helen　walked　forward；　with　a　bower　maiden　at　either　side；　and　the
beggar　crawling　after　her。　　When　she　had　entered　her　house；　Paris
was　not　there；　so　she　ordered　the　bath　to　be　filled　with　warm
water；　and　new　clothes　to　be　brought；　and　she　herself　washed　the
old　beggar　and　anointed　him　with　oil。　　This　appears　very　strange　to
us；　for　though　Saint　Elizabeth　of　Hungary　used　to　wash　and　clothe
beggars；　we　are　surprised　that　Helen　should　do　so；　who　was　not　a
saint。　　But　long　afterwards　she　herself　told　the　son　of　Ulysses；
Telemachus；　that　she　had　washed　his　father　when　he　came　into　Troy
disguised　as　a　beggar　who　had　been　sorely　beaten。

You　must　have　guessed　that　the　beggar　was　Ulysses；　who　had　not　gone
to　Delos　in　his　ship；　but　stolen　back　in　a　boat；　and　appeared
disguised　among　the　Greeks。　　He　did　all　this　to　make　sure　that
nobody　could　recognise　him；　and　he　behaved　so　as　to　deserve　a
whipping　that　he　might　not　be　suspected　as　a　Greek　spy　by　the
Trojans；　but　rather　be　pitied　by　them。　　Certainly　he　deserved　his
name　of　〃the　much…enduring　Ulysses。〃

Meanwhile　he　sat　in　his　bath　and　Helen　washed　his　feet。　　But　when
she　had　done；　and　had　anointed　his　wounds　with　olive　oil；　and　when
she　had　clothed　him　in　a　white　tunic　and　a　purple　mantle；　then　she
opened　her　lips　to　cry　out　with　amazement；　for　she　knew　Ulysses；
but　he　laid　his　finger　on　her　lips；　saying　〃Hush！〃　　Then　she
remembered　how　great　danger　he　was　in；　for　the　Trojans；　if　they
found　him；　would　put　him　to　some　cruel　death；　and　she　sat　down；
trembling　and　weeping；　while　he　watched　her。

〃Oh　thou　strange　one；〃　she　said；　〃how　enduring　is　thy　heart　and　how
cunning　beyond　measure！　　How　hast　thou　borne　to　be　thus　beaten　and
disgraced；　and　to　come　within　the　walls　of　Troy？　　Well　it　is　for
thee　that　Paris；　my　lord；　is　far　from　home；　having　gone　to　guide
Penthesilea；　the　Queen　of　the　warrior　maids　whom　men　call　Amazons；
who　is　on　her　way　to