The Story of the Golden Fleece
spears were made, and arrows feathered, and swords sharpened. But in the prow of the ship they placed a bough of an oak tree from the forest of Dodona, where the trees can speak. And that bough spoke, and prophesied things to come. And they called the ship “Argo,” and they launched her, and put bread, and meat, and wine on board, and hung their shields with their crests outside the bulwarks. Then they said good-by to their friends, went aboard, sat down at the oars, set sail, and so away eastward to Colchis, in the land of the world’s end.
All day they rowed, and at night they beached the ship, as was then the custom, for they did not sail at night, and they went on shore, and took supper, and slept, and next day to the sea again. And old Chiron, the man-horse, saw the
50
