But it is only a month since I grew strong enough to lift the heavy stone , and take the sword and sandals from beneath it , and come to Athens to seek my father . '' `` My son ! my son ! '' cried King Aegeus , flinging away the fatal goblet , and tottering down from the throne to fall into the arms of Theseus . `` Yes , these are Aethra 's eyes . It is my son . '' I have quite forgotten what became of the king 's nephews . But when the wicked Medea saw this new turn of affairs , she hurried out of the room , and going to her private chamber , lost no time to setting her enchantments to work . In a few moments , she heard a great noise of hissing snakes outside of the chamber window ; and behold ! there was her fiery chariot , and four huge winged serpents , wriggling and twisting in the air , flourishing their tails higher than the top of the palace , and all ready to set off on an aerial journey . Medea staid only long enough to take her son with her , and to steal the crown jewels , together with the king 's best robes , and whatever other valuable things she could lay hands on ; and getting into the chariot , she whipped up the snakes , and ascended high over the city . The king , hearing the hiss of the serpents , scrambled as fast as he could to the window , and bawled out to the abominable enchantress never to come back . The whole people of Athens , too , who had run out of doors to see this wonderful spectacle , set up a shout of joy at the prospect of getting rid of her . Medea , almost bursting with rage , uttered precisely such a hiss as one of her own snakes , only ten times more venomous and spiteful ; and glaring fiercely out of the blaze of the chariot , she shook her hands over the multitude below , as if she were scattering a million of curses among them . In so doing , however , she unintentionally let fall about five hundred diamonds of the first water , together with a thousand great pearls , and two thousand emeralds , rubies , sapphires , opals , and topazes , to which she had helped herself out of the king 's strong box . All these came pelting down , like a shower of many-colored hailstones , upon the heads of grown people and children , who forthwith gathered them up , and carried them back to the palace . But King Aegeus told them that they were welcome to the whole , and to twice as many more , if he had them , for the sake of his delight at finding his son , and losing the wicked Medea . And , indeed , if you had seen how hateful was her last look , as the flaming chariot flew upward , you would not have wondered that both king and people should think her departure a good riddance . And now Prince Theseus was taken into great favor by his royal father . The old king was never weary of having him sit beside him on his throne -LRB- which was quite wide enough for two -RRB- , and of hearing him tell about his dear mother , and his childhood , and his many boyish efforts to lift the ponderous stone .
Theseus , however , was much too brave and active a young man to be willing to spend all his time XXXXX relating things which had already happened .
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