And first she laid a cunning plot, to punish that poor old Pelias,
instead of letting him die in peace.
For she told his daughters: "I can make old things young again; I will
show you how easy it is to do." So she took an old ram and killed him,
and put him in a cauldron with magic herbs; and whispered her spells
over him, and he leapt out again a young lamb. So that "Medeia's
cauldron" is a proverb still, by which we mean times of war and change,
when the world has become old and feeble, and grows young again through
bitter pains.
Then she said to Pelias's daughters: "Do to your father as I did to this
ram, and he will grow young and strong again." But she only told them
half the spell; so they failed, while Medeia mocked them; and poor old
Pelias died, and his daughters came to misery. But the songs say she
cured AEson, Jason's father, and he became young and strong again.
But Jason could not love her, after all her cruel deeds. So he was
ungrateful to her, and wronged her: and she revenged herself on him. And
a terrible revenge she took--too terrible to speak of here. But you will
hear of it yourselves when you grow up, for it has been sung in noble
poetry and music; and whether it be true or not, it stands forever as a
warning to us, not to seek for help from evil persons, or to gain good
ends by evil means. For if we use an adder even against our enemies, it
will turn again and sting us.
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