I once made a journey to Thessaly, having a matter of business connected with my paternal estate to arrange there with a man of that country. A horse carried me and my luggage, and a single servant accompanied me. We followed the usual road, and fell in with other travellers who happened to be going to Hypata, a town in Thessaly in which they lived. We joined company, made our provisions common stock, and in this way achieved that laborious journey. When we were approaching the town I asked the Thessalians whether they knew a resident of Hypata named Hipparchos, for I had a letter of introduction to him from home and expected to lodge with him. They said they did, and told me what part of the town he lived in, and that, although he had plenty of money, his household consisted solely of one maid-servant and his wife. "For," said they, "he is a terrible miser." When we had come very near the town we saw a garden with a tolerable cottage in it, and this was where Hipparchos dwelt.
So the others made
v.1.p.240
their adieux and rode on, and I went up to the door and knocked. After a good deal of difficulty and delay the woman managed to hear me, and finally came to the door. I asked whether Hipparchos was at home. "He is," said she; "but who are you and what do you want to see him for?" "I am the bearer of a letter from Dekrianos, the sophist of Patrai.” "Wait here," said she, and, closing the door, she went away. After a while she came back and bade us enter. Accordingly, I went into the house, saluted the master, and presented my letter. It happened that he was just beginning his dinner, reclining on a narrow couch. His wife sat near him, and a table stood before them with nothing on it as yet. As soon as he had cast his eye over the letter he said: "Dekrianos is my dearest friend and the noblest Greek of them all. I take it kindly of him that he sends his own comrades to me with confidence. You see my cottage, Loukios; it is small, but it is just the right size to hold the owner; and you will transform it into a great house, if you will live in it and put up with it." Then he called the maid-servant. "Palaistra, show the gentleman to a bed-chamber, and bring him thither what luggage he has. And then direct him to the bath: he has come a long journey."
v.1.p.241
At these words the girl Palaistra led the way and showed a very pretty little sleeping-room. "That is your bed," said she; "and for your servant I will set a couch alongside and put a pillow on it."
When she had thus spoken we went off to bathe, and I gave the girl money to buy a little barley for my horse. She carried in all my belongings and deposited them in my room. When we had bathed and come back to the house we presented ourselves immediately, and Hipparchos, shaking hands with me, bade me recline beside him. The dinner was not too frugal, and the wine was pleasant and old. After dinner we sat talking over our wine-the usual way of entertaining a guest. That whole evening we spent in drinking, and so to bed. Next day Hipparchos asked me whither I purposed going next, or whether I was going to stay there all the time. "I am going on to Larissa," said I, "but probably I shall spend four or five days here."
This, however, was a subterfuge. I had the greatest desire to remain there and search out one of the women versed in sorcery, and see some of their marvellous exhibitions—a human being with wings, or turned into stone; and I surrendered myself to my passion for such a sight, and strolled about the town with no idea how to begin the search, but strolling nevertheless. While I was thus employed I saw a woman
v.1.p.242
approaching, young still and well to do, as far as I could judge from a casual meeting. She was dressed in bright stuffs, had a number of attendants, and displayed an extravagance of gold. When I came nearer, the lady greeted me and I returned the salutation. "My name is Abroia," she said. “You may have heard your mother speak of me as a friend. You, her children, are as dear to me as my own. Why, then, my child, do you not come to me as my guest?" "Thank you very much," said I, "but I should be ashamed to desert a friendly man's house when I have no fault to find with him. But as far as my inclination is concerned, dear madam, I would lodge with you." "Where do you lodge, then?" she asked. "With Hipparchos." "The miser?" cried she. "Don't call him that, madam," said I. "He has entertained me brilliantly and generously. Actually, you might accuse him of extravagance." But the lady smiled, and, taking me by the hand, led me apart and said to me: "Pray, be on your guard in every way against Hipparchos's wife, for she is a powerful sorceress. She casts a longing eye on all young men, and if one of them rejects her advances she revenges herself on him by her arts. Many a one has she turned
v.1.p.243
into an animal, and many a one destroyed outright. You, my child, are handsome as well as young, so that you find favor with women at once ; and you are a stranger, so that there is no danger in dealing with you."
