THE STEALING OF HELEN


This happy time did not last long, and Telemachus was still a baby, when
war arose, so great and mighty and marvellous as had never been known in
the world. Far across the sea that lies on the east of Greece, there
dwelt the rich King Priam. His town was called Troy, or Ilios, and it
stood on a hill near the seashore, where are the straits of Hellespont,
between Europe and Asia; it was a great city surrounded by strong walls,
and its ruins are still standing. The kings could make merchants who
passed through the straits pay toll to them, and they had allies in
Thrace, a part of Europe opposite Troy, and Priam was chief of all
princes on his side of the sea, as Agamemnon was chief king in Greece.
Priam had many beautiful things; he had a vine made of gold, with golden
leaves and clusters, and he had the swiftest horses, and many strong and
brave sons; the strongest and bravest was named Hector, and the youngest
and most beautiful was named Paris.

There was a prophecy that Priam's wife would give birth to a burning
torch, so, when Paris was born, Priam sent a servant to carry the baby
into a wild wood on Mount Ida, and leave him to die or be eaten by wolves
and wild cats. The servant left the child, but a shepherd found him, and
brought him up as his own son. The boy became as beautiful, for a boy,
as Helen was for a girl, and was the best runner, and hunter, and archer
among the country people. He was loved by the beautiful OEnone, a
nymph--that is, a kind of fairy--who dwelt in a cave among the woods of
Ida. The Greeks and Trojans believed in these days that such fair nymphs
haunted all beautiful woodland places, and the mountains, and wells, and