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    Circe's Island
    Circe's Island
    Circe's Island
    Ebook114 pages1 hour

    Circe's Island

    By Eden Phillpotts

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    About this ebook

    He is not dead; but there are worse things than death...

    When his father goes missing on the mystical isle of Aea, Amphion knows something must be done. Convinced that the island’s mistressthe vindictive and temperamental goddess Circéwill spare his father’s life, Amphion sets off on a bold rescue mission. Accompanied only by his wise pet snake-dragon Simo, the young man insists he and his father will be able to outwit the enchantress. But only Circé of the Braided Hair knows what awaits them in her private island menagerie...

    “The book should be perused on a lazy summer day, preferably...on the shores of some sunny lake, or at least, if this is all that is available, in a hammock slung in some retired spot.”
    The Saturday Review, 1926

    Eden Phillpotts was born in India in 1862, but hailed from the United Kingdom from his early childhood forward. Known as a prolific young adult and mystery novelist, he penned about 250 works in his lifetime, including The Farmer’s Wife, a comic play which Alfred Hitchcock later directed as a silent film. Later in his career, he explored his modern philosophy in a wealth of fantasy and early science-fiction novels.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateJul 13, 2012
    ISBN9781440544699
    Circe's Island
    Author

    Eden Phillpotts

    Eden Phillpotts was an English author, poet, and dramatist. Born in Mount Abu, India, he was educated in Devon, England, and worked as an insurance officer for ten years before studying for the stage and eventually becoming a writer. Over the course of his career, he published scores of novels, many of which were mysteries. He died in 1960.

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      Book preview

      Circe's Island - Eden Phillpotts

      I

      THE GREAT MISFORTUNE

      IN olden time, when gods were many and men far fewer than at present, there dwelt upon Zacynthus, an islet near Ithaca, the fisherman Dolius, his wife Chloris, and their little son, Amphion.

      The child was named after a famous hero born of Antiope to Zeus — that Amphion who, with his brother Zethus, founded and fenced great, seven-gated Thebes. But little Amphion of Zacynthus promised in his parents’ eyes to be no more important than themselves. Because of their inexperience, they thought him much like other youngsters, though in truth he was not. Amphion developed a nature that differed in kind from that of most human boys, for the reason that he possessed a strange friend who secretly led his mind upon subjects and ideas which youth for choice avoids. The child was of a sweet fairness, with curly hair the colour of pale amber. He had dark eyes, beautiful to see in that blond face; and a laugh was wont to sit in them, for he found life to be a pleasant and interesting thing. He inquired about much that happened; his heart was brave, his courage high, his spirit innocent of guile. He thought no evil, planned no wickedness, and loved both the day and night, moving under sun and moon alike in ignorance of any fear.

      In Amphion’s tenth year it happened that Dolius, digging bait for his fishing-lines at the brink of the sea, where the sand-eels lie, lifted from the silver sand a serpent’s egg; and knowing that this was a good thing to find for mortal man, he carried it home and set it near the hearth, that it might hatch in due season.

      Two days later a snake emerged into the world, and proved a very beautiful little reptile. Its skin was golden bright, and upon it, as the creature grew, there appeared a mystic design in ebony — words of secret wisdom, which Dolius was too ignorant to decipher. The serpent drank nothing but goat’s milk for the first month of existence; but henceforth ate heartily of fennel, the proper food of serpent-kind. They called him Simo, and when he heard his name the snake looked up out of ruby-red eyes and understood.

      Simo became the plaything and companion of Amphion; and since to a serpent time is nothing, because they are never young and never old, but live in a fourth dimension apart, Simo enjoyed the privileges of his race and was born full fledged in wisdom and craft, knowing all that serpents know. He claimed, moreover, his own special character won of the gods alone, and he took deep interest in human-kind, while well aware that he possessed qualities of comprehension and a gift of serpent vision denied to them. A meaner snake might have deplored his fate, judging that such a wondrous creature had better graced a palace and the knee of a king, than this fisherman’s hovel and the friendship of a child. But Simo was content. He saw far more promise in Amphion than his parents were able to perceive; while as for the boy, he loved his jewelly little companion, and they dwelt and slept together.

