e
led them in, and set meat before them; but before they could put their
hands to their mouths, down came two fearful monsters, the like of whom
man never saw; for they had the faces and the hair of fair maidens, but
the wings and claws of hawks; and they snatched the meat from off the
table, and flew shrieking out above the roofs.

Then Phineus beat his breast and cried, "These are the Harpies, whose
names are the Whirlwind and the Swift, the daughters of Wonder and of
the Amber nymph, and they rob us night and day. They carried off the
daughters of Pandareus, whom all the Gods had blest; for Aphrodite fed
them on Olympus with honey and milk and wine; and Hera gave them beauty
and wisdom, and Athene skill in all the arts; but when they came to
their wedding, the Harpies snatched them both away, and gave them to be
slaves to the Erinnues, and live in horror all their days. And now they
haunt me, and my people, and the Bosphorus, with fearful storms; and
sweep away our food from off our tables, so that we starve in spite of
all our wealth."

Then up rose Zetes and Calais, the winged sons of the North wind, and
said, "Do you not know us, Phineus, and these wings which grow upon our
backs?" And Phineus hid his face in terror; but he answered not a word.

"Because you have been a traitor, Phineus, the Harpies haunt you night
and day. Where is Cleopatra our sister, your wife, whom you keep in
prison? and where are her two children, whom you blinded in your rage,
at the bidding of an evil woman, and cast them out upon the rocks? Swear
to us that you will right our sister, and cast out that wicked woman;
and then we will free you from your plague, and drive the whirlwind
maidens from the south; but if not, we will put out your eyes, as you
put out the eyes of your own sons."

Then Phineus swore an oath to them, and drove out the wicked woman; and
Jason took those two poor children, and cured their eyes with magic
herbs.

But Zetes and Calais rose up sadly; and said: "Farewell now, heroes
all; farewell, our dear companions, with whom we played on Pelion in old
times; for a fate is laid upon us, and our day is come at last, in which
we may hunt the whirlwinds, over land and sea forever; and if we catch
them they die, and if not, we die ourselves."

At that all the heroes wept; but the two young men sprang up, and aloft
into the air after the Harpies, and the battle of the winds began.

The heroes trembled in silence as t