hide her son? She sent him to King Lycomedes and prayed the King
to hide Achilles amongst his daughters.

'So the youth Achilles was dressed as a maiden and stayed with the
daughters of the King. The messengers of Agamemnon searched everywhere
for him. Many of them came to the court of King Lycomedes, but not
finding one like Achilles amongst the King's sons they went away.

'Odysseus, by Agamemnon's order, came to seek Achilles. He knew that the
youth was not amongst the King's sons. He saw the King's daughters in
their father's orchard, but could not tell if Achilles was amongst them,
for all were veiled and dressed alike.

[Illustration]

'Then Odysseus went away and returned as a peddler carrying in his pack
such things as maidens admire--veils and ornaments and brazen mirrors.
But under the veils and ornaments and mirrors the wise Odysseus left a
gleaming sword. When he came before the maidens in the King's orchard he
laid down his peddler's pack. The mirrors and veils and ornaments were
taken up and examined eagerly. But one of the company took up the
gleaming sword and looked at it with flashing eyes. Odysseus knew that
this was Achilles, King Peleus' son.

'He gave the youth the summons of King Agamemnon, bidding him join the
war that the Kings and Princes of Greece were about to wage against
Troy. And Achilles was glad to get the summons and glad to go. He
returned to Phthia, to his father's citadel. There did he make ready to
go to Aulis where the ships were being gathered. He took with him his
father's famous warriors, the Myrmidons who were never beaten in battle.
And his father bestowed on him the armour and the horses that had been
the gift of Zeus--the two immortal horses Xanthos and Balios.

'But what rejoiced Achilles more than the gift of marvellous armour and
immortal steeds was that his dear comrade, Patroklos, was to be with him
as his mate in war. Patroklos had come into Phthia and into the hall of
Peleus when he was a young boy. In his own country he had killed another
boy by mischance over a game of dice. His father, to save him from the
penalty, fled with him to King Peleus. And Achilles' father gave them
refuge and took Patroklos into his house and reared him up with his own
son. Later he made him squire to Achilles. These two grew up together
and more than brothers they loved each other.

[Illustration]

'Achilles bade good-bye to Phthia, and to his hero-father and his
immortal mothe