When I heard that what I had been seeking so long was living in the same house with me, I paid no more heed to the lady. As soon as I could take my leave I made off homeward, saying to myself as I went: "Come, now, you who say you are eager to see this wonderful sight, wake up and invent some sage plan to come at what you want. Practise on Palaistra, the maidservant-for the wife of your host and friend is sacred; wrestling with her, I assure you, you will easily learn what you want, for servants know everything about their masters, good and bad." Talking thus with myself, I entered the house. I did not find Hipparchos at home or his wife either; but Palaistra was sitting by the fire preparing the dinner, and I opened my discourse forthwith.
"Lovely Palaistra,” said I, “how gracefully you turn and sway your body and the kettle at the same time! My marrow melts at the sight. He is a lucky man who dips his finger in that dish." The girl was of a very lively humor and full of charming ways. "Fly, young man,” said she, “if
v.1.p.244
you are in your senses and want to live. I am made of fire and smoke. If you should but touch me you will sit here covered with blisters, burned through by me. No doctor will heal you, not even a god, save only me who burned you. Strangest of all, I will make you suffer the more, and you will cherish the painful cure and cling to it, and you would be stoned rather than escape from your pleasant pain. Why do you laugh? You see before you a scientific cook of men. These trumpery eatables are not the only things I can prepare; no, I know well how to butcher and flay and carve that great and noble viand, man. My dearest pleasure is to lay hold of his very vitals and heart." "You are perfectly right," I said; "for even while I was at a distance, before I had come near you, you not only burned me, by Heavens! but set me all in a blaze. Through my eyes you flung your invisible fire into my vitals and are roasting me, though I never did you any harm. So, heal me, in the name of goodness, with those bittersweet remedies you speak of yourself. I am butchered already; take me and flay me as you will." At this she burst into a peal of sweet laughter, and after that she was a complete conquest.
I said to her one day, "My dear, get me sight of your mistress practising her mysteries or changing
v.1.p.245
her shape. For a long time I have been eager to see this curious thing. Or, better still, if you know anything of the black art, exhibit it yourself, and show yourself to me in some other form than your own. I have a notion that you are not altogether ignorant of this science, and I know it from my own heart, not from hearsay; for I used to be adamantine, the women said, and I never cast these eyes tenderly on any girl before; but you laid hold of me by your arts and led me off, after our loving contest, as the captive of your spear." "Stop making fun of me," said Palaistra. "What incantation could charm Love, since he is lord of all sorcery? No, sweetheart; I swear by your head that I know nothing whatever of these things. I have never learned so much as my letters, and my mistress is very jealous of her art. But if I should have a chance, I will try to show her to you in the act of changing her shape."
A few days later Palaistra informed me that her mistress was intending to put on the guise of a bird and fly off to her lover. "Now is your time, Palaistra," said I, "to do me a kindness; for it is in your power to satisfy the long-cherished desire of your suppliant." "Never fear," said she. And when it was evening she came for me, and brought me to the door
v.1.p.246
of the chamber in which her master and mistress slept, and bade me stand by a narrow chink in the door and watch what was going on within. Well, I saw the lady stripping off her clothes. When she was naked she advanced to the lamp, took two grains of incense and cast them on the flame, and, standing still, addressed a long speech to it. Then she opened a strong little chest with a great many boxes in it, lifted one of them and took it out. I do not know the nature of the contents, but from its appearance I judged it was oil. From this box she anointed herself completely, beginning with her finger-nails, and suddenly feathers sprang out on her, her nose grew horny and curved, and she displayed all the other properties and traits of a bird. She was nothing else than a night-hawk. When she was completely feathered she gave a harsh cry like a hawk's, stood up, and took her flight out of the window.
