The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
General
The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10): Stories from the Classics
Children's stories; Classical literature -- Adaptations
Meanwhile Ulysses drew near to Chryse with the holy offerings. And when
they were come within the haven, they furled the sail, and laid it in the
ship, and lowered the mast, and rowed the ship to her moorings. They cast
out the anchor stones, and made fast the cables from the stern. After that
they landed, taking with them the offerings and the maid Chryseïs. To the
altar they brought the maid, and gave her into the arms of her father, and
the wise Ulysses said, "See now; Agamemnon, King of men, sends back thy
daughter, and with her a hundred beasts for sacrifice, that we may appease
the god who hath smitten the Greeks in his wrath."
Then the priest received his daughter right gladly, and when they had
ranged the beasts about the altar, and poured out the water of
purification, and taken up handfuls of bruised barley, then the priest
prayed, "Hear me, God of the silver bow! If before thou didst hearken to
my prayer, and grievously afflict the Greeks, so hear me now, and stay
this plague which is come upon them."
So prayed he, and the god gave ear.
Then they cast the barley on the heads of the cattle, and slew them, and
flayed them, and they cut out the thigh-bones and wrapped them up in folds
of fat, and laid raw morsels on them. These the priest burned on fagots,
pouring on sparkling wine; and the young men stood by, having the
five-pronged forks in their hands. And when the thighs were consumed, then
they cut up the rest, and broiled the pieces carefully on spits. This
being done, they made their meal, nor did any one lack his share. And when
the meal was ended, then they poured a little wine into the cups to serve
for libations to the Gods. After that they sat till sunset, singing a hymn
to the Archer God, and making merry; and he heard their voice and was
pleased.
When the sun went down, they slept beside the stern-cables; and when the
dawn appeared, then they embarked, raising the mast and spreading the
sail; and Apollo sent them a favoring wind, and the dark blue wave hissed
about the stem of the ship as she went: so they came to the camp of the
Greeks.
But all the time Achilles sat in wrath beside his ships; he went not to
the war, nor yet to the assembly, but sat fretting in his heart, because
he longed for the cry of the battle.
THE FIGHT BETWEEN PARIS AND MENELAUS
By Walter C. Perry
In obedience to the summons of their leaders, the great host of the
Achaians assembled on the plain of the flowing river Scamander,
innumerable as the leaves and flowers in the season of spring. And in the
midst of them stood the great ruler, Agamemnon: his head and eyes like
those of Loud-thundering Zeus; his waist like that of the Man-slaying
Mars; and with a breast like that of Neptune, the Ruler of the Sea. As the
mail-clad Argives marched on, and rushed across the plain, the earth
groaned beneath them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account