Tales Of Ancient Greece

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22043, 16 August 1941, Page 9

Tales Of Ancient Greece

THE STORY OF IO In a certain part of Greece there was a beautiful grove, bordered on all sides by denser woods. Through it flowed a restless river, dashing over rocks and scattering its spray, like fine mist all over the trees on its banks. The god of the river had one child, a girl named 10, and there was nothing she like better tran to wander in the grove side of her father’s stream. Ont day, when Jupiter had come down to earth, he met Io in the woods and began to talk to her. He found her so lovable that-he came again and again and spent may a pleasant hour wandering with her along the banks of the stream. Io did not know Who Jupiter was, for he came disguised as a boy; and she thought him only a pleasant companion for her walks. But Juno hated Io; for as you will remember she was a jealous queen and coull not bear to have Jupiter care for anyone besides herself. So one day, when he had been away from home for many hours, she suddenly made up her mind to go down to earth and see the maiden of whom he was so fond. Her heart was filled with bitter feelings towards 10, and as she entered the grove her frown was so dark that it seemed almost to hide the sunlight.

Now, in some way, Jupiter felt Juno’s wrath before she came into the grove; and fearing that she might harm Ips companion, quick as a flash,-he chang-

ed Io into a white heifer; so all that she saw was her husband in, his own true form, and the white cow nibbling to grass at his side. But she knew that it was 10, and she went up to her and stroked her glossy neck, and then, turning to Jupiter, begged him to give her the cow as a present. What could Jupiter do? He could not refuse his wife such a trifle, and so he had to say yes, although it was much against his will As Juno led Io away, she said to herself, “Now that I have you, I will take good care to keep you.” So she set one of her servants, Argus, to watch the cow. And a very good watchman Argus made, for he had a hundred eyes, and no matter how tired he was, he never closed more than half of them at one time.. Never for a moment was Io left unguarded. At night she was tied to a tree, but during the day, she could wander about as she pleased. The poor girl did not know what had happened to her. Instead of the food to which she was accustomed to eat, she had to eat leaves and grass; and when she tried to speak only a strange sound like a “moo” came from her lips. She was frightened and hastened to the banks of the river where she had so often walked with he boy companion; but seeing her horns reflected in the clear water, her terror grew still greater. The water nymphs did not recognise her, and even her father only patted her neck and plucked some fresh grass for her. Poor Io! She could not speak, but with her foot she traced her story in the sand; and her father, reading the sad tale, wept aloud and threw his arms about his daughter’s neck. Meanwhile Argus faithfully kept watch and saw all that had passed between father and daughter. So, thinking it time to separate them, he led his charge away to a distant pasture and seated himself on the top of a hill from which he could see all that happened. But Jupiter had not forgotten Io; and calling his son Mercury, the messenger of the gods he bade him kill Argus.

Mercury flew swiftly to earth, and there put on the dress of a shepperd boy, using his wonderful wand as a staff. As he went along, he gathered the stray sheep that crossed his path, and when he came to the hill where Argus was watching he began to play on a pipe of reeds. Argus turned in delight at the sweet sounds of the pipe and called to Mercury, “Hail, stranger! Come share this stone with me; here are rich pastures for your flocks and shade such as shepherds love.”

Mercury seated himself on the hillside and tried to put Argus to sleep with his ceaseless talking and playing; but the watchman never closed more than half his eyes. At length Argus asked the shepherd where his musical pipe had come from, and Mercury slowly told him the story:

“Once upon a time there lived in a forest a nymph called Syrinx. She was graceful and nimble and fleet of foot, and she led the wood gods, or satyrs, as they were called, many a race through the woods. Now it happened that Pan, the god of the shepherds and chief of the satyrs, saw her one day. He tried to speak to her, but frightened by his goat’s legs and queer furry ears, she fled from his in terror. He followed, but she ran so swiftly that he could not overtake her. At last she came to a stream, and prayed to her sisters, the water nymphs to help her. They heard her and drew her down into the stream, and a moment later a clump of reeds grew in the spot where she had vanished. When Pan stretched out his arm towards Syrinx, he found himself grasping, instead, the reeds that grew on the marshy banks. -Then he gave a deep Sigh, and his breath among the reeds made a soft murmuring sound, like music. Pan was so charmed by the sweet tone, that he fastened some of the hollow tubes together with wax, and thus made a musical pipe which he,named Syrinx after the vanished nymph." When Mercury finished his tale, he faujid to his great delight, that Argus Was sound asleep with all his eyes shut. Wjth his magic wand he made the Sluiuber sounder, and then cut off the head with its hundred starry eyes. -Juno grieved deeply when she heard of the death of her favourite, and she set his eyes in the tail of her own bird, the peacock, where they shine in splendejn- to this day. But alas; the queen blamed Io for all her trouble, and sent a large gadfly to torment her. The fly worried-few-ROor cow day and night, and bit her, until Io was giigost beside herself in pain.

"She wandered from one country to TOMther, trying in vain to rid herself of the fly. At last she came to the land of Egypt, and lying down by the side of the Nile, tried with groans and pitiful cries to ask relief of the gods. Jupiter could no longer bear to see her suffering and begged Juno to take pity on 10, promising never again to

speak to the maiden if the queen would set her free. Juno consented and restored Io to her own shape. The people of the land found her by the side of the river Nile, and thought her so fair and good that they made her their queen. She lived happily for many years, until she grew old and died. Then the people carved a great statue of the queen, and placed it in-their temple; and they called the statue Isis. Hundreds of years after Io was dead, the people of Egypt still came and laid their flowers and their gifts at the foot of the statue of ISIS, “to Show how much they loved their beautiful queen. To be continued.