Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Actaeon

Actaeon was the son of Aristaeus and Otonavus, daughter of Cadmus, and his father loved hunting.When Actaeon was young, he learned the tricks of hunting from Chiron, a centaur and centaur.One day, he was hunting with a group of happy companions in the forest of Kitalon Mountains.At noon, the sun was shining so hot that they were eager to find a shade.At this time, Actaeon said to his companions: "We hunted a lot of game today, and the hunting is over! Let's fight again tomorrow." The hunters dispersed, and he walked into the depths of the forest with a few hounds , looking for a shady place to sleep.

Nearby is the valley of Galphia, overgrown with pine and cypress trees, a sacred site dedicated to Artemis.At a corner deep in the valley there is a cave sheltered by trees.The clear springs merged into a lake, and the young goddess often bathed in the water to relieve her fatigue when she came back from hunting.At this time, she was entering the cave surrounded by a group of maids.She handed the shotgun, bow and arrow, and quiver to the servants behind.A maid undressed her, and two maids unlaced her shoes.The wise and beautiful Krokal tied Artemis's loose hair into a bundle, and they washed her body with cold water from a clear spring.

The goddess was bathing happily, and Acteon, the grandson of Cadmus, came to the depths of the bush.He accidentally stepped into the sacred grove of Artemis, and was very happy to find a cool resting place.The maids suddenly saw an uninvited guest suddenly barging in, they couldn't help screaming, and they went to surround the hostess together to prevent him from seeing her naked body.But the goddess stood there tall, her face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes staring blankly at the man who barged in.He was still standing there dumbfounded, motionless.He was astonished and completely mesmerized by the beauty in front of him.What an unfortunate man!It would be great if he escaped quickly and exited this place of right and wrong as soon as possible!At this time, the goddess suddenly leaned down, stepped aside, scooped up a pinch of water from the lake, sprayed it on the head and face of the boy opposite, and threatened, "If you have the ability, go and tell me Everyone, what did you see!"

Before the goddess finished speaking, the young man felt a burst of fear.He turned and ran, running so fast that even he was surprised.The unfortunate man did not notice that a pair of horns grew on his head, his neck became elongated, and his ears became long and pointed. His arms became thighs, his hands became hooves, and he grew speckled fur.He was no longer human, and the angry goddess turned him into a stag.He went to the lake and saw his own face in the water. "Good heavens, poor wretch I am!" he was about to cry, but his mouth was as rigid as a stone, and no sound came out.He wept bitterly, tears streaming down his cheeks, but his thoughts were not lost.

What should he do?Should I go back to my grandfather's palace, or hide in the dense forest?Just when he was ashamed and frightened, a group of hounds surrounded him and charged at the stag, chasing him across the mountains and plains.He fled up the cliff for a while, fled into the canyon for a while, and ran for his life in panic on the forest farm where he used to hunt prey, and became the target of the hunt.Finally, a ferocious hound roared and rushed up, biting him on the back.The other hounds rushed forward, biting his body with bruises and bruises with their sharp teeth.At this moment, a group of his hunting friends also heard the sound and released vicious dogs, biting the stag desperately.

The hunters cheered loudly, looking for their master. "Actheon!" A voice called from deep in the mountains and dense forests, "Where are you? Look, we have hunted a strong stag!" The poor deer was put on his friend's shotgun, and gradually died.