And Chiron, son of Philyra, shed tears;
o Phoebus, he called out to you in vain:
you could not stay the mighty Jove’s decree;
and even if you could, you were away,
still mourning for Coronis as you roamed
Latin [655–79]
through Elis and Messenia. In those days
you wore a sheepskin cloak; and shepherdlike,
your left hand held a rustic staff; your right,
a pipe whose seven reeds were all unequal.
And while you mourned the love you’d lost, you sought
sweet consolation from your tender pipes;
they say that your untended herd went off—
your cattle strayed into the fields of Pylos.
And there the son of Maia, Mercury,
caught sight of Phoebus’ cows and, craftily,
drove them into a wooded hiding place.
No one had seen this theft except for one
old man whom all his neighbors knew as Battus,
the guardian of rich Neleus’ grazing lands
and groves and splendid herd of prized broodmares.
Afraid of Battus’ chatter, Mercury
drew him aside and said—persuasively:
‘Now, my fine friend—whoever you may be—
if anyone, by chance, should come to seek
his herd, just say that you have never seen
these cows; and you can count on this reward:
just pick the sleekest cow—and she is yours.”
And Battus got—at once—the cow he chose,
and said: “My friend, be sure—your herd is safe.
That stone which you see there will sooner tell
about your theft than faithful Battus will.”
The son of Jove then made as if to leave;
but he came back soon after—though transformed
in voice and guise. “O farmer, have you seen
some cattle pass this way?” he asked; “I need
your help; don’t hide the facts, for all that herd
was stolen from me. Come now, if you tell
the truth, you’ll get a cow and her fine bull.”
And tempted by that doubled recompense,
the old man answered: “You will find them there—
Latin [679–703]
below these mountains.” Mercury laughed loud
and said: “Would you betray me to myself?
You rascal, to my face, have broken faith!”
And then the god transformed the faithless chest
of Battus to hard stone. Down to today
they call that rock a touch (or telltale) stone,
although the stone itself had been no spy.