6 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



cestry. Some of his companions, who were only 

 common mortals, liked to flatter him because of 

 his supposed wealth, while there were many 

 others who despised him because he affected to 

 look up to the Sun. 



" See the upstart who calls himself the son of 

 Helios," sneered one. 



" Ah, but he will have a sorry fall some of 

 these days," said another. 



" You are a pretty fellow to claim kinship with 

 the charioteer of the Sun," said a worthless loafer 

 whose name was Epaphos. " With your white 

 face, and your yellow curls, and your slender 

 hands, you are better fitted to help your mother 

 at her spinning than to be a leader of men." 



" But," said the boy, " my father Helios, who 

 drives the burning chariot, and who — " 



" Don't talk to me," interrupted the unman- 

 nerly fellow — " don't talk to me about your fa- 

 ther the chariot-driver. Why, you would be 

 frightened to death to drive your sister's goat- 

 cart over the lawn; and you would shriek at the 

 ■ sight of a real horse. How dare you claim de- 

 scent from the charioteer of the skies? Non- 

 sense ! " 



" A pretty son of Helios, indeed ! " laughed 



