What does he mean to do ? What will the king say to the one-sandaled man ? '' Poor Jason was greatly abashed , and made up his mind that the people of Iolchos were exceedingly ill-bred , to take such public notice of an accidental deficiency in his dress . Meanwhile , whether it were that they hustled him forward , or that Jason , of his own accord , thrust a passage through the crowd , it so happened that he soon found himself close to the smoking altar , where King Pelias was sacrificing the black bull . The murmur and hum of the multitude , in their surprise at the spectacle of Jason with his one bare foot , grew so loud that it disturbed the ceremonies ; and the king , holding the great knife with which he was just going to cut the bull 's throat , turned angrily about , and fixed his eyes on Jason . The people had now withdrawn from around him , so that the youth stood in an open space , near the smoking altar , front to front with the angry King Pelias . `` Who are you ? '' cried the king , with a terrible frown . `` And how dare you make this disturbance , while I am sacrificing a black bull to my father Neptune ? '' `` It is no fault of mine , '' answered Jason . `` Your majesty must blame the rudeness of your subjects , who have raised all this tumult because one of my feet happens to be bare . '' When Jason said this , the king gave a quick startled glance down at his feet . `` Ha ! '' muttered he , `` here is the one-sandaled fellow , sure enough ! What can I do with him ? '' And he clutched more closely the great knife in his hand , as if he were half a mind to slay Jason , instead of the black bull . The people round about caught up the king 's words , indistinctly as they were uttered ; and first there was a murmur amongst them , and then a loud shout . `` The one-sandaled man has come ! The prophecy must be fulfilled ! '' For you are to know , that , many years before , King Pelias had been told by the Speaking Oak of Dodona , that a man with one sandal should cast him down from his throne .
On this account , he had given strict orders that nobody should ever come into his presence , unless both sandals were securely tied upon his feet ; and he kept an officer in his palace , whose sole business it was to examine people 's sandals , and to supply them XXXXX a new pair , at the expense of the royal treasury , as soon as the old ones began to wear out .
For amongst as at in of that through whether with