HELIOS'S FOUR-IN-HAND 5 



Aurora and the Morning Star would deck their 

 manes with flowers and with wreaths of asphodel. 

 Then Helios would step into the car and hold the 

 long, yellow reins in his hands. A word from 

 him and the proud team would leap into the sky; 

 then they would soar above the mountain tops 

 and mingle with the clouds, and grandly career 

 in mid-air. And Helios, holding the reins stead- 

 ily, would gently restrain them, or if they lagged 

 would urge them forward with persuasive words. 

 It was the grandest sight that men ever saw, and 

 yet they never seemed to think much about it — 

 perhaps because it was seen so often. If Helios 

 had failed for a single day, what a wonderful hub- 

 bub and fright there would have been ! 



The wife of Helios was a fair young lady 

 named Clymene, who lived not far from the great 

 sea, and who, according to some, was a nymph, 

 but according to others a fisherman's daughter: 

 and they had an only son named Phaethon. He- 

 lios loved this son above all things else on earth; 

 and he gave him many rich and noble gifts, and 

 counseled him to be brave and wise, and especially 

 to be contented with his lot in life. And Phae- 

 thon grew to be a tall and comely lad, fond of his 

 looking-glass, soft-handed, and proud of his an- 



