Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

strong fellow, who said nothing at all, but who, picking up a handful of snow, threw himself upon me; and before I could free myself from all my wrappers, began to besmear my face, and to rub it, and more especially my nose, with all his might. I did not much

relish the joke, especially considering the weather, and drawing one of my arms out of one of my pockets, I dealt him a blow with my fist that sent him rolling ten yards off. Unfortunately or fortunately for me, two peasants just then passed, who, after looking at me for a moment, seized hold of me, and in spite of my resist ance, held me fast by the arms; while the desperate fellow who first attacked me took up another handful of snow, and, as if determined not to be beaten, threw himself once more upon me. This time, taking advantage of my utter inability to defend myself, he again began his frictions; but though my arms were tied, my tongue was free. Thinking myself the victim of some mistake, or of some concerted attack, I shouted most lustily for help. An officer came up running, and asked me in French what was the matter.

'What, sir!' I exclaimed, making a last effort, and getting rid of my three men, who, with the most unconcerned air in the world, went on their way, 'do you not see what those rascals were doing to me?'

'Well, what were they doing to you?'

"Why, they were rubbing my face with snow. Would you think that a good joke, I wonder, in such weather as this?'

But, my good friend, they were rendering you an enormous service,' replied my interlocutor, looking at me, as we French say, in the very white of the eyes. 'How so?'

'Why, of course, your nose was being frozen.'

'Good heavens!' I exclaimed, feeling with my hand the threatened feature.

'Sir,' said a passer-by, addressing my friend the officer, 'I warn you that your nose is freezing.'

[ocr errors]

Thank you, sir,' said the officer, and, stooping down, he gathered up a handful of snow, and performed for himself the same service which had been rendered to me by the poor fellow whom I had rewarded so badly.

'You mean to say, sir, that if it had not been for that man who first attacked me, that'

'You would have lost your nose,' rejoined the officer, while rubbing his own.

And off I ran in pur

'In that case, sir, allow me'suit of my friend, who, thinking that I wanted to kill him outright, began running also, so that, as fear is generally more nimble than gratitude, I should probably never have overtaken him, had not some people, seeing him running away and me in pursuit, taken him for a thief, and seized him. When I came up, I found him talking with great volubility, trying to shew that he was only guilty of too much kindness. Ten florins which I gave him explained matters. He kissed my hand, and one of the bystanders who spoke French, recommended me to take more care of my nose in future.

The recommendation was unnecessary; during the rest of my walk I never lost sight of it.

[Write from dictation]

A. DUMAS.

He walked away unconcerned, and afterwards, with great volubility, tried to shew that he had done me an enormous service, while I took the opportunity to express my gratitude for the favour he had done me. For, enveloped though I was in clothing, I had not protected my face, especially my nose, and had made a desperate and determined resistance when I ought to have yielded willingly.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small]

Among the chief of the Achæans who fought before the walls of Ilion, there was none who gained for himself a greater glory than Odysseus, the son of Laertes. Brave he was in battle, and steadfast in danger; but, most of all, did the Achæans seek his aid and counsel when great things had to be weighed and fixed. And so it was, that in every peril where there was need of the wise heart and the ready tongue, all hastened to Odysseus, and men felt that he did more to throw down the kingdom of Priam than the mightiest chieftains who fought only with sword and spear.

Yet, in the midst of all his toil and all his great exploits in the land of Ilion, the heart of Odysseus was

far away in rocky Ithaca, where his wife Penelope dwelt with his young son Telemachus. Many a time, as the weary years of the war rolled on, he said within himself : 'Ah, when will the strife be ended, and when shall we spread our sails to the breeze, and speed on our way homewards over the dark-blue sea?' At last, the doom of Paris was accomplished, and the hosts of Agamemnon gave the city of Ilion to fire and sword. When Odysseus hastened to gather his men together, that they might go to their home in Ithaca, they dragged the ships down to the sea from the trenches, where they had so long lain idle; but before they sat down to row the ships out to the deep water, Odysseus spake to them, and said: "O friends, think now, each one of you, of his home, of his wife, and of his children. Ten times have summer and winter passed over us since we left them with cheerful hearts, thinking that in but a little time we should come back to them laden with glory and booty. Ten years have they mourned for us at home; and we, who set out for Ilion in the vigour of manhood, go back now with gray hairs, or bowed down with our weary labours. Yet faint not, O friends, neither be dismayed. Think how they wait and long for you still at home, and as we go from land to land in our voyage to rocky Ithaca, let not weariness weigh down your hearts, or things fair and beautiful lead you to seek for rest till our ships are moored in the haven which we left ten years ago.'

With shouts of joy they sat down to their long oars, and when they had rowed the ships out into the open sea, they spread the white sails to the breeze, and watched the Ilion land as it faded away from their sight in the far distance. For many a day they went towards the

land of the setting sun, until a mighty wind from the north drove them to a strange country, far out of their course to Ithaca. Fair it was and peaceful beyond all lands which they had seen. The sun looked down out of the cloudless heaven on fruits and flowers which covered the laughing earth. Far away beyond the lotus plains, the blue hills glimmered in a dreamy haze. The trees bowed their heads in a peaceful slumber, and the lagging waves sank lazily to sleep upon the sea-shore. The summer breeze breathed its gentle whisper through the air, and the birds sang listlessly of their loves from the waving groves. Then said the men of Odysseus to one another: Would that our wives and our children were here! Truly, Ithaca is but a rough and barren land, and a sore grief it is to leave this happy shore to go home, and there find, it may be, that our children remember us no more.' And Odysseus said within himself: Surely some strange spell is in this fair land— almost might I long to sit down and sleep on the shore for ever; but Penelope waits for me in my home, and I cannot rest till I see her face once more.' Then he bade three of his men go forth and ask the name of the land and of the men who lived in it. So they went slowly from the beach, where the waves sang their lulling song to the sleepy flowers, and they wandered along the winding stream which came from the glimmering hills far away, till deep down in a glen where the sun shed but half its light, they saw men with fair maidens reclining on the soft grass, under the shade of the pleasant palmtrees. Before them was spread a banquet of rich and rosy fruit, and some were eating, and others lay asleep. Then the men of Odysseus went up to them, and sat down by their side; for they feared them not, as men

6

« ForrigeFortsæt »