gers that awaited him,--to tame a span of brazen-footed
fire-breathing bulls, with them to plough four acres of unbroken land in
the field of Ares, to sow the tilth with serpents' teeth, to slay its
crop of warriors, to cross a river, and climb a lofty wall, to snatch
the Fleece from a tree round which lay coiled the sleepless dragon. "How
can these things be accomplished and that before the setting of another
sun?" But Jason used flattering words, singing the song of Chiron:

"No river so deep but an arm may swim,
No wall so steep but a foot may climb,
No dragon so dread but a sword may slay,
No fiend so fierce but your charms may stay."

Medea, seeing that he knew not fear, gave him a magic ointment which
should give him the strength of seven men and protect him from fire and
steel.

All the people assembled at sunrise in the field of Ares. When the
fire-breathing bulls saw Jason standing in the middle of the field, fury
shot from their eyes. Fierce was their onset and the multitude waited
breathless to see what the end would be. As the bulls came on with
lowered heads, and tails in air, Jason leaped nimbly to one side, and
the monsters shot past him with bellowings that shook the earth. They
turned and Jason poised for the leap. As they passed a second time, he
grasped the nearest by the horn and lightly vaulted upon its back. The
bull, unused to the burden, sank cowering to the ground. Jason patted
its neck caressing it, and gladly it shared the yoke with its fellow.

When the ground was ploughed and sown with the teeth of the serpent, a
thousand warriors sprang full-armed from the brown earth. Then King
AEetes greatly rejoiced, but Medea, trembling at the sight, laid a spell
upon them that they might not clearly distinguish friend from foe.

One among them came forth and Jason advanced to meet him, walking with a
halt. His adversary laughed aloud, but Jason with a mighty bound sprang
upon the shoulders of his enemy and bore him helmetless to the ground.
The hero quickly replaced the fallen helmet with his own, giving a
golden helmet for a brazen. The other rose and fled back among his
fellows who, thinking it was Jason come among them, fell upon and slew
him and strove with each other for the golden helmet until all were
slain but one who, wounded unto death, rose up from the fray and
shouting "Victory" sank upon knee and elbow never to rise again.

The rest of the task was quickly accomplishe