`` Yes , Theseus , '' she said , `` the time has come , and you must stay no longer at my side ! See what King Aegeus , your royal father , left for you beneath the stone , when he lifted it in his mighty arms , and laid it on the spot whence you have now removed it . '' Theseus looked , and saw that the rock had been placed over another slab of stone , containing a cavity within it ; so that it somewhat resembled a roughly-made chest or coffer , of which the upper mass had served as the lid . Within the cavity lay a sword , with a golden hilt , and a pair of sandals . `` That was your father 's sword , '' said Aethra , `` and those were his sandals . When he went to be king of Athens , he bade me treat you as a child until you should prove yourself a man by lifting this heavy stone . That task being accomplished , you are to put on his sandals , in order to follow in your father 's footsteps , and to gird on his sword , so that you may fight giants and dragons , as King Aegeus did in his youth . '' `` 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 , XXXXX 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 .
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