d the whole army of the
Greeks gathered about it. But when the King saw her going to her death
he covered his face with his mantle; but she stood by him, and said, "I
give my body with a willing heart to die for my country and for the
whole land of Greece. I pray the Gods that ye may prosper, and win the
victory in this war, and come back safe to your homes. And now let no
man touch me, for I will offer my neck to the sword with a good heart."
And all men marvelled to see the maiden of what a good courage she was.
Then the herald Talthybius stood in the midst and commanded silence to
the people; and Calchas the soothsayer put a garland about her head, and
drew a sharp knife from his sheath. And all the army stood regarding the
maiden and the priest and the altar.
Then there befell a marvellous thing. For Calchas struck with his knife,
for the sound of the stroke all men heard, but the maiden was not there.
Whither she had gone no one knew; but in her stead there lay gasping a
great hind, and all the altar was red with the blood thereof.
And Calchas said, "See ye this, men of Greece, how the goddess hath
provided this offering in the place of the maiden, for she would not
that her altar should be defiled with innocent blood. Be of good
courage, therefore, and depart every man to his ship, for this day ye
shall sail across the sea to the land of Troy."
But how it fared with the maiden may be read in the story of "Iphigenia
among the Taurians."
THE STORY OF PHILOCTETES, OR THE BOW OF HERCULES.
Prince Philoctetes, who reigned in Methone, which is in the land of
Thessaly, sailed with the other Princes of Greece to make war against
the great city of Troy. For he also had been one of the suitors of Helen
the Fair, and had bound himself with a great oath that he would avenge
her and her husband, whomsoever she should choose, on any man that
should dare to do her wrong. Now Philoctetes had been companion to
Hercules in many of his labours, and also had been with him when he died
upon Mount AEta. For which cause Hercules gave him the bow and the arrows
which he bare, having received them at the first from Apollo. A very
mighty bow it was, shooting arrows so as none other could do, and the
arrows were sure dealers of death, for they had been dipped in the blood
of the great dragon of Lerna, and the wounds which they made no
physician might heal. But it chanced that the Prince, being on his
voyage to Troy, lande
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