BIRD LEGEND AND LIFE 



When the waves urged by the oars had borne them away 

 from the shore and a father's care, the faithless Tereus, for- 

 getful of his queen at home, made love to the beautiful sister. 

 Having been repulsed by the maiden, he, on landing, shut 

 her up in a tower and cut out her tongue to prevent her 

 making known his perfidy. On meeting his queen he, with 

 feigned sorrow, reported ,her sister as among the dead and 

 mourned with her over the loss. 



But the imprisoned one, though through the loss of her 

 tongue deprived of speech, found other means of communi- 

 cating with the deceived queen. She skilfully wove her story 

 in purple and white into a web of barbarian design, and by 

 signs persuaded an attendant to deliA'^er it to her sister, who 

 immediately understood. 



The queen, having delivered her injured sister from 

 captivity, had her brought to the court of Tereus, where to- 

 gether the two, made cruel by their wrongs, planned their 

 revenge. 



Itys, the young son of Tereus, whose birth had been 

 attended by many boding signs, was slain by the two and 

 served on the table of his father; the attendants were re- 

 moved, according to the rites of that country, and the king 

 feasted alone, thus becoming the sepulchre of his son. 



When the horrible repast was completed, Tereus, on 

 calling for Itys, was given by the queen the whole story in 

 language such as he deserved. 



Frantic with grief and anger, with drawn sword he 

 pursued the daughters of Pandion, who, in their flight, by 

 their wishes were given wings, as was also the pursuer. 



Philomela fled to the woods to hide among the leaves 

 of the trees, where, in the voice of the nightingale, she may 

 ever be heard in mournful melody lamenting the death of 



118 



