and the thousand islands of the sea over which I
rule. Three years ago he came hither to take part in the games which you
held in honor of Athena, whose temple you have built on yonder hilltop.
You know how he overcame all your young men in the sports, and how your
people honored him with song and dance and laurel crown. But when your
king, this same AEgeus who stands before me now, saw how everybody ran
after him and praised his valor, he was filled with envy and laid plans
to kill him. Whether he caused armed men to waylay him on the road to
Thebes, or whether as some say he sent him against a certain wild bull
of your country to be slain by that beast, I know not; but you cannot
deny that the young man's life was taken from him through the plotting
of this AEgeus."

"But we do deny it--we do deny it!" cried the elders. "For at that very
time our king was sojourning at Troezen on the other side of the Saronic
Sea, and he knew nothing of the young prince's death. We ourselves
managed the city's affairs while he was abroad, and we know whereof we
speak. Androgeos was slain, not through the king's orders but by the
king's nephews, who hoped to rouse your anger against AEgeus so that you
would drive him from Athens and leave the kingdom to one of them."

"Will you swear that what you tell me is true?" said Minos.

"We will swear it," they said.

"Now then," said Minos, "you shall hear my decree. Athens has robbed me
of my dearest treasure, a treasure that can never be restored to me; so,
in return, I require from Athens, as tribute, that possession which is
the dearest and most precious to her people; and it shall be destroyed
cruelly as my son was destroyed."

"The condition is hard," said the elders, "but it is just. What is the
tribute which you require?"

"Has the king a son?" asked Minos.

The face of King AEgeus lost all its color and he trembled as he thought
of a little child then with its mother at Troezen, on the other side of
the Saronic Sea. But the elders knew nothing about that child, and they
answered:

"Alas, no! he has no son; but he has fifty nephews who are eating up his
substance and longing for the time to come when one of them shall be
king; and, as we have said, it was they who slew the young prince,
Androgeos."

"I have naught to do with those fellows," said Minos; "you may deal
with them as you like. But you ask what is the tribute that I require,
and I will tell you. Every year when th