      It may sound strange in your ears that a lad should thus adore a snake, since there exists a not unreasonable antipathy between mankind and these animals. So many men and women have they stung to death that there is implanted in our hearts hereditary dread of them and their swift poisons. But Amphion and Simo rejoiced in one another. The snake would presently only eat and drink when the boy was by, and liked not a fennel leaf plucked by any other hand. And when he had completed his meal, he would wriggle into the child’s warm bosom, lift his head and dazzling eyes, kiss his benefactor’s face with little, ice-cold lips, then curl up and sleep soundly.

      But as yet he had never touched Amphion’s ear, for the ear that is serpent-licked wins to such judgment that the individual thus caressed must henceforth rise above the norm of human fatuity and see and understand much that is for ever hidden from his fellows.

      If you still doubt the attraction between the boy and snake, remember that history is fertile of such friendships — authentical and set down by the honest historians of the past. Nor can they be justly called unnatural, since if a thing happens at all, it must lie within nature’s vast and unexplored ambit. Assyria, for example, provides a story of a lynx who loved so dearly the servant of his master, that he liked not the man out of sight, and flattered and fawned upon him with embraces almost human; while if this person made to go away, the beast would lift delicate paws and put on a plaintive expression to detain him. And when the servant departed to attend his master in a far country this great cat sighed and wept, and presently perished of pure grief that his friend was gone. There is, also, that story of King Porus, who, in battle with Alexander the Great, was hurled from his war elephant, and must have suffered death had not the mighty beast entered the conflict furiously, slain half a hundred men; then, with his trunk, lifted the King to his back again and borne him out of the battle. By which majestic devotion Porus was saved, though the elephant perished of his wounds. There is not forgotten, either, the horse of Antiochus, who was mounted by the slayer of his master, and, knowing instantly that an enemy bestrode him, leapt to a precipice and flung himself therefrom, thus dying that his true rider’s foe might also die. Androclus and the lion need only to be cited; but there is a famous history of a dolphin, who loved a youngster so dearly that he would take the lad to sea with him and let him ride among the billows upon his back. There came a day, however, when the child in rough weather was swept from his protector and drowned; whereupon the dolphin brought his corpse ashore, and, disdaining his own element for its cruelty, flung himself upon the beach by his vanished companion and broke his heart there. From Pliny the story comes, and he has another, as worthy to be trusted, of a virgin from Sestos, who brought up a young eagle for her faithful friend and servant, so that it hawked hard for her and brought her hares, partridges, and even venison, when it had grown to its full strength. But the maiden perished untimely of a fever, and the great bird, flying upon her funeral pyre, was burned with her to ashes. Whereupon the inhabitants of that land marvelled, and lifted a stately monument to The Virgin and Zeus, because all eagles are consecrated to the King of Gods.

      Let these facts convince you of the friendship between Amphion and Simo, and having accepted it, listen concerning the day on which, for the first time, snake and boy came into the communion of speech. Sad were the words that passed between them, for, from his knowledge of things hidden, the serpent now warned his friend of tragedy, and bade him return to his mother and support her in a great affliction. Amphion strolled upon the seashore under a bright sun at the moment, and his eyes were bent upon the ocean, that he might welcome home his father’s boat.

      Dolius had put out overnight to the fishing-grounds under the rim of the sea, but the usual time was past for his return. Now, dark upon the golden glare of the waves, the boy saw a drab, familiar sail, and was descending to the landing-place, when suddenly he heard the small, clear voice of Simo. The snake had curled about his companion’s throat as a necklace, and raising his head swiftly, he licked the boy’s right ear and licked the boy’s left ear; and then he spoke to him.

      Go home to your mother, Amphion, and break to Chloris that an evil thing has befallen Dolius, said he; and for a moment the listener forgot his wonder in his grief.

      He answered, as though it were an everyday matter for him to listen while Simo talked.

      He is dead! he cried.

      He is not dead; but there are worse things than death, and a very fearful fate has overtaken Dolius.

      Amphion, holding back his tears for his mother’s sake, because she was a woman quick to take the darkest view of all things, stood before Chloris presently, and explained to her that Simo was now skilled in conversation and had revealed a fearful

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