Читать книгу The Story of Alexander онлайн

18 страница из 39

On the morrow as he sat on his seat under the oak of judgment, there came to him some of the country folk bringing with them a fair white colt, and his mouth was bound with iron chains. As they came near the king asked them whose was the foal and why they brought him in chains; and the men answered that this colt was so wild that no man dare go near him to mount him, and that he would take no food since he had left his mother but the flesh of men. Then they consulted the priest of the temple, and he bade them carry the young horse to the king, for he would never be tamed but by a great king’s son, nor could any other man mount him. So the king gave them a great reward and they went their way. Now the horse had on his forehead two bones like small horns, and the men called him for that Bucephalus.

Now when the horse was brought to Philip the king of Macedonia he was fain of him, for he was of noble form, and it seemed as if he would be the best horse in the world, so he thanked the prince greatly, and made men build a stable for the horse of iron bars, strong and good. Therein was he put, and men doomed to death were brought to that place and thrown to him, and he tore them to pieces, and fed on them. And no man willingly went near the stable in which he was.