第 3 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:35      字数:9322
  himself quite out of breath; without being able to stir the heavy stone。 It
  seemed to be rooted into the ground。 No wonder he could not move it; for
  it would have taken all the force of a very strong man to lift it out of its
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  earthy bed。
  His mother stood looking on; with a sad kind of a smile on her lips and
  in her eyes; to see the zealous and yet puny efforts of her little boy。 She
  could   not   help   being   sorrowful   at   finding   him   already   so   impatient   to
  begin his adventures in the world。
  〃You see how it is; my dear Theseus;〃 said she。 〃You must possess far
  more  strength   than   now   before   I   can   trust   you   to   go   to Athens;   and   tell
  King Aegeus   that   you   are   his   son。   But   when   you   can   lift   this   rock;   and
  show   me   what   is   hidden   beneath   it;   I   promise   you   my   permission   to
  depart。〃
  Often and often; after this; did Theseus ask his mother whether it was
  yet time for him to go to Athens; and still his mother pointed to the rock;
  and   told   him   that;   for   years   to   come;   he   could   not   be   strong   enough   to
  move   it。   And   again   and   again   the   rosy…checked   and   curly…headed   boy
  would tug and strain at the huge mass of stone; striving; child as he was; to
  do what a giant could hardly have done without taking both of his great
  hands to   the task。   Meanwhile   the   rock seemed   to be sinking   farther   and
  farther into the ground。 The moss grew over it thicker and thicker; until at
  last it looked almost like a soft green seat; with only a few gray knobs of
  granite peeping out。 The overhanging trees; also; shed their brown leaves
  upon It; as often as the autumn came; and at its base grew ferns and wild
  flowers; some of which crept quite over its surface。 To all appearance; the
  rock was as firmly fastened as any other portion of the earth's substance。
  But; difficult as the matter looked; Theseus was now growing up to be
  such a vigorous   youth; that; in his own opinion;  the time would   quickly
  come when he might hope to get the upper hand of this ponderous lump of
  stone。
  〃Mother; I do believe it has started!〃 cried he; after one of his attempts。
  〃The earth around it is certainly a little cracked!〃
  〃No;  no;  child!〃   his   mother   hastily  answered。 〃It is not possible   you
  can have moved it; such a boy as you still are!〃
  Nor would she be convinced; although Theseus showed her the place
  where he fancied that the stem of a flower had been partly uprooted by the
  movement of the rock。 But Aethra sighed; and looked disquieted; for; no
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  doubt; she began to be conscious that her son was no longer a child; and
  that; in a little while hence; she must send him forth among the perils and
  troubles of the world。
  It was not more than a year afterwards when they were again sitting on
  the moss…covered stone。 Aethra had once more told him the oft…repeated
  story of his father; and how gladly he would receive Theseus at his stately
  palace; and how he would present him to his courtiers and the people; and
  tell   them   that   here   was   the   heir   of   his   dominions。   The   eyes   of   Theseus
  glowed with enthusiasm; and he would hardly sit still to hear his mother
  speak。
  〃Dear   mother Aethra;〃   he   exclaimed;   〃I   never   felt   half   so   strong   as
  now! I am no longer a child; nor a boy; nor a mere youth! I feel myself a
  man! It is now time to make one earnest trial to remove the stone。〃
  〃Ah; my dearest Theseus;〃 replied his mother 〃not yet! not yet!〃
  〃Yes; mother;〃 said he; resolutely; 〃the time has come!〃
  Then   Theseus   bent   himself   in   good   earnest   to   the   task;   and   strained
  every sinew; with manly strength and resolution。 He put his whole brave
  heart into the effort。 He wrestled with the big and sluggish stone; as if it
  had been a living enemy。 He heaved; he lifted; he resolved now to succeed;
  or else to perish there; and let the rock be his monument forever! Aethra
  stood gazing at him; and clasped her hands; partly with a mother's pride;
  and partly with a mother's sorrow。 The great rock stirred! Yes; it was raised
  slowly from the bedded moss and earth; uprooting the shrubs and flowers
  along with it; and was turned upon its side。 Theseus had conquered!
