Hero Tales | Page 4

in Apollo's temple; and he pondered,
long doubting, as to whom he should choose. One day he stood upon
the mountain's topmost peak, whence he could view all Greece and the
seas around it. Far away in the south, he spied a little ship sailing from
Crete to sandy Pylos; and the men who were on board were Cretan
merchants.
"These men shall serve in my temple!" he cried.
Upward he sprang, and high he soared above the sea; then swiftly
descending like a fiery star, he plunged into the waves. There he
changed himself into the form of a dolphin, and swam with speed to

overtake the vessel.
Long before the ship had reached Pylos, the mighty fish came up with
it, and struck its stern. The crew were dumb with terror, and sat still in
their places; their oars were motionless; the sail hung limp and useless
from the mast. Yet the vessel sped through the waves with the speed of
the wind, for the dolphin was driving it forward by the force of his fins.
Past many a headland, past Pylos and other pleasant harbors, they
hastened. Vainly did the pilot try to land at each favorable place: the
ship would not obey her helm. They rounded the headland of Araxus,
and came into the long bay of Crissa; and there the dolphin left off
guiding the vessel, and swam playfully around it, while a brisk west
wind filled the sail, and bore the voyagers safely into port.
Then the dolphin changed into the form of a glowing star, which,
shooting high into the heavens, lit up the whole world with its glory;
and as the awe-stricken crew stood gazing at the wonder, it fell with the
quickness of light upon Mount Parnassus. Into his temple Apollo
hastened, and there he kindled an undying fire. Then, in the form of a
handsome youth, with golden hair falling in waves upon his shoulders,
he hastened to the beach to welcome the Cretan strangers.
"Hall, seamen!" he cried. "Who are you, and whence do you come?
Shall I greet you as friends and guests, or shall I know you as robbers
bringing death and distress to many a fair home?"
Then answered the Cretan captain, "Fair stranger, the gods have
brought us hither; for by no wish of our own have we come. We are
Cretan merchants, and we were on our way to Pylos with stores of
merchandise, to barter with the tradesmen of that city. But some
unknown being, whose might is greater than the might of men, has
carried us far beyond our wished-for port, even to this unknown shore.
Tell us now, we pray thee, what land is this? And who art thou who
lookest so like a god?"
"Friends and guests, for such indeed you must be," answered the
radiant youth, "think never again of sailing upon the wine-faced sea,
but draw now your vessel high up on the beach. And when you have
brought out all your goods and built an altar upon the shore, take of
your white barley which you have with you, and offer it reverently to
Phoebus Apollo. For I am he; and it was I who brought you hither, so
that you might keep my temple, and make known my wishes unto men.

And since it was in the form of a dolphin that you first saw me, let the
town which stands around my temple be known as Delphi [Dolphin],
and let men worship me there as Apollo Delphinius."
Then the Cretans did as he had bidden them: they drew their vessel
high up on the white beach, and when they had unladen it of their
goods, they built an altar on the shore, and offered white barley to
Phoebus Apollo, and gave thanks to the ever-living powers who had
saved them from the terrors of the deep. After they had feasted and
rested from their long voyage, they turned their faces toward Parnassus;
and Apollo, playing sweeter music than men had ever heard, led the
way; and the folk of Delphi, with choirs of boys and maidens, came to
meet them, singing songs of victory as they helped the Cretans up the
steep pathway to the temple in the cleft of the mountain.
"I leave you now to have sole care of my temple," said Apollo. "I
charge you to keep it well. Deal righteously with all men; let no
unclean thing pass your lips; forget self; guard well your thoughts, and
keep your hearts free from guile. If you do these things, you shall be
blessed with length of days and all that makes life glad. But if you
forget my words, and deal treacherously with men, and cause any to
wander from the path of right,