Page:The Mythology of the Aryan Nations.djvu/480

448 BOOK could remember only that he had seen cows and a babe following them with a staflf in his hand. Knowing now who had stolen them/ Phoibos hastened on to Pylos, and there stood amazed at the con- fused tracks which the beasts had left behind them. Hurrying onwards to Kyllene, ApoUon caught the child in his cradle, and taxed him with the theft. " How can it be that I have stolen the cows?" said the babe, " I who can but sleep and suck and play with the clothes of my cradle. I was born but yesterday, and my feet are tender, and the ground is hard. I have not taken your cattle, and I know nothing of cows but their name." But as he spoke he winked slily with his eyes, and a long low whistle came from his lips. Smiling in spite of his anger, Phoibos saw that the craft of Hermes would set many a herdsman grieving, and that he had won the right to be called the prince of robbers and the ISIaster Thief for ever. Then seizing the child he was bearing him away when a loud noise made him let go his hold ; but at length both appeared before the judgment-seat of Zeus, and the babe, who spoke of himself as a most truthful person, said that he must be guiltless, as he knew not even what sort of things cows were. The plea was not admitted, and the nod of Zeus warned Hermes that his command to restore the oxen was not to be disobeyed. So on the banks of Alpheios he showed the lost cattle to Phoibos, who, dismayed at the signs of recent slaughter, again seized the babe in his anger. In great fear Hermes bethought him of his lyre, and striking its chords wakened sounds most soft and soothing as he sang of the old time when the gods were born and the world was young. As he listened to the beautiful harmony, Phoibos, angry no more, longed only to learn "whence the child had this wondrous power, and to gain for himself this marvellous gift of song. At once Hermes granted his prayer. "Take my lyre," he said, " which to those who can use it deftly will discourse of all sweet things, but will babble nonsense and moan strangely to all who know not how to draw forth its speech." So the strife between them was ended, and Phoibos placed in the hand of Hermes his three-leafed rod of wealth and happiness, and gave him charge over all his cattle.^ Then touching the tortoise-lyre, Apollon

' Hymn to Hermes, 2.i,-iy. Nothing hiding-place furjiished. The poet might could show more clearly than these indeed have said that the child had words that the myth pointed to a stolen the cows many times already : physical phenomenon with which but the statement would not have agreed Phoibos was already familiar. Had well with his special object in relating the story been told by one who meant the myth — viz. to account for the alliance to speak of any human child, he would between Phoibos and Plermes. never have represented Apollon as * Thus Hermes becomes in the knowing who the thief was before his German story the Little Farmer who name was mentioned or the clue to his cheats the greedy townsmen with the