第 31 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:36      字数:9322
  of men; and   pretending to human   sympathies; while their hearts had   the
  blood…   thirstiness   of   wild   beasts。   So   he   let   them   howl   as   much   as   they
  liked; but never troubled his head about them。 And; when everything was
  settled according to his pleasure; he sent to summon the remainder of his
  comrades; whom he had left at the sea…shore。 These being arrived; with the
  prudent Eurylochus at their head; they all made themselves comfortable in
  Circe's   enchanted   palace;   until   quite   rested   and   refreshed   from   the   toils
  and hardships of their voyage。
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  THE POMEGRANATE SEEDS。
  Mother  Ceres   was   exceedingly  fond of   her  daughter   Proserpina;   and
  seldom let her go alone into the fields。 But; just at the time when my story
  begins; the good lady was very busy; because she had the care of the wheat;
  and the Indian corn; and the rye and barley and; in short; of the crops of
  every    kind;   all  over   the  earth;  and   as  the   season   had   thus   far  been
  uncommonly backward; it was necessary to make the harvest ripen more
  speedily than usual。 So she put on her turban; made of poppies (a kind of
  flower   which   she   was   always   noted   for   wearing);   and   got   into   her   car
  drawn by a pair of winged dragons; and was just ready to set off。
  〃Dear mother;〃 said Proserpina; 〃I shall be very lonely while you are
  away。 May I not run down to the shore; and ask some of the sea nymphs to
  come up out of the waves and play with me?〃
  〃Yes;    child;〃  answered     Mother    Ceres。   〃The    sea  nymphs     are  good
  creatures; and will never lead you into any harm。 But you must take care
  not   to  stray   away    from   them;   nor   go  wandering      about   the  fields  by
  yourself。 Young girls; without their mothers to take care of them; are very
  apt to get into mischief。〃
  The child promised to be as prudent as if she were a grown…up woman;
  and; by the time the winged dragons had whirled the car out of sight; she
  was already on the shore; calling to the sea nymphs to come and play with
  her。   They   knew   Proserpina's   voice;   and   were   not   long   in   showing   their
  glistening faces and sea…green hair above the water; at the bottom of which
  was   their   home。   They   brought   along   with   them   a   great   many   beautiful
  shells; and sitting down on the moist sand; where the surf wave broke over
  them;   they   busied   themselves   in   making   a   necklace;   which   they   hung
  round     Proserpina's    neck。   By   way   of  showing     her  gratitude;   the  child
  besought them to go with her a little way into the fields; so that they might
  gather abundance of flowers; with which she would make each of her kind
  playmates a wreath。
  〃O no; dear Proserpina;〃 cried the sea nymphs; 〃we dare not go with
  you upon the dry land。 We are apt to grow faint; unless at every breath we
  can snuff up the salt breeze of the ocean。 And don't you see how careful
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  we are to let the surf wave break over us every moment or two; so as to
  keep ourselves comfortably moist? If it were not for that; we should look
  like bunches of uprooted seaweed dried in the sun。
  〃It is a great pity;〃 said Proserpina。 〃But do you wait for me here; and I
  will run and gather my apron full of flowers; and be back again before the
  surf wave has broken ten times over you。 I long to make you some wreaths
  that shall be as lovely as this necklace of many colored shells。〃
  〃We   will   wait;   then;〃   answered   the   sea   nymphs。   〃But   while   you   are
  gone; we may as well lie down on a bank of soft sponge under the water。
  The air to…day is a little too dry for our comfort。 But we will pop up our
  heads every few minutes to see if you are coming。〃
  The young Proserpina ran quickly to a spot where; only the day before;
  she had seen a great many flowers。 These; however; were now a little past
  their   bloom;   and   wishing   to   give   her   friends   the   freshest   and   loveliest
  blossoms; she strayed farther into the fields; and found some that made her
