of the wondrous ram who bore a boy called Phrixus
and a girl called Helle across the sea; and the old Greeks said that
it hung nailed to a beech-tree in the War-god's wood.

For when a famine came upon the land, their cruel stepmother wished to
kill Phrixus and Helle, that her own children might reign.

She said Phrixus and Helle must be sacrificed on an altar, to turn
away the anger of the gods, who sent the famine.

So the poor children were brought to the altar, and the priest stood
ready with his knife, when out of the clouds came the Golden Ram, and
took them on his back and vanished.

And the ram carried the two children far away, over land and sea,
till at a narrow strait Helle fell off into the sea, and those narrow
straits are called "Hellespont" after her, and they bear that name
until this day.

Then the ram flew on with Phrixus to the northeast, across the sea
which we call the Black Sea, and at last he stopped at Colchis, on the
steep sea-coast.

And Phrixus married the King's daughter there, and offered the ram in
sacrifice, and then it was that the ram's fleece was nailed to a beech
in the wood of the War-god.

After a while Phrixus died, but his spirit had no rest, for he was
buried far from his native land and the pleasant hills of Hellas.

So he came in dreams to the heroes of his country, and called sadly
by their beds, "Come and set my spirit free, that I may go home to my
fathers and to my kinsfolk."

And they asked, "How shall we set your spirit free?"

"You must sail over the sea to Colchis, and bring home the Golden
Fleece. Then my spirit will come back with it, and I shall sleep with
my fathers and have rest."

He came thus, and called to them often, but when they woke they looked
at each other and said, "Who dare sail to Colchis or bring home the
Golden Fleece?"

And in all the country none was brave enough to try, for the man and
the time were not come.

Now Phrixus had a cousin called AEson, who was King in Iolcos by the
sea. And a fierce and lawless stepbrother drove AEson out of Iolcos by
the sea, and took the kingdom to himself and ruled over it.

When AEson was driven out, he went sadly away out of the town, leading
his little son by the hand. And he said to himself, "I must hide the
child in the mountains, or my stepbrother will surely kill him because
he is the heir."

So he went up from the sea, across the valley, through the vineyards
and the olive groves, and acro