| When the
day came which
King Oeneus had set, there was a wonderful gathering of men at Calydon.
The greatest heroes in the world were there; and every one was fully
armed,
and expected to have fine sport hunting the terrible wild boar. With
the
warriors from the south there came a tall maiden armed with bow and
arrows
and a long hunting spear. It was our friend Atalanta, the huntress.
"My
daughters are having
a game of ball in the garden," said old King Oeneus. "Wouldn't you like
to put away your arrows and your spear, and go and play with them?"
Atalanta
shook her head and
lifted her chin as if in disdain.
"Perhaps
you would rather
stay with the queen, and look at the women spin and weave," said OEneus.
"No,"
answered Atalanta,
"I am going with the warriors to hunt the wild boar in the forest!"
How all the
men opened their
eyes! They had never heard of such a thing as a girl going out with
heroes
to hunt wild boars.
"If she
goes, then I will
not," said one.
"Nor I,
either," said another.
"Nor I,"
said a third. "Why,
the whole world would laugh at us, and we should never hear the end of
it."
|
