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With this the herdsman uncovered the infant, and showed him to his
wife, who, when she saw him, and observed how fine a child and how
beautiful he was, burst into tears, and clinging to the knees of her
husband, besought him on no account to expose the babe; to which he
answered, that it was not possible for him to do otherwise, as
Harpagus would be sure to send persons to see and report to him, and
he was to suffer a most cruel death if he disobeyed. Failing thus in
her first attempt to persuade her husband, the woman spoke a second
time, saying, "If then there is no persuading thee, and a child
must needs be seen exposed upon the mountains, at least do thus. The
child of which I have just been delivered is stillborn; take it and
lay it on the hills, and let us bring up as our own the child of the
daughter of Astyages. So shalt thou not be charged with
unfaithfulness to thy lord, nor shall we have managed badly for
ourselves. Our dead babe will have a royal funeral, and this living
child will not be deprived of life."
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