Page:The-story-of-the-golden-fleece--281903-29-andrew-lang.djvu/48

The Story of the Golden Fleece hills good friends, healthy, and brave, and strong. And they all went out to their own homes at last; but Jason had no home to go to, for his uncle, Pelias, had taken it, and his father was a wanderer.

So at last he wearied of being alone, and he said good-by to his old teacher, and went down through the hills toward Iolcos, his father’s old home, where his wicked uncle, Pelias, was reigning. As he went, he came to a great, flooded river, running red from bank to bank, rolling the round bowlders along. And there on the bank was an old woman sitting.

“Cannot you cross, mother?” said Jason; and she said she could not, but must wait until the flood fell, for there was no bridge.

“I’ll carry you across,” said Jason, “if you will let me carry you.” 42