King Pandion of Athens had two daughters, Procne and Philomela. When Athens was threatened by the wild men, King Tereus of Thrace came to its help. Out of gratitude King Pandion offered Tereus either of his daughters in marriage and the Thracian king chose Procne as wife.
For years they lived in Thrace and had one son, Itylus by name. Then Procne became homesick and longed to see her dear sister Philomela. At her repeated requests Tereus sailed to Athens to fetch Philomela. On the way back his evil heart took flame at the sight of Philomela who was then in her beauty of maidenhood.
He seized and carried her away by force, cut out her tongue and imprisoned her in a lonely hut in the woods. To Procne he lied, saying that Philomela was dead. Philomela stayed in prison for a year, where she had woven her painful story into the web of a robe . Then she managed to send the robe to her sister. As soon as she received the web Procne came over to the woods and to reher sister away from the keepers.
Back at the palace, the two women, hot for paying back , killed little Itylus and served him up to his father. When Tereus learned of the terrible truth he grasped his sword and chased the sisters into the woods. There the gods turned Procne into a swallow, Philomela a nightingale and Tereus a hoopoe(戴胜鸟).
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 107:It’s too small
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 91:Poor Ian
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 93:Our new neighbour
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 101:A card from Jimmy
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 95:Tickets,please
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 133:Sensational news
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 73:The way to King Street
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 85:Pairs in the spring
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 137:A pleasant dream
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 39:Don’t drop it
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 71:He’s awful
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 61:A bad cold
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 77:Terrible toothache
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 131:Don’t be so sure
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 53:An interesting climate
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 87:A car crash
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 99:Owl
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 111:The most expensive model
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 69:The car race 汽车比赛
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 41:Penny’s bag
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 127:A famous actress
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 55:The Sawyer family
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 113:Small change
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 117: Tommy’s breakfast
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 67:The weekend
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 65:Not a baby
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 45:The boss’s letter
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 43:Hurry up
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 59:Is that all
新概念英语第一册 Lesson 109:A good idea