Among the pupils of Chiron was a prince called Jason, who had been put in the care of the wise old centaur when he was not much more than a baby. He had a very wicked uncle, who had stolen the kingdom from Jason’s father and set himself upon the throne. But little Jason was hidden in the forest caves of those strange creatures, the centaurs, who were half horses, half men. There, Chiron played on a golden harp and sang songs about the heroes of the earth. Under his care, Jason grew up strong and fearless, able to wrestle and run and hunt with the best of the young princes. When he had grown into a vigorous youth, Chiron disclosed to him who he was, and said he must go into his own country and recover the lost kingdom for his father.

So one morning Jason set off through the woods, a panther skin thrown over one shoulder, a hunting spear in his right hand. Singing gaily, he strode down the glades until he came to a river, swollen and rapid with rain. On the bank sat a poor, ragged old woman, looking despairingly at the rushing brown water, all creamy with foam. Jason spoke to her kindly, asking if she wanted to get to the other side.


👉 And that's it for now! Subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already: Classicsness.com. And if you want to know more about classics and even learn Latin online, check out LatinFromScratch.com.

📚 Source: Once Upon A Time: Children’s Stories From The Classics (1920?) by Blanche Winder (1866-1930).