27 Actaeon

When she was tired with hunting Artemis used to take abath in a little mountain spring．One hot summer afternoon she was playing in the cool，quiet water with hermaidens when she heard a rustle behind the bushes ．She feltquite angry to find that a young hunter was peeping admiringlyat her naked body ．Her maidens gave a sharp cry and crowded around the goddess．But young Actaeon had seen the huntress．

Actaeon loved the hunting．He had been searching the woods every day．On this particular afternoon he felt so tired with running about that he，by accident，came over to the springin search of water．He was thus surprised to find Artemisba thing．The angry goddess was not to be calmed．She splashed water in the hunter's face．As soon as the water drops fell on Actaeon，he was changed into a stag ．Just at that moment he heard the barking of his team of fifty hunting dogs．They were coming up to him．He was suddenly seized with fear ，and presently ...