ears to call back
his words. "O Phaethon, bright child of Klymene, for all thy beauty
thou art mortal still; and the horses of Helios obey no earthly
master." But Phaethon harkened not to his words, and hastened away to
the dwelling of the Horai, who guard the fiery horses. "Make ready for
me," he said, "the chariot of Helios, for this day I go through the
high heaven in the stead of my father."

The fair-haired Eos spread her faint light in the pale sky, and
Lampetie was driving the cattle of Helios to their bright pastures,
when the Horai brought forth his horses and harnessed them to the
fiery chariot. With eager hand Phaethon seized the reins, and the
horses sped upon their way up the heights of the blue heaven, until
the heart of Phaethon was full of fear and the reins quivered in his
grasp. Wildly and more madly sped the steeds, till at last they
hurried from the track which led to the Hesperian land. Down from
their path they plunged, and drew near to the broad plains of earth.
Fiercer and fiercer flashed the scorching flames; the trees bowed down
their withered heads; the green grass shriveled on the hillsides; the
rivers vanished from their slimy beds, and the black vapors rose with
smoke and fire from the hidden depths of the mighty hills. Then in
every land the sons of men lay dying on the scorched and gaping
ground. They looked up to the yellow sky, but the clouds came not;
they sought the rivers and fountains, but no water glistened on their
seething beds; and young and old, all lay down in madness of heart to
sleep the sleep of death.

So sped the horses of Helios on their fiery wanderings, and Zeus
looked down from his Thessalian hill and saw that all living things on
the earth must die unless Phaethon should be smitten down from his
father's chariot. Then the mighty thunders woke in the hot sky which
mourned for the clouds that were dead; and the streams of lightning
rushed forth upon Phaethon, and bore him from the blazing heaven far
down beneath the waters of the green sea.

But his sisters wept sore for the death of the bright Phaethon, and
the daughters of Hesperos built his tomb on the sea-shore, that all
men might remember the name of the son of Helios and say, "Phaethon
fell from his father's chariot, but he lost not his glory, for his
heart was set upon great things."

BRIAREOS.

There was strife in the halls of Olympos, for Zeus had conquered the
ancient gods, and sat on the throne of h