ADMETUS AND THE SHEPHERD.


Apollo did not live always free of care, though he was the most
glorious of the gods. One day, in anger with the Cyclopes who work at
the forges of Vulcan, he sent his arrows after them, to the wrath of
all the gods, but especially of Zeus. (For the Cyclopes always make his
thunderbolts, and make them well.) Even the divine archer could not go
unpunished, and as a penalty he was sent to serve some mortal for a
year. Some say one year and some say nine, but in those days time
passed quickly; and as for the gods, they took no heed of it.

Now there was a certain king in Thessaly, Admetus by name, and there
came to him one day a stranger, who asked leave to serve about the
palace. None knew his name, but he was very comely, and moreover, when
they questioned him he said that he had come from a position of high
trust. So without further delay they made him chief shepherd of the
royal flocks.

Every day thereafter, he drove his sheep to the banks of the river
Amphrysus, and there he sat to watch them browse. The country-folk that
passed drew near to wonder at him, without daring to ask questions. He
seemed to have a knowledge of leech-craft, and knew how to cure the
ills of any wayfarer with any weed that grew near by; and he would pipe
for hours in the sun. A simple-spoken man he was, yet he seemed to know
much more than he would say, and he smiled with a kindly mirth when the
people wished him sunny weather.