tanglewood tales-第2部分

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But　Eustace　told　me　that　these　myths　were　the　most　singular　things　in　the　world；　and　that　he　was　invariably　astonished；　whenever　he　began　to　relate　one；　by　the　readiness　with　which　it　adapted　itself　to　the　childish　purity　of　his　auditors。　The　objectionable　characteristics　seem　to　be　a　parasitical　growth；　having　no　essential　connection　with　the　original　fable。　They　fall　away；　and　are　thought　of　no　more；　the　instant　he　puts　his　imagination　in　sympathy　with　the　innocent　little　circle；　whose　wide…open　eyes　are　fixed　so　eagerly　upon　him。　Thus　the　stories　（not　by　any　strained　effort　of　the　narrator's；　but　in　harmony　with　their　inherent　germ）　transform　themselves；　and　re…assume　the　shapes　which　they　might　be　supposed　to　possess　in　the　pure　childhood　of　the　world。　When　the　first　poet　or　romancer　told　these　marvellous　legends　（such　is　Eustace　Bright's　opinion）；　it　was　still　the　Golden　Age。　Evil　had　never　yet　existed；　and　sorrow；　misfortune；　crime；　were　mere　shadows　which　the　mind　fancifully　created　for　itself；　as　a　shelter　against　too　sunny　realities；　or；　at　most；　but　prophetic　dreams　to　which　the　dreamer　himself　did　not　yield　a　waking　credence。　Children　are　now　the　only　representatives　of　the　men　and　women　of　that　happy　era；　and　therefore　it　is　that　we　must　raise　the　intellect　and　fancy　to　the　level　of　childhood；　in　order　to　re…create　the　original　myths。

I　let　the　youthful　author　talk　as　much　and　as　extravagantly　as　he　pleased；　and　was　glad　to　see　him　commencing　life　with　such　confidence　in　himself　and　his　performances。　A　few　years　will　do　all　that　is　necessary　towards　showing　him　the　truth　in　both　respects。　Meanwhile；　it　is　but　right　to　say；　he　does　really　appear　to　have　overcome　the　moral　objections　against　these　fables；　although　at　the　expense　of　such　liberties　with　their　structure　as　must　be　left　to　plead　their　own　excuse；　without　any　help　from　me。　Indeed；　except　that　there　was　a　necessity　for　itand　that　the　inner　life　of　the　legends　cannot　be　come　at　save　by　making　them　entirely　one's　own　propertythere　is　no　defense　to　be　made。

Eustace　informed　me　that　he　had　told　his　stories　to　the　children　in　various　situationsin　the　woods；　on　the　shore　of　the　lake；　in　the　dell　of　Shadow　Brook；　in　the　playroom；　at　Tanglewood　fireside；　and　in　a　magnificent　palace　of　snow；　with　ice　windows；　which　he　helped　his　little　friends　to　build。　His　auditors　were　even　more　delighted　with　the　contents　of　the　present　volume　than　with　the　specimens　which　have　already　been　given　to　the　world。　The　classically　learned　Mr。　Pringle；　too；　had　listened　to　two　or　three　of　the　tales；　and　censured　them　even　more　bitterly　than　he　did　THE　THREE　GOLDEN　APPLES；　so　that；　what　with　praise；　and　what　with　criticism；　Eustace　Bright　thinks　that　there　is　good　hope　of　at　least　as　much　success　with　the　public　as　in　the　case　of　the　〃WonderBook。〃

I　made　all　sorts　of　inquiries　about　the　children；　not　doubting　that　there　would　be　great　eagerness　to　hear　of　their　welfare；　among　some　good　little　folks　who　have　written　to　me；　to　ask　for　another　volume　of　myths。　They　are　all；　I　am　happy　to　say　（unless　we　except　Clover）；　in　excellent　health　and　spirits。　Primrose　is　now　almost　a　young　lady；　and；　Eustace　tells　me；　is　just　as　saucy　as　ever。　She　pretends　to　consider　herself　quite　beyond　the　age　to　be　interested　by　such　idle　stories　as　these；　but；　for　all　that；　whenever　a　story　is　to　be　told；　Primrose　never　fails　to　be　one　of　the　listeners；　and　to　make　fun　of　it　when　finished。　Periwinkle　is　very　much　grown；　and　is　expected　to　shut　up　her　baby　house　and　throw　away　her　doll　in　a　month　or　two　more。　Sweet　Fern　has　learned　to　read　and　write；　and　has　put　on　a　jacket　and　pair　of　pantaloonsall　of　which　improvements　I　am　sorry　for。　Squash　Blossom；　Blue　Eye；　Plantain；　and　Buttercup　have　had　the　scarlet　fever；　but　came　easily　through　it。　Huckleberry；　Milkweed；　and　Dandelion　were　attacked　with　the　whooping　cough；　but　bore　it　bravely；　and　kept　out　of　doors　whenever　the　sun　shone。　Cowslip；　during　the　autumn；　had　either　the　measles；　or　some　eruption　that　looked　very　much　like　it；　but　was　hardly　sick　a　day。　Poor　Clover　has　been　a　good　deal　troubled　with　her　second　teeth；　which　have　made　her　meagre　in　aspect　and　rather　fractious　in　temper；　nor；　even　when　she　smiles；　is　the　matter　much　mended；　since　it　discloses　a　gap　just　within　her　lips；　almost　as　wide　as　the　barn　door。　But　all　this　will　pass　over；　and　it　is　predicted　that　she　will　turn　out　a　very　pretty　girl。

