第 19 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:35      字数:9320
  growthpassing        by   this  way;   mounted      on   a  snow…white      bull;  which
  gallops as swiftly as the wind?〃
  〃We have seen no such wondrous sight;〃 the people would reply; and
  very  often;   taking   Cadmus   aside;   they  whispered   to him;   〃Is   this   stately
  and sad…looking woman your mother? Surely she is not in her right mind;
  and you ought to take her home; and make her comfortable; and do your
  best to get this dream out of her fancy。〃
  〃It is no dream;〃 said Cadmus。 〃Everything else is a dream; save that。〃
  But; one day; Telephassa seemed feebler than usual; and leaned almost
  her  whole   weight   on   the   arm  of   Cadmus;   and   walked   more   slowly  than
  ever before。 At last they  reached   a   solitary  spot;   where   she told   her   son
  that she must needs lie down; and take a good long rest。
  〃A good long rest!〃 she repeated; looking Cadmus tenderly in the face。
  〃A good long rest; thou dearest one!〃
  〃As long as you please; dear mother;〃 answered Cadmus。
  Telephassa bade him sit down on the turf beside her; and then she took
  his hand。
  〃My son;〃 said she; fixing her dim eyes most lovingly upon him; 〃this
  rest that I speak of will be very long indeed! You must not wait till it is
  62
  … Page 63…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  finished。   Dear   Cadmus;   you   do   not   comprehend   me。   You   must   make   a
  grave here; and lay your mother's weary frame into it。 My pilgrimage is
  over。〃
  Cadmus burst into tears; and; for a long time; refused to believe that
  his dear mother was now to be taken from him。 But Telephassa reasoned
  with him; and kissed him; and at length made him discern that it was better
  for   her   spirit   to   pass   away   out   of   the   toil;   the   weariness;   and   grief;   and
  disappointment which had burdened her on earth; ever since the child was
  lost。 He therefore repressed his sorrow; and listened to her last words。
  〃Dearest Cadmus;〃   said she; 〃thou hast been   the truest   son that   ever
  mother had; and faithful to the very last。 Who else would have borne with
  my infirmities as thou hast! It is owing to thy care; thou tenderest child;
  that   my   grave   was   not   dug   long   years   ago;   in   some   valley;   or   on   some
  hillside;   that   lies   far;   far   behind   us。   It   is   enough。  Thou   shalt   wander   no
  more on this hopeless search。 But; when thou hast laid thy mother in the
  earth; then go; my son; to Delphi; and inquire of the oracle what thou shalt
  do next。〃
  〃O   mother;   mother;〃   cried   Cadmus;   〃couldst   thou   but   have   seen   my
  sister before this hour!〃
  〃It   matters   little   now;〃   answered   Telephassa;   and   there   was   a   smile
  upon her face。 〃I go now to the better world; and; sooner or later; shall find
  my daughter there。〃
  I will not sadden   you; my  little hearers;  with telling how Telephassa
  died and was buried; but will only say; that her dying smile grew brighter;
  instead   of   vanishing   from  her   dead   face;   so   that   Cadmus   left   convinced
  that; at her very first step into the better world; she had caught Europa in
  her arms。 He planted some flowers on his mother's grave; and left them to
  grow there; and make the place beautiful; when he should be far away。
  After performing this last sorrowful duty; he set forth alone; and took
  the road towards the famous oracle of Delphi; as Telephassa had advised
  him。   On   his   way   thither;   he   still   inquired   of   most   people   whom   he   met
  whether they had seen Europa; for; to say the truth; Cadmus had grown so
  accustomed   to   ask   the   question;   that   it   came   to   his   lips   as   readily   as   a
  remark   about   the   weather。   He   received   various   answers。   Some   told   him
  63
  … Page 64…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  one   thing;   and   some   another。 Among   the   rest;   a   mariner   affirmed;   that;
  many   years   before;   in   a   distant   country;   he   had   heard   a   rumor   about   a
  white bull; which came swimming across the sea with a child on his back;
  dressed up in flowers that were blighted by the sea water。 He did not know
