His grandfather , King Pittheus , was the sovereign of that country , and was reckoned a very wise man ; so that Theseus , being brought up in the royal palace , and being naturally a bright lad , could hardly fail of profiting by the old king 's instructions . His mother 's name was Aethra . As for his father , the boy had never seen him . But , from his earliest remembrance , Aethra used to go with little Theseus into a wood , and sit down upon a moss-grown rock , which was deeply sunken into the earth . Here she often talked with her son about his father , and said that he was called Aegeus , and that he was a great king , and ruled over Attica , and dwelt at Athens , which was as famous a city as any in the world . Theseus was very fond of hearing about King Aegeus , and often asked his good mother Aethra why he did not come and live with them at Troezene . `` Ah , my dear son , '' answered Aethra , with a sigh , `` a monarch has his people to take care of . The men and women over whom he rules are in the place of children to him ; and he can seldom spare time to love his own children as other parents do . Your father will never be able to leave his kingdom for the sake of seeing his little boy . '' `` Well , but , dear mother , '' asked the boy , `` why can not I go to this famous city of Athens , and tell King Aegeus that I am his son ? '' `` That may happen by and by , '' said Aethra . `` Be patient , and we shall see . You are not yet big and strong enough to set out on such an errand . '' `` And how soon shall I be strong enough ? '' Theseus persisted in inquiring . `` You are but a tiny boy as yet , '' replied his mother . `` See if you can lift this rock on which we are sitting ? '' The little fellow had a great opinion of his own strength . So , grasping the rough protuberances of the rock , he tugged and toiled amain , and got himself quite out of breath , without being able to stir the heavy stone . It seemed to be rooted into the ground .
No wonder he could not move it ; for it would have taken all the force of a very strong man XXXXX lift it out of its earthy bed .
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