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With these words Astyages dismissed his grandchild. On his arrival
at the house of Cambyses, he was received by his parents, who, when
they learnt who he was, embraced him heartily, having always been
convinced that he died almost as soon as he was born. So they asked
him by what means he had chanced to escape; and he told them how that
till lately he had known nothing at all about the matter, but had been
mistaken - oh! so widely! - and how that he had learnt his history
by the way, as he came from Media. He had been quite sure that he
was the son of the king's cowherd, but on the road the king's escort
had told him all the truth; and then he spoke of the cowherd's wife
who had brought him up, and filled his whole talk with her praises; in
all that he had to tell them about himself, it was always Cyno -
Cyno was everything. So it happened that his parents, catching the
name at his mouth, and wishing to persuade the Persians that there was
a special providence in his preservation, spread the report that
Cyrus, when he was exposed, was suckled by a bitch. This was the
sole origin of the rumour.
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