This story is part of a series of little reading lessons prepared for young children. The object of the lessons is three-fold: to provide reading matter for the little ones who have only a small vocabulary of sight-words; to acquaint them early with the characters who were introduced to us in song and story; and to create a desire for literature.

wings - blind - nobody
strong - iron - hard
skin - drive - claws
scratched - brass - Harpies

The ship Argo sailed a long way. There were two strong men on the
ship. They had wings and could fly.

One day the Argo came to a land where the blind king lived.

This poor king had a hard time. When he sat down to the table to eat,
some ugly birds called Harpies, came too. The Harpies had skin like
brass and nobody could hurt them. They had claws of iron, and
scratched people when they tried to drive them away.

When the king's dinner was ready, the Harpies came and took it away.
When Jason and his men came, the king told them all about it. Jason
said they would help him.

* * * * *

food - drowned - tired
swords - hurt - flying

They all sat down to the table. When the food was put on the table,
the Harpies came flying in. Jason and his men took their swords.

They cut at the Harpies but could not hurt them.

Then the two men with wings flew up in the air. The Harpies were
afraid and flew away. The men flew after them.

At last the Harpies grew very tired and fell into the sea and were
drowned.

Then the men with wings came back.

Now the blind king could eat all he wanted.

* * * * *

thanked - rocks - moved
friends - helping - good-bye
over - apart - icebergs

It was now time for Jason and his friends to go away.

The king thanked them over and over again for helping him.

When they said good-bye, he told them how to get to the land where
they would find the golden fleece.

On the sea where Jason and his men had to sail, were two big rocks.
These rocks moved on the waterlike icebergs.

They were as high as a big hill. They would come close to each other,
then they would go far apart.

* * * * *

fishes - pieces - dove
past - break - together
row - almost - rocks

When fishes swam in the water the rocks would come together and kill
the fishes.

If birds flew in the air, the rocks would come together and kill
birds.

If a boat sailed on the water, the rocks would come together and break
the boat into little pieces.

These rocks had been put in the sea, so no one could go to the land
where the golden fleece was.

When the ship Argo came to the rocks, Jason sent a dove out.

The rocks came together when the dove was almost past.

Then they went far apart. Jason made his men row as hard as they
could.

The rocks began to come together. "Row hard, my men," said Jason.

Just as they got past, the rocks hit, but Jason and his men were all
right.

So they came to Colchis