tanglewood tales-第14章

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　sheltered　vale；　or　flowery　meadow；　on　the　shore　of　a　calm　lake；　or　along　the　bank　of　a　clear　stream；　Cadmus　looked　eagerly　around　to　see　if　the　situation　would　suit　him　for　a　home。　But　still；　whether　he　liked　the　place　or　no；　the　brindled　cow　never　offered　to　lie　down。　On　she　went　at　the　quiet　pace　of　a　cow　going　homeward　to　the　barn　yard；　and；　every　moment；　Cadmus　expected　to　see　a　milkmaid　approaching　with　a　pail；　or　a　herdsman　running　to　head　the　stray　animal；　and　turn　her　back　towards　the　pasture。　But　no　milkmaid　came；　no　herdsman　drove　her　back；　and　Cadmus　followed　the　stray　Brindle　till　he　was　almost　ready　to　drop　down　with　fatigue。

〃O　brindled　cow；〃　cried　he；　in　a　tone　of　despair；　〃do　you　never　mean　to　stop？〃

He　had　now　grown　too　intent　on　following　her　to　think　of　lagging　behind；　however　long　the　way；　and　whatever　might　be　his　fatigue。　Indeed；　it　seemed　as　if　there　were　something　about　the　animal　that　bewitched　people。　Several　persons　who　happened　to　see　the　brindled　cow；　and　Cadmus　following　behind；　began　to　trudge　after　her；　precisely　as　he　did。　Cadmus　was　glad　of　somebody　to　converse　with；　and　therefore　talked　very　freely　to　these　good　people。　He　told　them　all　his　adventures；　and　how　he　had　left　King　Agenor　in　his　palace；　and　Phoenix　at　one　place；　and　Cilix　at　another；　and　Thasus　at　a　third；　and　his　dear　mother；　Queen　Telephassa；　under　a　flowery　sod；　so　that　now　he　was　quite　alone；　both　friendless　and　homeless。　He　mentioned；　likewise；　that　the　oracle　had　bidden　him　be　guided　by　a　cow；　and　inquired　of　the　strangers　whether　they　supposed　that　this　brindled　animal　could　be　the　one。

〃Why；　'tis　a　very　wonderful　affair；〃　answered　one　of　his　new　companions。　〃I　am　pretty　well　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　cattle；　and　I　never　knew　a　cow；　of　her　own　accord；　to　go　so　far　without　stopping。　If　my　legs　will　let　me；　I'll　never　leave　following　the　beast　till　she　lies　down。〃

〃Nor　I！〃　said　a　second。

〃Nor　I！〃　cried　a　third。　〃If　she　goes　a　hundred　miles　farther；　I　am　determined　to　see　the　end　of　it。〃

The　secret　of　it　was；　you　must　know；　that　the　cow　was　an　enchanted　cow；　and　that；　without　their　being　conscious　of　it；　she　threw　some　of　her　enchantment　over　everybody　that　took　so　much　as　half　a　dozen　steps　behind　her。　They　could　not　possibly　help　following　her；　though　all　the　time　they　fancied　themselves　doing　it　of　their　own　accord。　The　cow　was　by　no　means　very　nice　in　choosing　her　path；　so　that　sometimes　they　had　to　scramble　over　rocks；　or　wade　through　mud　and　mire；　and　all　in　a　terribly　bedraggled　condition；　and　tired　to　death；　and　very　hungry；　into　the　bargain。　What　a　weary　business　it　was！

But　still　they　kept　trudging　stoutly　forward；　and　talking　as　they　went。　The　strangers　grew　very　fond　of　Cadmus；　and　resolved　never　to　leave　him；　but　to　help　him　build　a　city　wherever　the　cow　might　lie　down。　In　the　center　of　it　there　should　be　a　noble　palace；　in　which　Cadmus　might　dwell；　and　be　their　king；　with　a　throne；　a　crown；　a　sceptre；　a　purple　robe；　and　everything　else　that　a　king　ought　to　have；　for　in　him　there　was　the　royal　blood；　and　the　royal　heart；　and　the　head　that　knew　how　to　rule。

While　they　were　talking　of　these　schemes；　and　beguiling　the　tediousness　of　the　way　with　laying　out　the　plan　of　the　new　city；　one　of　the　company　happened　to　look　at　the　cow。

〃Joy！　joy！〃　cried　he；　clapping　his　hands。　〃Brindle　is　going　to　lie　down。〃

They　all　looked；　and；　sure　enough；　the　cow　had　stopped；　and　was　staring　leisurely　about　her；　as　other　cows　do　when　on　the　point　of　lying　down。　And　slowly；　slowly　did　she　recline　herself　on　the　soft　grass；　first　bending　her　forelegs；　and　then　crouching　her　hind　ones。　When　Cadmus　and　his　companions　came　up　with　her；　there　was　the　brindled　cow　taking　her　ease；　chewing　her　cud；　and　looking　them　quietly　in　the　face；　as　if　this　was　just　the　spot　she　had　been　seeking　for；　and　as　if　it　were　all　a　matter　of　course。

