Part 27 (1/2)

Try to frequent the company of your betters In books and life, that is the reat pleasure of life is that Note what great s; narrow spirits admire basely and worshi+p meanly

THACKERAY

THE BED OF PROCRUSTES

A very tall and strong arolden bracelets, and round his neck a collar of jewels; and he ca courteously, and held out both his hands, and spoke:

”Welcome, fair youth, to these reater pleasure to a good ers? But I see that you are weary Coive you thanks,” said Theseus; ”but I ao up the valley”

”Alas! you have wandered far froht way, and you cannot reach your journey's end to-night, for there are many miles of mountain between you and it, and steep passes, and cliffs dangerous after nightfall It is well for you that I ers, and to feast then lands Come up with me, and eat the best of venison, and drink the rich red wine, and sleep upon my famous bed, of which all travellers say that they never saw the like For whatsoever the stature of uest, however tall or short, that bed fits him to a hair, and he sleeps on it as he never slept before” And he laid hold on Theseus' hands, and would not let hio

[Illustration: NIAGARA FALLS]

Theseus wished to go forwards: but he was ashamed to seem churlish to so hospitable a man; and he was curious to see that wondrous bed; and beside, he was hungry and weary: yet he shrank froentle, it was dry and husky like a toad's; and though his eyes were gentle, they were dull and cold like stones But he consented, and ith the len which led from the road, under the dark shadow of the cliffs

And as they went up, the glen grew narrower, and the cliffs higher and darker, and beneath thes And around them was neither tree nor bush, while the snow-blasts swept down the glen, cutting and chilling, till a horror fell on Theseus as he looked round at that doleful place And he said at last: ”Your castle stands, it seeion”

”Yes; but once within it, hospitality s cheerful But who are these?” and he looked back, and Theseus also; and far below, along the road which they had left, ca by the their ware

”Ah, poor souls!” said the stranger ”Well for them that I looked back and saw theuests at o down and call theht Happy auests at once!”

And he ran back down the hill, waving his hand and shouting to the merchants, while Theseus went slowly up the steep pass

But as he went up hedriftwood in the torrent-bed He had laid down his faggot in the road, and was trying to lift it again to his shoulder And when he saw Theseus, he called to him and said:

”O fair youth, help me up with my burden, for my limbs are stiff and ith years”

Then Theseus lifted the burden on his back And the old man blessed him, and then looked earnestly upon him, and said:

”Who are you, fair youth, and wherefore travel you this doleful road?”

”Who I am my parents know; but I travel this doleful road because I have been invited by a hospitable man, who promises to feast me and to make me sleep upon I know not ondrous bed”

Then the old ether and cried:

”Know, fair youth, that you are going to torment and to death, for he who met you (I will requite your kindness by another) is a robber and a er he meets he entices him hither to death; and as for this bed of which he speaks, truly it fits all comers, yet none ever rose alive off it save me”

”Why?” asked Theseus, astonished

”Because, if a man be too tall for it, he lops his lih, and if he be too short, he stretches his lih; but one; for I alone of all fitted his bed exactly, so he spared me, and made me his slave And once I was a wealthy reat city; but now I heood and draater for him, the tor; but he ground his teeth together

”Escape, then,” said the old man, ”for he will have no pity on thy youth But yesterday he brought up hither a youngman's hands and feet he cut off, but the maiden's limbs he stretched until she died, and so both perishedover the slain And therefore he is called Procrustes, the stretcher Flee from him: yet whither will you flee? The cliffs are steep, and who can climb them? and there is no other road”

But Theseus laid his hand upon the old man's mouth, and said: ”There is no need to flee;” and he turned to go down the pass