.

Then the King said to the old men that were gathered together to comfort
him, "I will see to this burial. And do ye sing a hymn as is meet to the
god of the dead. And to all my people I make this decree: that they
mourn for this woman, and clothe themselves in black, and shave their
heads, and that such as have horses cut off their manes, and that there
be not heard in the city the voice of the flute or the sound of the harp
for the space of twelve months."

Then the old men sang the hymn as they had been bidden. And when they
had finished, it befell that Hercules, who was on a journey, came to the
palace and asked whether King Admetus was sojourning there.

And the old men answered, "'Tis even so, Hercules. But what, I pray
thee, bringeth thee to this land?"

"I am bound on an errand for King Eurystheus; even to bring back to him
horses of King Diomed."

"How wilt thou do this? Dost thou not know this Diomed?"

"I know nought of him, nor of his land."

"Thou wilt not master him or his horses without blows."

"Even so, yet I may not refuse the tasks that are set to me."

"Thou art resolved then to do this thing or to die?"

"Ay; and this is not the first race that I have run."

"Thou wilt not easily bridle these horses."

"Why not? They breathe not fire from their nostrils."

"No, but they devour the flesh of men."

"What sayest thou? This is the food of wild beasts, not of horses."

"Yet 'tis true. Thou wilt see their mangers foul with blood."

"And the master of these steeds, whose son is he?"

"He is son of Ares, lord of the land of Thrace."

"Now this is a strange fate and a hard that maketh me fight ever with
the sons of Ares, with Lycaon first, and with Cycnus next, and now with
this King Diomed. But none shall ever see the son of Alcmena trembling
before an enemy."

And now King Admetus came forth from the palace. And when the two had
greeted one another, Hercules would fain know why the King had shaven
his hair as one that mourned for the dead. And the King answered that he
was about to bury that day one that was dear to him.

And when Hercules inquired yet further who this might be, the King said
that his children were well, and his father also, and his mother. But of
his wife he answered so that Hercules understood not that he spake of
her. For he said that she was a stranger by blood, yet near in
friendship, and that she had dwelt in his house, having been left an
orphan of her fath