〃This；　then；〃　said　Cadmus；　gazing　around　him；　〃this　is　to　be　my　home。〃

It　was　a　fertile　and　lovely　plain；　with　great　trees　flinging　their　sun…speckled　shadows　over　it；　and　hills　fencing　it　in　from　the　rough　weather　At　no　great　distance；　they　beheld　a　river　gleaming　in　the　sunshine。　A　home　feeling　stole　into　the　heart　of　poor　Cadmus。　He　was　very　glad　to　know　that　here　he　might　awake　in　the　morning　without　the　necessity　of　putting　on　his　dusty　sandals　to　travel　farther　and　farther。　The　days　and　the　years　would　pass　over　him；　and　find　him　still　in　this　pleasant　spot。　If　he　could　have　had　his　brothers　with　him；　and　his　friend　Thasus；　and　could　have　seen　his　dear　mother　under　a　roof　of　his　own；　he　might　here　have　been　happy　after　all　their　disappointments。　Some　day　or　other；　too；　his　sister　Europa　might　have　come　quietly　to　the　door　of　his　home；　and　smiled　round　upon　the　familiar　faces。　But；　indeed；　since　there　was　no　hope　of　regaining　the　friends　of　his　boyhood；　or　ever　seeing　his　dear　sister　again；　Cadmus　resolved　to　make　himself　happy　with　these　new　companions；　who　had　grown　so　fond　of　him　while　following　the　cow。

〃Yes；　my　friends；〃　said　he　to　them；　〃this　is　to　be　our　home。　Here　we　will　build　our　habitations。　The　brindled　cow；　which　has　led　us　hither；　will　supply　us　with　milk。　We　will　cultivate　the　neighboring　soil。　and　lead　an　innocent　and　happy　life。〃

His　companions　joyfully　assented　to　this　plan；　and；　in　the　first　place；　being　very　hungry　and　thirsty；　they　looked　about　them　for　the　means　of　providing　a　comfortable　meal。　Not　far　off　they　saw　a　tuft　of　trees；　which　appeared　as　if　there　might　be　a　spring　of　water　beneath　them。　They　went　thither　to　fetch　some；　leaving　Cadmus　stretched　on　the　ground　along　with　the　brindled　cow；　for；　now　that　he　had　found　a　place　of　rest；　it　seemed　as　if　all　the　weariness　of　his　pilgrimage；　ever　since　he　left　King　Agenor's　palace；　had　fallen　upon　him　at　once。　But　his　new　friends　had　not　long　been　gone；　when　he　was　suddenly　startled　by　cries；　shouts；　and　screams；　and　the　noise　of　a　terrible　struggle；　and　in　the　midst　of　it　all；　a　most　awful　hissing；　which　went　right　through　his　ears　like　a　rough　saw。

Running　towards　the　tuft　of　trees；　he　beheld　the　head　and　fiery　eyes　of　an　immense　serpent　or　dragon；　with　the　widest　jaws　that　ever　a　dragon　had；　and　a　vast　many　rows　of　horribly　sharp　teeth。　Before　Cadmus　could　reach　the　spot；　this　pitiless　reptile　had　killed　his　poor　companions；　and　was　busily　devouring　them；　making　but　a　mouthful　of　each　man。

It　appears　that　the　fountain　of　water　was　enchanted；　and　that　the　dragon　had　been　set　to　guard　it；　so　that　no　mortal　might　ever　quench　his　thirst　there。　As　the　neighboring　inhabitants　carefully　avoided　the　spot；　it　was　now　a　long　time　（not　less　than　a　hundred　years　or　thereabouts）　since　the　monster　had　broken　his　fast；　and；　as　was　natural　enough；　his　appetite　had　grown　to　be　enormous；　and　was　not　half　satisfied　by　the　poor　people　whom　he　had　just　eaten　up。　When　he　caught　sight　of　Cadmus；　therefore；　he　set　up　another　abominable　hiss；　and　flung　back　his　immense　jaws；　until　his　mouth　looked　like　a　great　red　cavern；　at　the　farther　end　of　which　were　seen　the　legs　of　his　last　victim；　whom　he　had　hardly　had　time　to　swallow。

