第 21 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:35      字数:9321
  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。〃
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  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
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  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;
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  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