  scream      with   delight。    Never    had   she   met    with   such    exquisite    flowers
  beforeviolets   so   large   and   fragrantroses   with   so   rich   and   delicate   a
  blushsuch superb hyacinths and such aromatic pinksand many others;
  some of which seemed to be of new shapes and colors。 Two or three times;
  moreover; she could not help thinking that a tuft of most splendid flowers
  had   suddenly   sprouted   out   of   the   earth   before   her   very   eyes;   as   if   on
  purpose to tempt her a few steps farther。 Proserpina's apron was soon filled;
  and   brimming   over   with   delightful   blossoms。   She   was   on   the   point   of
  turning back in order to rejoin the sea nymphs; and sit with them on the
  moist   sands;   all   twining   wreaths   together。   But;   a   little   farther   on;   what
  should she behold? It was a large shrub; completely covered with the most
  magnificent flowers in the world。
  〃The   darlings!〃   cried   Proserpina;   and   then   she   thought   to   herself;   〃I
  was looking at that spot only a moment ago。 How strange it is that I did
  not see the flowers!〃
  The   nearer   she   approached   the   shrub;   the   more   attractive   it   looked;
  until she came quite close to it; and then; although its beauty was richer
  than   words   can   tell;   she   hardly   knew   whether   to   like   it   or   not。   It   bore
  above   a   hundred   flowers   of   the   most   brilliant   hues;   and   each   different
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  from the others; but all having a kind of resemblance among themselves;
  which   showed them  to   be sister   blossoms。   But   there   was   a   deep;   glossy
  luster   on   the   leaves   of   the   shrub;   and   on   the   petals   of   the   flowers;   that
  made Proserpina doubt whether they might not be poisonous。 To tell you
  the truth; foolish as it may seem; she was half inclined to turn round and
  run away。
  〃What a silly child I am!〃 thought she; taking courage。 〃It is really the
  most beautiful shrub that ever sprang out of the earth。 I will pull it up by
  the roots; and carry it home; and plant it in my mother's garden。〃
  Holding   up   her   apron   full   of   flowers   with   her   left   hand;   Proserpina
  seized   the   large   shrub   with   the   other;   and   pulled;   and   pulled;   but   was
  hardly able to loosen the soil about its roots。 What a deep…rooted plant it
  was! Again the girl pulled with all her might; and observed that the earth
  began to stir and crack to some distance around the stem。 She gave another
  pull; but relaxed her hold; fancying that there was a rumbling sound right
  beneath her feet。 Did the roots extend down into some enchanted cavern?
  Then laughing at herself for so childish a notion; she made another effort:
  up    came    the   shrub;   and   Proserpina     staggered     back;   holding    the   stem
  triumphantly in her hand; and gazing at the deep hole which its roots had
  left in the soil。
  Much to her astonishment; this hole kept spreading wider and wider;
  and growing deeper and deeper; until it really seemed to have no bottom;
  and all the while; there came a rumbling noise out of its depths; louder and
  louder; and nearer and nearer; and sounding like the tramp of horses' hoofs
  and   the   rattling   of   wheels。   Too   much   frightened   to   run   away;   she   stood
  straining her eyes into this wonderful cavity; and soon saw a team of four
  sable horses; snorting smoke out of their nostrils; and tearing their way out
  of   the  earth   with   a splendid   golden   chariot   whirling   at   their  heels。 They
  leaped   out   of   the   bottomless   hole;   chariot   and   all;   and   there   they   were;
  tossing their black manes; flourishing their black tails; and curvetting with
  every one of their hoofs off the ground at once; close by the spot where
  Proserpina   stood。   In   the   chariot   sat   the   figure   of   a   man;   richly   dressed;
  with a crown on his head; all flaming with diamonds。 He was of a noble
  aspect; and rather handsome; but looked sullen and discontented; and he
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  kept rubbing his eyes and shading them with his hand; as if he did not live
  enough in the sunshine to be very fond of its light。
  As