  what had become of the child or the bull; and Cadmus suspected; indeed;
  by a queer twinkle in the mariner's eyes; that he was putting a joke upon
  him; and had never really heard anything about the matter。
  Poor Cadmus found it more wearisome to travel alone than to bear all
  his dear mother's weight; while she had kept him company。 His heart; you
  will understand; was now so heavy that it seemed impossible; sometimes;
  to   carry   it   any   farther。   But   his   limbs   were   strong   and   active;   and   well
  accustomed to exercise。 He walked swiftly along; thinking of King Agenor
  and   Queen   Telephassa;   and   his   brothers;   and   the   friendly  Thasus;   all   of
  whom he had left behind him; at one point of his pilgrimage or another;
  and never expected to see them any more。 Full of these remembrances; he
  came within sight of a lofty mountain; which the people thereabouts told
  him   was   called   Parnassus。      On   the   slope   of  Mount   Parnassus   was       the
  famous Delphi; whither Cadmus was going。
  This Delphi was supposed to be the very midmost spot of the whole
  world。 The place of the oracle was a certain cavity in the mountain side;
  over    which;     when    Cadmus      came    thither;   he  found    a   rude   bower    of
  branches。   It   reminded   him   of   those   which   he   had   helped   to   build   for
  Phoenix      and   Cilix;   and   afterwards     for   Thasus。    In  later   times;   when
  multitudes   of   people   came   from   great   distances   to   put   questions   to   the
  oracle; a spacious temple of marble was erected over the spot。 But in the
  days of Cadmus; as I have told you; there was only this rustic bower; with
  its abundance of green foliage; and a tuft of shrubbery; that ran wild over
  the mysterious hole in the hillside。
  When Cadmus had thrust a passage through the tangled boughs; and
  made   his   way  into   the   bower;  he did not   at   first discern the   half…hidden
  cavity。 But soon he felt a cold stream of air rushing out of it; with so much
  force that it shook the ringlets on his cheek。 Pulling away the shrubbery
  which clustered over the hole; he bent forward; and spoke in a distinct but
  reverential   tone;   as   if   addressing   some   unseen   personage   inside   of   the
  64
  … Page 65…
  TANGLEWOOD TALES
  mountain。
  〃Sacred oracle of Delphi;〃 said he; 〃whither shall I go next in quest of
  my dear sister Europa?〃
  There was at first a deep silence; and then a rushing sound; or a noise
  like   a  long sigh;   proceeding out   of   the  interior  of   the  earth。 This   cavity;
  you   must   know;   was   looked   upon   as   a   sort   of   fountain   of   truth;   which
  sometimes gushed out in audible words; although; for the most part; these
  words   were   such   a   riddle   that   they   might   just   as   well   have   staid   at   the
  bottom of the hole。 But Cadmus was more fortunate than many others who
  went to Delphi in search of truth。 By and by; the rushing noise began to
  sound     like   articulate   language。    It  repeated;    over   and   over   again;   the
  following   sentence;   which;   after   all;   was   so   like   the   vague   whistle   of   a
  blast   of   air;   that   Cadmus   really   did   not   quite   know   whether   it   meant
  anything or not:
  〃Seek her no more! Seek her no more! Seek her no more!〃
  〃What; then; shall I do?〃 asked Cadmus。
  For; ever since he was a child; you know; it had been the great object
  of his life to find his sister。 From the very hour that he left following the
  butterfly in the meadow; near his father's palace; he had done his best to
  follow Europa; over land and sea。 And now; if he must give up the search;
  he seemed to have no more business in the world。
  But   again   the   sighing   gust   of   air   grew   into   something   like   a   hoarse
  voice。
  〃Follow the cow!〃 it said。 〃Follow the cow! Follow the cow!〃
  And when these words had been repeated until Cadmus was tired of
  hearing them (especially as he could not imagine what cow it was; or why
  he was to follow her); the gusty hole gave vent to another sentence。
  〃Where the stray cow lies down; there is your home。〃
  These words were pronounced but a single time; and died away into a
  whisper before Cadmus was fully satisfied that he had caught the meaning。