daintily with three of his fingers.

[Illustration]

His manners were perfect. Sarcas himself could not have served the
king half so well.

"Bravo! bravo!" cried his mother, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"You have done well" said his grandfather. "But you neglected one
important thing. It is the rule and custom of the cupbearer to pour
out a little of the wine and taste it before handing the cup to me.
This you forgot to do."

"Indeed, grandfather, I did not forget it," answered Cyrus.

"Then why didn't you do it?" asked his mother.

"Because I believed there was poison in the wine."

"Poison, my boy!" cried King Astyages, much alarmed. "Poison! poison!"

"Yes, grandfather, poison. For the other day, when you sat at dinner
with your officers, I noticed that the wine made you act queerly. After
the guests had drunk quite a little of it, they began to talk foolishly
and sing loudly; and some of them went to sleep. And you, grandfather,
were as bad as the rest. You forgot that you were king. You forgot all
your good manners. You tried to dance and fell upon the floor. I am
afraid to drink anything that makes men act in that way."