As　for　Mr。　Bright　himself；　he　is　now　in　his　senior　year　at　Williams　College；　and　has　a　prospect　of　graduating　with　some　degree　of　honorable　distinction　at　the　next　Commencement。　In　his　oration　for　the　bachelor's　degree；　he　gives　me　to　understand；　he　will　treat　of　the　classical　myths；　viewed　in　the　aspect　of　baby　stories；　and　has　a　great　mind　to　discuss　the　expediency　of　using　up　the　whole　of　ancient　history；　for　the　same　purpose。　I　do　not　know　what　he　means　to　do　with　himself　after　leaving　college；　but　trust　that；　by　dabbling　so　early　with　the　dangerous　and　seductive　business　of　authorship；　he　will　not　bc　tempted　to　become　an　author　by　profession。　If　so　I　shall　be　very　sorry　for　the　little　that　I　have　had　to　do　with　the　matter；　in　encouraging　these　first　beginnings。

I　wish　there　were　any　likelihood　of　my　soon　seeing　Primrose；　Periwinkle；　Dandelion；　Sweet　Fern；　Clover　Plantain；　Huckleberry；　Milkweed；　Cowslip；　Buttercup；　Blue　Eye；　and　Squash　Blossom　again。　But　as　I　do　not　know　when　I　shall　re…visit　Tanglewood；　and　as　Eustace　Bright　probably　will　not　ask　me　to　edit　a　third　〃WonderBook；〃　the　public　of　little　folks　must　not　expect　to　hear　any　more　about　those　dear　children　from　me。　Heaven　bless　them；　and　everybody　else；　whether　grown　people　or　children！



THE　MINOTAUR。

In　the　old　city　of　Troezene；　at　the　foot　of　a　lofty　mountain；　there　lived；　a　very　long　time　ago；　a　little　boy　named　Theseus。　His　grandfather；　King　Pittheus；　was　the　sovereign　of　that　country；　and　was　reckoned　a　very　wise　man；　so　that　Theseus；　being　brought　up　in　the　royal　palace；　and　being　naturally　a　bright　lad；　could　hardly　fail　of　profiting　by　the　old　king's　instructions。　His　mother's　name　was　Aethra。　As　for　his　father；　the　boy　had　never　seen　him。　But；　from　his　earliest　remembrance；　Aethra　used　to　go　with　little　Theseus　into　a　wood；　and　sit　down　upon　a　moss…grown　rock；　which　was　deeply　sunken　into　the　earth。　Here　she　often　talked　with　her　son　about　his　father；　and　said　that　he　was　called　Aegeus；　and　that　he　was　a　great　king；　and　ruled　over　Attica；　and　dwelt　at　Athens；　which　was　as　famous　a　city　as　any　in　the　world。　Theseus　was　very　fond　of　hearing　about　King　Aegeus；　and　often　asked　his　good　mother　Aethra　why　he　did　not　come　and　live　with　them　at　Troezene。

〃Ah；　my　dear　son；〃　answered　Aethra；　with　a　sigh；　〃a　monarch　has　his　people　to　take　care　of。　The　men　and　women　over　whom　he　rules　are　in　the　place　of　children　to　him；　and　he　can　seldom　spare　time　to　love　his　own　children　as　other　parents　do。　Your　father　will　never　be　able　to　leave　his　kingdom　for　the　sake　of　seeing　his　little　boy。〃

〃Well；　but；　dear　mother；〃　asked　the　boy；　〃why　cannot　I　go　to　this　famous　city　of　Athens；　and　tell　King　Aegeus　that　I　am　his　son？〃

〃That　may　happen　by　and　by；〃　said　Aethra。　〃Be　patient；