tration: APOLLO. (_From an ancient Sculpture._)]

NIOBE AND LETO.

In the little Island of Delos there lived a long time ago a lady who
was called Niobe. She had many sons and many daughters, and she was
very proud of them, for she thought that in all the Island of Delos,
and even in all the world, there were no children so beautiful as her
own. And as they walked, and leaped, and ran among the hills and
valleys of that rocky island, all the people looked at them, and said,
"Surely there are no other children like the children of the lady
Niobe." And Niobe was so pleased at hearing this, that she began to
boast to every one how strong and beautiful her sons and daughters
were.

Now in this Island of Delos there lived also the lady named Leto. She
had only two children, and their names were Artemis and Phoebus
Apollo; but they were very strong and fair, indeed. And whenever the
lady Niobe saw them, she tried to think that her own children were
still more beautiful, although she could hardly help feeling that she
had never seen any so glorious as Artemis and Apollo. So one day the
lady Leto and the lady Niobe were together, and their children were
playing before them; and Phoebus Apollo played on his golden harp, and
then he shot from his golden bow the arrows which never missed their
mark. But Niobe never thought of Apollo's bow, and the arrows which he
had in his quiver; and she began to boast to the lady Leto of the
beauty of her children, and said, "See, Leto; look at my seven sons
and my seven daughters, and see how strong and fair they are. Apollo
and Artemis are beautiful, I know, but my children are fairer still;
and you have only two children while I have seven sons and seven
daughters." So Niobe went on boasting, and never thought whether she
should make Leto angry. But Leto said nothing until Niobe and her
children were gone, and then she called Apollo, and said to him, "I do
not love the lady Niobe. She is always boasting that her sons and
daughters are more beautiful than you and your sister; and I wish you
to show her that no one else is so strong as my children, or so
beautiful." Then Phoebus Apollo was angry, and a dark frown came upon
his fair young face, and his eyes were like the flaming fire. But he
said nothing, and he took his golden bow in his hand, and put his
quiver with his terrible arrows across his shoulder, and went away to
the hills where he knew that the lady Niobe and her children were