I thought I must be dreaming such a sight as this, and rubbed my eyelids with my fingers, not believing that I had seen with my own waking eyes. When I had at length with difficulty convinced myself that I was not asleep, I forthwith begged Palaistra to anoint me, too, with that drug, and feather me and let me fly; for I wanted to learn by experiment whether if my human shape was altered I should have the mind, too, of a bird. She stealthily opened the bedroom door and
v.1.p.247
brought the box. I had already made haste to strip, and I anointed myself from head to toe. But alas, alack! I did not become a bird! No; a tail grew out on me behind, my fingers and toes disappeared somehow, my nails reduced themselves to four and were nothing more nor less than hoofs, my hands and feet became the feet of a beast of burden, my ears grew long, and my face enormous. When I surveyed myself all over I saw that I was an ass, but I had no human voice left wherewith to blame Palaistra. However, I stretched out my lower lip, and by my shape itself and by my sidelong asinine glance I reproached her as well as I could for having made me an ass instead of a bird.
She smote her face with both hands. "Wretched girl that I am," she cried, "what a dreadful thing I have done! In my hurry I blundered, because the boxes were so alike, and brought the wrong one, not the one that makes feathers grow. But cheer up, do, sweetheart! There is a very easy cure for this. You have only to eat some roses, and the beast will immediately fall from you and you will give me back my lover. Only stay this one night, dear, in the ass, and at daybreak I will run and fetch you some roses, and you will eat them and be cured." While she spoke thus she stroked my ears and the rest of my hide.
I was an ass in all other
v.1.p.248
respects, but I had the heart and mind of a man -the same Loukios, but not his voice. Well, heaping silent reproaches on Palaistra for her mistake, and chewing my lip, I went off to where I knew my horse was stabled, together with another ass, a real one, belonging to Hipparchos. When they saw me coming in to join them they feared that I was going to share their feed, so they put back their ears and made ready to defend their bellies with their heels. I grasped the situation, and taking my stand at a distance from the manger, burst into a laugh, but my laugh was a bray. Then I said to myself: "Confound my untimely curiosity! What if a wolf should come in, too, or some other wild beast! The chances are that I shall be killed, though I have done nothing wrong." But though I reflected thus, I had no idea, poor devil! of the evil that awaited me.
When the night was already far advanced, with its great silence and sweet sleep, there was a noise from without as though the wall were being broken through, and so it was. There was a hole already large enough to admit a man, and one man after another made his way through it promptly until a number were inside, swords in hand. Then they tied up Hipparchos and Palaistra and my man in their rooms, and so stripped the house fearlessly, carrying out the money and
v.1.p.249
the clothes and the furniture. When there was nothing more left in it, they took me and the other ass and the horse, saddled us, and strapped all they had stolen onto us. Laden with these heavy loads, they drove us up the mountain by an untrodden road, beating us with clubs, and bent on escaping. I am not able to describe the feelings of the other beasts, but I, for my part-barefoot, inexperienced, treading on sharp stones, and bearing so much stuff-was ready to die. Every now and then I stumbled, but I was not at liberty to fall down, for some one from behind would instantly give me a blow across the haunches with a club; and when I frequently longed to cry, "O Caesar!" I could do nothing but bray. I could bring out the "O" full and loud, but the "Caesar" would not follow. And even for this they clubbed me, because they thought my braying would betray them. So, when I found that my cries were in vain, I resolved to go on in silence, with the gain, at least, of not being beaten.
After this day came, and we had already climbed many mountains. They muzzled us so that we might not browse along the road for our breakfasts and thus be caught; so for that day, too, I remained an ass. At high noon we halted at a sort of farm-house belonging to people who were friends of the robbers, to judge from what happened, for they greeted each other with kisses,
v.1.p.250
and the owners of the house bade the others halt, and set breakfast before them and gave us animals barley. The others breakfasted, but I fasted in misery. Since I had never at that time breakfasted on raw barley, I looked around to see what I could eat. I saw a garden there behind the court-yard, full of fine vegetables, and above these I saw roses. In the house they were all occupied with their breakfast, and I managed to give them the slip and get to the garden, partly to eat my fill of raw vegetables, and partly for the sake of the roses, for I calculated that if I ate those flowers I should certainly become a man again. When I had made my way into the garden I stuffed myself with lettuces, and radishes, and parsley, such vegetables as men are wont to eat raw; but those roses were not real ones, they were such as grow on the wild laurel. The plant is called rose-laurel, and it makes a poor breakfast for any ass or horse, for it is said that if they eat it they die on the spot.
