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What should it be but the most magnificent palace that had ever been seen in the world。 It was built of marble and other beautiful kinds of stone; and rose high into the air; with a splendid dome and a portico along the front; and carved pillars; and everything else that befitted the habitation of a mighty king。 It had grown up out of the earth in almost as short a time as it had taken the armed host to spring from the dragon's teeth; and what made the matter more strange; no seed of this stately edifice ever had been planted。
When the five workmen beheld the dome; with the morning sunshine making it look golden and glorious; they gave a great shout。
〃Long live King Cadmus;〃 they cried; 〃in his beautiful palace。〃
And the new king; with his five faithful followers at his heels; shouldering their pickaxes and marching in a rank (for they still had a soldier…like sort of behavior; as their nature was); ascended the palace steps。 Halting at the entrance; they gazed through a long vista of lofty pillars; that were ranged from end to end of a great hall。 At the farther extremity of this hall; approaching slowly towards him; Cadmus beheld a female figure; wonderfully beautiful; and adorned with a royal robe; and a crown of diamonds over her golden ringlets; and the richest necklace that ever a queen wore。 His heart thrilled with delight。 He fancied it his long…lost sister Europa; now grown to womanhood; coming to make him happy; and to repay him with her sweet sisterly affection; for all those weary wonderings in quest of her since he left King Agenor's palacefor the tears that he had shed; on parting with Phoenix; and Cilix; and Thasusfor the heart…breakings that had made the whole world seem dismal to him over his dear mother's grave。
But; as Cadmus advanced to meet the beautiful stranger; he saw that her features were unknown to him; although; in the little time that it required to tread along the hall; he had already felt a sympathy betwixt himself and her。
〃No; Cadmus;〃 said the same voice that had spoken to him in the field of the armed men; 〃this is not that dear sister Europa whom you have sought so faithfully all over the wide world。 This is Harmonia; a daughter of the sky; who is given you instead of sister; and brothers; and friend; and mother。 You will find all those dear ones in her alone。〃
So King Cadmus dwelt in the palace; with his new friend Harmonia; and found a great deal of comfort in his magnificent abode; but would doubtless have found as much; if not more; in the humblest cottage by the wayside。 Before many years went by; there was a group of rosy little children (but how they came thither has always been a mystery to me) sporting in the great hall; and on the marble steps of the palace; and running joyfully to meet King Cadmus when affairs of state left him at leisure to play with them。 They called him father; and Queen Harmonia mother。 The five old soldiers of the dragon's teeth grew very fond of these small urchins; and were never weary of showing them how to shoulder sticks; flourish wooden swords; and march in military order; blowing a penny trumpet; or beating an abominable rub…a…dub upon a little drum。
But King Cadmus; lest there should be too much of the dragon's tooth in his children's disposition; used to find time from his kingly duties to teach them their A B Cwhich he invented for their benefit; and for which many little people; I am afraid; are not half so grateful to him as they ought to be。
CIRCE'S PALACE。
Some of you have heard; no doubt; of the wise King Ulysses; and how he went to the siege of Troy; and how; after that famous city was taken and burned; he spent ten long years in trying to get back again to his own little kingdom of Ithaca。 At one time in the course of this weary voyage; he arrived at an island that looked very green and pleasant; but the name of which was unknown to him。 For; only a little while before he came thither; he had met with a terrible hurricane; or rather a great many hurricanes at once; which drove his fleet of vessels into a strange part of the sea; where neither himself nor any of his mariners had ever sailed。 This misfortune was entirely owing to the foolish curiosity of his shipmates; who; while Ulysses lay asleep; had untied some very bulky leathern bags; in which they supposed a valuable treasure to be concealed。 But in each of these stout bags; King Aeolus; the ruler of the winds; had tied up a tempest; and had given it to Ulysses to keep in order that he might be sure of a favorable passage homeward to Ithaca; and when the strings were loosened; forth rushed the whistling blasts; like air out of a blown bladder; whitening the sea with foam; and scattering the vessels nobody could tell whither。
Immediately after escaping from this peril; a still greater one had befallen him。 Scudding before the hurricane; he reached a place; which; as he afterwards found; was called Laestrygonia; where some monstrous giants had eaten up many of his companions; and had sunk every one of his vessels; except that in which he himself sailed; by flinging great masses of rock at them; from the cliffs along the shore。 After going through such troubles as these; you cannot wonder that King Ulysses was glad to moor his tempest…beaten bark in a quiet cove of the green island; which I began with telling you about。 But he had encountered so many dangers from giants; and one…eyed Cyclops; and monsters of the sea and land; that he could not help dreading some mischief; even in this pleasant and seemingly solitary spot。 For two days; therefore; the poor weather…worn voyagers kept quiet; and either staid on board of their vessel; or merely crept along under the cliffs that bordered the shore; and to keep themselves alive; they dug shellfish out of the sand; and sought for any little rill of fresh water that might be running towards the sea。
Before the two days were spent; they grew very weary of this kind of life; for the followers of King Ulysses; as you will find it important to remember; were terrible gormandizers; and pretty sure to grumble if they missed their regulars meals; and their irregular ones besides。 Their stock of provisions was quite exhausted; and even the shellfish began to get scarce; so that they had now to choose between starving to death or venturing into the interior of the island; where perhaps some huge three…headed dragon; or other horrible monster; had his den。 Such misshapen creatures were very numerous in those days; and nobody ever expected to make a voyage; or take a journey; without running more or less risk of being devoured by them。
But King Ulysses was a bold man as well as a prudent one; and on the third morning he determined to discover what sort of a place the island was; and whether it were possible to obtain a supply of food for the hungry mouths of his companions。 So; taking a spear in his hand; he clambered to the summit of a cliff; and gazed round about him。 At a distance; towards the center of the island; he beheld the stately towers of what seemed to be a palace; built of snow…white marble; and rising in the midst of a grove of lofty trees。 The thick branches of these trees stretched across the front of the edifice; and more than half concealed it; although; from the portion which he saw; Ulysses judged it to be spacious and exceedingly beautiful; and probably the residence of some great nobleman or prince。 A blue smoke went curling up from the chimney; and was almost the pleasantest part of the spectacle to Ulysses。 For; from the abundance of this smoke; it was reasonable to conclude that there was a good fire in the kitchen; and that; at dinner…time; a plentiful banquet would be served up to the inhabitants of the palace; and to whatever guests might happen to drop in。
With so agreeable a prospect before him; Ulysses fancied that he could not do better than go straight to the palace gate; and tell the master of it that there was a crew of poor shipwrecked mariners; not far off; who had eaten nothing for a day or two; save a few clams and oysters; and would therefore be thankful for a little food。 And the prince or nobleman must be a very stingy curmudgeon; to be sure; if; at least; when his own dinner w