希腊神话

[fengza]

法厄同
Phaeton was the son of Apollo by Clymene. The mother had filled the lad's head with so many stories of his father's glory that the youth was quite proud. Wher ever he went he told those stories again and again until everybody was tired of him. On one occasion, when one of his playmates asked him to show his skill of coming down from sky, he felt quite hard to do it. He came back to his mother and told the unhappy event in tears. Unable to do anything for him, she sent her soneast wards to pray to Apollo for help.
The sungod graciously received his son and heard the story with interest. Then he took an oath by the Styx , ready to give help according to the boy's request. But he was surprised to hear that the boy's hope was to drive his fiery carriage. He told his son of the dangers on the way, but failed to stop him fromthe try. As the god had sworn by the Styx there was no going back on his word. In his desperate effort to avoid disaster, Apollo warned his son to keep to the middle course and stop the horses in time.
Phaeton joyfully jumped on the carriage and set off. Very soon he lost his way. he grew pale at the great height and the vast sky in front of him and behind. The horses ran wild. Unable to hold them, Phaeton dropped them in fear. Straight downto the earth the carriage dashed. Rivers were dried up. Cropshung down and withered . Men's cries of suffering rose up from the burnt earth. The enraged Zeus soon found the cause of the trouble, and without hesitation gave one of his most powerful thunderbolts at the proud and careless boy. Phaeton droppedstraight down into a river. Both parents were sad over the loss of their son. And his sisters, who were so unhappy with his untimely death, were changed into poplars and their tearsambers .