as he ed and stood
before her, the woman seeing him again beyond her hopes was the first
to speak, and asked him for what purpose Harpagos had sent for him so
urgently. And he said: "Wife, when I came to the city I saw and heard
that which I would I had not seen, and which I should wish had never
chanced to those whom we serve. For the house of Harpagos was all full
of mourning, and I being astonished thereat went within: and as soon as
I entered I saw laid out to view an infant child gasping for breath
and screaming, which was adorned with gold ornaments and embroidered
clothing: and when Harpagos saw me he bade me forthwith to take up the
child and carry it away and lay it on that part of the mountains which
is most haunted by wild beasts, saying that it was Astyages who laid
this task upon me, and using to me many threats, if I should fail to do
this. And I took it up and bore it away, supposing that it was the
child of some one of the servants of the house, for never could I have
supposed whence it really was; but I marvelled to see it adorned with
gold and raiment, and I marvelled also because mourning was made for it
openly in the house of Harpagos. And straightway as we went by the road,
I learnt the whole of the matter from the servant who went with me out
of the city and placed in my hands the babe, namely that it was in truth
the son of Mandane the daughter of Astyages, and of Cambyses the son of
Cyrus, and that Astyages bade slay it. And now here it is."

112. And as he said this the herdsman uncovered it and showed it to
her. And she, seeing that the child was large and of fair form, wept and
clung to the knees of her husband, beseeching him by no means to lay it
forth. But he said that he could not do otherwise than so, for watchers
would come backwards and forwards sent by Harpagos to see that this was
done, and he would perish by a miserable death if he should fail to do
this. And as she could not after all persuade her husband, the wife next
said as follows: "Since then I am unable to persuade thee not to lay it
forth, do thou this which I shall tell thee, if indeed it needs must be
seen laid forth. I also have borne a child, but I have borne it dead.
Take this and expose it, and let us rear the child of the daughter of
Astyages as if it were our own. Thus thou wilt not be found out doing
a wrong to those whom we serve, nor shall we have taken ill counsel
for ourselves; for the dead child will obtain a r