Читать книгу The Story of Alexander онлайн

19 страница из 39

It fell on a day when Alexander was come to youth, that he chanced to stand at a window of the palace while this wild horse was being led by in iron chains, and the prince wondered at the sight, for it seemed to him that this was the noblest of horses, and he could not tell why he was kept in chains. But when he had come down to the courtyard the grooms had gone, so he followed them searching for the horse’s stable, and at the last he came upon the iron house, and looking into it he wondered at the horrible things he saw there. Then one of the grooms came up to him and told him how the horse fed on man’s flesh, and how that should be till he was tamed and ridden by a great king’s son. Hearing this Alexander went up to the bars and called the horse, and the wild animal came up to them, and laid out his neck. Then the prince put his hand through the bars and Bucephalus licked it, and folded his feet and fell to the ground, looking up into Alexander’s face.

Thus was the horse tamed, and Alexander lifted up the gate-bolts and entered the stable boldly, and stroked Bucephalus on his back with his hand, while the horse turned his head round and watched him fondly. Then he got a bridle and saddle, and girt him round and loosed his chains, and leaping on his back rode him off, while the good white horse obeyed the rein as if he had been ridden ten years. Now, while Alexander was riding him round the courtyard, men had run to king Philip and had told him how the prince had gone into the cage of the fierce man-eating horse, and the king came down to see what should hap, and found Alexander master of the horse. Then Philip the fierce remembered the saying of the gods, and he greeted him with words of praise, and said, “Son, of a truth thou shalt reign in my stead when I am gone, and the land shall wax great. Ask now a gift of me, and I will give it.” “Then,” said Alexander, “make me a knight, and a chief with men-at-arms to follow me.”