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Adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne
When the old woman and her peacock were out of sight, Jason set forward on his journey. After traveling a long distance he came to a town at the foot of a mountain, not a great way from the sea. Along the shore there was a crowd of people, men and women and children all in their best clothes enjoying a holiday. Over the heads of the people Jason saw a wreath of smoke curling upward toward the blue sky. He asked what town this was and why so many people were gathered together.
“This is the kingdom of Iolchos,” answered a man, “and we are the subjects of King Pelias. Our ruler has called us together that we may see him sacrifice a black bull to Neptune, who, they say, is his Majesty’s father. Yonder is the king, where you see the smoke going up from the altar.”
While the man spoke, he eyed Jason with great curiosity; for it looked very odd to see a youth with a leopard’s skin over his shoulders, and each hand grasping a spear. Jason saw, too, that the man stared at his feet, one of which was bare, 18 while the other was covered with his father’s golden-stringed sandal.
“Look at him! Look at him!” said the man to his next neighbor. “Do you see? He wears but one sandal!”
Upon this first one person and then another began to stare at Jason. Everybody seemed to be greatly struck with something in his appearance, though they turned their eyes oftener toward his feet than to any other part of his figure, and he could hear them whispering to one another.
“One sandal! One sandal!” they kept saying. “The man with one sandal! Here he is at last! Whence has he come? What does he mean to do? What will the king say to the one-sandaled man?”
The crowd pressed forward, and Jason soon found himself close to the smoking altar where the king was sacrificing the black bull. The murmur and hum of the crowd grew so loud that it disturbed the ceremonies. The king, holding the great knife with which he was just going to kill the bull, 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 The people had now withdrawn from around him, so that the youth stood in an open space near the smoking altar, front to front with the angry King Pelias.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 King Pelias, with 19 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 startled glance down at his feet.
“Ha!” muttered he, “here is the one-sandaled fellow, sure enough! What can I do with him?”
The people around caught up the king’s words and shouted, “The one-sandaled man has come! The prophecy must be fulfilled!”
Many years before, King Pelias had been told by the Speaking Oak that a man with but one sandal should cast him down from his throne. On this account, he had given strict orders that nobody should come into his presence unless both sandals were tied upon his feet; and he kept an officer in his palace to examine all sandals, and to supply everyone with a new pair as soon as the old ones began to wear out. In the whole course of the king’s reign, he had never been thrown into such a fright as by the sight of Jason’s bare foot. But as he was a bold and hard-hearted man, he soon took courage and began to think how he might rid himself of this one-sandaled stranger.
“Young man,” said King Pelias, “you are most welcome to my kingdom. Judging from your dress, you must have traveled a long distance; for it is not the fashion to wear leopard skins in this part of the world. Pray, what is your name and where did you receive your education?”
“My name is Jason,” answered the young stranger. “I have dwelt in the cave of Chiron the Centaur. He was my instructor, and taught me music and horsemanship, how to cure wounds, and how to inflict them.”
“I have heard of Chiron the schoolmaster,” replied King Pelias. “There is a great deal of learning and wisdom in his head although it happens to be on a horse’s body. It gives me great delight to see one of his pupils at my court. But to test how much you have learned, will you allow me to ask you a single question?”
“I do not pretend to be very wise,” said Jason, “but ask what you please, and I will answer to the best of my ability.”
Now King Pelias meant to entrap the young man, and to make him say something that should be the cause of mischief to himself. So, with an evil smile upon his face, he said, “What would you do, brave Jason, if there was a man in the world by whom you were doomed to be ruined and slain? What would you do, if that man stood before you and in your power?”
Since the king had chosen to ask him the question, and since Jason had promised him an answer, there was no right way, save to tell him what would be the wise thing to do if he had his worst enemy in his power. Therefore he spoke up, with a firm and manly voice, “I would send such a man in quest of the Golden Fleece.”
This enterprise was the most dangerous in the world. In the first place, it would be necessary to make a long voyage through unknown seas. There was hardly a hope that any man who should undertake this voyage would succeed in getting the Golden Fleece, or in returning home to tell of the perils he had run. The eyes of King Pelias sparkled with joy, therefore, when he heard Jason’s reply.
“Well said, wise man with one sandal!” cried he, “go, then, and at the peril of your life bring me back the Golden Fleece.”
“I go,” answered Jason. “If I fail, you need not fear that I will come back to trouble you again. But if I return with the prize, then, King Pelias, you shall give me your crown and sceptre.”
“That I will,” said the king with a sneer. “Meantime I will keep them safe for you.”
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