In the mean time the gardener perceived me, snatched up a club, and ran into the garden. When he saw the enemy, the destroyer of his vegetables, he seized me as a severe master seizes a thieving slave and pounded me with his club, sparing neither ribs nor thighs. He even crushed my ears and mangled my face. When I could stand it no longer I kicked with both feet,
v.1.p.251
knocked him on his back on top of the vegetables, and ran for the mountain. Seeing me making off at a run he shouted that they were to loose the dogs on my trail. The dogs were numerous and large enough to fight with bears, and I knew that if they caught me they would tear me to pieces. So after I had made a short detour I decided that the proverb is right, "better run back than into trouble," and accordingly I started back and made my way to the farm again. They captured the dogs who had been chasing me, and tied them up, but me they beat and did not stop until in my agony I had cast up all the vegetables.
When it was time to take to the road again they also heaped most of the booty and the heaviest on me, and this having been arranged we set out. I was soon exhausted, what with my beating and with carrying my load, and my hoofs were crushed by the road. At this point I made up my mind. to fall down where I was and never get up again, though they beat me to death, for I hoped great gain from this if my plan should work. My idea was that they would give up in despair, divide my load between the horse and the mule, and leave me to lie there for the wolves. But some jealous divinity perceived my plans and made them work just the other way. For the other ass followed the same train of thought as mine and fell down in the
v.1.p.252
road. First they took to beating the poor wretch, bidding him get up; but as he did not respond at all to the blows, some of them took hold of his ears and some of his tail and tried to rouse him. When they were unsuccessful in this, and he lay like a stone in the road, utterly worn out, they argued among themselves that their efforts were useless, and that they were wasting their time for escape sitting by a dead ass; so they took all the gear he had been carrying and divided it between me and the horse. As for the wretched partner of my captivity and burdens, they laid hold of him, cut the sinews of his legs with a sword, and thrust him still quivering over the precipice, and down he went, dancing the death-dance.
When I saw in the case of my fellow-traveller the outcome of the plans I had formed I made up my mind to bear my present plight bravely and plod on with spirit, for I was in hopes that I might chance on my roses at any turn, and by their means be restored to myself. And I heard the robbers saying our journey was almost done, and that they would stay at their next haltingplace. Accordingly, we carried all that burden at a quick pace, and before evening we came to their house. An old woman was sitting inside, where a great fire was burning. The robbers took all the things we had been carrying and set them inside. Then they asked the old woman, “Why in Heaven's
v.1.p.253
name are you sitting like this instead of getting our supper ready?" "Why, everything is ready for you," said the hag. "Plenty of bread, jars of old wine, and some game that I have cooked for you.” Then they fell to praising her, and, taking off their clothes, anointed themselves before the fire. There was a jar in the house full of warm water, from which they drew and poured over themselves, thus taking a hasty bath.
A little later a number of young men arrived, bringing as much gold and silver and clothing as they could carry, and a great deal of jewelry, women's and men's. These were accomplices of the others, and when they had bestowed their booty within they, too, bathed in the same manner. After this they had a bountiful supper, and there was a great deal of conversation among the cutthroats over their wine. The old woman put barley before me and the horse, and he set to and gulped it down in a hurry, fearing, probably, that I would share it. But for my part, whenever I saw the old woman go off I devoured the masters' bread. The next day one young man was left behind with the old woman, and all the others went off on professional business. I bewailed my fate and this strict guard, for I could despise the old woman and run away under her very eyes, but the young man was tall, and had a dangerous look,
v.1.p.254
moreover, and he always carried a sword and fastened the door every time he went out.
