`` I will set out for Athens this very day ! '' cried Theseus . But his mother persuaded him to stay a day or two longer , while she got ready some necessary articles for his journey . When his grandfather , the wise King Pittheus , heard that Theseus intended to present himself at his father 's palace , he earnestly advised him to get on board of a vessel , and go by sea ; because he might thus arrive within fifteen miles of Athens , without either fatigue or danger . `` The roads are very bad by land , '' quoth the venerable king ; `` and they are terribly infested with robbers and monsters . A mere lad , like Theseus , is not fit to be trusted on such a perilous journey , all by himself . No , no ; let him go by sea . '' But when Theseus heard of robbers and monsters , he pricked up his ears , and was so much the more eager to take the road along which they were to be met with . On the third day , therefore , he bade a respectful farewell to his grandfather , thanking him for all his kindness ; and , after affectionately embracing his mother , he set forth with a good many of her tears glistening on his cheeks , and some , if the truth must be told , that had gushed out of his own eyes . But he let the sun and wind dry them , and walked stoutly on , playing with the golden hilt of his sword , and taking very manly strides in his father 's sandals . I can not stop to tell you hardly any of the adventures that befell Theseus on the road to Athens . It is enough to say , that he quite cleared that part of the country of the robbers about whom King Pittheus had been so much alarmed . One of these bad people was named Procrustes ; and he was indeed a terrible fellow , and had an ugly way of making fun of the poor travelers who happened to fall into his clutches . In his cavern he had a bed , on which , with great pretense of hospitality , he invited his guests to lie down ; but , if they happened to be shorter than the bed , this wicked villain stretched them out by main force ; or , if they were too tall , he lopped off their heads or feet , and laughed at what he had done , as an excellent joke . Thus , however weary a man might be , he never liked to lie in the bed of Procrustes . Another of these robbers , named Scinis , must likewise have been a very great scoundrel . He was in the habit of flinging his victims off a high cliff into the sea ; and , in order to give him exactly his deserts , Theseus tossed him off the very same place . But if you will believe me , the sea would not pollute itself by receiving such a bad person into its bosom ; neither would the earth , having once got rid of him , consent to take him back ; so that , between the cliff and the sea , Scinis stuck fast in the air , which was forced to bear the burden of his naughtiness . After these memorable deeds , Theseus heard of an enormous sow , which ran wild , and was the terror of all the farmers round about ; and , as he did not consider himself above doing any good thing that came in his way , he killed this monstrous creature , and gave the carcass to the poor people for bacon . The great sow had been an awful beast , while ramping about the woods and fields , but was a pleasant object enough when cut up into joints , and smoking on I know not how many dinner tables .
Thus , by the time he reached his journey 's end , Theseus had done many valiant feats with his father 's golden-hilted sword , and had gained the renown XXXXX being one of the bravest young men of the day .
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