Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/56

 mountains, which leads to Arabia. I was told that in the springtime the winged serpents come flying from Arabia to Egypt, but are met by the ibises, who destroy them all. Therefore I saw none living.”

“Well, there are flying-fish,” said Harry, “so why shouldn’t there be flying snakes? I shouldn’t like to meet one. A crawling snake must be bad enough—just fancy what a flying snake must be, especially if it’s poisonous.”

“And now I have no more to tell thee of animals, but will speak to thee of the customs of the Egyptians and other things. What thinkest thou of their custom at banquets? When the feast was ended in the house of a rich man, a servant went round to each guest with a coffin containing the wooden image of a corpse, carved and painted to represent nature as far as possible. To each in turn he showed the image and said: “Gaze here, and drink and be merry, for when you die such will you be.”

“What a very strange idea,” said Harry, and he was quite thoughtful for a moment or two.

“To me it was a beautiful idea,” said the Greek. ‘Men think too little of the flying hours, and act as if they were to live for ever. It is well to be reminded of what is the fate of all, lest we linger too long at the banquet. But thou needst not brood over such things now. When thou art older thou wilt have time for such thoughts. Meanwhile, enjoy the sunshine and the green leaves, and be happy—that is thy task.”

There was a silence for a few minutes.

“I am thinking of what will interest thee most from out the many stories I can tell thee. Thou shouldst know that in one custom the Egyptians resembled a Greek people—the Lacedæmonians—they who dwelt in Sparta. They had great respect for age, and when a young man met an old man in the street he stept aside to let him pass, or if an old man came in when a young man was present the latter rose from his seat.”

“We’re taught to do that, too,” said Harry.

“The Lacedæmonians alone of all the Greeks practised this—a custom of much value,” said Herodotus. “But in one custom they differed from us all. On meeting in the street they did not greet each other by word of mouth, but bowed, sinking the hand to the knee.”

“And what did they wear?” asked Harry. “Chiefly linen garments—a tunic fringed about the legs, and