IN LEGEND AND HISTORY 91 



of days the garrison could hold out. Then he 

 set her free and she flew to friends outside 

 the walls. They understood the meaning of 

 the knots and at once came to their relief. 



Plutarch tells this story : A certain Bessus 

 had killed his father, and for many years he 

 had kept the murder a secret. One evening 

 he went to sup in the house of one of his 

 friends, and while there he angrily struck 

 to the ground a nest of swallows which 

 was in the house. Then in great wrath he 

 trampled upon and killed the little birds in 

 the nest. When asked why he did such a 

 cruel thing he replied : " Didn't you hear 

 those birds saying over and over that 

 I had killed my father? It is a lie." 



His friends wondered greatly at his words, 

 and they went at once to the king and told 

 him what had taken place. The king then 

 made diligent inquiries through his minis- 

 ters, and after finding certain proof that this 

 same Bessus had really murdered his father, 

 he ordered the culprit put to death. 