But　Cadmus　was　so　enraged　at　the　destruction　of　his　friends　that　he　cared　neither　for　the　size　of　the　dragon's　jaws　nor　for　his　hundreds　of　sharp　teeth。　Drawing　his　sword；　he　rushed　at　the　monster；　and　flung　himself　right　into　his　cavernous　mouth。　This　bold　method　of　attacking　him　took　the　dragon　by　surprise；　for；　in　fact；　Cadmus　had　leaped　so　far　down　into　his　throat；　that　the　rows　of　terrible　teeth　could　not　close　upon　him；　nor　do　him　the　least　harm　in　the　world。　Thus；　though　the　struggle　was　a　tremendous　one；　and　though　the　dragon　shattered　the　tuft　of　trees　into　small　splinters　by　the　lashing　of　his　tail；　yet；　as　Cadmus　was　all　the　while　slashing　and　stabbing　at　his　very　vitals；　it　was　not　long　before　the　scaly　wretch　bethought　himself　of　slipping　away。　He　had　not　gone　his　length；　however；　when　the　brave　Cadmus　gave　him　a　sword　thrust　that　finished　the　battle；　and　creeping　out　of　the　gateway　of　the　creature's　jaws；　there　he　beheld　him　still　wriggling　his　vast　bulk；　although　there　was　no　longer　life　enough　in　him　to　harm　a　little　child。

But　do　not　you　suppose　that　it　made　Cadmus　sorrowful　to　think　of　the　melancholy　fate　which　had　befallen　those　poor；　friendly　people；　who　had　followed　the　cow　along　with　him？　It　seemed　as　if　he　were　doomed　to　lose　everybody　whom　he　loved；　or　to　see　them　perish　in　one　way　or　another。　And　here　he　was；　after　all　his　toils　and　troubles；　in　a　solitary　place；　with　not　a　single　human　being　to　help　him　build　a　hut。

〃What　shall　I　do？〃　cried　he　aloud。　〃It　were　better　for　me　to　have　been　devoured　by　the　dragon；　as　my　poor　companions　were。〃

〃Cadmus；〃　said　a　voice　but　whether　it　came　from　above　or　below　him；　or　whether　it　spoke　within　his　own　breast；　the　young　man　could　not　tell〃Cadmus；　pluck　out　the　dragon's　teeth；　and　plant　them　in　the　earth。〃

This　was　a　strange　thing　to　do；　nor　was　it　very　easy；　I　should　imagine；　to　dig　out　all　those　deep…rooted　fangs　from　the　dead　dragon's　jaws。　But　Cadmus　toiled　and　tugged；　and　after　pounding　the　monstrous　head　almost　to　pieces　with　a　great　stone；　he　at　last　collected　as　many　teeth　as　might　have　filled　a　bushel　or　two。　The　next　thing　was　to　plant　them。　This；　likewise；　was　a　tedious　piece　of　work；　especially　as　Cadmus　was　already　exhausted　with　killing　the　dragon　and　knocking　his　head　to　pieces；　and　had　nothing　to　dig　the　earth　with；　that　I　know　of；　unless　it　were　his　sword　blade。　Finally；　however；　a　sufficiently　large　tract　o？ground　was　turned　up；　and　sown　with　this　new　kind　of　seed；　although　half　of　the　dragon's　teeth　still　remained　to　be　planted　some　other　day。

Cadmus；　quite　out　of　breath；　stood　leaning　upon　his　sword；　and　wondering　what　was　to　happen　next。　He　had　waited　but　a　few　moments；　when　he　began　to　see　a　sight；　which　was　as　great　a　marvel　as　the　most　marvelous　thing　I　ever　told　you　about。

The　sun　was　shining　slantwise　over　the　field；　and　showed　all　the　moist；　dark　soil　just　like　any　other　newly…planted　piece　of　ground。　All　at　once；　Cadmus　fancied　he　saw　something　glisten　very　brightly；　first　at　one　spot；　then　at　another；　and　then　at　a　hundred　and　a　thousand　spots　together。　Soon　he　perceived　them　to　be　the　steel　heads　of　spears；　sprouting　up　everywhere　like　so　many　stalks　of　grain；　and　continually　growing　taller　and　taller。　Next　appeared　a　vast　number　of　bright　sword　blades；　thrusting　themselves　up　in　the　same　way。　A　moment　afterwards；　the　whole　surface　of　the　ground　was　broken　by　a　multitude　of　polished　brass　helmets；　coming　up　like　a　crop　of　enormous　beans。　So　rapidly　did　they　grow；　that　Cadmus　now　discerned　the　fierce　countenance　of　a　man　beneath　every　one。　In　short；　before　he　had　time　to　think　what　a　wonderful　affair　it　was；　he　beheld　an　abundant　harvest　of　what　looked　like　human　beings；　armed　with　helmets　and　breastplates；　shields；　swords；　and　spears；　and　before　they　were　well　out　of　the　earth；　they　brandished　their　weapons；　and　clashed　them　one　against　another；　seeming　to　think；　little　while　as　they　had　yet　lived；　that　they　had　wasted　too　much　of　life　without　a　battle。　Every　tooth　of　the　dragon　had　produced　one　of　these　sons　of　deadly　mischief。

Up　sprouted　also　a　great　many　trumpeters；　and　with　the　first　breath