The infant, it seems, was sickly, (being troubled
with its teeth, I suppose,) and would take no
food, and was all the time moaning with pain.
The queen her name was Metanira was de-
sirous of finding a nurse; and when she beheld
a woman of matronly aspect coming up the
palace steps, she thought, in her own mind, that
here was the very person whom she needed. So
Queen Metanira ran to the door, with the poor
wailing baby in her arms, and besought Ceres to
take charge of it, or, at least, to tell her what
would do it good.

"Will you trust the child entirely to me?"
asked Ceres.

"Yes, and gladly too," answered the queen, "if
you will devote all your time to him. For I can
see that you have been a mother."

"You are right," said Ceres. "I once had a
child of my own. Well; I will be the nurse of
this poor, sickly boy. But beware, I warn you,
that you do not interfere with any kind of treat-
ment which I may judge proper for him. If
you do so, the poor infant must suffer for his
mother's folly."

Then she kissed the child; and it seemed to do

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p250 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p251w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p252

v?