, he
might have seen a most wonderful sight. For, as Arion fell into the sea,
the water seemed to become alive beneath him, and he felt it lifting him
up, and carrying him rapidly away from the ship. Then he discovered that
he was seated astride on a great, black fish, which was swimming very
rapidly on the top of the water, and he knew it must be a dolphin, which
had been attracted by his singing; for the dolphins, unlike most things
that live in the sea, have sharp ears, and are very fond of music. He
touched his lute, to see if the strings had suffered from the water, and,
as he did so, the great back quivered beneath him. Finding, therefore,
that the dolphin liked the music, and thinking that he owed it some return
for saving his life, Arion began to sing, and sang song after song;
whenever he stopped, the dolphin ceased from swimming, as if to inquire
the reason; and when Arion began again, the dolphin bounded through the
water with great strokes of his broad tail. A strange sight it must have
been, had there been any one there to see! But the dolphin went straight
across the open sea, where no ships were to be seen; for the sailors of
that day did not care to lose sight of the coast, but would sail all the
way round a large bay rather than straight across it. So it was that Arion
came to Taenarus in Greece, without having been seen by any man. The
dolphin took him close to the shore, where he bade it good-by, and watched
it swim away disconsolately.

From Taenarus he made his way on foot to Corinth. Periander was overjoyed
to see him once more; and when he marveled at the strange costume in which
Arion had traveled, Arion related the whole story.

Periander listened attentively, and, when it was finished, remarked
gravely, "Are you then so little satisfied with your victories over the
musicians, Arion, that you have determined to be king of story-tellers
also?"

"Does your majesty intend to throw doubt on my story?" asked Arion.

"Far be it from me!" answered Periander. "The story pleases me well, and
if you will tell me another such, I will take pains to believe that also."

"Then Zeus be my witness! I will find means to prove it," cried Arion.

"Have I not said that I doubted not?" asked Periander. "Yet I would gladly
see the proof. My crown to your lute upon the issue!"

"So be it!" said Arion. "But first I must ask your majesty that none may
speak of my return; and when the ship _Nausicaa_ comes to port,