y that the musician nearly fell off his
seat. "We will have the little Lesbian at court, and make a famous singer
of him. Where is Glaucus? Ho, there! Bid Glaucus attend the king!"

When Glaucus appeared, the king bade him take a boat and sail for Lesbos.
"There you will make search for one Arion, a singer," he said. "And when
you have found him, say, 'Periander of Corinth has need of his friend
Arion.' And see that you bring him safely to Corinth!"

Glaucus did as he was bidden, and in due time found Arion, now grown into
a tall, graceful youth. Arion, when he heard the message, consented to
accompany Glaucus to Corinth, where he was greeted with great kindness by
Periander. He very soon became a great favorite among the Corinthians, and
all the musicians envied him his beautiful voice and his skill in playing
on the lute. No one had such power to soothe the king in his black moods;
nor was it at court alone that his fame as a singer was known, for he was
ever ready to sing to the people, who idolized him and called him the son
of Apollo. Among other things he taught them the song and dance of the
Lesbians in honor of Dionysus and the vine; it afterwards became one of
the most famous songs of Greece.

Many years Arion stayed with Periander, who held him in high honor and
loaded him with costly presents. His fame spread as far as Italy and
Sicily, and he had many requests that he would go over and sing to the
people there. At length, he determined to make the journey, not only from
curiosity to see new countries, but also because he had heard of the songs
sung by the Sicilian shepherds, and had a great desire to study them.
Periander tried to dissuade him, but, finding him resolved, he assisted
him in his preparations, and on his departure exacted from him a promise
that he would return to Corinth.

Arion traveled about Italy and Sicily for a long time, and made a great
fortune by his singing. But growing tired at last of the wandering life,
he went to Tarentum to find a ship which would take him back to Corinth.
There were two or three ships ready to make the journey, among them one
named the Nausicaa, which was manned by a crew of Corinthians. This he
chose, being somewhat nervous about the large sum of money he was
carrying, and thinking that he could trust the Corinthians, whom he knew,
better than a crew of foreigners.

The Nausicaa was a strange-looking vessel, with a single sail, and long
oars pulled by men w