Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
The Story of
King Cadr1luS
Strange History of Ruler to Whose
Wisdom We Owe Our Books and
Much of Our Learning


les in the United States. However,
the king was quite contented, for he
considered his realm one of the very
greatest in all the world.
You see in those ancient days, peo-
pie could not travel around easily, and
they knew little of what was happening
outside of their own homes.
This king ruled wisely, and his sub
jects loved him. He had one son, who
was brave and manly, and one daugh-
ter, who was good and lovely. The
children were named Cadmus AMI
Europa.
Around the kings palace-which was
really more like a country farmhouse
of today than a real palace-there
stretched many many fields. The cat
tie and sheep grazed there, and Eu-
ropa often went into the fields to pet
them and to pick wild flowers.
One day when she had grown to be
quite a large maiden she went as
usual into the meadows after flowers.
She knew all of the cattle by name,
and she was quite astonished this
morning to see a strange bull in the
herd. 1t was exceedingly handsome
and so very gentle that Europa did
not feel in the least afraid
She petted and fed the cows, and
presently the bull approached and
rubbed his head on her shoulder.
She stroked him and twined daisy
wreath. which she hung around his
neck Soon the bull lay down among
the sweet-scented clover blossoms, and
Europa climbed upon his back in order
to twist another wreath CT DAISIES
around his horns
She had barely settled herself secure
ly when he sprang up and dashed off.
The herdsmen, who were in the field,
saw their princess being carried away
and they rushed hastily after the bull.
They might as well have tried to
catch the wind. The bull reached the
seashore, sprang into the waves and
swan away, Europa clinging to his
back very tightly, for he was going so
swiftly that she dared not attempt to
jump off. Every one in all the tiny
kingdom heard the cries and the noise
of the herdsmen. The people hurried
to the beach.
In the hazy distance they could see
the bull still swimming and bearing
Europa away from them.
The poor old king was broken
hearted. He called his son Cadmus to
him and ordered the boy to go in
search of his sister.
Now, Cadmus loved Europa dearly,
and he was very willing to start out
on such a quest. Twenty of the brav-
est youths in the land went with him.
The boats were not large; in reality
they were only rude rowboats, and
not one of the lads knew anything
about the dreadful Mediterranean sea.
Still they started off boldly. and they
assured the king that they would soon
find the beautiful Europa and bring
her back.
They sailed and sailed for weeks
and months-even for years!
al 111 d.
mus to go to Delphi and ask the
Pythia who was a very wise woman,
about his lost sister. The Pythia told
him that he must search no longer Tor
Europa: that it was Jupiter himselt,
in the form of a white bull, who had
carried her away. That she was well
and happy. and that a large land
larger than Cadmus could even i'm
agine-would be named in Europas
honor -,
Cadmus left deeply grieved at these
tidings. for he loved his sister; ne
longed to see her. and besides ne
dared not return to his own country
without her. -
return home-that a strange king had
seized the throne, for the old king, the
father of Cadmus, was dead.
"Go." she commanded, "and follow a
white COW which you will soon see.
Build a city on the spot on Wnlch the
COW first lies down."
Two of the young men who had
come with Cadmus on his quest were
with him in the temple. When these
three young men left the Pythla they
found a white COW waiting for them
outside the temple.
For a day and a night, without stop
ping, they followed this COW. and at
last she lay down in lovely -, spot,
where the powerful city of Thebes
afterWard stood
Cadmus married Harmonic, the love-
ly daughter of the god Mars. All of
the gods and goddesses attended the
wedding feast.
Cadmus was a wise and good king
he ruled we'll and he did one thing
which we must always remember-tor
without this we could have no papers,
no books, no schools and very little
knowledge of any kind. Cadmus gave
the people the alphabet. and showed
them how to represent the sounds OF
the voice by these characters.