THE WINGED HORSE OF THE MUSES 59 



III. bellerophon's story 



" My father," answered Bellerophon, "is Glau- 

 cus, the king of far-off Corinth, where he has 

 great wealth in horses and in ships; and my 

 grandfather was Sisyphus, of whom you have 

 doubtless heard, for he was famed all over the 

 world for his craftiness and his fine business 

 qualities, that made him the richest of men. I 

 was brought up in my father's house, and it was 

 intended that I should succeed him as king of 

 Corinth; but three years ago a sad misfortune 

 happened to me. My younger brother and I were 

 hunting among the wooded hills of Argos, and 

 we were having fine sport, for we had taken much 

 game. We had started home with our booty, and 

 I, who was the faster walker, was some distance 

 ahead of my brother, when, suddenly, a deer 

 sprang up between me and the sun. Half -blinded 

 by the light, I turned and let fly an arrow quickly. 

 The creature bounded swiftly away, unhurt, but 

 a cry of anguish from the low underbrush told me 

 that I had slain my brother. 



" Vainly did I try to stanch the flow of blood; 

 vainly did I call upon the gods to save him and 



