apkin at once, as if you were
angry to find your fingers soiled." [6] "Well and good, my lad, well and
good," said the king, "only feast away yourself and make good cheer,
and we shall send you back to Persia a fine strong fellow." And with the
word he had dishes of meat and game set before his grandson. The boy was
taken aback by their profusion, and exclaimed, "Grandfather, do you give
me all this for myself, to do what I like with it?" "Certainly I do,"
said the king. [7] Whereupon, without more ado, the boy Cyrus took first
one dish and then another and gave them to the attendants who stood
about his grandfather, and with each gift he made a little speech: "That
is for you, for so kindly teaching me to ride;" "And that is for you, in
return for the javelin you gave me, I have got it still;" "And this is
for you, because you wait on my grandfather so prettily;" "And this for
you, sir, because you honour my mother." And so on until he had got rid
of all the meat he had been given. [8] "But you do not give a single
piece to Sacas, my butler," quoth the grandfather, "and I honour
him more than all the rest." Now this Sacas, as one may guess, was a
handsome fellow, and he had the right to bring before the king all who
desired audience, to keep them back if he thought the time unseasonable.
But Cyrus, in answer to his grandfather's question retorted eagerly,
like a lad who did not know what fear meant, "And why should you honour
him so much, grandfather?" Then Astyages laughed and said, "Can you not
see how prettily he mixes the cup, and with what a grace he serves the
wine?" And indeed, these royal cup-bearers are neat-handed at their
task, mixing the bowl with infinite elegance, and pouring the wine into
the beakers without spilling a drop, and when they hand the goblet they
poise it deftly between thumb and finger for the banqueter to take. [9]
"Now, grandfather," said the boy, "tell Sacas to give me the bowl,
and let me pour out the wine as prettily as he if I can, and win your
favour." So the king bade the butler hand him the bowl, and Cyrus took
it and mixed the wine just as he had seen Sacas do, and then, showing
the utmost gravity and the greatest deftness and grace, he brought
the goblet to his grandfather and offered it with such an air that his
mother and Astyages, too, laughed outright, and then Cyrus burst out
laughing also, and flung his arms round his grandfather and kissed him,
crying, "Sacas, your day is do