_Greek_
"Oh, Grace, do see that man with all those little balloons! Don't they
look like a bunch of big cherries?"
"Yes, they do, Carrie, but cherries are all of one color, and some of
his balloons are red and some are blue. Oh, here is one that has burst.
See, it is only a little rubber sack that was once full of air."
"That makes me think, Carrie, of a story I read the other day about a
bag of winds. It was about the King of the Winds and his kindness. It
was this way:
"Once a man named Ulysses was sailing over a great sea, and he came to
an island. He and his sailors were so tired and hungry that they
stopped for food and rest. The King of the Winds--his name was
Aeolus--was very kind to them, and they feasted for fifteen days; then
they had to go forward on their journey again. King Aeolus thought so
much of Ulysses that he told him that he would see that he had good
sailing weather all the way home, if Ulysses would promise to take
charge of what he would give him.
[Illustration: ULYSSES. Making an offering of wine.]
"King Aeolus went alone to the great cave in the mountains where he kept
the four strong winds and some of the weaker ones. He pounded on the
door with his heavy key to let them know he was there, and that they
must wait his call. Then he unlocked the door and let out the strong
East Wind, but caught the others in a great bag made of a whole ox-hide.
This he tied with a stout cord, and the East Wind took it on his
shoulders and carried it to the boat that was about to sail.
"Then King Aeolus told Ulysses how to fasten it to the mast, and the East
Wind had great frolics with the queer bag in which were his brothers.
"King Aeolus told Ulysses never to sleep unless his faithful watchman was
guarding this treasure. Ulysses thanked him and promised faithfully.
Such beautiful weather had never been known before for so long a time.
The East Wind had no one to quarrel with, and the boat flew like a bird
for nine long days.
"The captain grew weary the tenth night and went to sleep while his
watchman was off duty. That was just the chance the sailors wanted.
Slyly up to the mast crept a strong sailor, thinking he would cut down
this treasure which he thought was gold. As soon as the string snapped,
he found out his mistake, and so did everyone in the boat.
"The mighty North Wind felt the loosening strings and rising from the
corner of the ox-hide bag, into which he had been thrust, rushed past
his brothers and escaped first into the open air. The West Wind came
after, screaming hoarsely, while the South Wind, roused to anger by
such rough treatment, whistled fiercely as his brother, North Wind,
grappled with him. The clouds were twisted into curious shapes as the
winds wrestled above the sea. The strong East Wind strove to drive
back the West Wind, but found that nine days of rest had given his
brother great strength, and the waves rose like mountains under their
feet. For seven hours the winds fought, while the waters were black,
for not one star dared to watch the battle. The boat of Ulysses was
tossed like a seaweed, and the sailors longed for the sunlight that
they might see if the storm had taken anyone from the ship. When the
light came and the fury of the winds grew less, it was found that not
one sailor had been lost; not even the traitor who had cut down the
bag. His punishment was to live.
"The boat drifted back to the land of King Aeolus, and Ulysses begged
for help. 'I cannot help you,' he said. 'You have done this by your
carelessness, and you must now toil at the oars, as before, while I seek
my lost winds.'
"When the winds were tired with their roaming, they came back and were
willing to be led to their cave, but the stout ox-hide bag was lost, and
King Aeolus never made another."