At length , being now a tall and athletic youth , Jason resolved to seek his fortune in the world , without asking Chiron 's advice , or telling him anything about the matter . This was very unwise , to be sure ; and I hope none of you , my little hearers , will ever follow Jason 's example . But , you are to understand , he had heard how that he himself was a prince royal , and how his father , King Jason , had been deprived of the kingdom of Iolchos by a certain Pelias , who would also have killed Jason , had he not been hidden in the Centaur 's cave . And , being come to the strength of a man , Jason determined to set all this business to rights , and to punish the wicked Pelias for wronging his dear father , and to cast him down from the throne , and seat himself there instead . With this intention , he took a spear in each hand , and threw a leopard 's skin over his shoulders , to keep off the rain , and set forth on his travels , with his long yellow ringlets waving in the wind . The part of his dress on which he most prided himself was a pair of sandals , that had been his father 's . They were handsomely embroidered , and were tied upon his feet with strings of gold . But his whole attire was such as people did not very often see ; and as he passed along , the women and children ran to the doors and windows , wondering whither this beautiful youth was journeying , with his leopard 's skin and his golden-tied sandals , and what heroic deeds he meant to perform , with a spear in his right hand and another in his left . I know not how far Jason had traveled , when he came to a turbulent river , which rushed right across his pathway , with specks of white foam among its black eddies , hurrying tumultuously onward , and roaring angrily as it went . Though not a very broad river in the dry seasons of the year , it was now swollen by heavy rains and by the melting of the snow on the sides of Mount Olympus ; and it thundered so loudly , and looked so wild and dangerous , that Jason , bold as he was , thought it prudent to pause upon the brink . The bed of the stream seemed to be strewn with sharp and rugged rocks , some of which thrust themselves above the water . By and by , an uprooted tree , with shattered branches , came drifting along the current , and got entangled among the rocks . Now and then , a drowned sheep , and once the carcass of a cow , floated past . In short , the swollen river had already done a great deal of mischief . It was evidently too deep for Jason to wade , and too boisterous for him to swim ; he could see no bridge ; and as for a boat , had there been any , the rocks would have broken it to pieces in an instant . `` See the poor lad , '' said a cracked voice close to his side . `` He must have had but a poor education , since he does not know how to cross a little stream like this . Or is he afraid of wetting his fine golden-stringed sandals ? It is a pity his four-footed schoolmaster is not here to carry him safely across on his back ! '' Jason looked round greatly surprised , for he did not know that anybody was near .
But beside him stood an old woman , with a ragged mantle over her head , leaning on a staff , the top of which was carved into the shape XXXXX a cuckoo .
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