pper radiance of the
sun. Ascending higher and higher, he looked like a bright speck, and,
at last, could no longer be seen in the hollow waste of the sky. And
Bellerophon was afraid that he should never behold him more. But,
while he was lamenting his own folly, the bright speck reappeared, and
drew nearer and nearer, until it descended lower than the sunshine;
and, behold, Pegasus had come back! After this trial there was no more
fear of the winged horse's making his escape. He and Bellerophon were
friends, and put loving faith in one another.

That night they lay down and slept together, with Bellerophon's arm
about the neck of Pegasus, not as a caution, but for kindness. And
they awoke at peep of day, and bade one another good morning, each in
his own language.

In this manner, Bellerophon and the wondrous steed spent several days,
and grew better acquainted and fonder of each other all the time. They
went on long aerial journeys, and sometimes ascended so high that the
earth looked hardly bigger than--the moon. They visited distant
countries, and amazed the inhabitants, who thought that the beautiful
young man, on the back of the winged horse, must have come down out of
the sky. A thousand miles a day was no more than an easy space for the
fleet Pegasus to pass over. Bellerophon was delighted with this kind
of life, and would have liked nothing better than to live always in
the same way, aloft in the clear atmosphere; for it was always sunny
weather up there, however cheerless and rainy it might be in the lower
region. But he could not forget the horrible Chimaera, which he had
promised King Iobates to slay. So, at last, when he had become well
accustomed to feats of horsemanship in the air, and could manage
Pegasus with the least motion of his hand, and had taught him to obey
his voice, he determined to attempt the performance of this perilous
adventure.

At daybreak, therefore, as soon as he unclosed his eyes, he gently
pinched the winged horse's ear, in order to arouse him. Pegasus
immediately started from the ground, and pranced about a quarter of a
mile aloft, and made a grand sweep around the mountain-top, by way of
showing that he was wide awake, and ready for any kind of an
excursion. During the whole of this little flight, he uttered a loud,
brisk, and melodious neigh, and finally came down at Bellerophon's
side, as lightly as ever you saw a sparrow hop upon a twig.

"Well done, dear Pegasus! well don