Three days after this, almost at midnight, the robbers came back, bringing no gold or silver or anything else except a very beautiful young girl. She was in tears, and her clothes were torn and her hair dishevelled. They deposited her in the house on the mattresses, bade her cheer up, and told the old woman to stay inside all the time, and keep watch over her. The girl would neither eat nor drink; she did nothing but weep and tear her hair, so that I myself, standing near by at the manger, wept in sympathy with the beautiful maiden. In the mean time the robbers were supping in the vestibule. Towards morning one of the spies, who had been chosen by lot to watch the roads, came and reported that a stranger was going to pass that way carrying a great deal of treasure. The robbers rose up just as they were, armed themselves, saddled both me and the horse, and drove us off. I, poor wretch, knew that we were marching out to battle and murder, and I advanced reluctantly, whereupon they beat me with a stick to urge me on. When we came to the road by which the stranger was to drive, the robbers fell upon his carriages with one accord, killed his servants, selected the most valuable articles, and placed them on the horse and me, and hid the rest of the things there in the wood.
v.1.p.255
Then they drove us homeward thus laden, and I, being urged on and beaten with a stick, struck my foot on a sharp stone, and received a painful wound from the blow, which made me limp as I paced the rest of the journey. The robbers said. to each other, "Why do we keep this ass who stumbles on everything? Let us throw him over the precipice, he brings us bad luck." "Yes," said another, "let us throw him over to be a scapegoat for the gang." And they formed to attack me. But I, hearing their talk, walked the rest of the way on my wounded foot as though it belonged to somebody else, for the fear of death made me insensible to the pain of it.
When we came to our abiding place they took the booty from our shoulders and put it carefully away. Then they fell to and dined, and when night came they went off to secure the rest of the things. "Why do we take this wretched ass?" said one of them. "He is useless with his wounded hoof. We will carry some of the things and the horse the rest." So they went off, leading the horse. It was a bright moonlit night. Then I said to myself: "You poor wretch, why do you stay here any longer? Vultures and the children of vultures will dine off you. Don't you hear what they are plotting against you? Do you want to be thrown over a precipice? It is night now and there is a bright moon. The robbers
v.1.p.256
are off on the road. Fly, and save yourself from these cutthroat masters." While I was thus thinking to myself I perceived that I was not even tied to anything, but that the halter by which they led me on the road was hanging alongside. This added circumstance spurred me to the greatest eagerness for flight, and I emerged at a run and was making off; but when the old woman saw me on the point of escaping she seized me by the tail and held on. However, I said to myself that if I were caught by an old woman I should deserve the precipice and any other death, and I dragged her. But she shrieked with all her might to the captive maiden to come out. She ran forward, and when she saw the old woman hanging on to the ass like a second Dirke she found courage for a brave deed and worthy of desperate youth. She sprang onto my back, seated herself there, and urged me on. I, fired with love of freedom and the girl, fled with all my might and ran like a horse, leaving the old woman behind. The girl prayed to the gods to grant her a safe escape, and to me she said: "If you bring me to my father, my pretty ass, I will free you from all labor, and you shall have a bushel of barley every day for breakfast." I ran on, quite forgetting my wound in my eagerness to escape my murderers, and the hope of getting plenty of assistance and attention if I should save the maiden.
v.1.p.257
But when we came to where the road split into three the enemy met us on their homeward way. They recognized their unhappy prisoners in the moonlight while we were still at a distance, ran up to us, and laid hold of me, saying: "Oho, my fine madam, where are you going at this unseasonable hour, you poor, suffering thing? Aren't you even afraid of ghosts? Come home with us and we will hand you over to your friends." This they said with a sardonic laugh, and they turned me about and dragged me back. Then I remembered my lame foot and fell to limping. "What," said they, "are you lame now because you were caught running away? When your mind was set on flight you were sound and flew on wings, swifter than a horse." These words were followed by the stick, and I got a wound on my thigh at once as a warning. When we turned into our lodging again we found the old woman hanging from a stone by a cord. Apparently she had been so afraid of her masters when they should discover the girl's flight that she had hanged herself. They spoke admiringly of her courage, cut her down, and threw her over the precipice with the cord round her neck. The girl they tied up inside the house, and then they supped and drank heavily.