  While taking breath; he looked joyfully at his mother; and she smiled
  upon him through her tears。
  〃Yes; Theseus;〃   she   said;  〃the   time   has   come;   and   you   must   stay  no
  longer at my side! See what King Aegeus; your royal father; left for you
  beneath the stone; when he lifted it in his mighty arms; and laid it on the
  spot whence you have now removed it。〃
  Theseus looked; and saw that the rock had been placed over another
  slab of stone; containing a cavity within it; so that it somewhat resembled
  a roughly…made chest or coffer; of which the upper mass had served as the
  lid。 Within the cavity lay a sword; with a golden hilt; and a pair of sandals。
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  〃That    was    your   father's   sword;〃    said  Aethra;    〃and    those   were   his
  sandals。 When he went to be king of Athens; he bade me treat you as   a
  child   until   you   should   prove   yourself   a  man   by  lifting   this   heavy  stone。
  That task being accomplished; you are to put on his sandals; in order to
  follow in your father's footsteps; and to gird on his sword; so that you may
  fight giants and dragons; as King Aegeus did in his youth。〃
  〃I will set out for Athens this very day!〃 cried Theseus。
  But his mother persuaded him to stay a day or two longer; while she
  got ready some necessary articles for his journey。 When his grandfather;
  the wise King Pittheus; heard that Theseus intended to present himself at
  his father's palace; he earnestly advised him to get on board of a vessel;
  and go by sea; because he might thus arrive within fifteen miles of Athens;
  without either fatigue or danger。
  〃The roads are very bad by land;〃 quoth the venerable king; 〃and they
  are terribly infested with robbers and monsters。 A mere lad; like Theseus;
  is not fit to be trusted on such a perilous journey; all by himself。 No; no;
  let him go by sea。〃
  But when Theseus heard of   robbers   and   monsters; he   pricked   up   his
  ears; and was so much the more eager to take the road along which they
  were   to   be   met   with。   On   the   third   day;   therefore;   he   bade   a   respectful
  farewell   to   his   grandfather;   thanking   him  for   all   his   kindness;   and;   after
  affectionately embracing his mother; he set forth with a good many of her
  tears glistening on his cheeks; and some; if the truth must be told; that had
  gushed out of   his own   eyes。  But   he let   the sun   and   wind   dry  them;  and
  walked stoutly on; playing with the golden hilt of his sword; and taking
  very manly strides in his father's sandals。
  I   cannot   stop   to   tell  you  hardly   any   of  the   adventures     that  befell
  Theseus on the road to Athens。 It is enough to say; that he quite cleared
  that part of the country of the robbers about whom King Pittheus had been
  so much alarmed。 One of these bad people was named Procrustes; and he
  was indeed a terrible fellow; and had   an ugly way of   making fun of   the
  poor travelers who happened to fall into his clutches。 In his cavern he had
  a bed; on which; with great pretense of hospitality; he invited his guests to
  lie   down;   but;   if   they   happened   to   be   shorter   than   the   bed;   this   wicked
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  villain   stretched   them   out   by   main   force;   or;   if   they   were   too   tall;   he
  lopped   off   their   heads   or   feet;   and   laughed   at   what   he   had   done;   as   an
  excellent joke。 Thus; however weary a man might be; he never liked to lie
  in   the   bed   of   Procrustes。 Another   of   these   robbers;   named   Scinis;   must
  likewise have been a very great scoundrel。 He was in the habit of flinging
  his victims off a high cliff into the sea; and; in order to give him exactly
  his deserts; Theseus tossed him off the very same place。 But if you will
  believe me; the sea would not pollute itself by receiving such a bad person
  into    its  bosom;    neither   would     the  earth;   having    once   got   rid  of  him;
  consent   to   take   him   b