save
themselves from famine after famine, clamored to have the children
sacrificed. Athamas, to save his people, consented to the sacrifice.

"They went toward the king's palace. They found Helle by the bank of
the river washing clothes. They took her and bound her. They found
Phrixus, half naked, digging in a field, and they took him, too, and
bound him. That night they left brother and sister in the same prison.
Helle wept over Phrixus, and Phrixus wept to think that he was not able
to do anything to save his sister.

"The servants of the palace went to Nephele, and they mocked at her,
telling her that her children would be sacrificed on the morrow.
Nephele nearly went wild in her grief. And then, suddenly, there came
into her mind the thought of a creature that might be a helper to her
and to her children.

"This creature was a ram that had wings and a wonderful fleece of gold.
The god of the sea, Poseidon, had sent this wonderful ram to Athamas
and Nephele as a marriage gift. And the ram had since been kept in a
special fold.

"To that fold Nephele went. She spent the night beside the ram praying
for its help. The morning came and the children were taken from their
prison and dressed in white, and wreaths were put upon their heads to
mark them as things for sacrifice. They were led in a procession to the
temple of Artemis. Behind that procession King Athamas walked, his head
bowed in shame.

"But Queen Ino's head was not bowed; rather she carried it high, for
her thought was all upon her triumph. Soon Phrixus and Helle would be
dead, and then, whatever happened, her own children would reign after
Athamas in Thebes.

"Phrixus and Helle, thinking they were taking their last look at the
sun, went on. And even then Nephele, holding the horns of the golden
ram, was making her last prayer. The sun rose and as it did the ram
spread out its great wings and flew through the air. It flew to the
temple of Artemis. Down beside the altar came the golden ram, and it
stood with its horns threatening those who came. All stopped in
surprise. Still the ram stood with threatening head and great golden
wings spread out. Then Phrixus ran from those who were holding him and
laid his hands upon the ram. He called to Helle and she, too, came to
the golden creature. Phrixus mounted on the ram and he pulled Helle up
beside him. Then the golden ram flew upward. Up, up, it went, and with
the children upon its back it became like a sta