happiness would be needlessly thrown away, by
giving so many young people, in the first bloom
and rose blossom of their lives, to be eaten up
by a creature who, no doubt, would have pre-
ferred a fat ox, or even a large pig, to the
plumpest of them. And when she beheld the
brave, spirited figure of Prince Theseus bearing
himself so calmly in his terrible peril, she grew
a hundred times more pitiful than before. As
the guards were taking him away, she flung
herself at the king's feet, and besought him to
set all the captives free, and especially this one
young man.

"Peace, foolish girl!': answered King Minos.
"What hast thou to do with an affair like this?
It is a matter of state policy, and therefore quite
beyond thy weak comprehension. Go water
thy flowers, and think no more of these Athe-
nian caitiffs, whom the Minotaur shall as cer-
tainly eat up for breakfast as I will eat a par-
tridge for my supper."

So saying, the king looked cruel enough to
devour Theseus and all the rest of the captives,
himself, had there been no Minotaur to save him
the trouble. As he would hear not another

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v?