The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My ChildrenKingsley, Charles
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The Heroes; Or, Greek Fairy Tales for My Children
Kingsley, Charles
Mythology, Greek -- Juvenile literature
And he shook his club of bronze, while the nymphs and shepherds clung
round him, and entreated him not to go.
But on he went nevertheless, till he could see both the seas and the
citadel of Corinth towering high above all the land. And he past swiftly
along the Isthmus, for his heart burned to meet that cruel Sinis; and in
a pine-wood at last he met him, where the Isthmus was narrowest and the
road ran between high rocks. There he sat upon a stone by the wayside,
with a young fir-tree for a club across his knees, and a cord laid ready
by his side; and over his head, upon the fir-tops, hung the bones of
murdered men.
Then Theseus shouted to him, ‘Holla, thou valiant pine-bender, hast thou
two fir-trees left for me?’
And Sinis leapt to his feet, and answered, pointing to the bones above
his head, ‘My larder has grown empty lately, so I have two fir-trees
ready for thee.’ And he rushed on Theseus, lifting his club, and Theseus
rushed upon him.
Then they hammered together till the greenwoods rang; but the metal was
tougher than the pine, and Sinis’ club broke right across, as the bronze
came down upon it. Then Theseus heaved up another mighty stroke, and
smote Sinis down upon his face; and knelt upon his back, and bound him
with his own cord, and said, ‘As thou hast done to others, so shall it be
done to thee.’ Then he bent down two young fir-trees, and bound Sinis
between them for all his struggling and his prayers; and let them go, and
ended Sinis, and went on, leaving him to the hawks and crows.
Then he went over the hills toward Megara, keeping close along the
Saronic Sea, till he came to the cliffs of Sciron, and the narrow path
between the mountain and the sea.
And there he saw Sciron sitting by a fountain, at the edge of the cliff.
On his knees was a mighty club; and he had barred the path with stones,
so that every one must stop who came up.
Then Theseus shouted to him, and said, ‘Holla, thou tortoise-feeder, do
thy feet need washing to-day?’
And Sciron leapt to his feet, and answered—‘My tortoise is empty and
hungry, and my feet need washing to-day.’ And he stood before his
barrier, and lifted up his club in both hands.
Then Theseus rushed upon him; and sore was the battle upon the cliff, for
when Sciron felt the weight of the bronze club, he dropt his own, and
closed with Theseus, and tried to hurl him by main force over the cliff.
But Theseus was a wary wrestler, and dropt his own club, and caught him
by the throat and by the knee, and forced him back against the wall of
stones, and crushed him up against them, till his breath was almost gone.
And Sciron cried panting, ‘Loose me, and I will let thee pass.’ But
Theseus answered, ‘I must not pass till I have made the rough way
smooth;’ and he forced him back against the wall till it fell, and Sciron
rolled head over heels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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