song as it rustled over the tall grass? How glad they always
were when it rattled and stirred their white sails, filling their
hearts with promises of help on the way? They could not always
understand what it was saying, but they felt sure that it came from the
ever-living gods and always brought some message of love, or command to
them.

So, as day after day it blew a fierce, wild gale over their heads, and
on beyond, hurrying clouds across the sky, dashing the waves against the
shore, whirling the dust into their faces and hurriedly uttering hoarse
whispering sounds as it passed them, they knew that it was warning them
against daring to continue their homeward journey.

Twenty days had come and gone, and still the wind kept up its fierce,
loud tone of command as it rushed from the far away west, shook the
waters of the vast ocean, swept over the small, rocky island and sped on
toward the east. The courage of the poor sailors was almost exhausted.
Their provisions were giving out. They had to catch fish to satisfy each
day's hunger. Menelaus, their chief, was wandering alone upon the
seashore. He was very unhappy, for he feared much that all this trouble
had come upon his comrades because he had not obeyed the law of the gods
before he left Egypt. So he was much distressed in mind as he walked
along the sandy beach.

The sun was sinking to rest, the evening shadows were settling down
between the rocky hills, the darkness of night was approaching, when
suddenly there stood before him a beautiful being, of so dazzling an
appearance that he knew she could not be a woman, she must be an
immortal. Her saffron robes gleamed with light as do the sunset clouds.
Her face was as radiant as are the last rays of the departing sun. It
was the beautiful goddess, Idothea. Her face suddenly became stern as
she looked at King Menelaus and asked him why he tarried idly upon the
small, rocky island. He replied that he did not willingly remain, but
that he must surely have sinned against the gods, as they had sent a
strong, fierce wind to hinder his homeward voyage. Then he earnestly
begged her to tell him what to do. The stern look left her face as she
heard him confess that he had done wrong. She came nearer to him, and
her glittering robes changed from saffron to pink, and blue, and even
gray, and the lights played above, around and about her in the most
wonderful fashion, changing each moment as she spoke.

She told him that she