Anauros again, till he has become a glory to you and to the house
of AEolus.'

And AEson wept over his son and went away; but the boy did not
weep, so full was his fancy of that strange cave, and the centaur,
and his song, and the playfellows whom he was to see.

Then Cheiron put the lyre into his hands, and taught him how to
play it, till the sun sank low behind the cliff, and a shout was
heard outside.

And then in came the sons of the heroes, AEneas, and Heracles, and
Peleus, and many another mighty name.

And great Cheiron leapt up joyfully, and his hoofs made the cave
resound, as they shouted, 'Come out, Father Cheiron; come out and
see our game.' And one cried, 'I have killed two deer;' and
another, 'I took a wild cat among the crags;' and Heracles dragged
a wild goat after him by its horns, for he was as huge as a
mountain crag; and Coeneus carried a bear-cub under each arm, and
laughed when they scratched and bit, for neither tooth nor steel
could wound him.

And Cheiron praised them all, each according to his deserts.

Only one walked apart and silent, Asclepius, the too-wise child,
with his bosom full of herbs and flowers, and round his wrist a
spotted snake; he came with downcast eyes to Cheiron, and whispered
how he had watched the snake cast its old skin, and grow young
again before his eyes, and how he had gone down into a village in