THE CHIMERA. 199

lion, and wriggled along like a serpent, and thus contrived
to make about as much speed as all the three together.

O, the mischief, and mischief, and mischief that this
naughty creature did! With its flaming breath, it could
set a forest on fire, or burn up a field of grain, or, for
that matter, a village, with all its fences and houses. It
laid waste the whole country round about, and used to
eat up people and animals alive, and cook them after-
wards in the burning oven ofits stomach. Mercy on us,
little children, I hope neither you nor I will ever happen
to meet a Chimera! |

While the hateful beast (if a beast we can anywise call
it) was doing all these horrible things, it so chanced that
Bellerophon came to that part of the world, on a visit to
the king. The king’s name was Jobates, and Lycia was
the country which he ruled over. Bellerophon was one
of the bravest youths in the world, and desired nothing
so much as to do some valiant and beneficent deed, such
as would make all mankind admire and love him. In
those days, the only way fora young man to distinguish
himself was by fighting battles, either with the enemies
of his country, or with wicked giants, or with trouble-
some dragons, or with wild beasts, when he could find
nothing more dangerous to encounter. King [obates,
perceiving the courage of his youthful visitor, proposed
to him to go and fight the Chimera, which everybody
else was afraid of, and which, unless it should be soon
killed, was likely to convert Lycia into a desert. Beller-
ophon hesitated not a moment, but assured the king that
he would either slay this dreaded Chimera, or perish in
the attempt.