珀涅罗珀的织品（6）（2/2）
《泰西故事30篇》作者：李汉昭 2017-04-10 17:32
the great hall. Some of the servants who saw him laughed at his poverty, and bade him begone; but others pitied his distress and checked their rudeness.“Deal gently with him,” they said, “for mayhap he brings news of our master, the lordly Ulysses. He looks as though he had traveled far.”
An old greyhound, Argos, was lying on a heap of ashes by the kitchen door. Twenty years before he had been the swiftest and most beautiful of hunting dogs—the pet and companion of Ulysses. But now, grown old and helpless, he was neglected and abused. His teeth gone, his eyes grown dim, his legs shaky and useless, he had no longer any joy of life. When he saw the beggar slowly moving through the yard, he raised his head to look. Then a strange light came suddenly into his old eyes. His tail wagged feebly, and he tried with all his failing strength to rise. He looked up lovingly into the beggar’s face, and uttered a long but joyful howl like that which he was wont to utter in his youth when greeting his master.
The beggar stooped and patted his head. “Argos, old friend!” he whispered.
The dog staggered to his feet, then fell, and was dead with the look of joy still in his eyes.
“What ails the old dog?” asked Antinous; for the sound of his howling was heard even in the feast hall.
“Doubtless he is bewailing the loss of his mistress,” said Agelaus; and all the suitors laughed.
A moment afterward the beggar stood in the door.
“Well, well!” cried Leocritus. “What newcomer is this who thus pushes himself among his betters?”
“What do you want here, Old Rags?” said another of the suitors, hurling a crust at his head. “Don’t you know that this is the king’s palace? Begone!”
“Yes, begone!” shouted old Eum? us, trying to appear harsh.
“I wish to speak with the son of Ulysses,” said the beggar, humbly.
“Then speak, for I am he,” said Telemachus, frowning and seeming angry. “Make your story short.”
“O noble youth,” said the beggar, “you are strong and fair, and life is all before you. But I am old and have fallen upon evil days. I pray that you will have pity on my distress.” Then in a low voice he added, “Have you removed all the weapons as I bade you? And are they safe in the great chest?”
An old greyhound, Argos, was lying on a heap of ashes by the kitchen door. Twenty years before he had been the swiftest and most beautiful of hunting dogs—the pet and companion of Ulysses. But now, grown old and helpless, he was neglected and abused. His teeth gone, his eyes grown dim, his legs shaky and useless, he had no longer any joy of life. When he saw the beggar slowly moving through the yard, he raised his head to look. Then a strange light came suddenly into his old eyes. His tail wagged feebly, and he tried with all his failing strength to rise. He looked up lovingly into the beggar’s face, and uttered a long but joyful howl like that which he was wont to utter in his youth when greeting his master.
The beggar stooped and patted his head. “Argos, old friend!” he whispered.
The dog staggered to his feet, then fell, and was dead with the look of joy still in his eyes.
“What ails the old dog?” asked Antinous; for the sound of his howling was heard even in the feast hall.
“Doubtless he is bewailing the loss of his mistress,” said Agelaus; and all the suitors laughed.
A moment afterward the beggar stood in the door.
“Well, well!” cried Leocritus. “What newcomer is this who thus pushes himself among his betters?”
“What do you want here, Old Rags?” said another of the suitors, hurling a crust at his head. “Don’t you know that this is the king’s palace? Begone!”
“Yes, begone!” shouted old Eum? us, trying to appear harsh.
“I wish to speak with the son of Ulysses,” said the beggar, humbly.
“Then speak, for I am he,” said Telemachus, frowning and seeming angry. “Make your story short.”
“O noble youth,” said the beggar, “you are strong and fair, and life is all before you. But I am old and have fallen upon evil days. I pray that you will have pity on my distress.” Then in a low voice he added, “Have you removed all the weapons as I bade you? And are they safe in the great chest?”